Thats what I'm doing right now. I'm not 100% on my legs with painful sciatic nerve both sides, making running feel harder than it should. Actually making me wonder if at any point I will be able to run quicker again :-/
I'm sure that more than one person told me before the 10 in 10 that afterwards everything would be easy and I'd be running PBs all over the place. No I'm not, I'm not even nearly! Maybe I need an extended period off running. It;s been on my mind, even when I dont think it is. I am being very haphazard in my training, like I cant settle to anything, a sign I guess I'm a bit bored and probably a bit frustrated.
Soooooo, what to do. Well I had my second sports massage this weekend (I mean in a block of 3) and I definitely felt the benefit this time. Maybe I mean it was less painful than last time cos my muscles werent so tight. I have one booked the day before bedford half, see if I cant get round it with at least SOME dignity intact.
And you know I've been swimming a bit, and yesterday I went for a bike ride with some friends from running club (please note this was not an official ride sanctioned by Dagenham 88 runners, if it was there would be loads of wanky health and safety bollocks to go through before it could happen, so really it never would have, this is not a moan at my running club it is a general moan at the state of things today which in some areas are complete toss)
The ride was about 40 miles through Collier Row, onto brentwood, Kelvedon hatch, ongar, Abridge and Hainault. Those are what I remember. Kelvedon Hatch smells of wee and I thought it was a really posh place. So there you go, you never can tell. Despite all the rumours Essex isn't completely flat and I actually found it quite challenging......more so because I thought like a complete bloody idiot that I wouldn't need any fuel, a consequence of being so out of the loop with bike training. I wont do that again. But I enjoyed the change and although my legs are not brilliant today I am sure the change of excercise does me good.
To that end I paid for a Groupon offer today for 10 spin lessons for £30. Bargain! Normally they are 12.50 a go and it's near work. I need to check tomorrow when I can book on, but I dont think they will do me any harm at all.
I am still running and I dont suppose I will actually stop. I just want to know when its going to feel better. I know it can. I shall marshall parkrun on Saturday that will make me feel good (as long as I can change the haircut appt I have double booked with it) and then have a think.
Monday 21 November 2011
Sunday 13 November 2011
If it's not hurting.......
Not worth doing is it?
This Friday just gone, 11-11-11 I and a bunch of others did the Poppy Day Enigma Marathon. Expertly put on by Foxy Davy. I'll be honest, this time last week I didn't think I would be able to do it. Piriformis syndrome in my previously good left leg stopped me in my tracks and sent me to the Swimming pool and for a sports massage (lying facedown with my bum out while a 6 foot 4 bloke pushes his elbow in my glutes with all his weight is really just my idea of heaven). I intended to test the leg on Thursday with a 2 mile jog but chickened out due to the fact that if it didn't work I would be VERY UPSET INDEED. I find a way to cope with problems is to pretend they are not there, a strategy that regularly bites me on the bum!
Anyway I arrived at Caldecotte Lake with one man and his dog and said hello to all the usual suspects. It's all very low key and I love that. Plenty of TiTs and 100 club members and people trying to get into the 100 club ;-D
We assembled by the check point and one of the guys said a few words and we had 2 minutes silence. I thought about my nan and grandad during this, not to say I wasn't thinking about all those who died but they are the way I connect to the (second) war. Grandad served and only came back because he had to have emergency surgery on his appendix whilst his unit was lost. Nan told me stories of underground shelters during the blitz and being evacuated with my Uncle. I think how lucky I am to have had them both.
Anyway, we then walked to the start and without much ado were off. Yep it was painful, but I had great company who knew I liked a bit of a whinge and a moan having endured 10 days of it in May. And then there was Gus who you just cant help smiling at. At the 1st stop at the checkpoint Dave, Marks mate joined us for a couple of laps. It was quite funny because I told Mark I had met him before (I thought I had) so no introductions were made. Luckily I think we both realised who the other was and it was cool to meet him as he is doing the Quadzilla in Feb. I was just going to say it will be nice to see someone there I know but that is ridiculous I will know the whole damn field!
