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Making every mile count
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I initially had zero plans or ambition to write about the recovery phrase but maybe, just maybe, this may assist someone in the future with a similar injury. You never know! Perhaps we as runners misjudge the recovery phase the most out of all the various aspects of training. As 100% of us will get injured at one stage or another it perhaps is the most important facet of training to get right. In general rehab has gone well and to be honest it's a lot harder than the usual daily drill of training. Indeed, despite being injured training and recovery has eaten more of my free time! Tendonitis in the music industry can be pretty debilitating, especially for string players. With that in mind as soon as I heard the 'T' word a giant sized siren went off in my runners mindset. I knew I had to treat this one very carefully. To date I have gone through three physio appointments, including dry needling and various core, strength and basic agility work. Thankfully I can now walk practically pain-free. I think I mentioned in a previous post that walking was the main issue so to have basic mobility back is very very welcome.
I haven't ran one step since last Wednesday but training has definitely not stopped, averaging two hours for the previous number of days. It has taken it's mental toll but I am lucky to have the ability and facilities to keep up vital cardio work. I did however enjoy the weekend a bit too much (needed to let off some much needed frustration!). Much of it has been quite boring and repetitive but I genuinely feel so much better about myself once I finish. I have long since accepted this may take some time to clear up so patience is the key word. As I am not the most patient of people at the best of times it hasn't been too easy!
I will detail some of the training when I have time but if I never see a bike again I will be one happy man! One positive is now I have some time to tackle some weaknesses and hopefully come out of this stronger than I entered.
All being well I will be back jogging late this week or early next. No rush just yet :rolleyes:........
In summary: Running is easier than rehab!
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Much to do about nothing (related to running).
The process of going nowhere in a steady progressive way is very much underway at this stage. It has been so successful that I struggle to remember if I ever ran and if so, why?! Just as I write that I noticed my garmin is still alive so I will take that as a positive sign! I am training as much as time allows to keep the fitness up to scratch. I really need to hit the ground running as soon as this issue decides go leave me alone. I want to give myself every possible chance of running Belfast and using that as a motivation, I have really worked my ass off. I may be in the best shape I have ever been in but of course my actual running fitness has taken a hit. There’s really no escaping that. If I do make the startline I think a PB is most definitely still on the cards. It may not be the time I initially planned for but I am in no doubt a solid time is still possible. I could of course be dreaming! (Let the boy dream.....)
Monday 17/10
Day off.
Tuesday 18/10
5 Miles Easy @8.00p/m (treadmill)
Wednesday 19/10
6 Miles Easy @7.30p/m in 45:00
Back to reality…….
The physio recommended keeping up my usual training plan but substitute running for non-impact cardio sessions in the gym. First time ever on the gym bike. Going to be fun.....:rolleyes:
Easing my way into a new discipline.......
Thursday 20/10: 60min INDOOR BIKE: 16.40 Miles
Friday 21/10: 60min INDOOR BIKE: 16.30 Miles
Saturday 22/10: 60min INDOOR BIKE: 17.70 Miles
Sunday 23/10: 60min INDOOR BIKE: 16.30 Miles
WEEK TOTAL: 11 Miles Running, 66.70 Miles INDOOR BIKE
I will go into some of the strength, core and agility work next time. In general I do around 40 minutes a day.
Best of luck to all I train with and know in DCM. If you see a man that cannot really cycle that will be me! It’s a race I love so obviously very disappointed to miss out but there will be many more years to take part. It's a great day and race.0 -
The week that wasn't.
