Running

Went out today with the intention of doing a slow half marathon distance.

Got to around kilometre 3 and all sorts of "no, no stop it!" messages coming from my ankles and shins, almost abandoned it but pushed on- by the time I'd got to kilometre 7 I was starting to run quite freely and the pain vanished.

Is this just a natural warm up period? Wasn't much fun, if there is a way to avoid it I'd be glad to hear it.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/392965737

I have a (probably stupid) habit of 'running off' injuries. I've been doing it for the last decade. I'll pick up a niggle during something high tempo like a rugby match. Then I'll go out for a slow 10km to clear it. So the freeing up after 7km is pretty normal. I'd be more worried if this was a common start.

yesterday was first 5k distance run without a mid-way recovery period on my 10k training plan so was pleased to manage it in 26:51 @ 8:40/mi pace.

wasn't a comfortable run by any means but hoping it'll mean i run a half-decent 5k in battersea next month for the movember thing.

That's not a bad time at all, esp if it's your first without walking a bit

It’s two weeks since I found out that I’m running the London Marathon and training has started. That’s about as optimistic as I can be about it at the moment: it’s started.

Last weekend I got hit by a bus while on my bike and spent 3 days in bed feeling sore and sorry for myself, which didn’t do my training any favours. This weekend I tried to fit running in to my normal life, which meant running home after eating a massive Sunday roast. I got halfway down OKR before I came the realisation that if I didn’t stop I was going to either puke or shit myself. As ever, a nutrition fail.

I went to Dammit’s recommended physio this morning and have been told that my back is a horrible mess and my legs are lopsided. Apparently I don’t have any of the muscles needed for running, thanks to cycling, dancing and having my right leg cut in half. I’m banned from running outside – treadmills only – for the next 10 days as a minimum. And this evening I have to start making my hip flexors well acquainted with the foam roller.

I’m not really enjoying this so far.

On the plus side you've time on your side. Spend Nov & Dec getting yerself sorted with goal to start training January time. Good luck.

That's not a bad time at all, esp if it's your first without walking a bit

it's 4 and a half minutes away from my previous best that I set 3 years ago but it's quicker than i thought i'd be this early into getting back into it.

legs are sore today though (rode into work which i find oddly helps loosen them up again a bit quicker) and expecting them to be sore tomorrow but as I'm only running 3x a week at the moment I can be a bit flexible when I do my runs (esp. as they're all sub 4 miles this week).

Its too early to really worry, IMO.

For the time being focus on getting better.
If you don't enjoy it now, in 3 months you'll hate it and then you will probably find you resent the marathon, and that wouldn't be a good thing, as it was probably the most fun I've ever had running, because I didn't take it very seriously (in comparison to everyone else I knew running).

I'm on the hunt for another (big) city marathon, very early season, not very far from UK if at all, and this time I'd be aiming for GFA times. Probably, if I can take it seriously.

tl;dr, what rhb said.
Also rhb, why were you walking like bambi?

45min xc race in my spikes off no running since mid August. DOMS in full effect today in my calf muscles.

this time I'd be aiming for GFA times.

just looked up the london marathon GFA times, 05:30:00 for the over 76s wtf!

fair play to any old timers who get those spots.

rhb and eyebrows - you're right, I have time. In fact the physio even said that - he told me I was "very sensible" (possibly the first time I've ever been told that) for coming to see him now, before I am injured. I think I am just feeling mentally quite fragile about the whole thing and need to try out a great big dose of HTFU.

it was probably the most fun I've ever had running

I remember the grin you had on your face when I saw you just after half way. I want to look like that!!

When I went to see Paul I couldn't run 3 miles without incurring an injury that stopped me running for a minimum of two to three weeks, yesterday I ran a half marathon distance comfortably, then did the hoovering.

So, I did Beachy Head Marathon again yesterday.

~1,200m of climb and ridiculous winds.

Would (still) recommend.

got a right sulk on at the moment... feeling like shit so have missed my last two runs.