Anyway after those 2 laps we had 5 left and the next 3 were completed slowly but surely. I had to stop every now and again to stretch out the piriformis but to be honest it gets to a certain hurt and doesnt get worse, or you learn to live with it, or something. The only thing that worried me were twinges in my back, if they kept up I wouldnt have been able to finish but they came and went so not too bad.
Now 2 laps left about 7 miles. Mark will say this is where I get my 'head' on and go for it but I swear it was him looking at his watch that made me want to go quicker. He told me what we needed to do to go sub 4.30 and by now I wanted this over so was happy enough to try. I reckon he could have easily gone under it as he was running much better than me, but he wont agree :D
End result, 4.30 and change. I am very happy with that, I had a decent run, great company and took part in a great event. What more can you want? (Pint of fosters, and I got it!)
So thanks to Foxy and his helpers, thanks to Dave for the company but mostly thanks to Mark and Gus for getting me round.
For recovery yesterday I ran 15 minutes and swam 30 which set me up to do 10 miles today. Brilliant!!!! I am a bit concerned about where I am going to find any speed from, but I have 2 more massages paid for and will have them soon. Meanwhile I will keep plodding on.
This is my fab medal from Fridays marathon.
This Friday just gone, 11-11-11 I and a bunch of others did the Poppy Day Enigma Marathon. Expertly put on by Foxy Davy. I'll be honest, this time last week I didn't think I would be able to do it. Piriformis syndrome in my previously good left leg stopped me in my tracks and sent me to the Swimming pool and for a sports massage (lying facedown with my bum out while a 6 foot 4 bloke pushes his elbow in my glutes with all his weight is really just my idea of heaven). I intended to test the leg on Thursday with a 2 mile jog but chickened out due to the fact that if it didn't work I would be VERY UPSET INDEED. I find a way to cope with problems is to pretend they are not there, a strategy that regularly bites me on the bum!
Anyway I arrived at Caldecotte Lake with one man and his dog and said hello to all the usual suspects. It's all very low key and I love that. Plenty of TiTs and 100 club members and people trying to get into the 100 club ;-D
We assembled by the check point and one of the guys said a few words and we had 2 minutes silence. I thought about my nan and grandad during this, not to say I wasn't thinking about all those who died but they are the way I connect to the (second) war. Grandad served and only came back because he had to have emergency surgery on his appendix whilst his unit was lost. Nan told me stories of underground shelters during the blitz and being evacuated with my Uncle. I think how lucky I am to have had them both.
Anyway, we then walked to the start and without much ado were off. Yep it was painful, but I had great company who knew I liked a bit of a whinge and a moan having endured 10 days of it in May. And then there was Gus who you just cant help smiling at. At the 1st stop at the checkpoint Dave, Marks mate joined us for a couple of laps. It was quite funny because I told Mark I had met him before (I thought I had) so no introductions were made. Luckily I think we both realised who the other was and it was cool to meet him as he is doing the Quadzilla in Feb. I was just going to say it will be nice to see someone there I know but that is ridiculous I will know the whole damn field!
Anyway after those 2 laps we had 5 left and the next 3 were completed slowly but surely. I had to stop every now and again to stretch out the piriformis but to be honest it gets to a certain hurt and doesnt get worse, or you learn to live with it, or something. The only thing that worried me were twinges in my back, if they kept up I wouldnt have been able to finish but they came and went so not too bad.
Now 2 laps left about 7 miles. Mark will say this is where I get my 'head' on and go for it but I swear it was him looking at his watch that made me want to go quicker. He told me what we needed to do to go sub 4.30 and by now I wanted this over so was happy enough to try. I reckon he could have easily gone under it as he was running much better than me, but he wont agree :D
End result, 4.30 and change. I am very happy with that, I had a decent run, great company and took part in a great event. What more can you want? (Pint of fosters, and I got it!)
