I thought it was too goods to last ...
Things were going so well until Monday afternoon when, right at the very end of my strength training session I decided to do some dumbbell Romanian deadlifts. Well, I guess the weights were too heavy because a few hours later my lower back began aching and by Tuesday morning it was quite painful.
I immediately decided against any cycling weight training for that day and I knew that Wednesday was to be a day free from all training so hopefully a couple of days recovery would see me back to normal.
Today ... everything's back to normal and the back is fine too.
I'm sure the coffee I managed to buy yesterday had a positive effect too. Coming towards the end of my rehab I decided to celebrate with some of my favourite coffee. I have long been a fan of coffee from Yemen but in recent years it has been increasingly difficult to find ... but I guess I was lucky because I found some in Leeds at Whittard of Chelsea. Had a first cup this morning and it is absolutely divine. Most readers will know that I've never been much good at writing reviews [need more practice I suppose] so I think it best to direct you to the Whittard website where there are a few.
Also bought the new album by Deep Purple which is probably their best for a decade or more. It's really good and I'm looking forward to seeing them in Manchester in October. At the Apollo again, been there numerous times over the years - my first visit was to see Rainbow in July 1981. In the 32 years since then I've also seen Black Sabbath, Evanescence, Iron Maiden, Jethro Tull, Rose Tattoo, Samson and Whitesnake at that venue ... some good shows.
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Oh well ...
On Tuesday morning I had a routine appointment with the physio to assess how the first month or running had gone. After an extensive examination and some tests I was disappointed to learn that four weeks or so of light running has been making things slightly worse with my ankle.
Having recently being diagnosed with gout hasn't helped and the medication for that will probably have to be changed but have no doubt ... I will be back running the races I love. And that means those that are at least 100 miles (161 km) in length.
Shit happens sometimes I guess ... but cancer had two failed attempts at stopping me so I'm sure I can beat this one too.
Things have obviously not gone too well for me over the past few months but maybe typing out the following song lyric will make me feel a bit better:
LA CONNECTION (Rainbow - 1978)
Carry home my broken bones and lay me down to rest
Forty days of cries and moans
I guess I've failed to pass the test
I've been sent away not a thing to say
I'm banished from the fold
I'm a fallen angel who's lost his wing and left out in the cold
Right now I seem to have a lot of early Whitesnake songs (1978 to 1980) on my mp3 player when I'm cycling. I guess I'm WALKING IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLUES ... but, you know what, I AIN'T GONNA CRY NO MORE.
Monday, 31 December 2012
my year in brief
Well ... the end of another year and for me it was a year of three parts.
The first part was spent recovering from a broken bone in my foot - falling down a flight of steps at home is not a good idea.
The second (and best ...) part was training for, and taking part in, two long ultra distance races. The first was the ULTRArace 100 mile event around the Cotswolds in England. Really enjoyed this race in stunning scenery and good weather. It was good to have Hugh Pearson (Otley AC clubmate) crewing for me and hopefully we'll be able to continue that relationship as his running and coaching experience is invaluable. My report can be read here.
The second - and most important - race was the World 24 hour Championships which were held in Poland at the beginning of September. The first 21 hours of that race were fantastic as I was on schedule for well over 240 km .. and feeling good too. The atmosphere was terrific and the crewing was brilliant (thanks go to Eleanor Robinson, Richard Brown, Adrian Stott, Rory Coleman, Marco Consani and Andy Smith). My brief report can be read here.
The third part of my running year began at 9:00am on Sunday 9 September. Injury struck during that 24 hour race as it did for about 10% of the runners. I've since learned that the IAU considered moving the race to a different part of the park because of the poor condition of the road surface and sharp corners. This report by US runner Jonathan Savage explains ...
Although I seem to have now recovered from that badly sprained ankle I was also struck down by gout in late November and early December which delayed my return to running somewhat. Thaings are now progressing nicely though and today's 20 minute run scored an encouraging 97.5 % although the abysmal weather made it very hard work.
That's a brief account of my running year but there has been other highlights too. Most notably Keir successfully passing his A levels and getting into the university of his choice - Ulster - to read History. That's been his plan for a few year's now and I'm pleased that it's come off for him. I'm so proud of his achievements too. He's worked hard for that and he deserves it ... I remember spending about an hour a day for three or four years helping him with speech therapy exercises.
And next year ... more races of course ... have fun and take care.
The first part was spent recovering from a broken bone in my foot - falling down a flight of steps at home is not a good idea.
The second (and best ...) part was training for, and taking part in, two long ultra distance races. The first was the ULTRArace 100 mile event around the Cotswolds in England. Really enjoyed this race in stunning scenery and good weather. It was good to have Hugh Pearson (Otley AC clubmate) crewing for me and hopefully we'll be able to continue that relationship as his running and coaching experience is invaluable. My report can be read here.
The second - and most important - race was the World 24 hour Championships which were held in Poland at the beginning of September. The first 21 hours of that race were fantastic as I was on schedule for well over 240 km .. and feeling good too. The atmosphere was terrific and the crewing was brilliant (thanks go to Eleanor Robinson, Richard Brown, Adrian Stott, Rory Coleman, Marco Consani and Andy Smith). My brief report can be read here.
The third part of my running year began at 9:00am on Sunday 9 September. Injury struck during that 24 hour race as it did for about 10% of the runners. I've since learned that the IAU considered moving the race to a different part of the park because of the poor condition of the road surface and sharp corners. This report by US runner Jonathan Savage explains ...
Although I seem to have now recovered from that badly sprained ankle I was also struck down by gout in late November and early December which delayed my return to running somewhat. Thaings are now progressing nicely though and today's 20 minute run scored an encouraging 97.5 % although the abysmal weather made it very hard work.
That's a brief account of my running year but there has been other highlights too. Most notably Keir successfully passing his A levels and getting into the university of his choice - Ulster - to read History. That's been his plan for a few year's now and I'm pleased that it's come off for him. I'm so proud of his achievements too. He's worked hard for that and he deserves it ... I remember spending about an hour a day for three or four years helping him with speech therapy exercises.
