Sunday 28 December 2014

Whales and Marlins

I feel it is no coincidence that this Christmas I was given two books which are undoubtedly related: Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea', and Melville's 'Moby Dick'. Both describe the immense efforts of people to overcome multifarious obstacles in order to capture a monster far bigger than themselves (although I haven't read Moby Dick yet). It may be over-dramatic, but in some way this is how the marathon has become for me. Particularly since the calf problems, it has been a daily struggle to stay on top and build the mileage back up enough to make the marathon plausible. I put in calf-strengthening exercises daily, I now also slot in postural exercises and some 'neural flossing' as recommended by John. I am careful to warm up and down thoroughly around each run. I run three times per week, unsure each time whether the calf will fail again, but monitoring and adapting my runs accordingly. Add to this that I will not be satisfied purely with finishing the marathon, but I would like to run a reasonable time. My running is currently limited not by my fitness but by the leg, which sometimes does not allow me to run further. This is concerning given that my longest mileage since the injury is 15 miles. Still, I believe that my approach is giving me the best chance possible. It combines patience, determination, and discipline. Keep doing the exercises even though you may be bored. Keep training even though the weather may be terrible. Keep believing even though other people may not hide their doubt. There is never a guarantee of success, but you can always put in your best effort possible.

Tuesday 23 December 2014

Am I feeling improvement?

I am loathe to say it after only a few days of my new computer set-up at home and adding in the standing-to-sitting exercises to my 3 sets of exercises per day, but I may be feeling some improvement. The calf still aches and complains a bit, but seems to recover quickly and I don't get quite the same taut, guitar-string, could-snap-any-moment feeling. Also, I am getting an ache in the upper right butt, suggesting either I'm having new problems or that area is starting to take on some of the load. However, if I compare the right leg to the left, it is still nowhere near better...the left leg jsut does all this stuff without a murmur.

Following the 15-miler on Sunday and a decent runabout in a singles badminton game on Monday, overall things felt good (or at least better than I'd have expected) and I felt like pushing it a little today. My first mile is always slow because I'm getting going and it's where a lot of the uphill is from our flat. However, following an intial 8:30 mile, I ran a speedy further 8 miles to average under 7:30-minute miling for a bit over 9 miles altogether, including a sub 1-hour first 8 miles.

As always, I need to see how the body reacts, and I have another physio appointment tomorrow before the Christmas break so I'll see what he thinks.

Sunday 21 December 2014

Made it to 15 miles

On a damp but mild morning, I set off hoping for at least 10 miles to get 25 for the week. I am never certain at the moment how my leg is going to react, but with a slightly slower start it all held together pretty well for the journey to the downs. I felt the odd twinge, but it wasn't until around the 11-12 mile mark that I really started to get some warning signs from the right calf. Because I'd put on some distance cruising around the downs I was going to have to run 13.6 miles to make it home, so pushed on to 14, and then possibly stupidly decided to add a little extra to get to 15 despite complaints from the leg. So 15 miles complete in 1:58, just under 8 minutes per mile...I'm pleased but will definitely have to check my leg hasn't fallen off over night...

Saturday 20 December 2014

Physio Trip Number Two

On my second appointment with John, he once again demonstrated to me the flaws in my posture. With me standing casually, a quick profile photo showed that my pelvis and nose stuck out in front of the rest of my body. I am curving my lower spine backwards and then my neck and head are pushing too far forwards from my shoulders (see photo 1); as John rightly pointed out, I am a two-pillow sleeper. These extra curves in my skeletal frame mean that the nerves strung over that frame have further to travel than they should, and therefore have less give in them. My first prescription was to sort out my posture during the many hours I use a computer (at the office and particularly when using my laptop at home, for which my posture is really pretty terrible).I have included a before (photo 2) and after (photo 3) shot of my laptop setup.

Following this, we tried some little hops as if skipping, first on both legs then switching to one leg, showing that this was much worse on my right side. Similarly, when balancing on one leg, I would lean my upper body much further to the side on the right leg than when balancing on the left. It seems I am literally a lazy arse, at least on the right side, where the upper glute muscles do not want to work to keep me balanced. Prescription two was the controlled sitting exercise from the physiotherapy.co.uk website to wake these muscles up. You or I may well ask what all this has to do with my calf injury? I believe John's answer might be that you treat the body and not the symptoms of injury, and the rest follows...there is a logic to this, and as a scientist I see that you can only test this theory by following the advice, so fingers crossed and here goes...

