Talkback: ASICS Target 26.2 Team: Craig

Whats this about photo shoot pics SB?

Bo tight hammies are my problem and calves too I do alot of stretching and even more now I have a 5 in my age! Try pulling your toes up towards you while lying on your back in bed in the mornings and at night. My oh gets abit annoyed with me sometimes but it works for me. I stand on the bottom step alot and go up and down on my toes to try and strengthen my calves as I have stick like legs sadly.  My girls all want my legs how sad is that!! When I get the bike out in the better weather my legs get a little stronger which also helps. Have a good rest and hope it improves. I tend to drop the speedier runs when my hammies and calves tighten up. All the best.

On the subject of races Birmingham Half is a good flat course great PB potential, just a little bit of a rise in mile 11 if I remember correctly........SB will check out longer races later in the year, there is a great one in March but too early really for marathon training though the route is on the site so I may do that with friends and family later in the year if anyone is up for that. Its a 22 mile route round the Edges and Chatsworth House, goes past my office here in Bakewell. Worth watching the video its only about 10 mins. Grindleford Gallop.  http://www.grindlefordgallop.co.uk/

Hey mcs - the pics are the ones that should appear of 'the 5' in London in next months mag ...

Not sure we're all talking about the same email from Asics - I've just had the initial one from Alice? Maybe you're special so you get extra freebies

Right - butt into gear - here I go ...

mcs/SB - i'd be up for doing the grindleford route in the summer sometime as training run for an October marathon - 3 hr drive for me so could do it in a day if we started mid morning - do let me know nearer the time if you plan to do it.

Think the Asics free races only apply to the 19 shortlisted so i haven't had any emails from RW/Asics

mcs/oscarr I'd be up for that! Ben traditionally goes away for the last 3 weeks of July (supposedly working!!! LOL) so I'm always looking for adventures to keep myself busy then - not sure if that'd fit with your plans? It's only an hour and a half away for me so perfect for a day out!

Sleepy Bear wrote (see)

mcs/oscarr I'd be up for that! Ben traditionally goes away for the last 3 weeks of July (supposedly working!!! LOL) so I'm always looking for adventures to keep myself busy then - not sure if that'd fit with your plans? It's only an hour and a half away for me so perfect for a day out!

Hi Craig, How's the calf feeling today? It was sounding promising but defo play it safe today and skip the run. And tomorrow is a rest day. You could always hit your home gym if you're climibing the walls... do some upper body and core stuff?!

Hi Craig,

 just seen about your tight calf. If you've done the local stuff ice rest and gentle stretching then it could also be coming from your lower back. There is a tendency for this to tighten with all the extra miles even if your core is good.

Try some gentle lower back rotation stetches ie lye on back and take one knee across over the other this just opens up the joints in the lower back that could be a bit stiff and frees the nerve down to the calf. Then lye on back with leg in air and pull foot down x10( not holding stretch position). This will help mobilise the sciatic nerve that can cause the calf to tighten. And def revisit core and hip flexor stretch.

This is the most likley cause esp and not felt a sudden pain which would indicate a tear.

Let me know how it's going i won't be there Sat but my colleague Lucy will take alook for you.

Sarah

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Will pencil some dates in July and get back to you guys.......... I do that exercise for my back as had a sciatica twinge last year and physio recommended it, worked a treat.

Just had a lunchtime interval session 8.23  -  7.42  -  7.53  -  8.29 for four miles on the trail outside the office and down to Bakewell and back up the hill that was good fun. Shower and lunch...........lovely.

Hope the back eases up Bo.

SB: The pics in this months RW are great, such a big group and wee all look awarsome. Regarding Fleet, sounds like your friend and I will be looking at a similar time, so that would be good.I'm hoping the calf thing is adaption, not had any issues today, so hopeful. Still in compression, being rested as much as poss and getting iced whenever I can.

mcs: I've still got the legs of someone who has carried too much weight, my calfs and upper legs are huge compared to the rest of me. Not that I'm complaining... 

Sam: just what I was thinking. Might get the weights out and work on my upper body. Do some pull ups etc. Also gonna do bridges and all that.  Still no pain and loosened up a massive amount. Will do the stretches recommended by Sarah too (thanks Sarah). 

Tenjiso: I regularly pull myself into a fetal position and rock gently, but I've never considered it as a stretch before ... More a way of coping after meeting with titles like: 'Prevention through Partnership: Building a strategic team around the family' *gently curling into a ball and covering self with blanket*

I'm off to stretch before Rachel gets home and we have a conversation about Paris, childcare and if she is going or not...

Tenjiso: so pleased you're through the injury problem. Being such a new and commited fan, you should write a book about stretching

Craig: Really glad that the calf twinge is also on the way out. Are you planning to try the 4M steady tomorrow? If you're still in two minds, don't be at all afraid to cut distance right back to half of that or even less, just to see how the calf feels on running. This is part of the challenge of marathon training, not just sticking doggedly to whatever a schedule says but adapting, reacting, re-assessing all the way through to ensure you don't undersell yourself, nor overcook it!

BoD - it's great when a loved one comes with you to the event so you have someone to look forward meeting at the end.  Also, when I finished my first 2 marathons, which I did for Cancer Research after my dad died, I burst into tears on the shoulder of the lady putting the medal around my neck - it 's such an achievement to do the race after 16 weeks hard training that at the end the emotion simply poured out.  Something to look forward to ?

p.s.  love your celebrity photo in this month's RW mag !!!

Yeyyy - am glad too that Rachel is going - it will be an amazing trip!

Yip I got my mag too - can't believe they made you stand in the middle of the road!! LOL You all look frozen but nonetheless it's a lovely pic

Don't stress about Saturday - how can you possibly 'show yourself up'? It's just a training run ... Enjoy