Tag Archives: injuries

Injuries, Juneathon, Running

Pounding the tarmac once more

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After a week of doctor mandated non-running, two days of warm up work and back bike rides, and a large number of sit-ups, I was back out running this morning. A beautiful day, I took off at pace, feeling the warm rush of satisfaction at enjoying a form of physical exertion. The pace, needless to say, didn’t sustain itself the whole way through the run but my 5k circuit went OK, completed in about 31 minutes, a couple of minutes off my best time for the distance but by no means slow.

The knee feels OK – slightly tentative and I’m clearly going to need to take it a lot easier than I have been – but hopefully after a week or two of relatively gentle 5k routes I’ll be able to build up to a more substantial LSR. Juneathon stats all here.

Cycling, Injuries, Juneathon, Running

The gradual reintroduction of the knee

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No run this morning, despite earlier hopes. The pollen count is literally dismantling me. However; day 21 of Juneathon has seen 80 sit-ups and the reintroduction of the (this morning, very gentle) cycle to work (so I’ve done 5.5k and it’ll be 5.3 on the return journey tonight). The knee, whilst slightly tentative, is not too bad, which is pleasing on a number of counts:

  1. One more day off – and I’ll try a run on Weds
  2. Cycling again!
  3. The doctor was right – despite the strictures of the 7 minute NHS diagnosis mandate, he saw, assessed, diagnosed and prescribed the appropriate course of action to lead to recovery

It’s less pleasing because…

  1. The doctor was right – meaning I need to take his advice and reduce my mileage. He said it should take six months of build up before I was doing the kind of distance I was doing (it’d been three) – and I only have 3 months left until the half-marathon, so need to work out an appropriate level of training

I think I’m going to aim for a post Juneathon regimen that involves merely 4 runs a week – three at three or so miles and one longer piece which I’ll vary, between 6.5 and 13 miles over the course of the build-up – my “LSR.” I’m not sure if this is sensible or not, but I hope so… Any Senseis out there with a view? I probably do need to get a running coach…

Injuries, Juneathon

Injury strikes

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Juneathon day 16: 60 crunches.

1 doctor’s visit.

1 week’s rest prescribed for my knee; fortunately ligaments OK and no swelling. Bags of frozen peas, ibuprofen may also help. Diagnosis: overuse. Cycling may be OK as long as it doesn’t hurt when I cycle and I don’t cycle in too low a gear (i.e. need to cycle with low resistance – I never know if that’s “high” or “low” gear).

In a bit of a funk about it. Don’t think my Juneathon efforts will be that interesting for the next 7 days, will mostly involve crunches.

Injuries, Juneathon, Running

The lingering gaze of a semi-wild goose

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I have a lot of time on my runs to think up subjects for these posts.

This morning saw me on my normal 5k canal route, having wrestled myself through a hayfeverish, semi-insomaniacal night’s sleep, at pitiful pace (34 mins for the circuit). I went GPS free, which was liberating in some small way, as at least Runkeeper wasn’t telling me that I was “behind my target pace”. I need to carry on with stretching even on “rest” days from running or this’ll keep happening – it was like a two day “runover” from Saturday’s 10 miler, knees click-clacking and quite stiff and sore well into the run (still low on actual pain, though).

Either that, or I need to seriously consider cutting back the mileage for the remainder of the month as the daily runs might ruin me otherwise… Thoughts? Halfway through Juneathon now…

For the curious, the geese in question live by the canal. They’re always lingering on the towpath and occasionally hiss viciously at me. Today they merely eyed me up, suspicious of my intent as I ran through a group of them lazing luxuriantly in the early morning sunshine.

