Once more from the top...

runrabbit · 20-04-2010 07:00PM

Thanks Dublinrunner

Sunday: My foot was still feeling dodgy but I'd spent Saturday eating cake and drinking beer in the sunshine so I hit the gym on Sunday to spend 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer, followed by some stretches

Monday: Gym again for more cross-training

Tuesday: a killer pilates class at lunchtime, followed by a 3.5 mile jog after work. Slow slow progress - my foot is still quite sore (but not as agonising as Saturday). It was still good to be out despite the pain.

So I'm just hoping now that the foot continues to improve, because at the moment it's like running with a foot cramp, my foot is so rigid and stiff and sore. I really felt like picking up the pace today but I just couldn't.

runrabbit · 24-04-2010 04:29PM

Wednesday: Gym, strength and core work

Thursday: around 3.5 miles, I didn't time myself!

Friday: Gym again for a very short session, had intended to get out for a run but life worked against me!

Saturday: Ran for an hour - covered 6.6miles. It felt pretty good, the sore foot is really improving!

runrabbit · 26-04-2010 05:30PM

Sunday: Feck all except eating loads of cake!

Monday: 4.4miles, approx 42 minutes. Very enjoyable if a little warm! I think I'm going to struggle in the summer!

runrabbit · 27-04-2010 06:04PM

Sigh

Tuesday: Tried a little run after work but my hamstring was twinging quite badly, and my foot seems to be too after being better for the past few days. Gave up to avoid further injury and will do some cross training later instead.

It's starting to feel like I'm taking one step forward and two steps back. I'm just not managing to get the mileage up at any rate and I spend 95% of my time with some part of me sore. I really want to make progress but it just seems impossible at the moment

runrabbit · 29-04-2010 07:48PM

Tuesday: After my disappointing attempt at a run that fell flat within seconds I hit the gym for 5km on the cross-trainer and 1km rowing

Wednesday: strength and core training

Thursday: Today was the first time I really dreaded a run. I hadn't run with the club in 2 weeks due to work and personal commitments, and after my disaster on Tuesday I was very apprehensive. I needn't have been as it was great. 15-min warm up, 6x1 minute intervals with 1 min recovery jogging in between, and a 10-minute cool-down. I felt strong and fast (for me) on the intervals and feel like I could push it a bit further next week!

I still have plenty of twinges and aches and pains but nothing feels too serious. Will there ever be a day when some part of me isn't hurting?

Fingers crossed I'm getting back on track after a couple of weeks of feeling lost. I'm away for a week in 2 weeks time so when I get back I'm going to structure my training a little more, not sure how yet but I'm sure the internet will tell me!

RubyK · 30-04-2010 08:37AM

Sorry you have been unlucky the past while with aches & pains. Hopefully, they will soon be behind you

Nice club work there yesterday! Nights like that will show you the progress you're making.

runrabbit · 03-05-2010 06:13PM

Friday: Rest day

Saturday: Gym - strength and core training

Sunday: 1 hour run - around 6.7miles. Very enjoyable run, my foot feels a lot better and my hamstring niggle is gone too!

Monday: Bit of a walk in the morning, and strength and core training in the gym

runrabbit · 04-05-2010 08:31PM

Tuesday: Killer pilates class at lunchtime, followed by a 40min run after work. It felt like I was trudging along at no pace, but having checked google pedometer I covered 4.4miles so it wasn't too bad. My legs were feeling really tired though for some reason.

I had my first run-in with a dog this evening who ran for my legs and started jumping up on me. He was just playing and I'm not scared of dogs but I'm terrified of falling over one and breaking an arm or leg! Luckily enough I had sensed he was going to do something so I stopped in time. I let a roar at his owners to call him back and felt a little guilty afterwards, but when I passed them again they had him on a lead.

I'm shattered now. I'll sleep tonight (had the post-bank holiday insomnia last night!)

runrabbit · 06-05-2010 07:40PM

Wednesday: Short enough strength/core session in the gym

Thursday: 40 minute run, with 6 x 1min intervals (4.4 miles). I was hungry and absolutely shattered so I didn't enjoy it this week, also the group I was with were much faster and it's psychologically so hard to see people flying out ahead of me! I'm having a rest day tomorrow and will just get a short session in the gym on Saturday and I have to say I think I need the break, hopefully I will feel the better of it on Sunday.

I inhaled a fly today - should I be worried? He flew into my mouth just as I was inhaling. I'm sure I didn't swallow him - I coughed a bit and he didn't come back up.

Bally8 · 06-05-2010 07:58PM

runrabbit wrote: »

I inhaled a fly today - should I be worried? He flew into my mouth just as I was inhaling. I'm sure I didn't swallow him - I coughed a bit and he didn't come back up.

Ha ha those flies are good for a runners much needed protein:D. Great log runrabbit. I often have difficult days or even weeks but I have come to realise they are all part of life as a runner. Next time your legs feel heavy or you have a bad patch you will remember that you had one before and it passed. Well thats what happens me anyway.

runrabbit · 06-05-2010 08:53PM

Thanks Bally8! I'm feeling a bit chesty this evening so I'm convinced I'm getting some awful fly-inhaling-related illness (and ignoring the fact that half my office is out with chest infections

). I'm sure it won't be the last of the little feckers that meets a sticky end this summer - they're starting to swarm along the hedges already in the evenings!

