My last update at the start of the week leading up to Christmas didn't convey much optimism. I had faltered in my training and diet plans, and with the Christmas holidays around the corner, it didn't look as if I'd be improving that situation any time soon. As it turned out, any lofty intentions of putting in any real workouts or sticking to a strict diet during this festive period proved unrealistic and unattainable. With all the catching to do with friends and family, there was hardly any time nor energy in between to put in a good exercise session.

All the Christmas lunches and dinners didn't help my diet cause either — there was no way I could politely decline eating Aunty So-and-so's signature curry dish at the pot luck spread without risking excommunication from the extended family. That said, I did manage to stop myself from overeating — a commendable feat, I think, for anyone during this time.

During the week, I did have one session of exercise planned that wasn't a victim of the packed Christmas schedule: my weekly futsal session on Sunday (yesterday). With all the inactivity of the past week (and then some), I was really looking forward to the action on the courts. I was really enjoying myself when barely ten minutes into the kickabout, I felt something pop in my right foot as I readied myself to receive a pass with my left. It was almost as if I something had snapped within my foot and I instantly knew I was done for. In the heat of the moment though, I still managed to square the ball for my teammate with my now-injured right foot for him to score before crumpling to the floor. I wasn't in a lot of pain but I could no longer place pressure on my right instep.

I'll be going for an X-ray later, and I can only hope and pray that it turns out to be a dislocation in my foot instead of a metatarsal injury (both of these are possible outcomes according to my doctor). If it turns out to be the latter, I could be out of action for a really long time, and I may even require surgery. For football fans who recall, Manchester United's star striker Wayne Rooney suffered a metatarsal injury that put him out of action for about a month before he miraculously recovered in time for the World Cup. Unfortunately, one month out for me would mean that I would not have any time to train for the Urbanathlon on the 31st of January.

A metatarsal injury would defintely rule me out of one of my five short-term goals as well as throw a huge spanner into the works for the other four. But before I get the doctor's verdict, I'm not going to start feeling down just yet. I'll just have to stay optimistic that it's nothing too serious. Keep your fingers crossed for me and watch this space.

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