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RW Forum SIx – 3.30 – 4.00
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Hi Nell - i stopped running totally for 3 weeks and just went to the gym instead. I've been going to the physio every 2 weeks. The strengthening exercises I have been doing are single leg squats on the stairs, lunges and more recently plyometrics (hopping). I've been stretching the ITB by doing some stretches I don't know the names of - while seated, place the ankle of the bad leg on to the knee of your other leg. Gently apply pressure and push forward from your chest and you should feel the ITB stretching. Next one is to sit on the floor and cross the foot of your bad leg over and to the outside of your other leg and place it flat on the floor above the knee. Then push your bad knee from the outside towards the foot of the same leg and again you should feel the stretching. There are also those stretches in the link earlier in this thread that I will look to incorporate too. And of course plenty of foam rollering.
As you say, I'm still nervous about it coming back and every time I feel anything around the knee I think it's starting. Thankfully it hasn't yet. I do, however, get a slight numbing feeling in the knee when I get to about 4 miles. It feels like how it used to start but now it doesn't get any worse and when I stop running I am pain free. It does feel though as if it could go again at any moment but I'm wondering how much of that is in my head ? I guess I just have to keep going but at what stage can I say I have recovered ?
Hi Carter,
Sounds very familiar to me. I took the same approach of plenty of strenthening work early on. I was off the running for a couple of weeks. Then I phased the miles back in a similar fashion to yourdelf. I did get that same numbing feeling coming in at the beginning, but like you say, I think a lot of that is in the head. It will be interesting to see how things pan out and even now after 4 months I still think it is going to come back.
I think once rid of it, it is all about maintenance to keep it at bay, and making sure in my case the heel strike is controlled. Glad you are pushing the miles up and will look in interest at your recovery!
Spoons - I have every intention of racing it. I suppose I am concerned about going out on say a 42m / 43 m race pace, getting to 4 miles and blowing up as I might not be able to sustain it and then I miss my 45m time. Probably me fretting unnecessarily.
I am also stupidly busy at work and struggling to get the runs in the way I would like so not sure I am going to have trained enough at 10k pace by the time I race on 27th May. Again probably me freeting when I should just go out and have some fun.
Anyway speaking of going out. Hit the running track for my 400m intervals tonight. The wind really picked up towards the end and made running harder so I felt as if I was putting alot more effort in than the pace suggests.
11 400m laps and I knocked them out as follows (all times in secs):
90, 91, 89, 89, 86, 88, 85, 87; 91; 91; 89
My steps per foot was noticeably higher this week peaking at 98.
Last three laps were tough. I was tiring and the wind changed from being strong to blowing hard making it really difficult to stand upright.
Overall I am really pleased with this as there is clear improvement on last week and maybe helped by having a days rest between the tempo runa nd the intervals.
I am going to swop my weekend runs about and do the long run tomorrow with teh shorter faster one on Sunday.
Oirish - So nearly there then and I sense from your post earlier taht you are ready for it.
As Ricky says you are last up of the spring marathon bunch so we are expecting that you will close out this part of the years races on a high. I am detecting a quiet inner confidence and you sound to have got a great race startegy.
Really nice touch with the water / drinks stations.
Weather being cooler is probably an advantage as it will be more akin to your training climate so dehydration is not a risk.
Hopefully the course will be well signposted and you won't be taking an Oirish diversion.
Best of luck on Sunday. We are all behind you.
Nice 400s Carl. The last 3 should be tough!
Carter - really impressed with the miles that you are beginning to get under the belt. Must be a great feeling to be out running again and once you can stop thinking about the knee, you will really enjoy it.
Great intervals there Carl! What's that - close to 6 m/ml pace? Impressive stuff!
I have been thinking about my Autumn Marathon (Dublin) and would I adopt a different training plan?
I have read some great things about the Pfitzinger & Douglas plans (P&D) and have decided I am going to try one of their plans.
So....Just ordered the P&D book "Advanced Marathoning" (not that I am anywhere close to being advanced!)... also ordered Julian Goaters " Art of Running Faster" after recommendations from here!
No shortage of bedtime reading now for a while!