And next year ... more races of course ... have fun and take care.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
still progressing slowly ... too slowly
After a week of being able to run (only when interspersed with walking though) I've found that progress is still exceptionally slow. So much so that I've been told by the medical guys to stop for a fortnight so they can do some more tests to find out why I'm taking an unfathomably long time to recover from a badly sprained ankle. [eleven weeks and counting]
The theory is that I have some kind of illness or condition which is effecting things. Something like calcium deficiency or not being able to fully utilise proteins.
Or maybe something more serious and sinister. Much blood and urine has been taken away for analysis, different parts of my body have had x-rays and CT scans taken of them and all the results should be back next week.
In the meantime there is no way I'll be anywhere near fit enough for the World 24 hr Championships next May so I've reluctantly sent an email to the team management letting them know that I don't wish to be considered.
A sad but necessary decision. I'll just have to run well in the second half of 2013 to get back into the team :)
The theory is that I have some kind of illness or condition which is effecting things. Something like calcium deficiency or not being able to fully utilise proteins.
Or maybe something more serious and sinister. Much blood and urine has been taken away for analysis, different parts of my body have had x-rays and CT scans taken of them and all the results should be back next week.
In the meantime there is no way I'll be anywhere near fit enough for the World 24 hr Championships next May so I've reluctantly sent an email to the team management letting them know that I don't wish to be considered.
A sad but necessary decision. I'll just have to run well in the second half of 2013 to get back into the team :)
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
a difficult one to write
OK here goes ...
this isn't going to be easy but ...
On Wednesday 23 October (seems such a long time ago now) I saw the specialists in Leeds and had lots of tests, etc and then came the results. Basically the original sprains were much worse than previously thought and included damage to ligaments, tendons and bones. Ouch.
Basically there is no way I should have gone to Northern Ireland with Keir and Fay one week after the injury. I should have been in hospital (or at home) recovering from surgery apparently.
The scans and x-rays showed that healing was taking place without surgery but it was likely to be a long process.
On Friday 2 November I ventured outside. Feeling good I alternated 5 minutes walking with 5 minutes running for about 3.5 miles (5.6 km). Much better than when I last tried that two weeks earlier - a definite and marked improvement. All is not lost I thought.
A couple of days ago I saw the medical men again and had more tests so they can assess how quickly healing is taking place (or not) and I've been told to repeat my last 'run' on Friday this week, using how my ankle felt on 2 November as a benchmark. I then have to email the doc on Saturday with full details of how it went.
I have been warned though, that I may never return to competitive running.
There's something to think about. And I have. Lots.
Takes me back to 1994 and an clinic appointment in Bradford a year or two after having half my right lung removed. The conversation went something like this:
new student doctor: "I understand you were a runner before you had cancer Mr Carver, what distances and pbs ?"
me: "lots of running for my school and road races since then. 10k pb of 34:21 with about 90 miles (145 km) per week training."
student doctor: "hmm ... I don't think you'll be running quite that much in future."
me: "don't be silly. If physically can run, I will run. I may not run 10k in 35 minutes ever again but there's no doubt at all I'll still be running."
Within three years of that conversation I was running 100 miles (161 km) per week and had new pbs for 5k, 5 miles and half marathon. I later set a new personal best at 10 miles and ran 10k in less than 35 minutes two further times.
The point is ... I will be back out there. HAVE NO DOUBT. Hopefully in 2013 but we'll have to wait and see.
Apologies for this post being a bit random and haphazard - that's how my running thoughts are at the moment. See you all at my next ultra.
this isn't going to be easy but ...
On Wednesday 23 October (seems such a long time ago now) I saw the specialists in Leeds and had lots of tests, etc and then came the results. Basically the original sprains were much worse than previously thought and included damage to ligaments, tendons and bones. Ouch.
Basically there is no way I should have gone to Northern Ireland with Keir and Fay one week after the injury. I should have been in hospital (or at home) recovering from surgery apparently.
The scans and x-rays showed that healing was taking place without surgery but it was likely to be a long process.
On Friday 2 November I ventured outside. Feeling good I alternated 5 minutes walking with 5 minutes running for about 3.5 miles (5.6 km). Much better than when I last tried that two weeks earlier - a definite and marked improvement. All is not lost I thought.
A couple of days ago I saw the medical men again and had more tests so they can assess how quickly healing is taking place (or not) and I've been told to repeat my last 'run' on Friday this week, using how my ankle felt on 2 November as a benchmark. I then have to email the doc on Saturday with full details of how it went.
I have been warned though, that I may never return to competitive running.
There's something to think about. And I have. Lots.
Takes me back to 1994 and an clinic appointment in Bradford a year or two after having half my right lung removed. The conversation went something like this:
new student doctor: "I understand you were a runner before you had cancer Mr Carver, what distances and pbs ?"
me: "lots of running for my school and road races since then. 10k pb of 34:21 with about 90 miles (145 km) per week training."
student doctor: "hmm ... I don't think you'll be running quite that much in future."
me: "don't be silly. If physically can run, I will run. I may not run 10k in 35 minutes ever again but there's no doubt at all I'll still be running."
Within three years of that conversation I was running 100 miles (161 km) per week and had new pbs for 5k, 5 miles and half marathon. I later set a new personal best at 10 miles and ran 10k in less than 35 minutes two further times.
The point is ... I will be back out there. HAVE NO DOUBT. Hopefully in 2013 but we'll have to wait and see.
Apologies for this post being a bit random and haphazard - that's how my running thoughts are at the moment. See you all at my next ultra.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
not a happy bunny
Well, here's the latest news ...
Went for another run/walk on Saturday afternoon. And on Sunday too and the right ankle was painful both times. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is almost no pain and 10 is unbearable - walking is almost zero and running was about 7 or 8. The difference was incredible.
