The Farm Park Incident (And the Shoes That Didn’t Work)
After finishing the Morpeth 10K, I was still riding high from the buzz. But what I didn’t realise at the time was that I’d made a pretty common rookie mistake: I ran the race in brand new shoes.
Just one day later, I went out for a run with my niece – and things started to feel off. First, the sole of my right foot flared up with discomfort. Then, pain hit the outside of my left knee. I tried not to overthink it. We had a family holiday coming up, and I figured some rest would sort me out.
Well… “rest” might not be the right word.
We packed in loads of activities – including a trip to a farm park, where my daughter begged me to join her on a giant metal multi-lane slide. You sit on mats and race to the bottom. How could I say no?
Down we went, gathering speed… until I hit a bump, got launched into the air, and slammed down hard on my backside. It hurt. Sciatic pain kicked in – not what you want less than a month before the Great North Run.
With the help of some painkillers (and the odd pint), I got through the holiday and resumed running once we got home. The foot pain and knee twinge had calmed down – but only briefly.
The knee pain soon returned. I spoke to my running coach, who also worked at a local running store, and he gave me a theory: my new Brooks shoes might be too supportive for me. My body was fighting the stability features. Given how knackered my old shoes were, it made sense.
He offered to take a look in-store for a second opinion. But time was ticking. So I laced up the old, worn-out shoes – and to my relief, I could run again without pain.
The new ones were shelved. All focus was now on getting through the final few weeks of training.
Oh – and fundraising?
Thanks to a steady stream of social media pestering, asking colleagues for change, and a generous donation from my employer, I’d raised £1,235 for the four charities I’d chosen to support in memory of friends and family.
The race was getting close. But I was feeling ready.
Catch Up on the Journey: