Tuesday January 12th

evening.

More snow forecast for Kent overnight tonight. 

Back again

What: Steadily paced 9 miles from London EC1 to Kidbrooke (hoping the car would still be where I left it several hours previously) - out along the Highway to Canary Wharf, around the Isle of Dogs, through the foot-tunnel and up(!) onto a snowy Blackheath - started out slow and finished - er, slow.

Why: Because I still can

Last hard: Sunday's "timed" lap of Greenwich Park

good to see you posting Graham

What - 4m Rec on the treadmill
Why - Tired and groin a bit iffy
Last Hard - Yesterday
Last Rest - Fri

Take care

Moraghan, Dr (not that I am) TmR at your service..... the diaphragm is a muscle like any other, so my only suggestion is that you have strained it at some point in the past, and periodically you are aggravating it.  But that isn't really consistent with only coming on in longer races, rather than when you are running faster, and breathing more deeply in shorter races.  How long has it been around ? When did you first notice it ?  What about in long hard training sessions ?  I think you said the right side, so another possibility is that is is something to do with irritating a otherwise asymptomatic gallstone ?   Or do you get very stressed and breathing goes haywire in those 3k+ races ?

What: "track session"  total 8ml,  except that the track is still snow covered, but the trusty Uni RR was completely snow and ice free, so even did 2 laps are warm up, instead of usual road loop. Then 2 laps, 1 lap, 2 laps, 1 lap., 2 laps c M-tempo effort (each lap = 0.8ml)
Why: it's Tuesday, but a shorter than usual distance as a nod to tapering for the w/e

TMR

I remember the day I got it.  It was about 8 years ago in a 10 mile race - I'd never had stitches before.  The only race I never finished.  Ever since then it's been looming in the background.  It's definitely not haywire breathing as my breathing is very measured (in the context of a race of course).  I have also tried different breathing patterns. 

I get it sooner in short races than long races and similarly I'll usually get it fairly late in a training workout such as MP running.  There seems to be some equation which is duration X speed - meaning the faster I run the sooner it arrives but in short races it's not there for long enough to turn really chronic.  I get away with it in 3k as it's just starting to hurt as I'm 2 laps from the finish.  Occasionally I don't get it at all, sometimes I'll get a mild dose in easy runs.   

I got it today on the last rep of a 4 * 300m.  It only gets really chronic in continuous runs where intensity slowly ramps up - it will ease when I stop racing.

The only other thing is that I know I will get it when I get a small pain on the lower left side of my gut, it will then shift over to the right side of my gut and then move up under my rib cage when it gets serious.  During a slow warm-up if I get a pain in my lower left gut I know I'm definitely in for an ugly day. 

I never considered a gallstone - but the strained muscle sounds convincing.

Tom.  - thanks, that's the 2nd recommendation I've had for Buckingham.  I'll ring him tomorrow.