fitness

I am doing the Berlin Marathon in 2 weeks time and I would be keen to get an opinion on  how much fitness i would have lost due to not training over the past 3 weeks due to shin splints.

I had been hoping to do a 3.30 hr marathon but providing i can shake off the injury is this still possible?

 The facts are:

I have plenty of miles in my legs having averaged 35 miles a week for the past 12 weeks and having completed 3 20 mile runs (the last being on the 27th of August).

I completed a 10 mile race in 70 mins on the 11th Aug and a 1 hr 36 half marathon on the 24th of August

Any views welcome?

i'd set off doing 8min/mi and see what happens.  there's a good chance you can still do it.

maybe do a few short (20 mins) and very easy treadmill runs (less impact) beforehand, just to get your legs used to running again

Chris - I was in exactly your position last year!

Training for Berlin 2006 - developed BAD shin splints 5 weeks out and had no choice but to stop running for over 3 weeks. I'd just got back to some short running about 11 days before, but had maintained my fitness by swimming like someone possessed in the meantime.

I had been hoping for a sub 3:15 time and had been doing over 60 miles per week, with around 7 20+ milers. In the end I ran 3:23-ish which I was pleased with given the circumstances. I really don't think I lost a lot of fitness....I think the main reasons I was slower than I'd hoped for were that I was actually still injured, and the temperature was 26 degrees!

By the way, I'm sure my shin splint recovery ended up being far longer than it would have otherwise been, due to my stubborness in doing the marathon regardless (oh yes, and the Great North Run the following week)....are you sure you are recovered enough?

I'm pondering a similar question. I too am doing Berlin, though I hurt my foot last weekend and haven't ran since.

Physio can't find anything wrong with the muscles or tendons so thinks I must have a compression injury or I aggrivated a pressure point on my foot. It hurts to walk anyway, and over a perdiod of time gradually gets worse until I can barely put any weight on it at all!

I've also done 3 x 20-milers, so am happy with the effort I've put in, and am still aiming for sub 3:15 if I can get back into it next week. It's quite unnerving though.

Hope it gets better for you, and good luck!

Mike

cheers for the comments guys. did a mile on the tread mill today....with no adverse reaction...so that's positive. will maybe do 2 miles on the road tomorrow...baby steps and all that.... stretching...ice...ibrupropen and massage etc etc.

Re the run....I decided I will turn up and give Berlin an bash regardless...If I last a mile at least i've tried....

....previously I tore a calf muscle 2 months before the Amsterdam marathon 2 years ago  and couldn't run but still collected the t-shirt before the start....still feel guilty wearing it.....

...not going to do anything silly...just seems alongway to go to watch my best mate run!!!

 good luck with Berlin.....if you spot two lads running with Clydesdale running club red n black I'm the slightly smaller one.!

Good luck Chris!

It was a fantastic day - the atmosphere and organisation were great. I would LOVE to do it again...just spotted my medal with its german colours hanging up beside my desk

Maybe next year I'll be back! (currently recovering from another injury however!)