Bank Holiday

Not only have I been worrying about my foot recently  but I've had a cold this week and have not been able to go out for a run since Saturday. So apart from the training with Daley Thompson (which I'll write up later) it's not been a great week.

On Saturday I decided a little bug wasn't going to beat me.  I was in Cardiff and a friend from Bolton was down visiting his sister so we went for a five miler.  I coughed and spluttered my way around Cardiff Bay and even though it was extremely windy, he - pun intended - breezed it.  As we got home, I put the kettle on and sipped on my Lemsip.  He went off to play squash with his sister's boyfriend.  I just shivered around the house and crawled back into bed.  

It's now Bank Holiday Monday and straight after we got back to London from a 3 hour trip from Cardiff I've just completed a morale boosting 6 miles.  Apart from a miscommunication with my wife which left me out in the cold for an hour it was great.

My goal for this week is: 

Tuesday 6 miles

Wednesday 3 fast miles

Thursday 6 miles

Friday rest

Saturday 18 miles.

I know.  18 miles! But if all goes to plan it'll not just help the glycogen and endurance, but give me the much needed confidence boost two weeks before the big day.

Boo Hoo

I ran last night and the end reaction was quite different to last time I ran. 4.5 miles in and approaching the home straight the little twinges in my foot turned into psychological and physical aches and my brain started asking questions like could you do another 21.5 miles on this foot?

The answer? I don't think so, I'm not sure.  Actually probably not.

I don't want to say the dreaded N word at the moment but for the first time in my training I'm not optimistic  about my chances.  I'll be seeing a physio tomorrow and get some answers about what I should do.  

Looking good, feeling great?

I think this picture should put anybody off attempting marathon training if they have any doubts.  It was taken straight after a Sunday run of 15 miles, which seems to be the downfall of my training so far.  

Now, I know I've just recently had a birthday - thanks for all the cards and presents by the way, and if you didn't send anything, don't worry, seriously, don't worry at all, it's not a problem, not at all...it's not - but I only turned 33 not 50 as someone said I looked in this photo yesterday. 

Anyway, since last Sunday's 4 mile run I went on a 5 miler the day after and only got 2 miles in when the pain, which I have been banging on about since the 15 miler, in my right foot returned. I limped to the nearest tube station and went home.  After a shower I went straight to the GP who didn't seem to know anything about feet and looked shocked when she saw that mine didn't look exactly the same as each other - and she couldn't work out if this was due to my injury or just the way I am.  I was prescribed anti-inflamatories and a mild depression has ensued.

I've been swimming this week which I used to love but I am beginning to associate with injury now.  I have taken the Ibuprofen in between wandering around and wondering if every slight twitch in my foot is it not heeling or just plain and simple paranoia.  

Last night I was chatting to a few people at a party. One had had an injury which he said made his right arm look like he had two elbows.  He continued to weight train through some pain until he decided to go to his doctor and was prescribed anti-inflamatories. Like me, he was sceptical but was back training with a non deformed arm two weeks later.  There was also a runner who has changed the way he runs over the last 6 months to reduce future injury.  He seems to think I'll be fine if I just take things easy with steady runs every other day over the next week. 

Talking to these people has really pepped me up.  Soon I'll be running 15 miles and more again, I'm sure. But looking at the photo again, do I really want to? 

A dedication to Si

I think my biggest worry about training for the marathon is getting injuries. It means you feel sore, can't train, and have too much time to think about everything that can go wrong in between now and getting to the end of the marathon. I ran a 12 miler around a month ago and my knees didn't recover for a tense four days. In the time it took to recover I had decided I'd not do any more long runs before the big day, the pain would never go away and that my knees would implode and blow my shins into my metatarsals - there are more than one as we all know by now - as I pass Westminster on April 13th. After the pain had gone though and a pleasant 4 mile run was over, all the worries went too.

My mate at work has just returned to his treadmill after two weeks recovering from a 14 mile run that he knew he shouldn't have completed almost straight from the start. He's since decided not to follow his intermediate routine and go on a beginners schedule and just aim to get round on the day. But my bet is in a week's time he'll be back wanting to at least beat a time in the lower 4th hour on the day.

On Sunday my knees hurt but recovered for a run on Tuesday. I ran at lunch time with a colleague and we decided to go up to a lake and run around it 3 times. At the beginning of the third lap pride got the better of me when I should have just said: 'let's go back as my knees are tender'. As I left the post run shower it wasn't my knees that were in pain but my foot. It felt as though it was cramped up. This meant I didn't run yesterday and there was still a slight twinge this morning and I wondered if I should have gone out today on it. 6 miles later, if it was chopped off right here and now I would be grateful. Hopefully I haven't committed a running sin and over trained on an injury but we'll see. My worries have started.

I know this is a selfish ask but if you pray please say a little one for my right sole (and soul while you're there), cross your fingers if you cross fingers, and if you're Daoist please throw out some yin to my painful yang.

This final paragraph is the dedication to Si who has the ultimate marathon injury (see attached blog).