Three Best Runs

It's now one week until the marathon.  The purpose of this final phase of training is to keep the body ticking over, not put too many demands on it and stock up on rest and carbohydrates.  Given the ongoing problems I have with muscles seizing up after running, I’ve changed my approach: I’m swimming.  It’s not ideal but I think it’s the best way to balance getting some exercise without stressing my body too much.  I’ll decide at the end of the week whether I’ll attempt the marathon.

In the meantime, I’m supposed to reflect on my three best runs:

1. Without doubt my best run was the Watford Half Marathon.  It was my first attempt at a long distance in a formal event and I was really pleased with my time.  My final preparations were perfect and I joined the start pen only a minute before the race started, which meant I was perfectly warmed up.  I started at a good, slow, pace and kept my nerves in check – I resisted the urge to keep up with people sprinting past me.  The strategy paid off later when I ran past so many people in the final miles.  This is the strategy I need to repeat when I run a marathon.

2.  Bushy Park, 27^th February.  I pushed steadily throughout the run and kept up the pace all the way to end, taking three minutes off my time on this 8 mile route.  Afterwards the rush from the endorphins was just brilliant!  More importantly, it was a wonderfully cold, frosty morning.  It has been a real pleasure being at Bushy Park at dawn on such mornings.  It’s so quiet at that time, not only in terms of few people around but the air is still and peaceful, the day full of promise.  I’ve watched the sun rising, casting its golden rays across the park in its wintry slumber.  I’ve seen the deer’s breath hang in the air and the bunnies hopping into the bracken.  It’s truly magical and these are wonderful memories to cherish.

3.  Two runs contend for the final place on this list: 11 miles in the snow at Richmond Park and 18 miles in Brighton.  Both runs were tough.  Both required a steely determination in order to cover the miles I’d set out to run.  Both were essential to my physical and mental training – “character building”.  Both resulted in a great sense of achievement when I reached the end of the run.  However, I think Brighton pips Richmond: Brighton was my longest training run and I stuck with it all the way to the marathon’s finish point.  I have been there before and I very much hope to make it there again on Sunday.

Update

Last night I saw Jennie, my physio/osteopath.

The good news is that she thinks if I do the marathon I'm unlikely to sustain any long term damage.

But when that's the full extent of the good news you know things aren't good.  Whilst I haven't given up all hope, as each day passes hope is replaced by a reluctant acceptance that 2013's Brighton Marathon may not be the marathon I run.  I find it crushing to think about all the training I've done not culminating in the marathon, to think about family who've paid for travel and accommodation to come to Brighton to cheer me on, and to think about all those people who've so generously sponsored me.  I really don't want to let you down.

However, running a marathon is a significant physical challenge and I need something close to a miracle in the next 10 days in order to rise to that challenge.

Still going

I've been out for another couple of runs: 2.5 miles on Saturday and 3 miles today.  Looking at my pace and heart rate it's clear I've lost fitness in the last couple of weeks, which is disappointing although not surprising.  Today my right hamstring feels better, but the left ankle feels tighter.  I think these two niggles will determine if I run the marathon and so I'm keeping a close eye on them.  I'm taking it one day at a time and trying not to think too far ahead.

Up and Running?

I went for a run today!

After a 10 day "break" I felt I was ready to head out again - so I did a mighty 1.35 miles in Bushy Park!  I'd missed the park and I was very happy to be there again.  However, after the cough and cold my chest isn't in the same condition as it was for the Finchley 20 and the legs grumbled today too.  Only time will tell as to whether this is the start of a return to fitness or simply misplaced optimism.

The only thing I can do now is listen to my body.  However, even I have to concede the thought of going from 1.35 to 26.2 miles in less than 17 days is a daunting prospect.  What will be, will be.

Hiatus v2

It would seem I spoke too soon.

I woke up on Monday morning to muscles so tight that walking was hard and stairs were almost impossible.  I bathed, stretched and massaged but it made little difference.  Using the cross-trainer on Tuesday was out of the question.  Unfortunately I couldn't bring forward my appointment with Jennie and so I hobbled through to Wednesday evening.

Jennie tried to reassure me it's just tight muscles (nothing's damaged) and this is perfectly normal for this stage of my training.  In fact, she says it's relatively mild compared to some cases she's seen.  The cause is probably a combination of high mileage, hard surfaces and weak muscles which allow my knees to roll in (the rest of the muscles in the leg then tighten up to compensate for the area of weakness).  She gave me a thorough massage last night but I'm still walking with a limp today.  The good news is that my left calf is much better this week - perhaps switching trainers has made a difference there.

An added complication is that I've developed a cough - and not just a wee tickle in my throat but one that rattles through my chest.  Given the marathon is only 24 days away I saw the doctor this morning.  He declared it to be a viral infection which I just have to wait for my body to fight off.

Although neither Jennie nor the doctor have prohibited running I'm clearly in no fit state to run.  I'm absolutely gutted that after five months of sensible, steady paced training, following all the sound advice I've received, my training should come to a juddering halt so close to the marathon.

Finchley 20

It was with great trepidation that I left home this morning for the Finchley 20.  Although my calf and knee had felt much better yesterday I worried how I'd get on today and what it would mean for my training over the coming four weeks.  I wanted to run 10 miles; I'd hoped to run 15.

I did my usual warm up and straight away my calf started protesting.  Thoughts of not even starting the race filled my mind.  After warming up I stretched and Chris massaged my calf, trying to coax it into submission.

Thankfully, as soon as the race started the calf felt fine.  It niggled only a few times, as did the knee.  In the end I ran 15 miles and finished strong.  I could have gone on and done another lap to complete the 20 miles but I just felt that would be pushing my body too hard.  Instead I came away from the event a happy bunny, having covered the miles I'd hoped for, with few niggles and feeling good at the end.

The event itself was good.  There were 700 entrants, of which 502 finished: it's popular with people running the London and other spring marathons.  It started on time and the route was clearly marked and well marshalled.  Of note was the wonderfully enthusiastic lady on the corner of Westcote Rise - she was so positive, encouraging and generous of spirit.  There were several volunteers at both water stations (although some servings of water were a little small for my liking).  Facilities at the clubhouse were good - but the smell of bacon butties before the event was torture!  As I didn't complete the full 20 miles I have no idea what was in the goodie bag.  The route was reasonably flat and otherwise unremarkable.  The only downside was the weather - at times it was wet out there today.  Should I ever run another spring marathon, I'll come back to the Finchley 20.

Finally: a big thank you to Chris for being my chauffeur and masseur. :-)

Elite athlete?

I've been reading old copies of Runner's World Magazine and the October 2012 edition described the anaerobic threshold (AT).  Apparently this is the point at which the body produces lactic acid faster than it can be removed; ideally the AT should occur as close to the maximum heartrate as possible. 

"The average human will have an AT located at roughly 55-60 per cent of their maximum heartrate.  Elite athletes will reach as high as 85-90 percent".

Across all my training runs my average heartrate has been 90% of theoretical maximum: the Watford Half Marathon was run at 92% of max; last summer I ran 5 miles at an average 99% of max.  The possibility that there is any measure which defines me as "elite" amuses me - and I'm in need of smiles at the moment!