Photo 1 - my neck looking a bit forward from my back



















Photo 2 - how I used a laptop before the physio session (borrowing my girlfriend's laptop here)


Photo 3 - my new laptop setup at the desk in the bedroom


Unexpected Physio Trip

All is still largely going to plan - I am running around 7-8 miles mid-week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and around a half marathon distance on the weekends. However, the calf is still very much not back to normal. I always feel it, sporadically have to stop to stretch it, and always have concern about something bad happening to it before I can get back home. It clearly is not as easy-going as the left calf.

Last week, I went to the Moti running shop hoping for a recommendation for a physio to assess the problems with my calf. Lucky for me, John walked through the door at that moment and offered me a free assessment. With pause only to make a vital cup of tea, we got to work. John walked me through the issues with my body, step by logical step, gradually revealing a complete picture which I feel he knew practically from the start. Neither of my feet land in a straight line down from the knee. The two legs are different, with the right (where I have the calf issues) worse than the left. My right side is weaker than the left in certain areas: lifting the knee up towards the chest, and lifting up the big toe. John traced these issues to the L2 and L5 vertebrae in my lumbar spine, and demonstrated that these were more tender than the others. Overall, I'm no longer surprised that I am having problems running! Whilst there is a considerable list of problems with the posture of my body, having them pointed out with such clarity has given me genuine optimism that something can be done about them. I hope that optimism is well founded.


Sunday 7 December 2014

Best long run so far

A beautiful winter's morning - relatively mild and clear, blue, sunny skies. I get the hat on, partly to keep warm but mostly to keep my hair out of my eyes. From early on I'm feeling pretty good and the mile times are quicker than I intended, but the calf is mostly okay. Somewhat recklessly I push on because it is exhilarating to be running through that morning at a half-decent pace, but I am aware this may be stupid and keep my senses on the calf. It gets harder from about 9 miles onwards, and I can feel the calf struggling a bit for the last couple of miles. In total I complete 14 miles in 1:45:30, just over 7:30 minute miles on average - I am very happy with that!...now just have to do some after-care on the legs.

Saturday 6 December 2014

Current Training Routine

It's been four months since the original injury, and (fingers crossed) things are still going reasonably well. I've got into a rough training regime to help the legs and the running that I will lay out below:

Daily, I try to do 3 sets of leg strengthening exercises, once in the morning, once when I get back from work, and once later in the evening. These comprise calf raises (Fig. 1), calf raises with knees bent (to strengthen the soleus muscles; Fig. 2); the same again but on one leg at a time; one-legged squats on an inflatable balance cushion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvpcxcOFWbg); sideways leg raises and clam leg raises (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV9lrplkdG4).

Once per day I foam roll all the leg muscles (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki6roIdrD9Q), and sometimes with a tennis ball I'll roll my glutes and the calf muscles a little deeper.

I started having a protein supplement drink once per day after the injury - I am vegetarian, and whilst for half marathons I've never had a problem, I felt that for a marathon you should actually be having more than the daily recommended amount of protein (55g for men) to rebuild the torn muscle fibres. I get this mostly from seeded wholemeal bread (around 5g per slice), pulses (e.g., a can of baked beans is around 20g), eggs (around 5g per egg), and dairy (particularly cheese).

I do 5 minutes of warm up and down on the exercise bike for each run (minimum 1.5 miles each), and stretch out the legs and hips carefully after a run (see Figs. 3-5).

Figure 1. Calf Raises

Figure 2. Calf raises with knees bent

Figure 3. Stetching out the calf

Figure 4. Stretching out the soleus

Stretching out the hip flexors

Thursday 4 December 2014

Sports massages are painful

I managed a half marathon at the weekend, taking my mileage for November up above the 100 mile mark, which I'm incredibly pleased with. The calf felt really tight so I booked myself in for a sports massage. Without doubt, sports massages are bloody painful. Strangely, the left calf and the quads were more painful then anywhere else, even though it's the right leg that's giving me trouble. However, I feel like it all must be good for me if it hurts! Following the massage I felt like pushing things a little, and did a decent 7 miles at 7:40 per mile pace. It feels great to actually run, although I still wouldn't say I'm allowing myself into top gear yet.