The injury obviously hasn't healed so I'm going to see a couple of specialists at Leeds General Infirmary tomorrow (including a musculo-skeletal guy who happens to a be a runner). We will get to the bottom of this.
So ... lots of tests tomorrow. CT scan, blood, balance, X ray, etc
I'm still doing lots of strength work, cycling and stretching for the moment. I'm not sure if that's helping or hindering but I feel better for doing it. Again I'll know more in a few days time.
Went for another run/walk on Saturday afternoon. And on Sunday too and the right ankle was painful both times. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is almost no pain and 10 is unbearable - walking is almost zero and running was about 7 or 8. The difference was incredible.
The injury obviously hasn't healed so I'm going to see a couple of specialists at Leeds General Infirmary tomorrow (including a musculo-skeletal guy who happens to a be a runner). We will get to the bottom of this.
So ... lots of tests tomorrow. CT scan, blood, balance, X ray, etc
I'm still doing lots of strength work, cycling and stretching for the moment. I'm not sure if that's helping or hindering but I feel better for doing it. Again I'll know more in a few days time.
Friday, 28 September 2012
now .. and next year
Just a short post today because, as you probably know, I haven't been running for almost three weeks now. At the start of this week the right ankle was still periodically aching but with each passing day that became less and less. Today has been the best day since the injury.
At the start of this week I began strength and core work, being careful not to do anything to further damage my ankle or hinder the recovery. It now seems very likely that I can begin cycling on Sunday ... that's never been my favourite form of exercise but I guess at the moment it's necessary. More fun than swimming though.
At the moment it's unlikely that I'll be able to run for at least another seven to ten days.
That hasn't stopped me planning next year's racing and training though. Many of you will know that I had planned to enter the Barcelona 24 hr race when I arrived home from Poland. Well ... for the second consecutive year that has had to be abandoned. Maybe next year ... or maybe it just isn't meant to be.
So, next year. The World Championships will be held in Steenbergen (Netherlands) in May and UK Team Management have already informally suggested that those who ran in Poland should also run in the Netherlands. I may have trouble proving my fitness though ... we'll see.
And then, in August 2013, I plan to be in Abingdon, Oxfordshire at the British Ultra Fest. I know that Pam Storey has long wanted to stage a six day and 48 hr race in England and it seems that she's finally succeeded by getting together with Alan Young and Abichal Sherrington. Should be good fun.
And then, maybe, if all goes well, I'll be off to Barcelona, at last ...
Now that I've got some time out from running I can properly review what I've done over the past year or so and ask myself some serious questions. Did my training work ? Could I have done anything better ? What are my weaknesses ? etc, etc
Answers please to me at the usual address ...
At the start of this week I began strength and core work, being careful not to do anything to further damage my ankle or hinder the recovery. It now seems very likely that I can begin cycling on Sunday ... that's never been my favourite form of exercise but I guess at the moment it's necessary. More fun than swimming though.
At the moment it's unlikely that I'll be able to run for at least another seven to ten days.
That hasn't stopped me planning next year's racing and training though. Many of you will know that I had planned to enter the Barcelona 24 hr race when I arrived home from Poland. Well ... for the second consecutive year that has had to be abandoned. Maybe next year ... or maybe it just isn't meant to be.
So, next year. The World Championships will be held in Steenbergen (Netherlands) in May and UK Team Management have already informally suggested that those who ran in Poland should also run in the Netherlands. I may have trouble proving my fitness though ... we'll see.
And then, in August 2013, I plan to be in Abingdon, Oxfordshire at the British Ultra Fest. I know that Pam Storey has long wanted to stage a six day and 48 hr race in England and it seems that she's finally succeeded by getting together with Alan Young and Abichal Sherrington. Should be good fun.
And then, maybe, if all goes well, I'll be off to Barcelona, at last ...
Now that I've got some time out from running I can properly review what I've done over the past year or so and ask myself some serious questions. Did my training work ? Could I have done anything better ? What are my weaknesses ? etc, etc
Answers please to me at the usual address ...
Sunday, 23 September 2012
injury update
Arrived home from Northern Ireland a couple of days ago but since then we've been very busy - too busy to write something here anyway. Mainly tidying and cleaning Keir's room - wow, that was amazing, the things we found down the back of the sofa and under the chest of drawers and ...
That took two full days !!! and last night we went to a friend's retirement party and didn't get back home until mid morning today.
Also went to see a physiotherapist about my injured ankle. Mainly to get as accurate a diagnosis as possible so that rehab will be as effective as possible. So, the physio's verdict: two grade 2 sprains to my right ankle. That's unusual in itself but to further complicate matters both sprains are of an unusual type. The first was a high ankle sprain of the syndesmotic ligaments which connect the bones of the leg to the top of the foot. The second, which probably occurred after the first [whilst running on an already weakened ankle no doubt] was a medial or eversion ankle sprain.
Although I'm still taking ibuprofen the swelling has now 95% disappeared and the pain has gone but there is still minor discomfort when walking more than, say, 400m (0.25 mile) or up a long flight of stairs. I'm also now doing calf stretches three times daily and will begin lunges in three or four days followed by bodyweight jump squats in seven to ten days (hopefully).
In the meantime I'm maintaining as much fitness as possible with upper body and core work and I've started cycling short distances and will increase the time on the bike slowly of the next few weeks as the ankle allows. Not sure when I can start running yet but I imagine it will another week at least - and then only very short distances at first.
And on top of all that I returned from Northern Ireland with a cold. Not happy. Big toes still painful at times too.
That took two full days !!! and last night we went to a friend's retirement party and didn't get back home until mid morning today.
Also went to see a physiotherapist about my injured ankle. Mainly to get as accurate a diagnosis as possible so that rehab will be as effective as possible. So, the physio's verdict: two grade 2 sprains to my right ankle. That's unusual in itself but to further complicate matters both sprains are of an unusual type. The first was a high ankle sprain of the syndesmotic ligaments which connect the bones of the leg to the top of the foot. The second, which probably occurred after the first [whilst running on an already weakened ankle no doubt] was a medial or eversion ankle sprain.
