I’m not going to lie… heading into the Cardiff 10k, I felt totally unprepared. I hadn’t run since the London 10k and hadn’t trained one bit. But somehow, despite all of that, I crossed the finish line with a time close to my pre-crash race times, and I can’t explain how happy that made me.
It felt like a tiny breakthrough. Little by little, I’m getting there. My confidence is creeping back, my pace is starting to resemble what it once was, and for a brief moment during the race, I felt like myself again.
But the reality of my ongoing recovery hit hard afterwards. My neck pain was awful! so bad that I had to use my massage gun, take painkillers, and nap just to ease it. It’s frustrating living with this constant pain since the crash. Sometimes I wish I could just go back to “normal,” to run without thinking about how my body will respond afterwards.
With the Cardiff Half Marathon only a month away, my anxiety is definitely bubbling. I can see the progress, but I’m still nervous about how my body will perform during (and after) the race. Still, this 10k reminded me that I am moving forward, even if it’s slow and messy.
Step by step, race by race, I’m clawing my way back. And that feels like a win worth celebrating.