Thursday 27 November 2014

Always a challenge

A weekend away at the parents, including a dramatic but ultimately disappointing football match, coincided with the development of a strange blister/infection on the ball of my foot, which was too painful to run on. By the time I could run again on Tuesday, I only managed 5.5 miles before the calf tightened up nearly to the point of snapping and I had to walk home. I was concerned to run again today, but took it steady, stretched when I needed to, and made it to 8 miles. That makes November my highest mileage since July, and my second highest month's mileage since I started training for the marathon. Hoping for a long run at the weekend, but will have to see how the leg responds...

Thursday 20 November 2014

Cool, starless night running

The night is cool and starless, the Earth nuzzled in cloud, tucked in for bed. This is almost the perfect temperature for running - it is cool and dry, you sweat less, there is little chance of over-heating or dehydrating. The run keeps my legs and body warm - the only part of me that really gets cold is my hands and arms, wafting through the night air, so I cover them with sleeves and gloves. As long as you dress appropriately, none of this is a problem, even if it's raining. The main issue is ice, but it's not cold enough tonight for that. I keep an easy pace, not too slow but not too fast, taking it steady on the hills, and perhaps pushing a little more than I should on the flat. I complete 10 miles, put in a 7:15 mile as the sixth, average a bit under 8-minute miling, although the calf definitely aches during the last 3 miles and I am forced to ease off and nurse it home. Following 8 miles on Tuesday I am pleased, knowing we're away at the weekend and I'll probably have to fit in a smaller run if possible...

Monday 17 November 2014

First post-injury half marathon

On Saturday morning I did a steady-paced (around 8:15 minute miles) half marathon for the first time since the injury. Early in the week I had run a 6 mile and an 8 mile, so I also broke 26 miles in a week for the first time since the injury too. I'm really pleased with the progress, but still get twinges and soreness on a regular basis and have to be wary. The half-marathon on Saturday was amazing, gliding through a misty morning, cool and refreshing, and although the calf had felt uncomfortable following the 8 miles on Thursday it generally felt good for the long run - lowering the pace, even slightly, is definitely the key.

Thursday 13 November 2014

Hovering just off the pace

So, last week following my 5 mile run feeling great, I fit in a 10 miler on Tuesday, knowing I had a 30th birthday to go to at the weekend and would struggle to fit in a long run. The leg ached a bit, but on Thursday and Sunday I then fit in 7 miles each day, giving a 24 mile total for the week. This is about perfect - ideally I would be getting in a marathon, 26 miles, each week as a minimum, and build the long run upwards from this, but at the moment my calf won't allow it...

Saturday 1 November 2014

Slight blip again

Following last week's successful three runs of 8, 8, and 10 miles, there was a blip this week. Partly due to time constraints and partly due to a twinge in the right calf, I only ran 8, 5, and 5 miles this week. On the plus side the 5 miles today felt mostly great, and my speed was solid despite the hills, averaging around 7:30 miling. The fourth mile was sub 7 minutes and it was an absolute joy to stretch the legs, the heart, and the breath a little. This is when I find running most exhilarating, with the blur of closeness stalling to a steady progress into the distance. The heart is pounding, senses alert and bright, dodging oblivious walkers staring at their mobile phones and weaving a smooth meander across the pavement. Pushing up a hill and pedalling rapidly down the other side - this, for me at least, is true running at its best.

Sunday 26 October 2014

Double-digits and niggles

Yesterday I ran a double-digit mileage (10.5 miles) for the first time since my calf injury, and on the Thursday before that I had run another 8 miles. The 10-miler was up to the downs, which is also the first time I've taken on the hills all the way to the downs since my injury. Overall I'm incredibly happy!

