Getting Back To My Best

foleyalan

Brianderunner wrote: »

Well today was one disaster after another. Plan was for 20 miles out in UL, 16 mls at 9 min miling then last 4 at pmp (8'00). Headed off as normal first 6 mls @ 9 min pace, bang on target, then just as the garmin hit 6 mls the screen froze and is still frozen now 3 hrs later. Not responding to charging or pressing any of the buttons, it'll die on its own in a week or so. After that i decided i'd do the same route as my 20 milers pre rotterdam and cork, which was my route from the start anyway. Hey presto it starts raining for the next 4 mls, after 10 mls the legs started feeling real heavy, just like in rotterdam and they were screaming out for me to stop, i managed 2 more before i called it a day. 3 mls from home and one hour before my mother was due to pick me up. I walked a mile into town shivering cold, found a payphone and rang my mother, who took 15 mins to arrive due to the rush hour traffic. My right IT band was a little sore in the car just to seal the deal.

As Fernando torres said on sunday "its difficult to have a positive outlook" about todays run. I did manage 12 mls at around 9 min pace which counts as a medium long run, but what happens if the same thing occurs in the DCM, just like it did in rotterdam and cork. P!ssed off about the garmin too. Its days like these which make the good days look better.

I entered the marathon yesterday as well as the simon 5 mile on saturday.

Just put it down to an off day, you've done all the hard work. Think positive, you'll be fine.

Brianderunner

foleyalan wrote: »

Just put it down to an off day, you've done all the hard work. Think positive, you'll be fine.

I havent really done the hard work to be honest, i had no intention of doing the marathon until after the frank duffy and i'm doing it as compensation for missing out on running the half competitively. Last years DCM was so good i just can't miss it this year but i see what you mean yeah.

ULstudent wrote:

Just got your message. Iv no credit and vodafone.ie won't let me sign in. Im gonna head to the park around half one and stay for 30min. Im not really feeling the best stomach wise and just want to get out for a slow short run. Gotta be fresh for all those 'yummy mummies' at my class tonight

I went to the park around half one, didnt see you. Anyway i did 3.25 miles today. Horrible run, felt like death. 8'47 pace i think. My participation on saturday is now in doubt.

metamorphosis

Just a bad run or something else?

Well, saturday is doubtful for me too - was supposed to get paid this week but wasnt and wont be untill next monday and wed so have 20e to my name until then and the race is 25e on the day ... so unless the ma makes a visit tomorrow like she said she might then its looking like a no and with the kettlebell workshop for 3.5hrs sunday its prob better off. thank god im been driven up and back down from dublin for that. anyways - ill know tomorrow if im running it or not.

/rant.

Yeah stayed for like 2 laps in the park and had to leave and went down by the river then and back home. Stomach in tatters now though. Id say we just missed each other by a few min as i left mine around half one and headed for the park but sure was only in there for 5min.

menoscemo

Brianderunner wrote: »

I went to the park around half one, didnt see you. Anyway i did 3.25 miles today. Horrible run, felt like death. 8'47 pace i think. My participation on saturday is now in doubt.

Aww man that's a pity. Who's going to be there drinking pints with me to after 9pm now? or maybe that's a good thing?

Brianderunner

menoscemo wrote: »

Aww man that's a pity. Who's going to be there drinking pints with me to after 9pm now? or maybe that's a good thing?

My participation in the race is in doubt, not the drinking session

ULstudent wrote:

Just a bad run or something else?

Well, saturday is doubtful for me too - was supposed to get paid this week but wasnt and wont be untill next monday and wed so have 20e to my name until then and the race is 25e on the day ... so unless the ma makes a visit tomorrow like she said she might then its looking like a no and with the kettlebell workshop for 3.5hrs sunday its prob better off. thank god im been driven up and back down from dublin for that. anyways - ill know tomorrow if im running it or not.

/rant.

