We’ve made it to the airport! Normally this is where the adventures begin… this time it’s been an adventure just to get here.
This trip was locked in a year ago, with plans to realise a long-held dream to complete the London Marathon. After a couple of years struggling to find my running mojo, I’d managed to nab a spot in the Sydney Marathon, so London seemed like the perfect way to celebrate my first 10 marathons. We’d mortgaged the house to pay for a place at the start line, booked the flights, planned time in Derby… everything was in place.
It’s fair to say that while I’d had a great day out, the photos of the Sydney finish line didn’t quite reflect the reality of what happened. My foot had been pretty sore in the lead up, but the podiatrist and physio strapped me up and were (relatively) happy for me to run. What could possibly go wrong?
In hindsight, I suspect it was broken at the start line. It was definitely broken at the finish line…
With 33 weeks until London and talk of 6 weeks for a break to heal, everything seemed to be on track. I embraced parkrun volunteer duties and met all sorts of people with moon boots and horror stories to match. The initial estimates turned into 8 weeks on crutches and 10 in a moon boot, daily walks were negotiated to 1km, DVT reared its head, the team expanded to include a sports doctor and dietician. I did everything to the letter and we were on track for London when I started my return to run program in December. 18 weeks to go.
Around Christmas I just knew something wasn’t right. Another MRI revealed that a new stress fracture was forming in a different bone. My bones had been weakened due to disuse, and it became clear that if I kept running I was heading for another break. The London dream had to go and it was time to reset – physically, emotionally and socially.
Despite a ‘hard NO’ when the sports doctor had suggested swimming and the gym as my primary exercise, I had nothing to lose. I jumped in to deep water running, joined a swim squad and questioned how anyone could possible survive more than 2 laps of a pool. My instagram quickly adapted and pretty quickly I was sucked in. In early-April I even described myself as a swimmer… who would have thought?!?! I’m still a returning runner though, and I reckon I’m investing more time in my health and wellbeing than ever. The same determination that meant I broke my foot will make me stronger in the long term 🙂
Back to the trip… the Marathon was off the cards so while I navigated travel insurance we had to decide what to do instead. This was about the same time as the UK Government decided to change the rules and require me to hold a British passport. All of a sudden we were faced with the prospect that I wouldn’t be allowed to visit the UK so we decided to extend our time in Spain with a road trip from Bilbao to Barcelona, then on to Granada before continuing to Morocco.
In the end, the UK passport arrived in time. As a passionate and fiercely proud Australian it’s strange to have this little black book that connects me to my roots. To make it clear… no matter how hard they try, I will not be barracking for the Brits in the cricket!
Some things are the same, some are different. I love the challenge of minimal luggage, being freed up to focus on new experiences. 10.8 kg in a carry-on size case for 3.5 weeks… winning, despite having to bring more shoes than normal! Interesting to see Brisbane Airport stripped back to a construction zone as the city readies for the Olympics in 2032.
And just in case you ever think the world is a big place, after both of us commented that there was some who looked ‘exactly like Jason’ a couple of rows in front, we learned it actually was our lovely running friend Dr Alison’s husband Jason. Just took us 5 hours in a shared tube to realise it!
We’re now in Singapore for 6 hours. We’ve done a couple of kms around the terminal to marvel at all the wonderful things that travel brings – interesting foods, new technology and approaches, and the intriguing world of luxury goods in international airports.
It’s funny, having this trip booked when I broke my foot created a lot of stress, pressure, and the occasional emotional meltdown. In hindsight, it’s probably the best thing that could have happened – it’s forced me to rethink who I am and where I’m going. I’ve made lots of changes, and I think I’m better for it.
Let the next part of this adventure begin!
Love M & A x
STOP PRESS! Just had a fangirl moment w my favourite musical marathoner who raised $65k for Beyond Blue last year. Any guesses who??? 🤩
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