October 24th-30th
I made up mind mind early on in the week that any run, of any description, was most probably out of the question. I allowed myself the small chance of running at the weekend but given I was still in some discomfort I made the decision to forgo any running and concentrate on getting back on the road the following week. Mentality this was easier than getting up and expecting to run and being disappointed or worse still, aggravating the tendon and putting me on the sidelines for another protracted period. Spirits were very high all week until Sunday. While I really enjoyed watching the marathon I was shocked by the level of personal disappointment over the following hours. I really did feel sorry for myself! I was obviously delighted to see so many do so well but I just wanted to be out running. What was even more noticeable was my competitive side. While it's fantastic to see people do well you do kind of want to beat them (that's ok, isn't it?! :pac:). Maybe, just maybe, I may look to target DCM over the coming years. It's the first time I have felt that way in many a year. I thought the day itself was built for fast running. Conditions were perfect on the morning and I have yet to see better running conditions in Dublin. A brilliant day (and night!).
Monday 24/10
AM
Elliptical Trainer - 30min Easy (3.40 Miles)
Bike (Indoor) - 30min Easy (9.80 Miles)
PM
Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (14.40 Miles)
Tuesday 25/10
Elliptical Trainer - 60min Easy (7.50 Miles)
Wednesday 26/10
AM: Elliptical Trainer - 45min Easy (5.50 Miles)
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (13.70 Miles)
Thursday 27/10
AM: Elliptical Trainer - 45min Easy (5.20 Miles)
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (13.20 Miles)
Friday 28/10
AM: Elliptical Trainer - 60min Easy (7 Miles)
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 30min Easy 9.10 Miles)
Saturday 29/10
AM: Elliptical Trainer - 60min Easy (6.70 Miles)
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 15min Hard (5.70 Miles)
Sunday 30/10
30+ Miles Cycle (DCM spectating)
In addition to the above cardio work, I averaged 40 minutes a day on strength, agility and core work. I have never before worked so non-running training so it will be interest to see if it makes a difference when back into real training. I found the elliptical trainer to be the best substitute to running. My average heartrate was in the high 150s throughout so I was working! It is far better than spinning or cycling for the injured runner in my opinion. I constantly altered the terrain to mix it up and keep it somewhat interesting. I say somewhat but at times it became a right drag!
I am very fortunate to have the gym so close to the house and close to a lot of commitments. It does though add a few minutes drive to and from and at this stage I am truly sick of the place! I miss running but I really feel the loss of the outdoors and the freedom it affords. I am now an expert in Tipping Point (gameshow) and Ireland AM (unadultered sh1te
). The gym is fantastic a few times a weeks but twice a day almost every day is OVERKILL! Give me mad motorists and cyclists on paths. I just want to lace up my runners and run. 0 -
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I really better pen this before I completely forget what I did and did not do! The days and weeks are truly flying by in a haze of constant analysis. How is the leg? It's worse. No wait, it's better! I love running. I totally hate running....etc. The positivity and negativity ebbs and flows and each day brings with it a new outlook. It really is head wrecking stuff. Monday and Tuesday were both bad but the week gradually improved. I really cannot get ahead of myself though as I know deep down that the leg still hasn't 100% recovered. It's a delicate balancing act that has me longing for the big mileage weeks earlier in the year. I don't do injuries :rolleyes:.
I will try my very best to make the startline of Belfast. If I can get one or two decent sessions in and think I can PB I will travel. If not, what is the point? It's a hard one though as there are no other quality 10km races in Ireland on the road this year. Ideally I would postpone my PB attempt until mid-December but there's nothing there in the calendar worth targeting (PB wise).
Monday 31/10
16 Miles Bike
I still had the loan of the bike so I took myself up to Killiney Hill. I was certainly taken back by the sheer amount of time/miles needed to replicate aerobically the gains made by running. I reckoned I would need to cycle approximately 450-500 miles a week to replace running! Ah here......thanks for the bike but you can have it back! At least the gym bike has constant resistance not like the real outdoor thing.
Nearly 24 hours painfree......time for a jog?
Tuesday 1/11
AM: Elliptical Trainer - 60min Easy (7 Miles)
PM: 5 Miles @8.00p/m (treadmill)
The boy runs! 24 hours with no pain. Game on.
A very very nervy run but a very successful one. My word it felt odd to be back running. So so good and lifted the flailing spirits no end!
