A long time ago, when I lived in Leeds, I would occasionally loose my mind and either drive for an hour and more to run in the Lake District or I would go out to the moors at 3 in the morning to run in the dark and the snow and the freezing air. I remember cycling from where we lived (round the corner from Sned if that means anything to you) allllllll the way out to run on the Chevin. It was no great distance - 11 miles or so - but at that point I wasn't a cyclist. I think I'd bought a Raleigh racer to get to the ambulance station I worked at.

So, that was all well and good, except at the point I twisted my right ankle on the rootsy, off camber side paths that i'd run on on that hillside. I don't remember how far I had run that day (although I probably still have my running diary) but, however far it was, I had to ride home. Lame. Literally.

I'm not sure either if that was the beginning of my ankle trouble or a continuation but periodically I would have recurring ankle problems. No big deal right? Everyone that runs has some kind of complaint with an ankle or some complex of issues.

I'd run for another six years or so, variously nursing my problems or strapping them up. By 2009 i'd done a few competitions, and run nice long slows in the Hebrides and along hill ranges. I started to experiment with altering my cadence and bare foot running and, lo and behold, the troubles started again and it just became harder and harder to run thru injury - always a stupid idea.

This morning I did a long, slow run / walk of 8 miles. It took an hour and a half. I was out by 5:30am and ran through the forest, and the gales, out to the Long Man of Wilmington and down to the Cuckmere river. past the cows and the cattle egrets, the White Horse and then back in to the forest and home for an omelette.

My ankle is fine.