RW Forum Six – Sub 4.30

Emmy - ditto what Orbutt says. You've got three weeks to get sorted - that's an age. It'll maybe take a week till you're right, then you've still got two weeks spare.

Emmy's IT band - get your act together, you're letting the team down.

Emmy's hamstring - pack it in, you hear me.

I love you two! I've been stretching it (pigeon pose anyone?) and doing lots of 'relaxed' running.

After a discussion with Shades - I've canned the planned 22 miler this weekend and instead will be doing a reduced mileage.

This week's runs have panned out like this:

Monday: cancelled as my planned club run was me and my todd waiting for them

Tuesday: 6 miles easy - pain came at 3 miles and left at 5

Thursday: 5 miles easy - pain came at 4 miles and stayed there

Tomorrow: Gym or swim (whatever takes my fancy).

Sat: 10 miles

Sun: 8 miles

followed by daily stretching/self massage.

I'm not in a good place today so I'll leave it at that for now. I'll be back at the weekend once i've got my act together 

Hi Orbutt,

Stretching and foam rollers I do have I've got a tiger tail and a normal roller (like the one RS has).

RE: Runs - i'm deferring to Shades at the moment for advice. She's been with me since I started marathon running and I trust her opinion.

Pigeon pose?

Sounds like a good idea ditching the 22.

If you haven't already been doing it, I've found it really helps the ITB by sitting on a chair with one ankle resting on the other knee. Pull the ankle towards you as far as is comfortable, then slowly bend over at the waist. You should feel the stretch in your hip. Hold it until the bite subsides. It's even better doing it sat on a swiss ball if you've got one - you just push yourself forwards on the ball to get the bite

Just been on youtube - ouch, looks way too advanced for me.

I can do the sitting in a chair drinking tea pose quite well tho

Ooh - weedy - that stretch is punishment! How can you drink tea at the same time?!

I do the pigeon one at the end once i'm fully flexible. I'll not lie -it's not the easiest one in the book! I've been told that it's kinda like karma sutra for runners but i'm too sure about that

I was a good girl today - cut it back to 5 miles and actually went out as the snow was blowing around me. I'm a tad worried about my garmin. I charged it on thursday after my run and this morning it was dead. I put it back on charge and the battery was empty again. Is this due to the temperature? or is it coming to the end of it's life?

Could be either or if it is like mine when it was refusing to hold charge a simple case of updating the software on it fixing it. Garmin website should say what version its meant to be on and the watch will say what it is on too. Update if they differ

I can drink tea while I'm asleep. In my ITLR application, under the special dietary requirements section, it says "Lots of tea"

I've not noticed temperature affecting the charge on my Garmin.

Did yours definitely charge up? Only ask because I had problems with dirty contacts between my watch and charger. Emailed Garmin about it and they sent me a new one. I assume it was because of my sweat rusting up the watch contacts, so every time I finish a run now I get a cotton bud and give them a wipe as soon as I can.

Or could you have accidentally left it switched on in the house and it used up all the juice searching for a satellite link?

Hi Keith and Weedy - I don't know. I took it out yesterday and it was OK. No issues. I've updated the software just in case and im going to keep an eye on it.

@Weedy - I forgot to mention that! I need tea!

I'm going to bare all now - so if you don't want to read some open stuff: just stop now.

I've been having a think and I'm getting increasingly worried. As i've been told several times in the past week: whatever i do now - will not help my race day result - but it may hurt my injury even more and my injury has been getting worse rather than better.

I need to be smart and not make the injury worse. This means no running, cross training and stretching. I know that going for broke in Paris is a real risk. There are too many other races coming up in the next few weeks and month that I need to think about.

In the next 10 days - I'm going to be seeing what I can do and deciding on my strategy for Paris.

If you have any suggestions/thoughts - let me know.

Sorry to hear Emmy, but sounds like you're approaching it with the right attitude, and you won't lose fitness between now and then.

There's still time for things to improve, and I'd say you don't really need to make a decision on what to do for ages yet (even as late as heading to the start line on the morning if needs be)

I'd say you're right to look at things in the long term. There's plenty of chances coming up to go sub 4.30, but if you go flat out this time and your injury's not up to it, you could do serious damage that takes months to get over. If you think about it, you've got the rest of your life to go sub 4.30.

Saying that, things could just suddenly click for you. They did for me. Two months ago I was wondering if I was going to even get to the start line, but things just started dropping into place, and now I'm aiming for a PB. It all happened really quickly. Problems became niggles, then the niggles cleared up. So quickly that I was gobsmacked at how it had turned around.

Weedy - i like your optimism! I'm *really* hoping that it is the same for me. I'm back on a course of ibruprofen for the next few days in the hope that it clears up. 

I'm coming up with 3 plans dependent upon how the next 10 days go and then will use that plan. It's hard for me not to want to throw everything on this race and say: "f*&K it" but I enjoy running too much! It's Day 2 of no runs and i'm already itchy! I've been looking at the swimming pool opening times and they penalise working people a little. Who can go to a pool from 9-5?

Emmy - I think you're making a smart move. I was a bit worried about what you were going to tell us at first

If you do anything, make it easy.

Sounds like a good idea ditching the Garmin, pace bands etc.

Maybe instead of concentrating on your injury, you should aim to concentrate on the crowds, the atmosphere, the wine, the sights, the dancers, the firemen...

What I mean is, just turn up and have a laugh and enjoy it as best you can.

Weedy - that's my plan. No Ipod- just enjoy the fun and being around a great bunch of people.

I managed a 25km cycle yesterday and felt great. No twinges or anything so am hoping my run tomorrow is OK.

@Orbutt - it's a definite possibility. I'm going to see how tomorrow's run goes and then decide.