Wednesday 2/11
AM: 6 Miles Easy @8.00p/m (treadmill)
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (13.70 Miles)
Thursday 3/11
AM: 5.25 Miles Easy @7.15p/m in 38:12
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (13.20 Miles)
Friday 4/11
AM: 6 Miles Easy @7.21p/m in 44:07
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 30min Easy 9.10 Miles)
Saturday 5/11
8 Miles Easy @7.05p/m in 1.04:44
Now we are talkin'! This was the sort of run I have really missed. I was in heap after the previous night (5 Lamps Brewery Tour, food, pub crawl etc.). What a great night but I paid the price the next morning. I was all over the shop running but felt so much better once I finished. Ah, I have missed you my friend..........
Sunday 6/11
The run with stuff.......
6.50 Miles
-inc. 4 Miles Progressive
Splits:6.03, 6.07, 5.53, 5.47
I set out with the intention of running steady but that kind of went out the old window quite quickly! The legs did not enjoy the first mile one bit. I was struggling to hit marathon pace into a cutting headwind along the strand. I felt that bad that I upped the pace and effort. Thankfully the increase in pace had no bearing on how I felt so I went with it! The legs needed a wake-up and that's just what they got. Running along the coast is very fun......will the Merrion Gates close?! NO! Not during my session. The train service should really treat us runners with a bit more compassion.
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 30min Very Easy (8.80 Miles)
WEEK TOTAL: 36.75 MILES +a bucket of <cough> cross-training
I won't even go into all the s&c undertaken during the week. I only do 30-40min 4/5 times a week but it really does add up. I will perhaps start to go into some detail next week. I may be starting to like the gym. The acid test will come in January when my freebie year ends and I got to open up the wallet! 0 -
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I must update more regularly. At this stage this log has morphed into it's own time vortex. It's kind of like watching Fair City a week or so late for the few amongst us that are forced to watch. She is still stuck on that bloody room by the way......!!
Monday 7/11
AM: 6 Miles Easy @7.18p/m in 43:52
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 30min Very Easy (8.20 Miles)
Tuesday 8/11
9.10+ Miles
-inc. 8x1min Hills @3k pace
We set on our 4 mile warm-up to the Khyber in the cold and wet, both looking for the same stimulus from the session but coming into it from very different places. One of us had just run a marathon and the other well, attempting something like a return to actual running. Hello hamstring! The first rep was a serious shock to the system. The body didn't know how to react to the first 'speed' work in quite some time. The legs did however loosen out and the session ticked by nicely.
Progress?
Wednesday 9/11
AM: 7 Miles Easy @7.22p/m 51:21
PM: Elliptical Trainer - 45min Easy (4.80 Miles)
Thursday 10/11
AM: 6 Miles Easy @7.26p/m in 44:40
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 30min Very Easy (8.20 Miles)
Friday 11/11
6 Miles Easy @7.42p/m (treadmill)
Saturday 12/11
AM
7.30+ Miles
Session: 6min@LT, 3min EZ, 3min @10km, 6min EZ, 2x400m @10km ~45sec easy rec, 4x(10sec @95%, 50sec EZ)
Splits:
6min@LT (5.33 pace)
3min@10km (5.27)
2x400m @10km: 78, 78 (5.14)
I messed up some the recoveries today, reducing the 6 minute easy section to 3 minutes (after the LT rep). I don't know what I was thinking! Paces were acceptable today but I did overcook the 400m reps. It's very hard not to as the pace does feel slow for such a short rep. The sprints looked after themselves. Great to be back on the cinder. Fair play to the council. They have cleaned up the verges and made the track much easier to run on. Now, if they can someone block off the horrendous wind that would be fan-bloody-tastic!
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Very Easy (12.70 Miles)
Sunday 13/11
A risky morning......
Long Easy Run
-16 Miles Easy @7/13p/m in 1.55:35
I hope this one doesn't come back to bite me!