Having said that, I've got a few niggles in the legs. Now, niggles are weird things - I think I pretty much always get something or other going on in the legs, and most of the time it's fine and goes away again, but having injured the calf I am currently somewhat paranoid about niggles turning into injuries! Presently, I still feel the right calf ache much more than the left so I'm cautious about that; I have a sharp pain which appears occasionally in the right knee then disappears completely; and I have dull soreness deep in my arse on both sides. I'm pretty sure the arse soreness is the piriformis muscle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_muscle), which helps to stabalise the hip, and happens to run near the sciatic nerve so can cause pain issues. I found a few methods on youtube to stretch out and strengthen the piriformis and have been following these since, with some easing in the soreness so far, so long may that continue.

So I'm edging towards a pattern of 8-mile runs mid-week, with a longer run at the weekend, and exercise bike on the non-running days to keep my legs and heart working a bit, except Mondays when I play badminton. Today I cycled a half-marathon on the bike in about 40 minutes. I'll just have to keep edging the long run upwards from here on and hope the body holds together!

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Best post-injury run so far

Well, today wasn't a totally exciting run, gamboling around undulating loops never too far from the residential suburbs near home. However, there were some hills throughout and I ran 8 miles with a 7:45-minute miling average which is definitely my best run since the injury, so feels great! The right calf still felt a little awkward in the last two miles but seems okay overall - it is impossible to tell until another couple of days go by. If all is well, I think my aim from here on will be to do roughly 8 mile runs mid-week with a longer run on the weekends between now and the marathon.

Sunday 19 October 2014

The day of...


Well, had I gone ahead with it I should have just been coming near to the end of the Eden Project Marathon 2014. It's a slightly odd feeling knowing this is the marathon that I didn't manage to get to...there is a lot of social pressure once you have signed up to a marathon and started collecting money for charity. However, I also feel that I was right to pull out given that my body is still making slight complaints as I increase distances a little again, my calf is still properly recovering and each time I increase the distance it is a balance between strengthening and re-injuring it. I know that I will complete a marathon at some point.

So, I have currently signed up for the Heartbreaker Marathon on 22nd February 2015, which gives me another 4 months to train over the winter...I'll commit completely to that and see how I go. My overall aim would still be to complete a marathon at roughly 8-minute miling, getting me around in under 3:30 hours altogether. At the moment, with having to run at slower speeds to keep the calf happy, this could be a big ask, but fitness-wise I already know I ran a 20 mile training run at around 8-minute miling before the injury so it is possible if a big challenge!

Yesterday I ran my longest run since the injury - 8 miles with some hills at about 8:15 minute miling. The right calf started to feel weird in the last 2 miles - definitely different from the left calf which was untroubled - but I warmed down on the bike and stretched everything out and it was okay in the evening. I rode for 30 mins on the bike today (just over 11 miles, increased the resistance to 6 out of 8 whatever that means). Ideally, I need to get my long run up to a half-marathon (13.1 miles) as soon as possible, then start varying it upwards in steps then back down to half, etc. However, initially, just getting back to a half marathon will be a huge achievement...

Friday 17 October 2014

Edging forwards

Yesterday morning was a beautiful autumnal perfection - clear blue skies and sun but incredibly cool and fresh - ideal running weather. I perhaps pushed things a little too much by heading up towards the downs. Since the injury I have been sticking relatively close to home with gentle hills. The route to the downs has much steeper hills and takes me further from home. I definitely felt the extra effort in the right calf, but didn't cause any actual pain and managed to put in seven miles at a gentle 8:30 miling pace. In fact, my bum was more sore than the legs, so I looked up some bum stretches on youtube as this is something I've been neglecting :-)


Tuesday 14 October 2014

Running in the rain

I had almost forgotten how much I love running in the rain. The colour palette of my mind is washed, lashed onto the branches of autumnal trees, floating to the ground to be squished under-foot. The dripping hum of drizzle spreading an auditory ooze, grouting the cracks and smoothing the soundwaves. Combined with the steady rhythm of running it eases and soothes to a melodic, mechanistic trance.

There are fewer other people out in the rain, which is lovely, and as long as you dress appropriately and have a hot shower afterwards it is warm and comfortable.

I sustained my 'return-from-injury' schedule today: another 10k (6.2 miles), this time averaging 7:50 minute miles, with a 7:30 as the fifth mile to give the calf a little tester. Did 15 minutes warm up/down on the bike. Overall the legs feel okay, although I am hypervigilant and notice all niggles, particularly in the right calf, which still isn't perfect. Pretty pleased overall.

