Tier 3

Today Nottinghamshire has gone into Tier 3 to try and stem the rising cases of Covid 19 across the county.  There is anger and confusion about the irregularity of the rules and I feel helpless watching local businesses have to close or adapt their trading practices so they can remain open.

Thankfully KHPhysiotherapy can remain open to see patients face to face.  There have been strict Covid guidelines in place since we opened back in June and business has continued to tick along.  High cleaning standards, screening and full PPE remain at the forefront of keeping both myself and my patients safe.

So what else have I been up to? Well October was a bit of a varied month.  I honestly thought we would tick along slowly towards Christmas with Covid part of our lives in a low level. How wrong could I have been!  Cases started rising, deaths rose and hospital admissions have gradually been increasing.  Now in Tier 3 I feel like we are a long way off making any sort of progress to controlling the virus.  The realization and the rapidly darkening nights made my mood sink.  Its hard to stay positive and focused when there’s not much to focus on or be positive about.  Its easy to slip into bad habits and let the 4 walls close in on you.

We are in control of our own lives though and this what drives me on.  If you don’t like something then find a way of changing it.  It does take a bit of hard work and dedication but nothing in life comes easy.  Sometimes just the simplest of changes can kick start the cogs of further change.  I started my 10 week Wonder Woman project and launched the Runners Conditioning class.  This gave me some structure back to my weeks and with a new gym workout I feel I have a bit of my mojo back.  I also bought some Panta running sandals a month or so ago and have been wearing these for short local runs so I can get my feet used to wearing them.

Barefoot running has been a contentious issue for many years and while I agree we are born to run that isn’t how our society is set up now.  We wear shoes from a young age, don’t have to run up and down rocks/hills, don’t have to chase our food and generally spend a large portion of our day sat down now.  Our muscles become deconditioned to running and when we do take it up its often on unnatural surfaces like flat concrete.  We need shoes to keep us safe.  However I do love running barefoot and can’t wait to continue to learn and become more experienced across different terrains.

I probably picked the worst time to start running barefoot as it’s cold and wet now but I’ve loved it.  I’m always surprised how warm my feet feel and there’s something very tribal about running through mud and puddles barefoot.

Running barefoot requires strong muscles to support your feet, if you are going to transition to barefoot running I would suggest doing it very slowly and making sure you incorporate some strength and mobility work for your feet and ankles.  I watched a great FB live session with Natural Born Runners, talking about pronation so I would definitely start by finding out about how amazing your feet are and what they are designed to do.

I’ve also been down to see the Banksy wall art in Lenton.  We’re so privileged to have a Banksy in our fine city so it made a great start to the day by being able to run down and see it so closely.  I ran with my friend Mel, our usual routes involve mud, fields and cows so we felt very out of our comfort zone heading into the big city.

     

As you may notice I am sporting some rather fabulous running leggings.  As I don’t go anywhere anymore or have to buy anything remotely interesting I though I’d treat myself to some more Sturdy By Design bottoms.  I love their bright patterns and with an easily accessible rear pocket they are ideal for brightening any run.

So just a few little moments through the week have really lifted my spirits.  We have also set up a covid secure area to enable our running club to get back to do doing some social runs. It really is great seeing different faces and brings a very little bit of normality back to the week.  As we start our 28 stretch it is important to not lose faith.  Faith in our communities, faith in those close to us and faith in ourselves.  Life has changed beyond recognition but it is still life.  We make it what it is.  There’s still plenty going on.  Local communities are pulling together again to help those much less fortunate and I’m really proud of the work my partner has done with our local Kimberley and District Mutual Aid Group.  He set it up right at the start of lockdown and once again it has brought local people together to help feed children and their families in these difficult times.

So if you’re feeling low, sad, down, alone, please pick up the phone and get in touch with someone who makes you smile.  Just a simple hello can make someone’s day.  Set yourself a little goal for the day, something as simple as going for a walk or visiting a local beauty spot.  We have so many beautiful areas around Kimberley and don’t forget the Swingate lions if you are feeling brave!

If you have any questions about anything I’ve talked about please drop a comment.  Please stay safe and follow the guidelines so we can all get through this together.