I woke up on thursday (rest day from running) and just about got into my cycling kit before i laid back on the bed and slept for another hour, called work to say I wouldnt be in as I was completely out of it, then slept through until 2pm. was back in bed by 6.30pm

friday was meant to be running my first tempo session of my training but again slept through till midday (from 6.30pm the night before!) and felt sluggish all day.

yesterday was much the same except the mild nasal irritation i was having is now coughing up phleghm (thankfully not loads). went to bed about midnight and had a terrible nights sleep. proper weird dreams and felt like all my bones were weighed down and aching slightly.

woke up this morning and meant to be doing a 5 mile run. except i have no strength in my body whatsoever and my body still aches.

ffs. I just wanna go running.

think I'll have to quarantine myself for the next 5 months from anyone with a sniffle as I can't afford to be ill too much.

I have exactly this, mine was preceded by a day of d+v then collapsing at charing x station...

Now in Cornwall and desperate to go running or just walking but I just made it down to the beach and back and am now zonked on the sofa...

soon as I'm right again i'll be booking myself in for a flu-shot i think.

10miles today. Started with a hangover but happily the wind blew it away so I almost felt good at the end.

went for a shorter faster paced run to save the knees a bit, been building up towards the half again and did 13k last saturday. 6.5k in 31:40, a minute faster pace than normal. Dunno how to judge it, but I'm pretty tired so that's good

Lots of running over the weekend. A short but brutal mountain run saturday, and a more relaxed 11k sunday. Legs feel strong again.

Pics from saturday.

3 Attachments

So hilly all the close ups look sideways.

Phone posting fail.

Is fecking hilly though. The terrian was terrible. Deep bogs, wet stones, and the oh so popular slippy death roots. Averaged a terrible 11min/mile.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/395722047

Yesterdays was better. Couldnt do the steps (at 5.5miles) though.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/396399727

misses sweden

This time of year cycling is pretty miserable. Even the trails are just that little bit too washed out, to enjoy. But trial running becomes awesome.

Anyway. My Skora Base shoes arrived yesterday. They look like something from a 80s scifi series. But the fit is spot on, if a little tight width wise. I've read that they give a tad. So probably perfect. The heel is nice and snug. Something that drives me nuts with any technical shoe. Is heel lift. They actually feel really cushioned. I would'nt want to heel strike my 82kgs on tarmac with them. But I reckon they'll offer far more comfy ride than I'd hoped for. Given a half decent technique. Taking them out for a careful 5km tonight.

Cheers Edmundo. Your comments were spot on, and very helpful.

Thrilling running update:
I started running again recently, after a long period of just riding my bike again- pretty much since the duathlon in Norway.
Initially I was feeling very strong, minimum run distance (even when I went out for a 5k) was 12k, which I did a couple of times a week.
I ran a half marathon distance the Sunday before last and had no stiffness or pain afterward.
What I did have was a hard start- from initially going out the door and being "on it" at once at the start of returning to running, to on the half marathon almost bailing at the 4k mark due to lower leg pain.
Once I had run through it everything was fine, but the warmup phase was getting harder and harder.
This reached a peak last week when I couldn't run through the warmup and bailed at just under three miles.
I started doing a minimum of 300 calf raises that same day, which my physio had previously recommeneded doing, and went out for a 5k last night- ended up running 9k.
I still had the warmup, but it was done under 2k, after which I felt 100%.
What was interesting was that I could feel the (what I think to be) Tibialis (long muscle down the front of the shin) rapidly reaching a point where it was overloaded from absorbing the impact of foot on pavement, at which point the soleus/calf took over and everything smoothed out.
Now my understanding is that the role of the soleus in running is to absorb the impact, but due to my innate oddness (and cycling) mine didn't really develop so the anterior tibialis ended up doing the job.
I now have impressive, chiselled Soleus muscles, but it would seem that they don't actually start working until the tibialis gives in- how can I "re-prioritise" the muscles?
TL:DR, I know, I know.

That doesnt sound right to me. I think the calf is always working. But that your technique, or muscle structure, is causing too much shin load. Over the first 2km the pain is probably causing you to improve technique at the same time your shin muscles are warming up. So things smooth out.

My only thought is fewer, yet longer, slow runs. To add more training in that zone which seems to work for you.

That could be a massive mistake of course. So tread carefully.