Although I'm still taking ibuprofen the swelling has now 95% disappeared and the pain has gone but there is still minor discomfort when walking more than, say, 400m (0.25 mile) or up a long flight of stairs. I'm also now doing calf stretches three times daily and will begin lunges in three or four days followed by bodyweight jump squats in seven to ten days (hopefully).
In the meantime I'm maintaining as much fitness as possible with upper body and core work and I've started cycling short distances and will increase the time on the bike slowly of the next few weeks as the ankle allows. Not sure when I can start running yet but I imagine it will another week at least - and then only very short distances at first.
And on top of all that I returned from Northern Ireland with a cold. Not happy. Big toes still painful at times too.
Friday, 14 September 2012
injury ... university ... stats
Let me begin by getting one thing straight ... for a few days after a 24 hour race my head is all over the place (always has been) and I'm prone to making silly mistakes and doing a few stupid things [please don't mention DIY to Fay]. This time the big error was in the last post and, just to correct any errors, it is my RIGHT foot and ankle that is injured, not my left.
Yesterday was the first day since arriving home that I've been able to walk unaided - still painful and slow though. And painfully slow !!! I'll keep using ibuprofen for at least another week but ice and rest won't be so easy to come by after tomorrow. Three toes are still strapped up - including both big toes.
Tomorrow is the day Keir goes to university. So Fay and I are going (with Keir) to Coleraine in Northern Ireland for a few days to help with accommodation, shopping, etc. We'll be back (without him) on Wednesday and I'm not going to post anything until else then at the very earliest. I'll probably be too busy anyway.
Training for my next race begins then. Cycling, stretching and weight training ... not sure about running, we'll see how things progress whilst I'm in Northern Ireland.
Thanks to everyone for all the kind words on Facebook, this blog, by email and in person. They're much appreciated and really have helped ease the disappointment of only 231 km. Disappointed with 231 km - that sounds ridiculous but it is exactly how I felt.
At this moment in time I can't say whether they'll be a full race report. They probably will be but it'll be a few weeks late as rehab and university are taking up all my spare time at the moment.
OK let me finish with a few stats of which I'm very proud. I've now taken part in ten 24 hour races and what follows is a summary:
pb ... 238.286 km
average of best 2 performances ... 234.896 km
average of best 3 performances ... 233.711 km
average of best 4 performances ... 232.286 km
average of best 5 performances ... 230.381 km
average of best 6 performances ... 228.924 km
average of best 7 performances ... 227.752 km
average of best 8 performances ... 224.912 km
average of best 9 performances ... 222.439 km
average of all 10 performances ... 218.381 km
average of 2 most recent races ... 226.029 km
average of 3 most recent races ... 230.115 km
average of 4 most recent races ... 228.276 km
average of 5 most recent races ... 228.922 km
average of 6 most recent races ... 228.770 km
average of 7 most recent races ... 227.752 km
average of 8 most recent races ... 224.615 km
average of 9 most recent races ... 222.439 km
Yesterday was the first day since arriving home that I've been able to walk unaided - still painful and slow though. And painfully slow !!! I'll keep using ibuprofen for at least another week but ice and rest won't be so easy to come by after tomorrow. Three toes are still strapped up - including both big toes.
Tomorrow is the day Keir goes to university. So Fay and I are going (with Keir) to Coleraine in Northern Ireland for a few days to help with accommodation, shopping, etc. We'll be back (without him) on Wednesday and I'm not going to post anything until else then at the very earliest. I'll probably be too busy anyway.
Training for my next race begins then. Cycling, stretching and weight training ... not sure about running, we'll see how things progress whilst I'm in Northern Ireland.
Thanks to everyone for all the kind words on Facebook, this blog, by email and in person. They're much appreciated and really have helped ease the disappointment of only 231 km. Disappointed with 231 km - that sounds ridiculous but it is exactly how I felt.
At this moment in time I can't say whether they'll be a full race report. They probably will be but it'll be a few weeks late as rehab and university are taking up all my spare time at the moment.
OK let me finish with a few stats of which I'm very proud. I've now taken part in ten 24 hour races and what follows is a summary:
pb ... 238.286 km
average of best 2 performances ... 234.896 km
average of best 3 performances ... 233.711 km
average of best 4 performances ... 232.286 km
average of best 5 performances ... 230.381 km
average of best 6 performances ... 228.924 km
average of best 7 performances ... 227.752 km
average of best 8 performances ... 224.912 km
average of best 9 performances ... 222.439 km
average of all 10 performances ... 218.381 km
average of 2 most recent races ... 226.029 km
average of 3 most recent races ... 230.115 km
average of 4 most recent races ... 228.276 km
average of 5 most recent races ... 228.922 km
average of 6 most recent races ... 228.770 km
average of 7 most recent races ... 227.752 km
average of 8 most recent races ... 224.615 km
average of 9 most recent races ... 222.439 km
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
well, I made it (back home)
Just a brief race report for now ... more later, I'm sure.
The first ten hours went very well indeed and at that point I was still on my 245km schedule. The eleventh hour was a struggle and my left shoulder began playing up so I went in for a massage which worked wonders.
The next few hours were also good and I managed to keep to my schedule well although it was inevitably getting harder by now. Had another short shoulder massage at 15 hours before being told to get moving ... passed 100 miles a minute or two outside my pb but felt much stronger than when I set that time in 2010.
Towards the end of the 16th hour both my big toes began to feel badly bruised and within ten minutes or so I could barely put any weight on them. So ... I asked the physio to sort me out. And he worked a miracle here, both big toe nails had almost come off and both socks were quite badly blood stained. At this point I was just on target for 245 km so I knew that a new pb was in the bag (my pb is 238.286 km). I don't know what he did but within fifteen minutes of lying on his couch I went from having badly bruised feet to having feet that felt like new again.
