RW Forum SIx – 3.30 – 4.00

Good running Carl!

Carl - brilliant well done.

CW - Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear of your issues and unfortunately I know of them too well. I'll copy and paste my post from another thread if you don't mind.....

Physio report is everything I expected really but just the kick up the arse I needed. Due to all the shite in my life over the last year my mileage has halved. You would think that might help but...... I have a history of issues due to dodgy gait, lower back issues and muscular imbalances. I have managed these through doing loads of swimming, core work, yoga, pilates, weight training, massage and foam rollering. The problem is that whilst 50% of my mileage has been dropped, 95% of the other stuff has been dropped as well.

So the good news is the solution is simple and what I already know. Up the other stuff massively. I also need to take a week off running and then gradually build up again.

Spring marathon is still a possibility although it won't be a quick one. I'll use it as a stepping stone for building up fitness again.

CW - so as you can see I know full well the problem. It sounds like you're doing the right stuff. Build up slowly. Don't run too much or too fast. The more things you can do to build up muscular strength and to keep muscles moving the better. Hence swimming, yoga, pilates and massage are all brilliant. The more the better. You can't overdo that stuff. 

CW - as I have only been running for a short while in comparison to many on these forums I do not feel qualified to give you any advice.

I injured my calf about 6 weeks before my first marathon and deceided to plough on. I spent the weeks leading up to the marathon visiting my physio twice a week. One session was aimed at getting me out for my long weekend run and the other was to recover from it. I had to drop the midweek sessions as I was trying to protect the injury. My physio was execellent and he ahd 6 people that he was treating with all of us wanting to run the marathon (VLM 2011). He thought we were nuts.

He got me to the start line and I managed to get round but the leg did not hold up.

It took me 6 - 8 weeks of complete rest afterwards to recover.

Running with an injury is very personal and only you can decide if it is worth it.

I am sure that most people would say that rest is the best way to recover and that it is worth the rest.

When is your marathon ?

Whatever you decide to do best of luck and keep us posted.

Spoons - planning a 5-6 mile recovery run in the morning. What pace should I run this at ?

Good to hear that you have got to the bottom of your issues. Funny how it always takes someone else to tell us what we already seem to know. Which spring marathon are you thinking of ?

carterusm wrote (see)

Indeed. I'm hoping to get properly stuck into the speed stuff next week when I've got my new trotters and found a track to do my speedwork. Do you do much off road stuff ?

Carter - I tend to run on roads / pavements and tarmac paths in the parks. Todays LSR took in a mixture of footpaths around the perimeter of local parks, high streets and alongside the busy ring road in central london. Dodging cars at road crossings and people who always seem to be wandering aimlessly when I am trying to run !!

There is not much scope for off road stuff which is a shame as I started running as a kid doing XC stuff and really enjoyed it.  

Carl - run at conversation pace. If you can't comfortably have a conversation while running it's too quick.

Going to hit the sack now as I am planning to get up at silly o clock to get this recovery run in before the OH gets up. Kids will get up themselves and no doubt be in front of the telly when I come back in the front door.

I wonder who I will have that conversation with on my way round

Thanks tricialitt, Spoons and Carl for your comments.

Ran Regent's Park Winter Series 10km this morning as my weekend long run. DId first 4 miles at 9 min/mile but got caught up in the action and finished final 2 miles in 8 min/mile for a time of 52:55. Woops! Hopefully won't pay a price for that. Still, it was good to get experience of racing conditions.

Shin splint seems "OK" - there was a 30 second period this morning where it hurt a little during the run, but then it went back to being fine. So far after 9 runs into training I am yet to experience pain when running (that aside). Occasionally I feel a dull aching pain when in bed or whatever, but not too often -- it only hurts if I squeeze it. Continuing to ice/heat, foam roll, ibuprofen, stretch (I can now touch my toes! Hurrah) daily. My next training run is Tuesday so it'll be good to get 48+ hours recovery in now. I might do a treadmill incline session on Tuesday because that doesn't seem to aggrevate things at all (and hill work is good).

Carl, I fully agree that only I can decide if it's worth it. The marathon is April 21st (VLM). I know full well the right thing to do is to just rest and not run a marathon, but I am determined to do this. I am not stupid, though -- I am OK with pulling out and deferring my charity place for 2014 if I feel the injury reaches a point where it's a no go. My physio is a marathon runner and is doing all she can to help me navigate this. I've been doing a lot of core work and at least one swimming session per week.

Will be interesting to see how it feels after 9 mile LSR next weekend. That will be 1h 25m of running - furthest so far was today (55 min).

*52 min, not 55. It was supposed to be 55. 

Nice 10km CW. You're right - hills are good

CW - well done for today. I was wondering what was going on at regents Park this morning as I saw loads of runners turning up. I ran round Regents Park for my recovery run. In fact Regents Park is sort of the centre of most of my runs apart from the track session.

Very interested to hear how you get on with your LSR next weekemd.

Carter - you have been very quiet today. Everything ok ?

Morning. Be careful with that ankle.... Maybe you'll have to tell the missus you can't do any more jobs round the house for a bit

If you want to tell her thats fine by me !!

So, here is yesterdays run - http://connect.garmin.com/splits/259160145