So thanks to Foxy and his helpers, thanks to Dave for the company but mostly thanks to Mark and Gus for getting me round.
For recovery yesterday I ran 15 minutes and swam 30 which set me up to do 10 miles today. Brilliant!!!! I am a bit concerned about where I am going to find any speed from, but I have 2 more massages paid for and will have them soon. Meanwhile I will keep plodding on.
Sunday 6 November 2011
You keep your mouth in your backside baby....
and you're using it daily......
Yep I had a strange week, full of saying the wrong thing. At the wrong time. Or just the wrong thing.
Still I dont believe there was any lasting damage. But I know that's not what you want to hear. You want to talk about running. (I shall pause here to say, why has he got the radio on at top volume in the kitchen and yet left the tv on loud in here too? Men!!)
Anyway, yeah, running. My plans have jigged around lately and I have decided to do a half marathon in December. Now this means running a bit faster than I normally do, so there has had to have been a plan too. Luckily a plan bought itself to my attention by magic. Amazingly it has Fridays as rest days. That is how I do it you know, out on Thursday nights rest days Friday. Bingo!
Before we go on you probably are wondering how this will fit into my plans to do a 100 miler in March. It wont.
Right so I have been doing proper sessions for a week and a half now. Enjoying it too although during that time I have been aware of some aches and pains which I blame entirely on running at Caesars while I was tired. I do know though that I have excacerbated them with a tiny bit of speedwork but nothing terrible.
So the plan said 10k this Sunday. Fine I was going to do Billericay. However I left it too late cos it was postal entry. Ok I thought, I shall do parkrun and run there and back. Ran to Valentines Park, real easy so felt good when I got there. Ran around a bit looking for the start.............it is a bench in a busstop type thingy that is only visible when you look at it from a certain angle* ....found it and waited for the organisers and other runners to turn up.
The field is not yet very big for this event and with Billericay the next day I reckon that would have taken some of the talent away. I looked around for who would be my competition and noticed a girl from Barking Road Runners who looked fit (in a running way, I didn't fancy her). I couldn't see any one else who looked like an obvious threat, so I thought right, I will race her.
And so we started, within about 50m had overtaken BRR girl and she wasn't following. Oh. Whats more for about the first 500m I was about 5th or 6th overall which was a bit bloody freaky. Anyway a couple of men overtook me which was fine and I settled in. It is quite a hard course to settle in to because there are so many sharp turns, but I was suprisingly feeling quite good. Much better than my last 5k in Barking Park. I was delighted to see 7.35 for the first mile. I would have loved to maintain that pace and I have done so before but at present dont have the speed endurance. Second mile was 7.57. Then I really struggled to maintain for the last mile. I was catching the guy in front but I am sure it was because he was slowing. I couldn't actually see anyone behind me, until about 300m from the end a guy overtook me seemingly coming out of nowhere! Anyway I sprinted the last bit trying to get under 24 but instead got exactly 24 minutes. 10th overall, first female and 23 seconds faster than my previous outing here.
I was not unhappy with that. After a bit of a chat I started the run home (3.6 miles) I was aware my hamstring was tight but kept it easy pace and it seemed ok by the time I got home. I did know that over the rest of the day it was tightening, and I stretched periodically. It was aching quite badly when I went to bed.
It didnt work at all when I tried to run this morning. I got to the end of the road with what felt like a knife in my glutes on the left hand side and gave up. I am quite proud of the fact that instead of a strop I got my swimming kit on straight away and went there instead. Swam 2k and quite enjoyed it. Embarrased myself when I got out as after hauling myself up on the side I went to put my weight on my left leg and it collapsed. It felt like it wasn't there and I have no idea what that was. I am sure all the parents waiting for their kids very inconveniently by the side of the pool were amused. Anyway the walk home wasn't that pleasant but it did ease as I went.
I may have to just swim this week. I am contemplating my turbo, and a sports massage.