Ricky - well done on getting out there for your first post marathon race. What is your plan for the next week or two. I am assuming easy runs before you start getting ready for your next race.
Carl - yes, I am really pleased with how it's going. I'm sorely tempted to go out tomorrow and up the mileage but sense will prevail and I will keep building up gradually. Your 400m pace is pretty impressive. That, along with your endurance training for Paris, should mean you get some really decent 10k times over the summer. It will be interesting to see how close to 40 mins you will get to by the end if the summer. I, for one, think you will get pretty damned close.
Oirish - best of luck on Sunday fella. Just remember those extra miles you did when you got lost when you have to dig deep on Sunday. You know you can do the miles so just go out and do it ! I will tell you how much of a true friend I am. I personally didn't want a beer tonight but knowing you can't have any I am forcing a few down me.
Nell - you've been through it so it is good to get some good tips and advice from you.
Ricky - have you been looking at my bookshelf ? I have also just bought both of those books that you have ! I assume you've gone for the p&d 130 miles like me ??
What is P&D all about ? Do I need to go to a bookshop and have a sneak read ?
Carl, those are awesome times ESP as you were still knocking them out on lap 11! I'm aiming for sub 43min to start with in my 10ks (ran one in training for the marathon so know its possible) and my 400 times were about 10seconds slower than urs, and I only managed 6 of them!!! (Tho this was my first interval session) so you should CBS capable of a couple of mins quicker than my time. Whatever happens go for it, if you burn out as your worried about, don't worry the beauty of 10ks is there are always a lot of them at this time of year there're is always the next one!
Carl - just did a short recovery run yesterday but still have a little groin strain nagging so will rest up over the weekend and start proper again on Monday. The plan next week would be a few easy runs and maybe a bit of tempo thrown into a 6/7 miler later in the week... If all goes well I plan to get some good speedwork done over the following couple of weeks together with a couple of 12 - 14 milers in the lead up to my HM..
You can give Carl more info on the P&D maybe - *awaits the postman eagerly*
P&D from what I can gather is quite a pace specific plan tailored to the individual i.e. it schedules in sessions @ Lactate Threshold, VO2 max etc etc .... you calculate your paces for the various different sessions and it then seems to be quite important that you stick to those paces.
Carter - great minds think alike/fools seldom differ eh?! Ha ha on the 130ml plan .... is that over the whole 18 weeks
Great that you are getting the distance pushed up with no ill effects!
Hi all.
Well, I've had 3 relatively easy sessions following the marathon last weekend, totalling about 15 miles. I did try and push it a bit today on a 4-miler and did it in 8min/miles but it was harder than it should be so I've definitely not recovered fully.
I'm probably going to do about 22-25 next week and I'll try and keep them all slow, before trying to work out what to do for my June Half. I do feel like I've lost a bit of speed though, and I was thinking this before the marathon as I felt when tapering I wasn't quite as "sharp" on the quicker runs. It may have just been a case of "taper madness" though.
Ricky - I've recently bought P&D (not that I'm advanced in the slightest!). This is really because I'm wondering if I should be going from my current 4 times a week to 5 times a week sessions. Other than the extra time commitment, has anyone any thoughts on making that jump?
It's a weekend away this weekend for me and Mrs Big_G. The week before the marathon it was her birthday, but we didn't really do much because of my marathon. So, I booked a weekend away for this weekend. In fairness, she has put up with a lot of running-related shenanigans since over the last few months, so I guess it's the least I can do
My wife said something I wasn't expecting the other day. She reckons the turn around for the marathon I did last weekend was my "biggest achievement" (her words, not mine). Not really sure I necessarily agree, but it shocked me a bit that she said that to be honest. I tried to tell her that my time was nothing special, but she was having none of it. Not trying to over-analyse it, but I suppose from her point of view she has seen a change in me over the last 6 months or so, particularly with the reduction in booze and associated weight loss, and more structured/determined training. Also, actually seeing me relatively happy after the last few races as opposed to me moaning about something is a difference! I'll still try and kick her sister's butt at this Half in June though, despite of her nice comment
Some good running going on. Oirish - best of luck. It sounds like you're chomping at the bit to get out there!