Looking at the hourly splits now, it was obviously not quite as simple as that because I was slowly falling behind that schedule. Then ... at 19 hours I suddenly had a feeling of pins and needles in the sole of my right foot - not a good sign I thought. So, once again, physio Guy sorted me out (pointing out that the toe on my left foot was still bleeding). For the next couple of hours I ran much as before but I was aware that it starting to become seriously hard work now. I still expected to finish with more than 240k though.
But then, at 21 hours, tragedy struck. My left ankle began to feel very weak and over the next lap or two got very bad indeed. I knew this was serious so I had Guy sort me out again - lots of strapping and bruising. And my toe was still bleeding. When I mentioned that "I hope it isn't a stress fracture" he said: "we'll worry about that after the race ... just get out there for three more hours."
And so I did. The ankle was still weak but there wasn't much anyone could do about that but I decided to run for one minute then walk for one minutes, then two minutes of each, then three and so on until I reached the point which was most comfortable. Within a couple of kilometres I had decided to go with four minutes running and two minutes walking.
Over the next hour or so I began to realise that 240k was now out or reach - I was walking two much. I had no idea how far I had run but I didn't want to know either. I was just trying to focus on blocking out those regular four minutes of pain.
After the race had finished Guy helped me hobble back to the crewing area where slowly everything was packed away. For a few hours afterwards I simply didn't care about my final distance. I knew I didn't have a pb and that was all I wanted to know.
Sleeping on Sunday night was not easy and when I finally got out of bed at 6.30am my ankle had swelled considerably and walking was difficult. It only got worse as the day progressed. During breakfast, the day after the race, Guy suggested I have an x-ray when I arrived home just in case ...
Getting home from Stansted was very difficult and painful and I'm deeply grateful to Eleanor Robinson for carrying my bag and physically helping me onto the Leeds train at Peterborough.
As I write this post I now know that my left ankle is just badly sprained and is probably a repetitive strain injury caused by the uneven surface on a 300m section of the circuit. A tight left hand corner leading into that section didn't help either. I'm not exactly happy though having to sit here with a crutch, an ice pack and some ibuprofen.
On a positive note ... I now know without doubt that I can run 150 miles (241.4 km) in 24 hours and I would have do so but for a sprained ankle.
The results for the UK runners were:
Pat Robbins ... 246.071 km
Steve Holyoak ... 240.377 km
Emily Gelder ... 238.875 km (3rd woman)
me ... 231.339 km
Debbie Martin-Consani ... 217.180 km
Sharon Law ... 210.404 km
John Pares ... 180.838 km
Karen Hathaway ... 179.956 km
Jen Salter ... 145.217 km
To finish I'd just like to thank EVERYONE who was there for Team UK (athletes and helpers) - they all made the weekend a memorable experience and I hope to get another chance next year at 150 miles.
Lots of photos here from Rory Coleman and from the IAU here.
The next few hours were also good and I managed to keep to my schedule well although it was inevitably getting harder by now. Had another short shoulder massage at 15 hours before being told to get moving ... passed 100 miles a minute or two outside my pb but felt much stronger than when I set that time in 2010.
Towards the end of the 16th hour both my big toes began to feel badly bruised and within ten minutes or so I could barely put any weight on them. So ... I asked the physio to sort me out. And he worked a miracle here, both big toe nails had almost come off and both socks were quite badly blood stained. At this point I was just on target for 245 km so I knew that a new pb was in the bag (my pb is 238.286 km). I don't know what he did but within fifteen minutes of lying on his couch I went from having badly bruised feet to having feet that felt like new again.
Looking at the hourly splits now, it was obviously not quite as simple as that because I was slowly falling behind that schedule. Then ... at 19 hours I suddenly had a feeling of pins and needles in the sole of my right foot - not a good sign I thought. So, once again, physio Guy sorted me out (pointing out that the toe on my left foot was still bleeding). For the next couple of hours I ran much as before but I was aware that it starting to become seriously hard work now. I still expected to finish with more than 240k though.
But then, at 21 hours, tragedy struck. My left ankle began to feel very weak and over the next lap or two got very bad indeed. I knew this was serious so I had Guy sort me out again - lots of strapping and bruising. And my toe was still bleeding. When I mentioned that "I hope it isn't a stress fracture" he said: "we'll worry about that after the race ... just get out there for three more hours."
And so I did. The ankle was still weak but there wasn't much anyone could do about that but I decided to run for one minute then walk for one minutes, then two minutes of each, then three and so on until I reached the point which was most comfortable. Within a couple of kilometres I had decided to go with four minutes running and two minutes walking.
Over the next hour or so I began to realise that 240k was now out or reach - I was walking two much. I had no idea how far I had run but I didn't want to know either. I was just trying to focus on blocking out those regular four minutes of pain.
After the race had finished Guy helped me hobble back to the crewing area where slowly everything was packed away. For a few hours afterwards I simply didn't care about my final distance. I knew I didn't have a pb and that was all I wanted to know.
Sleeping on Sunday night was not easy and when I finally got out of bed at 6.30am my ankle had swelled considerably and walking was difficult. It only got worse as the day progressed. During breakfast, the day after the race, Guy suggested I have an x-ray when I arrived home just in case ...
Getting home from Stansted was very difficult and painful and I'm deeply grateful to Eleanor Robinson for carrying my bag and physically helping me onto the Leeds train at Peterborough.
As I write this post I now know that my left ankle is just badly sprained and is probably a repetitive strain injury caused by the uneven surface on a 300m section of the circuit. A tight left hand corner leading into that section didn't help either. I'm not exactly happy though having to sit here with a crutch, an ice pack and some ibuprofen.
On a positive note ... I now know without doubt that I can run 150 miles (241.4 km) in 24 hours and I would have do so but for a sprained ankle.
