Thames Trot 50 Training

Took this as my only photo on the way round...

My training for the TP100 has been very much disrupted thro injury and recent snow, but back on it with a vengance now. Still felt fresh last night which is a good sign.

Currently my training routine is gym every morning at 7am for half hour for strength and/or core work. Then cardio work in evenings (usually club tempo runs or speedwork or 5 a-side football or xtraining sessions) and then long runs on weekend, either back to back 20s / or 3x mid length runs fri/sat/sun or about 16m on Friday and a long long slow training run Sun (30m ish). Nice to mix things up...

Hope this helps.

superglue boots - this is a GREAT photo!  

well done to all of you for a tough race - i hope i can join you next year (see you there tom) if my legs ever stop getting bloody injured... have scaled back my ideas for this year and will be much more sensible about building - get super comfy with marathon distance this year if i can - maybe an off road 50k (any recommendations??) - 

scott, was that you in third place after your first ultra?? 

matt, i hope your ankle is better (i was your taxi ride to the finish)

Niceirondad what happened to you? 

thanks to those who chatted at the bag collect !!

Laura 

Superglue Boots - as Laura says a great photo.  Now I can show my marvellous support crew just how wet some bits were!  Over the moon to have completed my first ultra in a shade under 7 hours.  The Reading stretch was the worst for me (isn't the photo on the stretch towards Sonning?).  My training stood me in good stead - 20/20 miles back to back and a 33 long run being the highlights.  Respect to Go Ultra for getting the event on in the circumstances.  Now my legs have recovered but the endorphins are still buzzing around, I feel there is unfinished business as a result of the reduced course.  My wonderful wife Teresa (support crew team leader) said last night I should do it next year - provided it doesn't flood again.  I can hardly disagree with her!  In the meantime want to crack 3 hours 30 mins for the marathon (currently on 3.33.17 from London 2011).

Well done everyone who took part - a great experience.

Superglue Boots: great photo! Wish I'd though to take some to put on my blog entry.

Tom Barnett: I was 437 but number probably obscured by the sleeves of my running jacket (tied round my waist) most of the time.

Laura: good luck for your training! And thanks again for the bed, and for looking after me, particularly after I limped in at the finish.

Now able to walk again, rather than limping - right heel no longer hurting, left heel much improved. Itching to run again (leg muscles are fine) and wondering whether I could go out for a short run with the club this evening, in the Saucony Cortanas I won (!) here on RW a year ago (couldn't wear them for TT; too narrow in the forefoot for a prolonged run).

thanks - have been looking at the marlborough downs too which looks really scenic - anyone done that?

but got to be able to run first - went out for an exploratory jog this am - i am painfree walking swimming and cycling - and the hamstring hurts like hell after less than 10 minutes out, even with walk breaks every 3 minutes - its so specific to running.  I am assuming its my hamstring but the pain radiates all the way down the back of the leg into the calf and foot - maximal in the back of the mid thigh.  OW.  frustrated now as had more than 4 weeks off with ankle/posterior tibialis and am getting fatter and less fit every day.  

Marlborough downs is an awesome race, very scenic, one i would do again.

It does need a little navigation (but that's comin from someone who's not very good at navagiation, so the average person would be ok).

I would def recommend this as a first Marathon+ distance.

Laura, that's sounding like piriformis syndrome - I had it last April in the lead up to Greater Manchester Marathon, resulting in a four-week, almost run-free taper. I can point you at some exercises and how to massage the spasming muscle using a tennis ball, if you want. One of the stretches is good as a diagnostic test as well (if you do the stretch and it hurts, your piriformis is tight). I'm going to describe this for the pain being on the left side: kneel down on all fours. Bring the left foot forwards and cross it over to the far side of your right knee (your left knee and the outer side/top of your left foot should both be on the floor). Now stretch your right leg backwards and lower your body down forwards until your forehead is touching the floor. You should feel the stretch in your left glutes (and piriformis). If your piriformis is tight or spasming, you will really feel it.

