I think I’m getting old! - Corina's Marathon Blog

After my distractions of last week I thought I was back on schedule, then there was another little distraction … Judo! Alan has been practicing martial arts at a dojo in Poway and was asked by his Sensei to teach a one-off Judo class to the other students. Alan has been practicing Judo since he was 7 and has been teaching since the age of 16. We actually met at the University Judo club many years ago, so Judo is something special to both of us. Alan asked me to assist him in the class, as I had done for many years. I haven’t practiced Judo for about 5 years but I was glad to see that my body still remembered how to do it. The class went really well and I spent much of it being thrown by many of the students. 

That was all great. It was later that day that the realization that I was no longer 18 kicked in. I was aching all over, both arms were covered in bruises, my shoulders felt as if they had been pulled out of their sockets and I had a pulled muscle in my leg that hurt whenever I lifted it up, even for putting on shoes and driving the car. Alan was a little worse for wear too (his bruises were slightly more impressive than mine!).

Come Monday I had big plans, swimming, followed by tennis, then a long run. None of that happened. I woke up, drove Alan to work, emailed my tennis partner to say I was taking a sickie, then I went back to bed for another 2 hours.

My body was coming back together by Tuesday and I was ready to run again properly by Wednesday. My week ended up completely jumbled as usual but I managed to get the important runs done. It was all worth it for having that special Judo experience again.