The results for the UK runners were:
Pat Robbins ... 246.071 km
Steve Holyoak ... 240.377 km
Emily Gelder ... 238.875 km (3rd woman)
me ... 231.339 km
Debbie Martin-Consani ... 217.180 km
Sharon Law ... 210.404 km
John Pares ... 180.838 km
Karen Hathaway ... 179.956 km
Jen Salter ... 145.217 km
To finish I'd just like to thank EVERYONE who was there for Team UK (athletes and helpers) - they all made the weekend a memorable experience and I hope to get another chance next year at 150 miles.
Lots of photos here from Rory Coleman and from the IAU here.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Crisis ... what crisis
Bad news (I think) at the weekend.
I've been told that the 100 mile race I'm due to run in less than two weeks is not a suitable race in which to prove my fitness for the World 24 hr Champs in September.
I've also been told that I was required to prove my fitness before the selectors met a couple of days ago. Despite the fact that I entered this race BEFORE the selection criteria was announced.
Hmmmmm
The good news is that I'm injury free again but working with lighter weights than normal for the next few days 'just in case'. That was a strange injury though - painful at the time but quick to heal. Prompt action I suppose.
Still tapering hard.
I've been told that the 100 mile race I'm due to run in less than two weeks is not a suitable race in which to prove my fitness for the World 24 hr Champs in September.
I've also been told that I was required to prove my fitness before the selectors met a couple of days ago. Despite the fact that I entered this race BEFORE the selection criteria was announced.
Hmmmmm
The good news is that I'm injury free again but working with lighter weights than normal for the next few days 'just in case'. That was a strange injury though - painful at the time but quick to heal. Prompt action I suppose.
Still tapering hard.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Ouch ... maybe ... or maybe not
On Sunday, when training with some weights, I felt a pain in my lower back ... ouch. I immediately applied ice, took some ibuprofen and stopped exercising.
On Monday I went to the physio and was relieved to discover that it isn't at all serious and that I can continue running ... so long as I continue with the 2Is * No weight training for a while though and I've booked a couple of light massages. The first was this morning and I fell much better.
After that scare I'm fully confident of being completely pain free and back to normal next week.
Must congratulate Debbie Martin-Consani on her fantastic run in the Grand Union Canal Race at the weekend. She finished first in appalling weather and set a new women's course record. And, I would suggest, secure her place in the UK team for the World 24 hr Championships - although that is for the selectors to decide when they meet at the weekend. Well done Debbie.
* 2Is ... ice and ibuprofen
On Monday I went to the physio and was relieved to discover that it isn't at all serious and that I can continue running ... so long as I continue with the 2Is * No weight training for a while though and I've booked a couple of light massages. The first was this morning and I fell much better.
After that scare I'm fully confident of being completely pain free and back to normal next week.
Must congratulate Debbie Martin-Consani on her fantastic run in the Grand Union Canal Race at the weekend. She finished first in appalling weather and set a new women's course record. And, I would suggest, secure her place in the UK team for the World 24 hr Championships - although that is for the selectors to decide when they meet at the weekend. Well done Debbie.
* 2Is ... ice and ibuprofen
Saturday, 28 January 2012
here we go ...
The trip to the physio provided some excellent news. The stress fracture to my left calcaneous has fully healed now and the achilles tendinosis in the same leg is well under control. So much that it's now easier to get fitter than it is to relapse ... so long as I keep up the good work regarding rehab.
That's ice, exercises and being sensible.
Elsewhere in the news congratulations to Lizzy Hawker who was recently awarded the title 'athlete of the year 2011' by the IAU. Mainly because of her outstanding run in Llandudno at the Commonwealth Championships where she set a new world best performance (24 hr road) of 247.076 km (153.526 miles).
The fourth issue of Nordic Ultra e-magazine is now available. Another good read, see for yourself on their website.
Yesterday Keir came home from school with the news that he and some other students have been selected to visit Auschwitz concentration camp in May as part of their history A level course. That will be an amazing experience for him and I know he'll get a lot out of that trip. It now seems very likely that he'll be going to either Queen's University, Belfast or Ulster University from next September ... so long as he gets the required grades in the summer's exams. We all know he's capable but it's just a question of proving it to the examiner.
That's ice, exercises and being sensible.
Elsewhere in the news congratulations to Lizzy Hawker who was recently awarded the title 'athlete of the year 2011' by the IAU. Mainly because of her outstanding run in Llandudno at the Commonwealth Championships where she set a new world best performance (24 hr road) of 247.076 km (153.526 miles).
The fourth issue of Nordic Ultra e-magazine is now available. Another good read, see for yourself on their website.
Yesterday Keir came home from school with the news that he and some other students have been selected to visit Auschwitz concentration camp in May as part of their history A level course. That will be an amazing experience for him and I know he'll get a lot out of that trip. It now seems very likely that he'll be going to either Queen's University, Belfast or Ulster University from next September ... so long as he gets the required grades in the summer's exams. We all know he's capable but it's just a question of proving it to the examiner.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
tomorrow
Well ... the big day is tomorrow. My final appointment at the physio (all being well). Everything seems to be OK with the ankle and running this week has been consistently at the 100% level.
Looking forward to proper training again and planning a few races for the future.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
injury updates ... stats ... other stuff
Quite a bit to get through today so ... here goes ...
My rehab from the calcaneous stress fracture and achilles tendon injury seems to be progressing very well at the moment. Until Sunday evening I was a little unsure as to whether the ankle was actually getting any better. But then, from Monday morning, things seemed to click into place and I'm now confident that my rehab is going to plan.
It appears that the many hours spent massaging, icing, stretching, etc are finally paying dividends and that got me round to thinking about 2011 ... and then 2012.
Last year began with a knee injury which limited training during the whole of January but after that things went exceptionally well apart from the two important races. In the first of those it was a momentary lapse of concentration that cost me the winner's trophy (and the course record by almost an hour). That's something that needs to be corrected in the next year or two. You can read that story on this page.
The second (and most important) race was a different story entirely. I was in very good shape for that one but, stupidly, I stuck to my pre race plans and almost everyone else was adjusting theirs to take account of the very windy weather in Llandudno. Having said that, if a very bad run produces 220km (136.7 miles) what would a very good have produced ? There's something for me to think about.