Yeah stayed for like 2 laps in the park and had to leave and went down by the river then and back home. Stomach in tatters now though. Id say we just missed each other by a few min as i left mine around half one and headed for the park but sure was only in there for 5min.

Felt horrible since Tuesday, weak as a kitten. HR was 170 today at 9 min pace :eek: Chances are it will go away, if not i'll get a blood test on Monday, i could be anaemic or something i don't know. Its not the first time i've felt like this.

Brianderunner

Still feel a little woozy today but slightly better, was gonna go for a jog but though better of it. I'll head down for the simon race tomorrow and see what happens. I'm defintely running it, at which pace is the question.

Brianderunner

After one of the worst weeks of my running life (run down high HR etc) headed down to this with a degree of apprehension. Not up for it upon waking up and not feeling good on the walk up to the start. Decided to head out slow and finish in 37/38. After a mile i noticed menoscemo and chinguetti not too far ahead of me so i crept up to them and past them and kicked on into normal race mode. Knocked out 2 solid miles before battling uphills and headwinds. There was a guy on my tail for half a mile, which started to p!ss me off so i stopped to a jog and let him go ahead of me. I've seen it all at this stage and your man was none other than a leech, not prepared to do any of the work. Not on my shift buddy!! After i let him ahead i surged ahead of him and left him well behind me. Up the kyber, with a tailwind i just wanted to hold my place. But the leeches were forming a group behind me. They smelt blood!! I managed to hold them off with my trademark sprint finish and finished just under 33 mins. Almost 3 mins off my PB but an ok run. I could have gone 30 seconds faster had i not pricked around the first mile. Happy enough. I'm back to normal now i guess after a challenging week. Roll on DCM.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/52276055

Brianderunner

Sun 10-10-10, 4 mls recovery today in 35'48 (8'57) didnt feel too bad after yesterday. Was gonna head to out to the phx this morning for the group LSR but......

Weekly Mileage, 25 miles and 4 runs, finished the week off well after a shocker early in the week.

Year to date mileage; 1139 miles

Brianderunner

Mon 11th Oct, Went for a 30 min cycle, slow and relaxed. Worryingly my foot was sore in the same spot as the injury from the Frank Duffy 10 afterwards. Maybe i didnt leave enough healing time.

Tues 12th Oct, Headed out to the Phoenix park today for the last LSR before the marathon. Plan was 16 mls at 9'00 pace with the last 4 at pmp (8'00 pace). Headed out on the grass trail around the outside for the first few miles and ran down a load of new trails, which was good as i'm getting a bit sick of the same race series roads. Started to get tough around mile 9 and 10. PMP miles weren't too bad but happy to finish. It was a colder day than it looked and i was sorry i wore a short sleeve tshirt. The park was covered in freezing fog near the end of the run which was an amazing sight. Didnt feel the foot at any stage during the run but slightly afterwards.

16 mls in 2'20'40 (8'43)

Not sure if i should be concerned about the foot. Its the wave ryder 13 shoes that did the damage during the race last saturday, as they did in August. Won't be using them in a hurry again.

metamorphosis

Take care of the foot - neurofon and compression. If you feel the need - physio. Maybe keep the impact lower over the next 2 weeks and do all your runs off road

Brianderunner

Weds 13th Oct, 4 mls recovery 90% of it on grass in 35'56 (8'59). Foot was fine for the grass parts but quite sore on the footpaths. Funnily enough the foot's at its sorest when i'm sitting down and resting it on the floor. It'll be tough to get in runs the next few days as i'm tied up till Sunday evening, maybe just as well.

Brianderunner

Thurs 14th Sept, 6 mls progression run of sorts tonight in a windless clontarf. Wanted to do it all on grass to protect the foot which would have meant looping around the 3km grass section but decided to chance it and head down past annes park on the footpath/cycle lane. Foot was at its sorest today, i let out a yelp or 2 as i was climbing stairs earlier, but on the run it was painless. The run felt really easy tonight, nice low HR, 2 mls @8'20, 2 mls @8'00 and 2 mls @7'40. 47'57 (8'00) for 6 mls in the end.

