It had been 130 days since my last run (8th December 2010 to be precise) ... until yesterday. While a certain other event was taking place (and a big well done to all those who took part), I was jogging exactly 2 miles in 25 minutes 38 seconds of sheer bliss.

If you'd have asked me a month ago when I would be back running I would probably have said never. The problem that had ruined my training for Brighton was as debilitating as ever and quite frankly I was becoming more and more despondent. But since then, I've improved dramatically, enough to begin walking and then go for a first tentative jog. I can't tell you how good that felt.

Even though I'd started walking again, I hadn't really planned to run at all until May at the earliest. I just woke up on Sunday and decided I wanted to go for a run. Having said that, I was at a loss as to how to run. I'd got no idea whether I would be up to running or whether I would only be able to manage a mixture of run/walking, and I'd got no idea how far I'd be able to go. So I just decided to head off on a 2 mile loop and see what happened. As it turned out, it was the legs that struggled - they're a bit sore today - but I managed just to jog slowly the entire distance grinning like a cheshire cat the whole way round.

The problem I've had remains a mystery and will do so for a while longer since my GP/surgery managed to "lose" my referral to the hospital (which I only found out when I chased it up). I have a layman's theory that I suffered some "internal" issue in my back/chest/lungs during the winter when I had a couple of bad colds which has never healed properly. This would explain the severe stinging sensation that could be triggered when I did something as simple as empty the dishwasher - a bit like the feeling when an external wound that hasn't healed opens up - which was then later followed by severe difficulty breathing. I still have a feeling of discomfort at times in my back though thankfully the breathing issues have largely gone away.

For now, it's a matter of recovering from my jog - I may go for a jog/walk Tuesday/Wednesday to ease the stiffness in my legs, and then just continue to take it a walk/jog/run at a time. Having deferred my Brighton entry to 2012, I need to decide by the end of the month whether to sign up for it. Although I'd dearly still like to run a marathon, I have no confidence in my ability to do so at this point so that's not going to be an easy decision. Suffice to say, I'll be happy if I can get fit enough just to to run regularly again.

Enjoy your running!