Sunday 12 October 2014

Back from holiday!

Me and my partner, Lucy, just returned from a wonderful holiday to the North coast of Poland, Berlin, and Amsterdam. We attended the lovely wedding of my friends, Florian and Honorata, near to where Honorata grew up in Poland, and swam in the Baltic Sea in October (although it was still incredibly cold). The city breaks in Berlin and Amsterdam were fantastic, and whilst we walked a lot and were very busy in Berlin, we slowed down in Amsterdam as we had both been there before, just walking the canals and stopping to drink coffee. There is an air of ease and freedom meandering across the waterways of Amsterdam.

I did no running at all during the holiday - purposefully leaving my running shoes behind. First day back yesterday I got on the exercise bike for 30 minutes, and today I ran a 10k with a warm up/down on the bike. The legs felt good so I kept a decent pace, averaging just under 8 minute miles, although I did feel a slight tension in the right calf in the last mile. It's a good return although I will keep monitoring how the legs feel. I now have a new target of the New Forest marathon in February 2015, which gives me 4 months of training over the winter. Training in the dark, cold, and wet doesn't bother me all that much, but I will have to be vigilant of the muscles in the cold weather.

Sunday 28 September 2014

The joy of running groups

Another motivation for getting the calf strong again is so that I can go along to the old running groups: Moti and/or Bristol & West. These running groups are great; they are sociable and supportive; the people are generally easy-going and friendly; and also they tend to do interval sessions when I always run harder in the group than when running alone. Interval sessions are when you alternate fast and slow running, which is amazing for cardio fitness. The fast interval on these sessions can often be close to 6 minute miling, particularly if the distance is relatively short. This means that the calf needs to be able to stand up to these kind of speeds, at least over shorter distances or at most a mile, before I will feel comfortable doing an interval session with the group. For today's 10k I averaged around 8 minute miling. The right calf felt okay so I pushed it a little in the middle with a 7:45 and then a 7:30 minute mile. However, there was a bit of a twinge in the calf so I eased back and know I'm not ready for the interval sessions just yet. Still, positive progress, followed by the usual bike ride and stretching out to warm down thoroughly. Soon Lucy and I will be heading to Poland for Flo and Honorata's wedding so I'll rest the legs for 10 days and get going again on my return...

Saturday 27 September 2014

Why I enjoy running

There are various reasons why I love running. It has a physicality of speed and rhythm, of lungs and heart pumping, of neurochemicals and hormones coursing through veins. It has a mentality, an inner silence and calm, the physical effort meaning that thoughts become less complex, more dreamlike and floating, like a trance. It is simple and cheap; all you need is some clothes and a decent pair of trainers and you can step out of your door and start running in the great outdoor world; as distances get longer you can visit many terrains and environs. It is primative - we are animals that are designed to run, not sit in rotating chairs stairing at screens. Whilst sometimes there is pain and effort, there can also be joy, euphoria, and the satisfaction of self improvement. Most distance runners I meet have a steady manner, a long view, and an appreciation that everyone is different with different abilities, and that beating your own best time is an achievement to be celebrated, no matter what that time is. These reasons are what motivate me to strive to overcome injury and get back running freely, I very much hope that I can.

Thursday 25 September 2014

Best post-injury run so far

Had a great run today - 10k sandwiched by 5 miles warm up/down on the x-bike. Decent pace, around 8:15 minute miles - best pace since my injury and felt good to stretch the legs out a little. Still had to hold back as the right calf was still tight at times...stopped a few times to stretch it out. Overall really pleased!