So ... two big races completed and two important lessons learned.
Now, for everyone who's interested in the numbers, here are a few from 2011:
running
over 2444 miles (3933 km) in the year ... 46.9 miles per week (75.4 km per week) ... very nearly an hour per day
cycling
almost 18 minutes per day on average
stretching
almost 14 minutes per day on average
strength training
over 25 minutes per day on average
rehab stuff
over 18 minutes per day on average (not including ice)
In total my training and rehab took over 830 hours last year ... that's over 2 hours 16 per day which doesn't include changing clothes, showering, etc.
My end of year 24 hr ranking is correspondingly a bit disappointing and the stats read:
World ... 72 (down from 37)
Europe ... 49 (down from 26)
UK ... 5 (down from 4)
England ... 4 ? (last year 3)
Full details and year by year comparisons can be found over on this page.
OK ... on to other stuff now.
I was saddened to learn yesterday of the recent death of the great coach Frank Horwill. I'm sure I've talked about him in previous posts but his wisdom and writings have been a large source of information about all thing training related. I highly recommend that all runners read the articles on his club's website - here.
Local athlete Racheal Bamford (who lives about 200m from me) recently represented the North of England in the Nos Galan 5k in Wales recently. She finished first woman on the uphill course with a time of 16:44. Fantastic ... well done to her ... and she's going to get quicker.
My rehab from the calcaneous stress fracture and achilles tendon injury seems to be progressing very well at the moment. Until Sunday evening I was a little unsure as to whether the ankle was actually getting any better. But then, from Monday morning, things seemed to click into place and I'm now confident that my rehab is going to plan.
It appears that the many hours spent massaging, icing, stretching, etc are finally paying dividends and that got me round to thinking about 2011 ... and then 2012.
Last year began with a knee injury which limited training during the whole of January but after that things went exceptionally well apart from the two important races. In the first of those it was a momentary lapse of concentration that cost me the winner's trophy (and the course record by almost an hour). That's something that needs to be corrected in the next year or two. You can read that story on this page.
The second (and most important) race was a different story entirely. I was in very good shape for that one but, stupidly, I stuck to my pre race plans and almost everyone else was adjusting theirs to take account of the very windy weather in Llandudno. Having said that, if a very bad run produces 220km (136.7 miles) what would a very good have produced ? There's something for me to think about.
So ... two big races completed and two important lessons learned.
Now, for everyone who's interested in the numbers, here are a few from 2011:
running
over 2444 miles (3933 km) in the year ... 46.9 miles per week (75.4 km per week) ... very nearly an hour per day
cycling
almost 18 minutes per day on average
stretching
almost 14 minutes per day on average
strength training
over 25 minutes per day on average
rehab stuff
over 18 minutes per day on average (not including ice)
In total my training and rehab took over 830 hours last year ... that's over 2 hours 16 per day which doesn't include changing clothes, showering, etc.
My end of year 24 hr ranking is correspondingly a bit disappointing and the stats read:
World ... 72 (down from 37)
Europe ... 49 (down from 26)
UK ... 5 (down from 4)
England ... 4 ? (last year 3)
Full details and year by year comparisons can be found over on this page.
OK ... on to other stuff now.
I was saddened to learn yesterday of the recent death of the great coach Frank Horwill. I'm sure I've talked about him in previous posts but his wisdom and writings have been a large source of information about all thing training related. I highly recommend that all runners read the articles on his club's website - here.
Local athlete Racheal Bamford (who lives about 200m from me) recently represented the North of England in the Nos Galan 5k in Wales recently. She finished first woman on the uphill course with a time of 16:44. Fantastic ... well done to her ... and she's going to get quicker.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
injury news
Just arrived back from seeing the physio at lunchtime today ... and the good news is that I've been given the all clear to begin running (sort of) next Monday.
I've got to start with alternating 5 mins running with 5 mins walking and after a couple of weeks hopefully I can begin gentle runs of around 6 to 7 km (3.7 to 4.3 miles). That will follow a return to the physio on 11 January.
So, on Boxing Day I'll be doing some training outdoors for the first time since 16 November. Fresh air at last. Not far at first, I guess I'll be out for about 40 minutes. And then I'll gradually add more outdoor time and I should be up to 60 to 70 minutes by the time I report back to the doc.
The visit to Rome University at the weekend went well and Keir was impressed with their history department but on the flight home he quietly confessed that he would prefer to study at Queen's University in Belfast. Was it worth going to Italy for the weekend I ask myself ...
And finally ... congratulations to Jen Salter and Sharon Gayter.
I've got to start with alternating 5 mins running with 5 mins walking and after a couple of weeks hopefully I can begin gentle runs of around 6 to 7 km (3.7 to 4.3 miles). That will follow a return to the physio on 11 January.
So, on Boxing Day I'll be doing some training outdoors for the first time since 16 November. Fresh air at last. Not far at first, I guess I'll be out for about 40 minutes. And then I'll gradually add more outdoor time and I should be up to 60 to 70 minutes by the time I report back to the doc.
The visit to Rome University at the weekend went well and Keir was impressed with their history department but on the flight home he quietly confessed that he would prefer to study at Queen's University in Belfast. Was it worth going to Italy for the weekend I ask myself ...
And finally ... congratulations to Jen Salter and Sharon Gayter.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
getting better daily
Well ... I'm no longer having any pain from my achilles and heel bone injuries which is a good thing. Still cross training hard but the most frustrating thing has been that it isn't a running injury. It happened when I fell down the stairs at home back in October.
Things are looking set for a gradual return to running at Christmas time but a visit to the physio in ten days will confirm that - hopefully.
The recent 24 hr race in Soochow seems to have been a hard one judging by Martin Fryer's comments on Facebook. Glad that he's captured a couple of national age group records though and I hope he recovers well. And a new women's world track record for Mami Kudo who ran 255.303km (158.637 miles). It appears that those runners who were used to the heat and humidity did best in Taiwan.
