Prolonged Silence

I've not got round to updating my blog for this year's marathon. I kept meaning to, but I was so far behind that I kept putting it off. Anyway, here I am with five weeks and a day to go. Scared.

I've been training since December 16th or so - moving house and then a back injury hampered my attempts to starting training and I've only managed to go on 19 training runs so far... That's really not what I was hoping for when I carried over my place from last year. I'd been anticipating three runs a week for approximately five or six months.

After starting to recover from my back injury I posted some good times, fairly consistently hitting for the 3.5 hour marathon time, but only managed to get up to 20k in distance. Three weeks ago I ran my second fastest run of all time - a predicted 3:21 marathon time based on a 7.5k outing. I was pretty upbeat about stuff - I just needed to add on a fairly long run (25k) and then up it to 30k two or three weeks down the road.

That night I started getting stomach pains - thinking nothing of it I went to bed, but just couldn't sleep. I stayed up most of the night and finally grabbed a couple of hours around 5am. All morning I was in pain and then I started to get fevery and slightly faint.

Around 3pm I went to A&E where they diangosed me with acute appendicitis as well as two infections and low sodium levels. Unfortunately keyhole surgery was deemed too risky, so they went for a laparotomy instead - basically a three inch cut into the lower right side of my abdomen.

Obviously I asked whether I could run the marathon in eight weeks' time and the surgeon said, slightly hesitantly, that I could. Reading around online it seems like it's not impossible, but there are plenty of places that advise not doing any strenuous exercise for six weeks.

Two weeks later I went out to play Ultimate, and then 18 days after the operation I went out for my first run. It was a nervous 5k affair, with every twinge in my stomach worrying me. It was significantly off the times before the operation, but not worryingly so. I was a little tender after the run, but overall pretty happy.

This morning was my first proper run - where I knew I could do it, so didn't feel like I had to nurse myself round. Did the same 7.5k route that I did the day before my surgery - it's a double loop round where we live, with a run up and down a fairly steep hill. Definitely a good test of whether I'm recovered.

The result? I ran it 1 minute slower than last time, but almost exactly the same time as I did the run in six weeks ago, and still "on target" for the 3:30 marathon.

So where does that leave me? Well tomorrow is the five week countdown, I still haven't done much testing of drinking during runs, or done my long runs or tested out my diet for the day before. But I'm alive, and I'm still running and if I damn well have to walk the 26 miles I will. I've had to contend with knee problems, back problems and an operation - I will do this marathon.

Down and out

Well, my very last Frisbee sessions proved to be a mistake. In the second game of the day, someone smashed into me - the first I knew was when I hit the ground. Result - both shins hurt, right knee and ankle are hurting, my elbows are skinned and I have a massive bruise on my left hip. I still can't work out how I managed to connect all those parts of my body with the floor....

Bottom line is that there's no way I can run the 15 miles I need to before next week, and that means I can't run the marathon. It's going to really hurt on the day - watching all those people doing what I want to do - but better to hurt emotionally than to break myself (and still hurt emotionally!).

So, that's it for the blog. Well, until next year's training. On the plus side, I'm guaranteed a place, so can start my training nice and early. Won't be near any hills either ;)

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good day.

Park and glide

We were looking at houses today, so I went out for a run in the morning beforehand. I decided to try out the carbogel again, so took along some lucozade sport, even though it was only going to be an hour or so.

I learned one thing - make sure you slow down when you're trying to consume the gel - otherwise you don't breathe properly and starve your body of oxygen. Thirty seconds later you really hurt!

The run went OK - not brilliantly, but not terribly. I did just eight laps, and then decided that given how hectic the day was due to be, that I'd stop and go home before knackering my legs.

Felt fine during the rest of the day in spite of a lot of walking.

Long and flat

So. My new regime. Run longer, less frequently and on flat terrain.

So how did it go? Well, good in parts and bad in parts.

Good points? knees are feeling not too bad, I ran further than I have this year.

Bad points? knees are feeling a little sore, I didn't run as far as I wanted.

Verdict? Not sure. I felt after 8 laps that I should give up on the marathon for this year, but then I seemed to recover, and ended up doing another 4. That brought my total to 10 miles. Not what I was looking for, but close enough to leave me in doubt. If I'd run 15 miles then I'd say I was OK to run.

I actually only stopped running because my back was starting to stiffen and I didn't want to injure my knees compensating. That only happened because I was starting to dehydrate because I didn't want to take any drinks with me. Maybe I'll get Hazel to help out being a water carrier....