Wednesday 24 September 2014

My trusty steed - the x-bike

After the second time I injured my right calf, I borrowed an exercise bike (called the x-bike) from my friend, Martin, who had used it to help recover from a broken ankle. Initially, I was dubious - it is very much nothing like riding a real bike, there is no air resistance so you can get up some decent pedal speeds which aren't realistic. However, it has become a trustworthy companion to my recovery, meaning that I can at least get some aerobic fitness which I am not really getting from the slow runs my calf forces me to do. I put in another half-marathon on the x-bike this evening in about 35 minutes, with a bit of stretching out afterwards. I'm still doing at least 3 sets of the calf strengthening and stretching exercises the physio gave me every day, as well as the hip strengthening from my hip injury a few years ago. I very much look forward to the day I can run freely again without issues from the calf, and hope that all of this work will be rewarded with joyous, windswept running through the unkempt wilderness again before too long :-)

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Very very odd run

As with all long-distance running, this is going to be a long haul and not a sprint. Long distance runners are not created in one summer, but over several years. Similarly, this injury is not going to get better overnight, but over a long recovery period, however frustrating that may be. I have to be disciplined and determined. Today, I'm not sure I was entirely disciplined! I planned to try another 10k today. Did 5 miles on the x-bike in 15 mins, started running and felt sore/tight in half a mile. Kept going to see if I'd shake it off but didn't really get better or worse and seriously considered stopping. Strangely, at about the 1.5 mile point, I felt like I wanted to go a bit quicker to stretch it out. The right calf continued to feel sore/tight and I stopped to stretch it now and again, but kept speeding up and it didn't feel worse. I started out at about 10 minute miles and finished up at 10k running the last mile at 8-minute miles - a moderate speed for me and the speed I was originally planning to run the marathon. Still can't decide if I have done more damage - it doesn't feel good but not terrible, and it was so nice to run a half-decent pace! I finished off with six miles on the x-bike in 15 mins and stretched out a lot...will see how it is in the morning.

Saturday 20 September 2014

Too early to think I'm recovering...

Ran my first 10k (exactly 6.2 miles) this evening, with a 3 mile exercise bike ride before and a 5 mile bike afterwards. I took the run carefully, but felt okay and ended up averaging 9:17 minute miles which is slow but alright. The left leg felt absolutely fine for the whole run, the right calf twinged a bit and started to tighten up in the last mile or so, so I've been stretching it out as much as I can. This definitely doesn't feel recovered, but it's great to make it to 10k again and without much soreness. However, I've been here before on this recovery process and I'm not making any assumptions about a full recovery...

Thursday 18 September 2014

Still not quite injured

I was back running again today - did 3 miles on the exercise bike to warm up, 5 miles of running, and 3 miles on the exercise bike to warm down. The run was uncomfortable - I could feel stirrings in the right calf after a couple of miles, then this went away for a bit, then later it felt so tight it might just ping like an over-taut guitar string, and I was worried about getting home on it. Following the warm down and a bit of stretching it feels strangely calm, so I am concerned it is going to shock me with pain in the morning...

Monday 15 September 2014

Russian roulette

I did another run this morning - sandwiched between short sessions on the exercise bike: 2 miles bike; 4.2 miles run; 5 miles bike. Felt slight twinges in both the left and right calves but these didn't turn into anything more serious and I completed the run averaging around 9:30 minute miles. This is still slow, and it does feel like Russian roulette with the calves...tempting them, almost goading them, into another serious strain. I still feel that they most likely aren't going to make it up to serious distances, but I'm going to keep gradually increasing the distance until they go and I postpone the marathon, or miraculously they stay solid. I'm loving putting in some cycling so I actually get some cardio workout!

Sunday 14 September 2014

So far so good

Got up this morning and all was fine - did 12.5 miles in 30 mins on the exercise bike (probably only equivalent to about 5 miles outside) and worked up a decent sweat. Have also done a couple of sets of the calf and hip-strengthening exercises and I feel good. Next step is a slightly longer run tomorrow...still feel that the right calf may give out at some point but will keep pushing the running distances up at slow speed...

Saturday 13 September 2014

Crunch Time

It is now definitely crunch time. It is 10 days since I saw the physio. I have about 5 weeks until the marathon, and I am going on holiday for 10 days in the final couple of weeks.

A few days ago I broke my rest by borrowing a friend's exercise bike, and cycled what the bike said was 10 miles in about 30 minutes (in reality I'm sure an exercise bike is much less effort than a real bike in the outside world). Overall, this felt great as it was the first proper cardio work I've done for some time, and it felt like it gently worked the calves without being to much effort for them.