Nice one Matt, I think I got my nutrition stragey right this time - for the first time. I say strategy, really it was just eating at certain points, rather than waiting until I bonked.

I have also now signed up to SDW50 on the back on the Trot. See you there.

Superglue - I agree with everyone that this is a fab photo. I'm still really disappointed that I couldn't be wading through that water! But I've now entered the Dig Deep Intro Ultra in July - 30 miles in the Peak District. Not as long, but there'll be more hills and navigation involved and I'll still be able to claim to have done an ultra before I turn 40 which was the goal I set myself last year. I'm not overly worried about the navigation since the race is very close to where I grew up, but I'm expecting to add to my time and, possibly, the distance depending on just how lost I get.

Able to run but have picked up a sticking cold. Have been out 3 times this week and my legs feel good, but my lungs and nose are bad. Got a long run planned tomorrow as still training for TP 100. It will be slow and painful and full of boogers.

Matt: great to hear you're recovered so well.

touie 2: you're not alone, and sympathies. My heels still hurt, and my posterior tibial tendon also. Tried to run on Wednesday evening, wearing well-padded shoes, on the treadmill. That experiment lasted for maybe a dozen strides 'cos my left foot/ankle was sending definite "no thanks!" messages - at 5 mph. I then did a mile or so of 12 degrees incline walking, which was fine but once I'd stopped, I discovered my heels were tingling in a not-pleasant way. So I've been icing the tendon and heels, taking ibuprofen, and doing lots of massage and stretching and strngthening exercises for the tendon. My leg muscles are fine and I really want to RUN! Supposed to be running XC for the club tomorrow but it's looking like I'll be driving people there then supporting.

Debs are you injured?  If so I think it time you need to rest,,,

spen: I somehow upset my posterior tibial muscle/tendon back in late November. Rested totally for a week, reduced mileage for the whole of December, plus some massage, and I've been doing appropriate exercises. It's getting better (muscle is fine, tendon stil a bit tender), but obviously TT didn't help. I want to get on and train for SDW50. Not running is driving me crazy. ARRGGHH!

laura watson 10 wrote (see)

superglue boots - this is a GREAT photo!  

well done to all of you for a tough race - i hope i can join you next year (see you there tom) if my legs ever stop getting bloody injured... have scaled back my ideas for this year and will be much more sensible about building - get super comfy with marathon distance this year if i can - maybe an off road 50k (any recommendations??) - 

scott, was that you in third place after your first ultra?? 

matt, i hope your ankle is better (i was your taxi ride to the finish)

Niceirondad what happened to you? 

thanks to those who chatted at the bag collect !!

Laura 

 

Laura.

Yes that was my first ultra ever and yes I did manage to get on the podium. In fact the furthest I had ever run before the event was 18 miles. I broke my knee cap twice last year 8 months apart in two separate accidents and in the last accident I broke my neck as well. It need to be pinned and plates and I was within about 3mm of full paralysis. I have only been running since October last year and I wanted a goal to aim for. 

I think I went out a bit hard, I lead through the first couple of check points and went through the 26.2 mile mark in under 3 hours. I blew up at about 35 miles and the last 10 were really tough but at the last check point I had a 25 min lead over 4th place so a combination of fast walking and running kept me in third. 

Next ultra I am going to change my nutrition and want to get some more miles under the belt too but considering this time last year I wasn't even walking I am quite pleased. I suffer a lot with the knee that I broke and the pain is ever present but I think it will be 2 years before the pain dies down so only 1 year to go. Lots of strength training and stretching is keeping most of the problems at bay but the best part of 40 miles on the road last week has a bit of a lasting effect.

Getting some speed work in now as have Reading half next and the CTS East Sussex Marathon the week after. 

Scott: that's a great result! "Quite pleased!" - I'd hope that would be something an understatement.