Injuries, Juneathon, Running

Building stretching time into my running routine

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I’ve started thinking differently in terms of timing my runs – basically estimating run time+10% for stretching. So where I allocate 30-ish minutes for a 5k, I now allow about 33-35 (allotting for variances in my pace etc) to give me a minimum of three minutes to get through my stretching routine. I give myself about 5-6 minutes on a 10k, and probably not long enough on the longer runs…

…but its already made a huge difference. The tightness in my shins is not a problem at all any more (although I’m still a bit worried about sore knees) and stiffness post-run is rarely a problem.  I’m feeling much more flexible in general… and, even amidst all the other Juneathon madness, I’ve run two pre-work 10ks this week (the second this morning as my Juneathon day 11 activity, another 60 minute 10k! w00t!) and am barely hobbling about at all.

I’m raring to go for longer runs tomorrow and/or Sunday, so will see if the “10%” rule applies – although I’m not sure I’ll have the patience to stretch for 12 minutes after a 2 hour run!

How do you plan your stretching?

LSR, Running, Training

Weekendathon-not-quite-attempt

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Inspired by the thought of doing “Juneathon,” I thought I’d end May  by doing a “Weekendathon” – running 26 miles across the bank holiday weekend. However, this didn’t happen for a number of reasons:

1) I’m fresh back into running after a week of irritating and moderately debilitating hayfever, and whilst the antihistamine levels have now come level with my O2 sats, I’m still a bit enfeebled.
2) I’m not completely recovered from the India bug I had, and my stomach is still going a bit mental

So instead of doing 26 miles in 3 days I managed a measly 15.7 miles (a 5k and two 10ks) – and not in any particularly good time either (30 mins, 68 mins, 75 mins respectively – although was feeling properly ill for the last one).

Still, any running is better than none, and I take some satisfacation from the fact that I now consider a 10k a “short” run – that’s a reference frame I couldn’t have imagined having a few months ago. The Runkeeper stats for these runs, I’m afraid, are a bit unreliable – I thought the iPhone was playing up but as I had to have it replaced due to a faulty microphone (27 days from the expiry of my warranty, phew!) – it now seems that the satellites are to blame. Goddamn satellites, the cause of all the problems.

In other news / dramas, Rach has an injury and may not run the New Forest half-marathon with me in September! Oh noes! Sensei Paul’ll still run it “with me”, but given that he’s likely to complete it in about 1h20mins (and I’m not likely to finish in less than 2h20, despite the lofty goal of a sub-2-hour half)… well, anyone else care to join?

Injuries, Training

Knee injuries and running

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I’m not injured. I don’t think. It’s hard to know. A few of my friends, including Matt the Inept and JKB tell me of injuries or injury-proneness, but since I sorted out my flat-footedness with orthotics (sorted out for me by this guy) and lost the weight that was triggering shin-splints, I have largely been injury free. I think.

The strange thing has been, between the India trip (it was 40 degrees C in Delhi) and coming back to an uncharacteristically hot London (28 degrees here, crazy I know!), I’ve been uncertain as to weather the heat has caused some swelling in my knees, they’re still recovering from the 21k I ran last Thursday, or… nothing, and this is how 30-year-old-run-on-a-lot-knees are supposed to feel. Not hurting, exactly, but popping a bit and feeling a little tender (this discussion suggests minor patellar tendonitis, damn self-diagnosis…)

Needless to say, the Internets holds a variety of “wisdom” – stretching, improving hydration and knee braces are things I should consider according to this dude, this discussion on MapMyRun suggests running on grass to reduce impact, icing the knees, reducing mileage, taking painkillers (surely that’s mental)… and dietary supplements. But that said, most of the people with these “problems” experience real pain rather than minor aches. I’m on a 0 or 1 out of 10 on the pain scale (where ten is agony and 1 is nothing at all…)

I’ve always believed (though not always acted) on the guidance that you should “listen to your body” and I’m just not sure what my body is telling me… “work harder, keep building strength”, or “be careful, injury’s not far away.” I’m hoping it’s the former as tomorrow morning I try my first Runkeeper guided interval training session. Wish me luck.

Any thoughts from other runners out there?

Also: still looking for recommendations of additional (UK?) running blogs to follow, guidance appreciated – and links will follow in the blogroll!