This morning, I went for my first run for 10 days, a slow 3 miles. I'm not totally sure I'm ready, but I also think that unless I begin now there is no way I can prepare my injured muscles for a marathon in time. So I have to run now. I have to build up the miles bit by bit. And if at any point during that build-up I feel any proper pain in the calves I have to stop and postpone the marathon for at least a few months and recover properly.

This morning's run gave me some tightness, some small twinges in the calf muscles, but was overall okay. I drove the car in the afternoon and walked a few miles along the river between Bristol and Bath and the right calf felt tight and slight, brief needles of soreness at times, which isn't a good sign. I'll get on the exercise bike tomorrow, then if okay possibly do a slightly longer run the next day or two and see how it goes...it's not looking too promising.

Friday 5 September 2014

Physio Trip #2

Well, it seems that my original injury has pretty much cleared up, but has spawned follow-up injuries. I have a strain on the mid-right of the calf where the soleus folds under the higher calf muscles. The physio thinks this is because my posture has adjusted to protect the original injury. In addition, that muscle area is 'toned' (i.e., not properly relaxed) which is probably what the blocky feeling I had on the right of that calf was. He did some sometimes excruciating sports massage on it to release the tension, and taped up the right soleus muscles to add a bit of support.

Overall, he is also quite worried. I have 6 weeks to the marathon, and he says I need to rest the leg as long as possible whilst continuing the strengthening exercises, which doesn't really give me much time to build back up. I'll give it a week and see how it feels...

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Concerned

A slow four miles up on the downs on Monday evening resulted in a slight twinge in the left calf and a dull ache, almost like a dead leg, in the right. However, all seemed mostly healthy and I was fine the next day and could continue the physio exercises.

However, this evening a very slow (10:30-minute miles) jog resulted in a real pain in the right calf at about 2.5 miles. Stretched it out and jogged again a bit but decided to stop and walk home. My jog was so gentle it was nearly walking but amazingly I seem to have really pinged something. Lots of soreness in the calf if I bend the knee on the right leg and support weight. I've iced it and used ibuprofen gel.

For the first time I am genuinely concerned I may not be able to do the marathon, even slowly. Only six weeks to go and I'm struggling to do 3 miles without causing further issues. This makes me very disappointed. I've got a follow-up appointment with the physio tomorrow so I'll see what he says but I'm a little pessimistic this time...

Sunday 31 August 2014

Ibuprofen gel is strange magic

I bought some proper ibuprofen gel yesterday to give it a go rather than the other anti-inflammatory stuff I'd been using. I'm still doing strengthening and stretching on the calves and strengthening the hip every day if don't run. Still had soreness in the right calf yesterday after the run the day before and several reps of strengthening. Within 30 minutes the ibuprofen gel took all the soreness away. This was amazing but also odd - I know the muscle is sore and the soreness is a sign I shouldn't be doing too much on it, so to have that soreness removed feels odd and potentially dangerous as I could over-use the muscle. However, for the end of the day when all of the exercises / running is over, it is a nice way to reduce soreness and relax the muscle as well as presumably reduce any swelling. I have decided to rest an extra day today (although obviously continue the strengthening) and give it a bit more time before the next run, which in will definitely do slowly!

Saturday 30 August 2014

Pushing the muscle in second 10k

I ran 7 miles yesterday evening - this time a little faster, around 8:15 minutes per mile on average so a half-decent pace. It felt amazing to do one of the miles at sub 8-minute miling - for me, this is when I begin to feel like I am actually running; I feel my body just beginning to adjust to the additional effort, I feel my breathing slightly increasing its work to bring in more oxygen, I feel the natural chemicals releasing into my brain and body to deal with the new effort. Eight minute miling seems like some sort of threshold for me - I am much more in my element at that speed or faster. Sadly, my enthusiasm to be back at that level of running stupidly outweighed the more rational part of me which suggests I should keep going slow while the injury mends, and around the 5 mile mark I got an ache in the soleus, and a newer ache in a higher part of the same calf, both of which increased throughout the final 2 miles of the 7 mile run. Again, I slowed a bit but should have slowed more or even stopped as the ache was quite forceful. I iced the calf and used anti-inflammatory cream, and whilst the soleus seems fine this morning the higher part of the calf is still sore. This has told me that, at least for the moment, I should really be at 8:30 miles at fastest, and to be safe probably more like 9:00-9:30 minute miles, whilst the muscle continues to mend and strengthen, so at least I've learnt something. I suppose I nudged at the limits of what the muscle is capable of last night and hopefully haven't caused additional damage...will find out over the coming days.