P&D is a good book
Big G - have more recovery time - the speed will come back quickly with 2-3 weeks of speedwork. It's the quickest part if training to gain / lose. Any marathon is a great acheivement - you're wife is right. It shows commitment, willpower, strenth, stamina, dedication, fitness, health.....
Morning all,
I am beginning to wish I was in a position to just read about running rather than having to actually do it (I suspect of late Mrs.Oirish has a similar feeling about our sex life)
This going last malarkey has its drawbacks, you all are setting your new targets and moving towards them quite successfully whilst little old me here has nothing better to do but sit on my hands and imagine aches and pains.
I am tail runner for my Parkrun today, I figure a 40 minute 5k with a mother and baby runner will keep me ticking over nicely. I just have to remember I am not allowed to outsprint her in the home stretch.
Carter - I was genuinely moved by the sacrifice you made for me, I think a tear was shed when I read it. I have had two glasses of wine in the last three weeks and I am missing Guinness more than my hairline. It sounds like your return is going well, keep it going.
Carl - Terrific 400m splits there from you, I am with Spoons on this go for it! the beauty of the shorter distances are that even if you flog yourself the recovery period is so much shorter and easier. If it was me in your shoes I'd not worry about blowing up, your training is going really well, I'd attack this 10k aiming for the higher end of your expectations pacewise and then according to performance work out your training strategy from there. 10k's come along so regularly that any minor adjustments you need to make can be enacted pretty soon in your next race.
Big G - I admire your work ethic getting back out there, my post race plan for the first week involves no work, I have a week off and eating and drinking like an Eamonn Holmes tribute act.
On Friday there is a kids run along the promenade at Clacton so we'll check that out and I'll knock off some fish n chips whilst watching the mini O's run. I am going to indulge myself before starting the Ultra training as that is going to be pretty full on throughout the summer.
Spoons you forgot something from your list... Commitment, willpower, strength, stamina, dedication, fitness, health, and a little bit of stupidity to undertake the bloody distance in the first place! At least thats what I start to think half way into my training each time!
Andrew- you are dead right. Anyone who contemplates a marathon must have a screw loose somewhere.
Andrew/Carl - you are both indeed mad !
OK Oirish - big day tomorrow fella. Very best of luck, don't go off to quick etc etc. I hope you manage a great time. And don't get lost !!
Thanks carter... From a fellow runner ill take that as a compliment
good luck tomorrow oirish go out and smash it
Oirish - when I was out running ealier I was thinking that these were good running conditions for you tomorrow. But with 2 miles to go, the heavens opened and I got drenched.
Best of luck tomorrow. Take it steady at the start. Remember the race does not start until you get to mile 20. Then it is a straightforward 10k .......
Hi Carter, Yes I have been through it as have you, but it has been an education and going forward I hope I heave learnt enough about the problem to see me through. Any advice I can pass on I gladly will...
I think sharing the problem does give a better insight into things, and I certainly think our bio-mechanics have had a big part to play in things or I think our neglect of them
But now going forward the strengthening sessions are firmly a constant in the plan!
Carl - A bit of rain here tonight but not too sure about tomorrow, nothing I can do about it so not fussing over it. All my drinks etc are done, bag packed and now it's just a matter of a good nights kip and bob's ya uncle.
The race is at 10 so as it is well marshalled and I'm only doing the 26.2 miles I fully expect to be posting on here before sunset tomorrow with all my splits, details, excuses and route.
See you all tomorrow
All the best Oirish! Run like the wind!!
Good luck Oirish - run strong & enjoy! (don't forget your satnav)
Currently sat in McDonalds carb loading for my marshalling duties at Sheffield half marathon.....
Egg McMuffin mmmmm
McDonalds meal used to me my fav hangover cure at Uni mmmmmm
Carter - marshalling today will be difficult.... You will be wishing it was you out there racing!
Go Oirish ! ... An hour in by now. Hope he's getting better weather than we are here - it's been tipping it down all morning!
Carter - not sure McDonalds is the kind of food that us finely tuned athletes should be eating
Enjoy the marshalling.