Half Marathon – Injured

Well I’ve been to the “Minor Injury Unit” (sounds pathetic) and the lovely (but very firm) nurse told me that there was no way that I should even think about running the Tewkesbury half marathon on May 10th. Not even a “see how you feel” or “miracles do happen”.

I haven’t broken my ankle – but I have damaged a ligament and have a bad sprain.

Gutted

Running Updates – 15 to 17 – ANKLE INJURY

Well since the last update I’ve only run 3 times – been away at Spring Harvest so haven’t had much time. However, before I talk about the runs, I have a BIG PRAYER request.

Today during our college football cup match (which we just lost 3-2) I turned my ankle badly – it is currently strapped up, iced up and swollen quite badly. Its not broken but just badly bruised I think. Please pray for a very swift recovery – I’ve had to scrap my training programme now as the race is only 2.5 weeks away. I definitely won’t be able to do my 13.2miler this Sunday now – hoping to be ready to do a shorter slower run and then a much longer one later in the week. Fitness-wise, I’m doing really well but this injury could well rule me out. I’m gutted to say the least. Please pray!

Run 15 – 40min run along the sea front in Minehead. Hurt quite a bit but beautiful weather and scenery made up for it.

Run 16 – Back to Brizzle and back to my usual 5.5mile run – ran it quick to get my pace right for the half marathon and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Run 17 – Again, another 5.5miler – also quick, especially the last mile or so. Again, wanting to keep up my pace when I’m tired. However, slight blister problem on right foot made it uncomfortable, but not a big issue.

Feeling proper hacked off as I write this – everything was in my favour for a good time and enjoyable half marathon.  REALLY hope things get sorted out.

Will keep you informed…

Session 14 – B I G run last Sunday

Felt that with only 5 Sundays left I needed to put in a longer run of 10miles. With the slightly dodgy shins still playing up I strapped up my left leg and went out. I ran my usual 8 mile route but with an extra lap of the downs, which I had been told was only 2.1miles.

It wasn’t. I ran the WHOLE way around the downs and worked out on this cool googlemap website that it was 3.8miles. That meant I ran between 11.5-12 miles. No wonder it hurt.

I ran it in about 1 hr 45 I think, which was a bit slow but it was definitely worth it.

I’ve got a very busy 10 days ahead, which means I won’t be running much, which is great because it coincides with a recovery week on my training schedule.

Hopefully this will give my shins some time to recover a bit.

Even thinking about entering the London Marathon…

Half Marathon Session 14

8 miler again yesterday – needed extra motivation after a GREAT curry at friends the night before and the clocks going forward.

Nonetheless all went OK.

Shins are still a bit ropey – they are particularly sore upto about 45mins in, and then they stop hurting as much. Perhaps because they have gone numb and I’m just knackering them completely.

Hope not.

However, recovery is VERY quick – felt fine all day yesterday and this morning which is a good sign.

10 miler next Sunday morning though… hmmm.

Training session 13 – success and pain

Another 5.5miles tonight. Great run…

1. I’ve given up smiling at other joggers and am now focusing on smiling at pedestrians and dog walkers. I am getting grimaces and half smiles which is more than the joggers offer.

2. I started my run in a bad mood, which meant that I “ran aggressive”. This involves me running too fast most of the way round and hurting my shins.

It was worth it.

Best line in a song on the Ipod:

“Difficult takes a day and impossible takes a week”

Jay Z in “Diamonds are Forever”

Half Marathon Training Sessions 10, 11 and 12

Not doing very well in keeping up with these…

Can’t remember much about session 10 but I know that I did it!

Session 11

We were back in Tewkesbury over the weekend spending time with Nell’s mum and seeing friends so I had to put in my long run on Sunday morning in old surroundings. I played football the day before and so started the run with aches and pains. After a couple of miles, my shins started to hurt a lot. Being the below-average-intelligence kind of guy I thought that the best way to deal with it was to keep running. It worked!

I ended up doing about 75mins running (not sure of the distance, but prob 7-8 miles) in the most beautiful countryside under blue sky etc. Fabulous.

Legs hurt lots afterwards though… starting to get a bit concerned about my shins especially.