Wednesday 27 August 2014

First 10k post-injury!

Ran a steady 10k this evening - really pleased! Exactly 9 minute miling average on the watch, which is steady but enough to do the marathon sub 4 hours if I continued at that pace. Dull ache in the right soleus which I've iced and will apply anti-inflammatory cream in a bit. No referred tightness in the IT band or right hip flexor as I've experienced before. Although it is a very long way to go and the muscle is definitely far from 100%, getting to 10k feels like a great step forward as long as the injury doesn't flare up tomorrow. It's going to be a bit of a battle to be ready in 7 weeks time (especially with a holiday in the middle), but this feels like I've fought back a significant bit of territory (with some oil fields on it)...

Monday 25 August 2014

Slowly slowly catchy marathony?

First run post-physio - four slow miles, around 9:30-10 minute miling. Some tightness in the soleus in the first mile, some ache in it by the end of the fourth, no pain. It's a small step but that's where all the giant leaps begin. I'll ice the muscle a bit and hope for the best it feels okay over the next 24 hours or so...

Sunday 24 August 2014

Further recovered

I almost daren't even think it, but following the physio exercises and stretches yesterday and several miles walking around Bristol, whilst the calf ached a whole lot it didn't hurt; and this morning following more exercises and stretches it feels mostly okay. I've also done strengthening exercises on the right hip again. I'm very much hoping this means I can start some short, slow running very soon - maybe even tomorrow if I'm willing to risk it...

Saturday 23 August 2014

Continuing Recovery

I've had a couple of days now of following the physio's advice regarding strengthening and stretching - calf raises, calf raises with knees bent to get to the soleus muscles; rolling out the tightness with a foam roller; stretching the upper calf and soleus. I have also been working on the right hip which is weak again (this follows a previous injury there about four years ago), and is almost certainly contributing to a twist in posture of the right leg and pressure on the soleus. It is always very tempting to overdo the exercises in an effort to get back running more quickly. As with other things, I suppose it is always a balance, in this case between doing too little and doing too much. At the moment, my right calf aches from the exercise whilst my left calf feels nothing at all and finds the whole thing incredibly easy. If my calves could talk to each other the left one would be heavily taking the piss out of the weakness of the right one at the moment. I can only hope that the ache is a good ache of continued work and recovery, and not a bad ache of further damage. It is an ache, and not a pain, and I am therefore hopeful...I still hope to begin some slow, low-mileage running in the near future...

Thursday 21 August 2014

Physio

A mostly positive trip to the physio this evening. He confirmed the calf strain, said it was on the way to recovery, gave me stretches and strengthening exercises to do, and said I could be back doing very short, easy runs in 4-5 days. I'm focussed doing everything I can over the next few days and weeks to aid recovery and improve strength for the longer runs...

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Injured! :-(

Two months to go until the marathon and I have been injured for the last two weeks. Following a slightly unusual long training run with a few changes of pace, I felt fine but woke up with a minor calf strain. A few short runs during the next week just exacerbated the problem, so I've been resting and icing the calf.

Being an injured runner is incredibly frustrating, especially when training for a long distance (e.g., a marathon) for which miles in the legs seem more important than any other factor. After a lovely build up of training miles I can't help but feel I am falling behind and losing all of that hard work whilst I am unable to run. However, as with life more generally, I figure it is not the times when things are easy that really test us, but the times when things are hard. I have to take the long view, recover, and ease myself back into training....as long as that long view isn't so long I miss the marathon altogether...

So today I attempted an incredibly short, incredibly slow three-mile plod, following about ten days of rest. I felt a twinge in the calf after about half a mile, which gradually eased to the point I felt nothing between 1 and 2 miles. Then during mile 3 I felt a slight background soreness again. I'm currently icing it and hoping for the best...will see how it feels tomorrow.

I am raising money for the type 1 diabetes charity, JDRF; please sponsor me: https://www.justgiving.com/TimJonesEden