2 enforced rest days on the way so no running till Sunday evening. Should give the foot a chance to recover. I was a little worried earlier that the DCM was a no go but 99% sure of doing it now. I plan a 2 week no running period after DCM to give it a chance to recover, before the 4 months leading up to Barca.

RacoonQueen

Have you had it checked out Brian? Sounds similar to what I had March - Mayish. Didn't bother me running, but in work and sometimes walking I'd get shooting pains.

menoscemo

If you deal me a bad beat tomorrow I'll be stamping all over your foot :pac:. On a different note, I can't believe you doing your runs later than me, you had all fecking day!!

Brianderunner

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Have you had it checked out Brian? Sounds similar to what I had March - Mayish. Didn't bother me running, but in work and sometimes walking I'd get shooting pains.

Had it checked out the week after the Frank Duffy where i picked it up originally. I was sure it was a stress fracture of the cuboid (between heel and metatarsals) and so was he, either that or a strained calcaneo ligament. I was booked for an MRI which took 6 weeks to get, at which stage i was back running 4 weeks after the pain subsided so didnt bother with the MRI. Only came back again after the race last Saturday, but its nowhere near as sore this time round.

Brianderunner

menoscemo wrote: »

If you deal me a bad beat tomorrow I'll be stamping all over your foot :pac:. On a different note, I can't believe you doing your runs later than me, you had all fecking day!!

I know but i was busy all day, job interviews and cv's handed in all over the place.

RacoonQueen

Brianderunner wrote: »

Had it checked out the week after the Frank Duffy where i picked it up originally. I was sure it was a stress fracture of the cuboid (between heel and metatarsals) and so was he, either that or a strained calcaneo ligament. I was booked for an MRI which took 6 weeks to get, at which stage i was back running 4 weeks after the pain subsided so didnt bother with the MRI. Only came back again after the race last Saturday, but its nowhere near as sore this time round.

Stress fracture is what I was thinking you had as well. I'm sure what I had was a metatarsal stress fracture, took about 3 months, maybe 4 for me to overcome it.

Brianderunner

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Stress fracture is what I was thinking you had as well. I'm sure what I had was a metatarsal stress fracture, took about 3 months, maybe 4 for me to overcome it.

Thats good to know if a little worrying. Stress fractures do not get better with time though which made me think i was in the clear.

Brianderunner

Sititng at a table most of the day but the foot was crying out in pain a lot of the day just resting it on the floor while sitting. I reckon i can still do the DCM. I'm just worried about causing serious long term damage and jeopardising Barcelona and the winter races i'm targeting like Jingle Bells 5k, Mallow 10 and Dungarvan 10. It kind of feels like Tiger Woods playing the US open with the dodgy knee in Torrey Pines 2 years ago, he said if it wasnt a major he wouldnt have played. Well i certainly wouldnt be doing any other race other than the DCM at this stage with this injury. But 26 miles of road running???

RacoonQueen

If it helps I did Conn with mine. I don't think I ever had constant pain though I used to just get shooting pains ever now and again or just a burst of pain that would last about a minute or so then ease off. Never really had any tenderness but would hurt if I flexed or extended the big toe with my hand.

Hope it's nothing too bad, I ran through mine and it eventually disappeared, i had a few panic attacks coming up to Dingle thinking it was coming back but that was my imagination. :pac:

Brianderunner

Sun 17th Oct, after a long weekend at the poker tables, 33 hrs in 3 days headed out tonight at 10pm :eek: for 5 mls in 42'02 (8'26). I actually saw one or 2 other runners out aswell as a few foxes. Comfortable enough run, all on grass out in guess where. Pain in the foot wasnt quite so bad during the day today and didnt feel it at all during the run, slight pain now if i'm honest.

