Mark Plaatjes

Chase (Finish Strong) asked: "Any thoughts about running on an illuminated , but dark-ish road vs. the light of day , as it might relate to speed ? I sense that stride length may be shorter at night because of a caution factor . The watch will tell the tale. The Master's Midnight Mile." ((Rest of his comment here.)

I guess you could say I got caught out by my own chauvanism.

Following world champion physical therapist Mark Plaatjes into the room of pain, er.. sorry, treatment room...for my third dose of deep tissue ("no Mark, that's the table, you've gone straight through the muscle") treatment, I was delighted to be introduced to his new intern.

No, I'm not proud.

This morning I was waiting in the clinic of Mark Plaatjes, world marathon champion turned world-class physical therapist, for treatment to the lumpy Achilles on my left foot and sprained ankle (again) on my right foot, when I picked up this old copy of Running Times.

My legs aren't working. Or something.

Just been out an "easy" hour following the Lydiard principle: out for half an hour, turn round and get home in the same time.

Only my legs wouldn't co-operate. They started to seize up with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Of course, this is only my third "proper" run after a five-week lay-off. But even so, I'd expected to be moving like the "old" me by now.

The lay-off started as a scheduled two-week rest and ended up being a month-long round of serial therapy as my body decided to present me with several "matters requiring attention." Like the four-month-old niggling adductor strain. In the middle of my new routine of excrutiating soft-tissue work (thanks, Mark Plaatjes), "magic" accupuncture (thank you Dr. Ma) and Spanish Inquisition-style remedial Pilates (thank you, Richard "Nobody expects..." Rossiter), I sprained my ankle.