That makes for potentially a fantastic battle between her and Lizzy Hawker next September in Katowice.
I was under the impression that Soochow was in the frame to host this year's World Championships but it couldn't be done because of scheduled works at the university where the track is situated ... or have I missed something ? Obviously that all happened after the original venue, Basel, pulled out.
Also in the news this week ... a sprinter from London is seeking a sponsorship deal for the 2012 Olympics via eBay. He intends to advertise on the site with a reserve of £30,000 ($47,000) for which he will wear a sponsor's branded kit at training in the run-up to next year's Games. Full details can be found on the BBC website.
I like his ingenuity but I can offer any potential sponsor a similar deal at a fraction of the cost. Please contact me for details but in brief it involves one race in mainland Europe in May followed by the World Championships in September.
Things are looking set for a gradual return to running at Christmas time but a visit to the physio in ten days will confirm that - hopefully.
The recent 24 hr race in Soochow seems to have been a hard one judging by Martin Fryer's comments on Facebook. Glad that he's captured a couple of national age group records though and I hope he recovers well. And a new women's world track record for Mami Kudo who ran 255.303km (158.637 miles). It appears that those runners who were used to the heat and humidity did best in Taiwan.
That makes for potentially a fantastic battle between her and Lizzy Hawker next September in Katowice.
I was under the impression that Soochow was in the frame to host this year's World Championships but it couldn't be done because of scheduled works at the university where the track is situated ... or have I missed something ? Obviously that all happened after the original venue, Basel, pulled out.
Also in the news this week ... a sprinter from London is seeking a sponsorship deal for the 2012 Olympics via eBay. He intends to advertise on the site with a reserve of £30,000 ($47,000) for which he will wear a sponsor's branded kit at training in the run-up to next year's Games. Full details can be found on the BBC website.
I like his ingenuity but I can offer any potential sponsor a similar deal at a fraction of the cost. Please contact me for details but in brief it involves one race in mainland Europe in May followed by the World Championships in September.
Monday, 28 November 2011
not much to report
Being injured at the moment I don't really have much to blog about. I am taking a very professional attitude with the achilles and calcaneus and, although still painful at times, I am doing what I can to maintain fitness and repair the leg. It isn't always easy though as rehab exercises for the achilles can be quite painful for the stress fracture. Got to be very careful.
At the moment an average day goes something like this:
before breakfast - achilles rehab and massage
mid morning - cycling (50 mins to 135 mins)
afternoon - weight training
early evening - achilles rehab and massage
late evening - stretching
At the moment that lots seems to be account for more than 16 hours per week ... not bad for a runner who cannot run at the moment.
At the moment an average day goes something like this:
before breakfast - achilles rehab and massage
mid morning - cycling (50 mins to 135 mins)
afternoon - weight training
early evening - achilles rehab and massage
late evening - stretching
At the moment that lots seems to be account for more than 16 hours per week ... not bad for a runner who cannot run at the moment.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
injury update
Yesterday morning's visit to the physio was quite revealing to say the least. After an X-Ray, another ultrasound scan and some prodding, poking and manipulation (by three different doctors) we now know what the problem has been.
It all started when I fell down the stairs at home four weeks ago. I mentioned it on the blog at http://thoughtsofanultrarunner.blogspot.com/2011/10/welcome-back.html. Apparently I definitely injured my achilles tendon as mentioned before but I also picked up a stress fracture of the calcaneal (heel bone). Apparently X-Rays often don't show stress fractures until they start to heal - a couple of weeks (or more) after the original injury. More details about that at the virtual Sports Injury Clinic.
So, lots of rehab then for the rest of the year. Eccentric calf stretches and massage with Deep Heat for the achilles. Lots of rest for the stress fracture which means walking around as little as possible and when I do walk I've got to use a sorbothane heel pad (or similar) in my left shoe.
I am allowed to cycle though. Yippee. Looking forward to that (not). So, at least I'm able to maintain a modicum of fitness for the rest of the year and beyond. I'm back at the physio on 21 December (the day after I get back from Italy) and then, hopefully, I'll have some idea about returning to training. At this stage I guess I won't be able to resume full training until February.
Which means changing any racing plans I may have been considering for the first half of 2012.
Shit.
It all started when I fell down the stairs at home four weeks ago. I mentioned it on the blog at http://thoughtsofanultrarunner.blogspot.com/2011/10/welcome-back.html. Apparently I definitely injured my achilles tendon as mentioned before but I also picked up a stress fracture of the calcaneal (heel bone). Apparently X-Rays often don't show stress fractures until they start to heal - a couple of weeks (or more) after the original injury. More details about that at the virtual Sports Injury Clinic.
So, lots of rehab then for the rest of the year. Eccentric calf stretches and massage with Deep Heat for the achilles. Lots of rest for the stress fracture which means walking around as little as possible and when I do walk I've got to use a sorbothane heel pad (or similar) in my left shoe.
I am allowed to cycle though. Yippee. Looking forward to that (not). So, at least I'm able to maintain a modicum of fitness for the rest of the year and beyond. I'm back at the physio on 21 December (the day after I get back from Italy) and then, hopefully, I'll have some idea about returning to training. At this stage I guess I won't be able to resume full training until February.
Which means changing any racing plans I may have been considering for the first half of 2012.
Shit.
Thursday, 17 November 2011
still not good
Since starting rehab stage 2 a few days ago I've been running four times and each time there has been quite a bit of pain in my left ankle.
It now seems obvious to me that there's more going on than simply achilles tendinopathy. Going back to the physio tomorrow because there's something he missed when I was there a few weeks ago. In the meantime I'll be carrying on with the weight training and cycling.
Probably even more so now.
It now seems obvious to me that there's more going on than simply achilles tendinopathy. Going back to the physio tomorrow because there's something he missed when I was there a few weeks ago. In the meantime I'll be carrying on with the weight training and cycling.
Probably even more so now.
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