Until Friday. That day I have a marathon. On my training plan it says 26.2 miles easy. Shouldn't be a problem should it.
This is a picture of the first time I ran at Bletchley, Good Friday 2010 I think, all 3 of us were yet to complete the 10 in 10. This Fridays marathon is the Poppy Day Enigma and will start at 11.11.
*thats not really true I can just never find it.
Yep I had a strange week, full of saying the wrong thing. At the wrong time. Or just the wrong thing.
Still I dont believe there was any lasting damage. But I know that's not what you want to hear. You want to talk about running. (I shall pause here to say, why has he got the radio on at top volume in the kitchen and yet left the tv on loud in here too? Men!!)
Anyway, yeah, running. My plans have jigged around lately and I have decided to do a half marathon in December. Now this means running a bit faster than I normally do, so there has had to have been a plan too. Luckily a plan bought itself to my attention by magic. Amazingly it has Fridays as rest days. That is how I do it you know, out on Thursday nights rest days Friday. Bingo!
Before we go on you probably are wondering how this will fit into my plans to do a 100 miler in March. It wont.
Right so I have been doing proper sessions for a week and a half now. Enjoying it too although during that time I have been aware of some aches and pains which I blame entirely on running at Caesars while I was tired. I do know though that I have excacerbated them with a tiny bit of speedwork but nothing terrible.
So the plan said 10k this Sunday. Fine I was going to do Billericay. However I left it too late cos it was postal entry. Ok I thought, I shall do parkrun and run there and back. Ran to Valentines Park, real easy so felt good when I got there. Ran around a bit looking for the start.............it is a bench in a busstop type thingy that is only visible when you look at it from a certain angle* ....found it and waited for the organisers and other runners to turn up.
The field is not yet very big for this event and with Billericay the next day I reckon that would have taken some of the talent away. I looked around for who would be my competition and noticed a girl from Barking Road Runners who looked fit (in a running way, I didn't fancy her). I couldn't see any one else who looked like an obvious threat, so I thought right, I will race her.
And so we started, within about 50m had overtaken BRR girl and she wasn't following. Oh. Whats more for about the first 500m I was about 5th or 6th overall which was a bit bloody freaky. Anyway a couple of men overtook me which was fine and I settled in. It is quite a hard course to settle in to because there are so many sharp turns, but I was suprisingly feeling quite good. Much better than my last 5k in Barking Park. I was delighted to see 7.35 for the first mile. I would have loved to maintain that pace and I have done so before but at present dont have the speed endurance. Second mile was 7.57. Then I really struggled to maintain for the last mile. I was catching the guy in front but I am sure it was because he was slowing. I couldn't actually see anyone behind me, until about 300m from the end a guy overtook me seemingly coming out of nowhere! Anyway I sprinted the last bit trying to get under 24 but instead got exactly 24 minutes. 10th overall, first female and 23 seconds faster than my previous outing here.
I was not unhappy with that. After a bit of a chat I started the run home (3.6 miles) I was aware my hamstring was tight but kept it easy pace and it seemed ok by the time I got home. I did know that over the rest of the day it was tightening, and I stretched periodically. It was aching quite badly when I went to bed.
It didnt work at all when I tried to run this morning. I got to the end of the road with what felt like a knife in my glutes on the left hand side and gave up. I am quite proud of the fact that instead of a strop I got my swimming kit on straight away and went there instead. Swam 2k and quite enjoyed it. Embarrased myself when I got out as after hauling myself up on the side I went to put my weight on my left leg and it collapsed. It felt like it wasn't there and I have no idea what that was. I am sure all the parents waiting for their kids very inconveniently by the side of the pool were amused. Anyway the walk home wasn't that pleasant but it did ease as I went.
I may have to just swim this week. I am contemplating my turbo, and a sports massage.
Until Friday. That day I have a marathon. On my training plan it says 26.2 miles easy. Shouldn't be a problem should it.
*thats not really true I can just never find it.
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