I really needed a decent spell on the feet. In hindsight though I really didn't. Maybe I just wanted to prove to myself everything was ok. Perhaps here some wise words from a coach would pay dividends. The leg felt good starting out but got somewhat tight after a number of miles. It's a hard one to describe if being truthful. It was not so much a pain, more a small discomfort. Even outside of my current heightened awareness, I would have noticed it on a good day. Tomorrow shall be interesting! Hail Mary.........
WEEK TOTAL: 57.40+ MILES (plus buckets of <yuck> cross-training)
I won't even go into all the S&C undertaken during the week. It all very basic stuff really. I only do 20-30min 4/5 times a week but it really does add up. I will perhaps start to go into some detail next week. Running is more interesting though......0 -
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Monday 14/11
AM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (12.80 Miles)
PM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (12.90 Miles)
Tuesday 15/11
AM: Bike (Indoor) - 60min Easy (17.10 Miles)
PM: 4.25 Miles Easy @7.11p/m 30:35
Wednesday 16/11
AM
7+ Miles inc. drills/strides
Session: 5x800m @5km pace ~2.00 recovery
Splits: 2.37, 2.36, 2.37, 2.38, 2.38
PM: Elliptical Trainer - 45min Easy (4.60 Miles)
Thursday 17/11
AM: Bike (Indoor) - 30min Very Easy (7.90 Miles)
PM: 5.25 Miles Easy @7.11p/m in 38:52
Friday 18/11
4 Miles Easy @7.41p/m (treadmill)
-inc. 3x30sec strides @3k
Saturday 19/11
8.20+ Miles
-w/u 1+ Mile @7.10p/m inc. drills/strides
- Clane 10km @5.39p/m in 35:09
-w/d 1+ Mile
Sunday 20/11
Long Easy Run
-14.50 Miles Easy @6.51p/m in 1.39:25
WEEK TOTAL: 43.20+ MILES +<look away now!> truck loads of cross-training
The previous weeks exploits proved too much for the much maligned right leg. I was in a fair amount of discomfort after the long run that evening and night. While it was nowhere near as bad as previously, it did certainly hurt. I once again got pretty down that night, wondering what the f!ck happened. I headed out and hit the bike and I felt I was once again out for a week. I took the Monday off (running :rolleyes:) and prayed for the best. I took myself off to the bike in the gym on Tuesday, resigning myself to a spell on the sidelines until the pain subsided. Obviously someone was listening to my prayers and the leg felt a million times better and I was delighted to head out for a short run that night after work. BOOM! The sheer relief was palpable for all to see (I really don't do injures well!). The session the next day was once again on the cards and a hard session in Clane back on track. How things can change over the course of 48 hours! The decision now was a simple one: forget about mileage and concentrate on hitting the sessions. Every mile on the road had to count!
The planned called for 5x800m @5k off 2.30 recovery. I did said session a number of weeks ago and felt the recoveries were too generous so the option was reduce the recoveries or increase each rep length. I settled on the reduced recovery option and hit the field of dreams (aka Kilbogget Park). The mornings work was very hard going. It quickly became Man vs. Wind. It almost became unrunnable but on I ploughed, knowing the splits would be ssslllllllow. The effort was was most certainly there but as the conditions, as expected, played a significant role. Still, I was out running so I was not complaining! It was quite funny doing the hill reps. I said 'good morning' to an elderly gentleman on the walk down. I was very much out of breath but I managed to exchange a few words. I look back and there was he, a man on 79 years of age, running up that very hill. That brought a smile to my face and reminded me to appreciate all that running and training brings to your life.
