What a busy morning it's been here at Lou HQ! Wowzers! And I still managed to fit a run in this morning too, just call me Wonder Woman!

As today's title suggests - THE LEGS are my big issue today.
I really, really detest my legs, I mean - don't get me wrong, I am so grateful that I can walk and run (sort of) and all the things that a fortunate able bodied person can, but when they were handing out slender pins of glory, I was right at the back of the queue. I suffer from what is commonly known as 'tree-trunk' legs. It's true, they are bigger and musclier than any other female legs I have seen, and to top it all they are covered in eczema.

In 2005 I suffered a DVT in my right leg and was terribly ill for some time with it. Spending hours in doctors’ surgery's getting blood test after blood test, taking blood thinner-after blood thinner and lolloping around on crutches, and it's never quite worked right since.
Standing or sitting for too long will make it swell, too much heat and humidity will make it swell, sitting at a funny angle will make it swell - running can make it swell. In short -it's unpredictable - and it's the inevitable unpredictability of it that causes the eczema too. Un-avoidable so I am told by doctors, great!
So I spend my Summer months hiding them away as much as possible, not only are they just ugly, they are veiny, scabby and swollen, you getting the picture?! I envy women with lovely slender. Toned, tanned legs. The women that can just whack on a skirt (or a pair of size twelve Calvin Klein short shorts!?) and look amazing, only having to address the odd hair here or there. One day, it shall be me!

Due to the DVT, I always run in support socks, you know those really sexy, super grippy, ridiculously expensive-knee high beauties. I can't face the thought of what might happen if I didn't use them, especially on my bad leg and usually they help with the fatigue and pains - but today, even after lots of stretching and now, two hours after the run - they are aching and the pains I was experiencing whilst running were along the outsides of each shin bone - in the muscles either side. Ouch ouch ouch. The stamina for keeping going through eight runs today was pleasingly not a problem, though this could have just been the distraction of the pain. Looking at my trainers (Asics, for which I was measured in Sweaty Betty a while ago) I seem to heavily place emphasis on the outside of my feet when running. Could this be the problem? Any advice?

 

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