now what ?!

Everything's fine ... hunky dory ... A OK ... great ... now what ?

Well, for a start I can now begin to train properly after three months of no running (and minimal strength work) followed by six months of a strict rehab regime.

Although I've been given the all clear it doesn't mean I'm going to immediately include all the things I did twelve months ago.  That would be stupid.  So, over the next few weeks I'll be introducing - one at a time - hill reps, fartlek, speed work, tempo runs, long runs.  I finally feel as if I've been let off the leash ... a bit.

Cycling will continue much as before but weight training will shift from an emphasis exclusively on muscular strength (especially ankle) to a mixture of strength and endurance.

So the next few weeks will be a period of transition from rehab to training.  And during that time I'll be looking around for some long races to enter (especially as I'll be 50 years old in February) ... any ideas ?

I feel that in one unexpected way this rehab stuff has had a positive effect though.  It has taken a certain mental strength to adhere strictly to the regime when it would have been all too easy to, for example, enter a race or run further/harder than I should ... especially when the ankle has been feeling great for the past few weeks and I only live five minutes walk away from where Otley AC train.  I think that will stand me in good stead for the training and racing to follow.

Much to look forward to then, including running with my club (Otley AC) occasionally on training nights and in the odd race and handicap events (autumn relays perhaps).

Finally, the doctor told me that the medication for gout is working fine and there's no need to change or adjust the dose.  It's not affecting my running at all and everything's under control.