Thoughts on Wednesday eve turned to Clane and how I needed to run a semi-decent time. A few easy days before a boring Friday night in. I was in pretty foul form that night. I hate going into races undercooked. It's difficult to get excited about putting yourself out there when any semblance of form is a distant memory. Getting beaten is fine (as much as I hate it) but knowing you'll probably get beaten by people who you should normally always beat is quite the other. It's a case of leave the ego at the front door and get over yourself! Akin to doing 8 minute miles next to the Granny going 5 minute pace in the gym. The race itself was fine. I headed out to the startline, leaving the watch in the car. I only really wanted to run this at a hard pace and see what that got me on the clock. Anything over 36 would have been a disaster this morning. The rolling route was a very nice one. I quickly settled into 4th place and felt ok. The pace is still a but of a shock to the legs but it was manageable. The 3 lads ahead soon increased their lead. I was pretty confident at least one would come back to me but I was wrong! The race flew by and soon I was into the closing stages. The icy roads really slowed me down in places, as did the congestion caused by the tail end of the 5k race. I could hear someone behind and I expected him to level and so he did just after the 8km marker. He's only quite new to running but it's fair to say he has a fair bit of talent. I wasn't too concerned on racing him because a) I was in no shape to b) I hadn't slowed down so he must have upped his pace and last c) It didn't matter to me if I came 4th or 5th (perhaps that was a poor attitude to have). I think he would have pipped me if I had pushed anyway. I was happy enough to see 35:09 as it was a fair time given the last month. Can I go faster next week? For sure. Can I go 70 seconds quicker? You will probably get better odds on Leitrim winning the Sam Maguire! Next Saturday is now a shot to nothing. I am still targeting a PB but that may be wishful thinking. I guess there's no other way to find out. Belfast it is. While the run did not feel particular hard I still don't believe I could have gone significantly faster. Seen as it was another solo run, on a rolling icy course, Belfast should naturally be a good chunk faster. I am hoping the rustiness is now out of the legs and that this run will pay dividends come the Seeley Cup.
The race must have provided a significant training stimulus as the easy long run felt like a jog. I was surprised to see the average pace on finishing up. A definite positive. Any day that doesn't have me hunched over a stationary bike is now a very good day!0 -
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Monday 21/11
AM: Bike (Indoor) - 45min Easy (11.80 Miles)
PM: 6 Miles Easy @7.28p/m in 44:29
Tuesday 22/11
AM
8.10+ Miles inc. drills/strides
Session: 5min @LT, 5@EZ, 3min @10km, 2min @EZ, 3min @10km +60, 45, 30sec @5k to 3km ~2min easy rec
Splits:
5min @LT (5.25 pace)
3min@10km (5.24)
3min@10km (5.22)
60sec (5.11)
45sec (4.59)
30sec (4.51)
Now, take the aboves paces with a good sprinkling of salt. As I used the old garmin (over actual trqack distance) the paces recorded are naturally a few seconds too generous. Damn it! All good this morning. Unlike me to have nought to moan about. A very useful sharpening session and one I would very much recommend.
Wednesday 23/11
AM: 6 Miles Easy @7.19p/m in 43:54
PM: 15min (Indoor Bike) +big stretch, core and strength session
Thursday 24/11
AM: 5.25 Miles Easy @7.28p/m in 39:16
PM: 5min (Indoor Bike) +small stretch, core and strength session
Friday 25/11
4 Miles Easy @7.41p/m (treadmill)
-inc. 3x30sec strides @3k
Saturday 26/11
-w/u 1.50+ miles inc. drills/strides
-Joe Seeley Cup 33:52 (5.27 p/m)
-w/d 2 Miles @7.20p/m
Sunday 27/11
Medium Long Easy Run
-13.25 Miles @6.58p/m in 1.32:20
WEEK TOTAL: 52.30+ MILES (+biking)0 -
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AuldManKing wrote: »Super performance and an amazing time. Very well done and no doubt more to come when you stay injury free.
Thanks Alan. Very well done at the weekend. The result was never in doubt in my eyes (I didn't even feel the need to track the tracker!). Breaking 3 is not everything in running but it does open the door and knocks down a significant barrier. Great job. Now look to 2.4x after a long rest 0 -
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