So I'm not quite happy with the run, but not unhappy. It was promising - but more than that, well I'll reserve judgement till next week.

Oh, and the blisters on my toes from the new shoes got worse. Hopefully I'll get used to them over the next couple of weeks...

PS 15.7km <71 minutes, 13.3kph. 7th longest, 23 fastest. Just in case you want the stats...

Five runs, six days

So it's Thursday, and this was the fifth run I've done in six days - and the days "off" was playing Ultimate. I wasn't feeling too great - legs stiff, knees a little tender. In fact, I've decided that the only way I'm going to be able to run this marathon is to cut down the amount of running I do and give my knees some chance to recover - which means two days off and then I'm going to try to go into an alternating routine - day of exercise followed by a day of rest. That's the theory anyway.

On top of that I'll be trying to increase the length of my runs over the next couple of weeks. Nothing outrageous - I'll only do a fifteen mile run at most, and maybe not even that.

The other change to my plan is that I'm going to cut out Oakwood and try to do the Town Park instead. That's to avoid doing hills, which while great for imcreasing muscle mass (you should the thickness of my calves!) is terrible for my knees - you end up pulling yourself up the hills - straining your knees all the way. Then you get to the top and start smashing your feet into the ground all the way down. There's only so much shock absorbing my trainers can do....

Anyway - the run. Fast, at a shade over 27 minutes and short. Had to go out to the pub afterwards, and to be honest didn't think I'd be able to cope with a long run given how my calves felt. Hopefully the rest will do them some good!

Tired

Some days I come home from work and a run doesn't seem too horrible an idea. Other times I'd rather walk on hot coals. Today was one of the latter days.

I don't know exactly what it is that makes the difference. The cold definitely makes it worse - I can't imagine genuinely wanting to go out running at the moment - but it's not the real reason. I guess there's a certain amount of fatigue, both from running itself, and from not sleeping well due to my recent illness. Oh, and maybe a little bit of knee trouble from yesterday's Ultimate. When will I learn? (well maybe soon - I've given up everything but work Ultimate and the Indoor League tournament that I'm organising till after the marathon)

So, I got myself changed and went out to the big open air freezer that they call Enfield, and headed out for my half hour. Yes - half hour. Too bloody right - I don't want to freeze to death ;)

I was aiming for a nice leisurely run - something to keep my knees ticking over, and get the token miles in, without risking injury. Gently up the hill until I came to the top - just as I was reaching the island in between the carriageways a stream of vehicles arrived. Turning car - wait. Another - wait. Another - wait. I keep running on the spot, waiting my turn. Wait. Wait. Wait. How many cars can there be? I eventually find a space and continue on, but suddenly I'm feeling as if I need to push to have a chance at a decent time. Damn.

I keep it strong but steady for the rest of the run. Never really trying to push myself, but not trying to pay too much attention to whether I'm going up or down hills.

Back here in 27 and a half minutes. Dinner goes on (thanks again to Hazel - she's a star) and ten minutes later I'm warmed down and eating.

Oops - I need to remember to drink. Bye!

Till death us do part

I think I've pretty much recovered from my illness. I still have lots of the symptoms - sore throat, tiredness, bunged up nose - but I'm running OK. I sniff a bit more than usual, and as soon as I get hope I rush to get a hankie to blow my nose, but other than that, it's pretty normal running.

The new shoes seem to be going OK. It's hard to know for sure whether they're as good as my Nikes once were, but they're definitely reasonable. The only annoyance I have with them is that they feel ultra wide. That's only really a problem on corners, and hopefully that's the least of my worries during a marathon.

Last night's run was just to Oakwood and back. Same old, same old. A slightly disappointing 14 minutes out - I've been hitting slightly lower recently - but I managed to up the tempo on the return journey, and I got hom in a shade over 27 minutes. Would have been less but for me having to stop for a few seconds both the times I crossed the roundabout at the top of Windmill Hill. Bloody car drivers - think they own the road ;)

When I got back I drank, warmed down, had dinner and then iced my knees. I don't know if it really helps, but at the very least it feels like I'm being proactive. I'm icing them using a couple of bags of value frozen peas - they're way better than the freezer packs we had because they change position to surround the knees. It's weird afterwards, because my knees are so cold and I've always been taught that having a cold body is a good way of getting injured, so I walk around very gingerly. Or, like last night, get Hazel to take them away and don't even move...