The Toughest Climb in Surrey plus Injury Woes & Pegasus 41 update

In this video, my friends Steve Winder and Kevin Woodward came out with me to complete my quest to run (or walk!) every street in Mole Valley in Surrey, UK for CityStrides.com
I had left Whitedown Lane until last which is a notoriously tough climb for cyclists but rarely ran by runners.
Unfortunately an injury prevented me from running too much and so I give an update of what has happened as I largely walk most of it while Steve & Kevin try and break the Strava CRs up White Down.
I was wearing the Nike Pegasus 41 so also give an update on how I am finding it.
Subscriber count at time of upload:
#pegasus41 #whitedown #steepclimb

[@gw4550]

Take your time sir. At our stage everything takes an age to heal. Best of luck

[@TimGrose]

Thanks and yeah that is very true if depressing!

[@bev9708]

Bummer for the injury ... most of us have had an Achilles injury at some stage I think!! I made that sooo typical beginner error with mine, that when it felt better after warming up I figured, oh great, at least I can still run with it!!🤦‍♀🤦‍♀Of course that just made it worse!! Once I let it calm down for about 4 days, I did lots of yoga with barefoot balancing exercises (I taped it up well for each yoga session at first, according to some youtube videos I found) and I did those barefoot raises up onto you toes on two feet, then very slowly descend back down just on one foot, gradually increasing the number of repetitions and weights I was holding as it improved ... fixed it up in no time!!

[@TimGrose]

Yeah rather annoying although feels somewhat different to Achilles injuries have had in the past when could hardly bear to do anything. Hopefully if I cut my losses and rest plus do the sort of things you say it will clear up. I didn't run (or even walk) today (Sat) or yesterday and certainly seems to feel a little better. I guess just wanted to try and avoid detraining but the runs I have been doing (or trying) were short, easy effort and laboured and basically weren't doing anything much for me.

[@johnrichardson7785]

Enjoyed watching.

[@TimGrose]

Thanks!

[@johnrichardson7785]

@@TimGrose ordered peg 41. I hope they are good?

[@tworunningbrooms]

Excellent content. One question. Was that an air raid shelter? It seems a bit out of the way unless there was a military base nearby. It did have a look of a large pillbox from the quick view I got

[@TimGrose]

Thanks for increasing the views! I asked Steve about it on the way home and it is indeed a pillbox. Apparently there are quite a few near her and were put in to increase defences at the time. I can now recall one lot nearer to me near Oxshott that had wondered what it is or rather was.

[@BenNotley]

Now that's my kind of road running mate 👌 might have to have a pop at that segment myself. Sad news about the injury though mate hopefully you will be back running again soon. 😎🤘

[@TimGrose]

Yeah I think you would like this area. The evening before had covered off "Summer Lightning" which is a decent trail often used by MTB riders and "sort of" parallel to Wolvens Lane in this vid which is a good firm track linking Coldharbour (if had carried on south) to Wotton where started from. Only then a shortish hop over to White Down with lots of trails going off it. No mud on heels right now but I imagine high alert in the winter.

[@kevinpye3140]

sorry to hear about your injury Tim . are you going to do some Calum Elson bike training to keep the CV system going ?

[@TimGrose]

I think I have to soon but the podiarist suggested to give it a complete rest for at least a week which is doing my head in! I had entered an 800 on Tuesday but clearly won't be to run. Maybe can salvage something at the end of the summer. Annoyingly my last sesssion with those fast 200s was encouraging and I did not feel anything "wrong" doing them but when I did a little warm down did not feel right. Seems different to "normal" Achilles injuries in that I can get up on my toes without any great problem. Just stiff/sore either side of them right at the bottom which think is why it "feels" like got some heel pain.

[@kevinpye3140]

@@TimGrose i can feel your pain! I can't see why the physio said do nothing as cycling in a static position is no worse than walking imo . it would keep the blood flowing to the injury site . ive more or less stopped going to physios preferring to sort things out for my self. i know some injuries can require intervention but the body invariably sorts itself out. try a little friction massage and heat - hot shower directed on the ankles . I've ran a couple of 800's recently in 2:38 which doesn't reflect my training . hope to get a decent one in next Sunday at the Midland master's champs . keep your chin up Tim !

[@TimGrose]

@@kevinpye3140 It was actually a podiarist and my main aim was to see if she thought I had plantar fascitis which she didn't. Indeed she hooked me up to an ultrasound and could even show me some micro tears in the Achilles although I am not 100% convinced there isn't also something else going on. All I do is that attempts to run in the last 2 weeks had been getting increasingly worse. As in this video I was getting in some "decent" walking but I think in hindsight I was overdoing it - I covered over 5 miles for this video which is hardly giving it much of a chance!

[@robin29991]

Fun, this looks liike my type of hill:)

[@TimGrose]

I will "have to" return and give it a proper run when I can. Otherwise this area would be excellent prep for hilly trail ultras not that I have any great desire to do one but never say never.