Session 12

Did my usual route in Bristol last night which is between 5.5 and 6 miles. It felt GREAT!!!! Shins hurt for a bit, but that seemed to get easier quite quickly. My “engine” is fine and could easily take a faster pace, but my legs are struggling to keep up. I have to be disciplined to let me legs dictate the pace at the moment…

Listened to the whole of “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay – a truly brilliant album and one of the best to jog to.

Still no smiles from other joggers.

I’m going to start tripping them up.

Half Marathon Training Session 9 – a longer one

Did an 8 miler today… only took 73 mins which was good considering the hills in Bristol.

Took every ounce of self motivation to get myself out of bed and ready to go… although watching the Liverpool v Manure game on MOTD helped!!!!

I have to fight the desire in me to push too hard on every run – I’m too competitive for my own good – otherwise I’ll get injured again.

Another observation about Bristol joggers – NO-ONE SMILES at anyone else. So as I grin stupidly at people trying to say hello, everyone else avoids eye contact. CHEER UP YOU MISERABLE FITNESS FREAKS!

Rant over.

Half Marathon Training Sessions 7 & 8

Few observations from the last week…

1. Bristol has more joggers than any other place I have ever seen. All of them wear ridiculous jogging attire (really skin tight trousers and a t-shirt/vest with red stripes on the arm).

2. Children on BMXs are a menace to joggers like me who have little sense of balance.

3. My legs hurt.

Run 7 – same route as last Sunday – just about 6miles. Getting quicker and no walking on the big hill. Listened to a podcast rather than music. This run is going to become my main midweek run now. Body felt fine after this run.

Run 8 – just got back from it and it hurt. Having played a very demanding game of football last Weds (which we won!) my legs hadn’t quite recovered and so I ran a shorter route (just over 3 miles). I’ve warmed down and stretched, but have some seriously aching legs. Again, only listened to the Kermode Film Review podcast so no good songs to report. Sunday’s run should be 8 miles. Hmm. Not looking forward to that one.

Half Marathon Sessions 5 & 6

Haven’t done all the running that I would have liked this week and didn’t play football either so was a bit worried that I might struggle on the long run today. However…

RUN 5 – about 3.5miles (about 30mins). Took it easy and lengthened by usual route a bit. Still no injury issues at the moment which is great.

Ipod song – Discotheque remix: U2

RUN 6 - just back from my long Sunday run. Ran about 6 miles in 55mins which was an easy pace. Based on the same route that I did last Sunday and I only walked about 20yards on the steep hill! Listened to Mark Kermode’s film review all the way round. Few aches and pains after this run – right knee is sore.

Aims for the next week or 2 – up my pace on some runs and run longer distances (8miles on Sundays). Need some good routes though.

And hopefully not get shin splints… all OK on this front so far.

Half Marathon Training – sessions 3 & 4

Session 3 was yet another 30min run on the same route as before. My achilles was still sore at the start but improved as the run went on (after a good stretch which must look bizarre to drivers as I balance on the edge of a kerb!).

Best Ipod song – “Amie” by Damien Rice

Today – Session 4 was a longer run – I misread my training programme and thought it was a 45 min run (about 5 miles or so) so got a friend to sort me a route out. Turned out that the session should have been 40mins and gentle. Well just hope that I haven’t done myself an injury (feel fine at the minute).

This involved running up Stoke Hill (by college – very steep) and across the Downs etc.

Hard work. Took me about 55mins including warm up and warm down plus some walking up Stoke Hill!

Feeling good now though.

Top Ipod Song – “Indie Rock and Roll” The Killers

Half Marathon Training – Session 2

Out for my second run tonight – about 3 miles nice and easy. Felt a lot easier than the previous run on Sunday but my achilles was sore for the first part of the run – not a new twinge but seemed to ease as I got into it. I really hope that I can stay injury free this year… and lose a bit of weight!

My fitness is good, not having to think about the breathing – just need to make sure that my legs learn to take a pounding again. Following a really helpful running plan (which I actually intend to stick to this year).

Best song on the Ipod (shuffle) – “Peaches” by the Presidents of the United States of America

Next run is Thursday – probably same route again. All feels so easy at the moment… I’m being lulled into a false sense of security.