Been talking to a few experienced runners, some of whom have had stress fractures themselves and they all say the damage is probably done already and to go ahead and do the DCM but take 3/4 weeks off after to let it heal, they reckoned i started back into it too soon last time.

Weekly Total; 31 mls. It was a good week besides the elephant in the room. All systems go for next Monday.

Year to date mileage; 1170 mls

Brianderunner

Mon 18th Oct; 10 mls easy in 89'56 (9'00). Very windy out in clontarf and did it all on grass which meant looping up and back the 3km grass part over and over. Strong headwind/tailwind in either direction and it started pissing down the last 2 mls. Happy to finish. No pain in the foot and its not so bad now. No reason to worry about it for next Monday.

Plan for the week;

Weds; 4 mls easy
Thurs; 6 mls with 2 at pmp
Sat; 3 mls easy.

Mon; 26.2 easy miles at 8:00 pace and 15 or so pints afterwards.

Brianderunner

Weds 20th oct, 6 miles with 2 at pmp in glorious clontarf sunshine, 51'20 total (8'33). 2 easy miles then the pmp miles felt really easy, 2 easy miles after into an icy headwind, gloves are coming out from now on. Did the run in the mizuno wave inspire 5 shoes, the same make and model i did my 1'28 and 3'22 last year but also the same shoes as my painful Cork experience. They look like being the race shoes for Monday.

Nothing to report re the foot, hopefully i'm turning the corner on that now.

Brianderunner

Thurs 21st Oct, 4 mls recovery in 35'30 (8'52) Felt good. I'm not gonna use the 4 letter F word for once!

I know i said i was only doing this DCM for the laugh and all and that i didnt really care about it, but i've been a bag of nerves the last 2 days. I always thought as i got older the nerves would dissipate but they have got worse over the last year. I used to run all ireland 4 x 100m relay finals vs David Gillick and co ffs, and i was relatively calm then so why am i so nervous these days. I should be going to bed a lot earlier too but a marathon wouldnt be a marathon if i wasn't wrecked on the start line. :rolleyes:

Brianderunner

Rudely awakened by the dustman a phonecall from London this morning at 9am. Who else but the boss of the job i'm looking to get there, he's reviewing my CV and ringing me back on Tuesday. I'm sure i'll be in great form to talk then :rolleyes:

Nerves seem to be gone, probably cause i'm so tired. I may even go to bed before midnight for the first time in years. The foot is almost 100% cured again. I'm sure it'll be fine for Monday.

metamorphosis

Brianderunner wrote: »

Rudely awakened by the dustman a phonecall from London this morning at 9am. Who else but the boss of the job i'm looking to get there, he's reviewing my CV and ringing me back on Tuesday. I'm sure i'll be in great form to talk then :rolleyes:

Nerves seem to be gone, probably cause i'm so tired. I may even go to bed before midnight for the first time in years. The foot is almost 100% cured again. I'm sure it'll be fine for Monday.

Brian my man - hopefully all goes well for the job. And all the best for Monday. A better foot is good to hear but remember to ust enjoy it and although i know you will have a time floating around in your head, just enjoy it for what it is and what happens happens.

Brianderunner

Sat 23rd Oct; 3 mls jog recovery, no watch but it felt really slow and easy.

Sin é now until Monday, backed the winner of the big race in England so extra drinking money for Monday Off to the expo i go after Chelsea vs Wolves.

Weekly Review, Largely irrelevant but 23 miles, foot healed nicely throughout the week, touchwood for Monday.

Year to date mileage, 1193 miles.

menoscemo

See you at the start line. Are you planning to stick like glue to the pacers from the start?

Brianderunner

menoscemo wrote: »

See you at the start line. Are you planning to stick like glue to the pacers from the start?

Yeah i suppose so. Getting crazy plans in my head that i could run a 3'20 but common sense will prevail and i'll stick with them hopefully the whole way.

misty floyd

Brianderunner wrote: »

foot healed nicely throughout the week,

Great stuff. The best of luck to you Brian. Have a great one.