A running injury again!

Thursday 18 June.

 

I made a cup of tea and we read the paper in bed until about 7:15 am when I got up and prepared for another run. I did my usual stretching and got going. I planned to start off with the same route as yesterday then if I felt all right add another loop just before getting to the house. It did't go according to plan, I got to the top of Bird Rd hill going well, when I started the downhill section my achilles was giving me twinges but was still fine then suddenly it was my right calf muscle that became painful. I had had this calf problem before and the only solution was to stop and walk. I did that and cut down Palm Rd which joined Ibis Rd a short distance before the house. The muscle wasn't feeling too painful while I was walking so I decide to do the loop I had planned to run. I went down Pope Rd and round to Edinburgh Rd and back to Lourie Gardens. I had walked quite briskly and the pain wasn't severe. It had taken me running and walking 24:18 minutes, so the exercise was good, pity about the injury. My running come-back seems to have been short lived.

 

I stretched again as soon as I got in then made the breakfast. After washing up the dishes I had a shower running hot then cold water on my injured calf muscle. I spent the rest of the morning reading the 'Telegraph' and working on the crossword. Later when I got up from my chair there was a tremendous sharp pain in my calf muscle and it left me hobbling about. It seemed to be more serious than I originally thought.

 

After lunch we wanted to go into Port Shepstone to a) renew Moira's driving licence and b) get my new British Passport stamped with the Permanent Residence certification. Moira parked next to Checkers supermarket at the top end of the town and we went to the vehicle department first. There were the usual long queues, one with people waiting to have their forms checked and eyes tested, the other was to wait, after having your form and eyes OK'ed, to pay. One would have thought that there would have been a pile of blank renewal forms to just pick up, but no, Moira had to wait in another queue for one. Fortunately this was only a small line and she got it after 15 minutes. The form had to have a photograph attached and she planned to get it done later, fill in the form and come back tomorrow.

 

Next we walked over or in my case limped to the Department of Home Affairs. These places were all quite close to where we were parked and I didn't have to walk far. This place was another series of long queues, if you are doing anything that involves the Government or Civil Service in SA it is going involve a long wait. It was the same when the Afrikaners were in charge and the 'New South Africa' carried on in the same way; that was one part on the old bureaucratic system that was accepted and maintained. The first thing we had to determine was what queue to join. There was an information desk and only two people ahead of us. When I explained what I wanted I was directed to another office. The same two people who were in front at the info desk were waiting there as well. It was about 10 minutes while they were slowly dealt with then there was good news. The system for stamping Passports had stopped about a year ago and when I leave the country in future to take my PR document with me for showing at immigration when I return. Another couple who were behind us had come for the same reason and were also relieved not to have to wait in a long queue now and in the future.

 

Before heading back to the car we did some shopping in Checkers. We got candles and marches, the ones Pat gave us are nearly burnt down. Next it was a stop at the photo shop at the Oribi Plaza where Moira's picture was taken for her driving licence. I stayed in the car and read the South Coast Herald that we bought when shopping. After that it was home.

Moira made a nice chicken curry for dinner with naan bread. We then settled down to read and I had a go at the crosswords in the local paper. There were a couple of programmes on the BBC Entertainment channel that we watched. One was 'Revenge of an Egghead' which is a very similar quiz show to the 'Chase'. Later there was an old 'Open all Hours' with Ronnie Barker and David Jason. In between and before getting to bed I read another of the 'Rumpole' short stories.

 

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