I'm not too worried about this bad spell, I'm looking forward to the good spell that is sure to follow!

runrabbit · 10-05-2010 07:41AM

Friday + Saturday - Rest days. Really felt like I needed a couple as I've been so busy and my sleep has been suffering.

Sunday - 6.9miles (11km) run, took 64 minutes.Apart from the first 5-10 minutes of leg stiffness and my streaming nose I loved it and actually felt like I could go longer and faster.

So I'll hopefully start training with a bit more thought (a few faster runs etc.) once I get back from my holidays (everyone say a prayer/cross your fingers/whatever that I get out of this country and the volcanic ash doesn't thwart me yet again!).

RubyK · 10-05-2010 07:56AM

Great run, runrabbit! Everything crossed that you get away on hols! Hope you have a great time in the states

claralara · 10-05-2010 10:01AM

Looks like you're getting back on track after your injuries. That was a great run at the weekend. My ankle is not thanking me for yesterday but I'm not going to get disheartened - I'll keep the weight off it as rest as much as possible; maybe go for a bit of cross training towards the end of the week. It seems injuries get everyone but they can be shaken -PMA! Enjoy your holidays and look forward to some good running when you get back!

runrabbit · 10-05-2010 11:48AM

Thanks RubyK and Claralara!

Claralara my foot took a long time to heal fully but it's nearly there. I still wear the support at the moment but will probably try a few shorter runs without it soon. I find the "hot and cold" method works well - you should try it for your ankle. 2 minutes in a bucket of iced water, followed by 2 minutes in hot water (as hot as you can stand) and repeat for at least 15 minutes. You might need someone to top up your buckets as the hot water cools quickly!

runrabbit · 11-05-2010 05:39PM

Monday: Pilates

Tuesday: Brutal Run - only 20 minutes long. I REALLY needed to go to the loo so I couldn't relax, and combined with the torrential rain I just threw the towel in after a couple of miles. It wasn't really worth going out but it's done now - and typically the sun is shining an hour later :rolleyes:

runrabbit · 19-05-2010 03:57PM

Wednesday - Tuesday: Holidays. Long-haul travel + a wedding + several associated nights-out + American-sized portions of food = tired, bloated ill runrabbit.

Seriously I feel like death, I'm writing it down as a reminder to myself to take it handier the next time! I got out for 2 runs, the first was an okay 5-miler, the second followed 4 consecutive nights-out so turned into a long walk after around 1 1/2 miles

Today is gentle recovery, tomorrow I will try to go out for a run and get things back on track.

runrabbit · 25-05-2010 08:25PM

Wednesday - Saturday: Died a death from an awful cold and chest infection. Took a LOT of antibiotics and painkillers and inhaled a lot of ventolin. Hated the evil heat.

Sunday: Got up determined to run with my club. It was early morning but still pretty hot. The first 25 minutes went okay, then suddenly I felt really light headed. Lay down on the grass and took my inhaler and tried to get my heartrate down. Tried twice more to jog but felt like I was going to collapse - so I walked back to my car - pretty disasterous. I guess I just wasn't ready.

Monday: Pilates. Heat + illness made it very tough

Tuesday: Spent the day coughing up the contents of my lungs (to the delight of my colleagues

) By evening though I was feeling all the better for it and since I could take a deep breath I decided to chance a run - 4.08 miles in 38 minutes, pace 9:30 (I got a new toy so I can be accurate now!). A slow run but VERY enjoyable, it feels good to feel better(ish)! Hopefully it's all good from here on in!

runrabbit · 29-05-2010 03:45PM

Wednesday: strength and stretch

Thursday: Really good session with some intervals thrown in for good measure - 5.3 miles in 49 minutes (my recovery sessions between intervals were really slow!)

Friday: strength and stretch - my legs felt a bit stiff

Saturday: 7.1 miles in 67 minutes. Not the most enjoyable run ever - headed out in the lashing rain but wasn't anticipating how strong the wind was going to be. At one point when running into the wind I couldn't catch my breath and had to keep turning my head around to breathe. For that stretch I felt like I was barely moving at all! The first few miles were good but I started to get tired then - my legs were really feeling it!

Taking it handy now for the next couple of days, hoping to do a 5 mile on Tuesday evening.

runrabbit · 03-06-2010 07:25AM

I'm afraid this is a complaining one!

Sunday: Approx 3 easy miles, just to keep myself loose. Very enjoyable (weather a lot better than Saturday, and nice company too!)

Monday: Pilates. Lots of work on the back and stomach.

Tuesday: 5 mile road race (and my first real race). From when I started warming up I noticed a twinge in my lower back, which didn't ease out but didn't get significantly worse either. It niggled away at me throughout the race, but not enough to slow me down much (I was going slow enough anyway!). The race went well, Miles 1,2,3 and 5 were all around 8:30, mile 4 was slightly slower (just under 9:00 I think). I think it was the right pace for me as I was able to maintain it throughout, yet was tired enough at the end that I couldn't put a big effort into sprinting to the line - I think that's a good sign! Immediately after the race I stood at the finish line drinking some water and chatting for around 3 minutes - and when I moved off my lower back went into spasm :eek: I've never felt a pain like it before - it was agonising, yet I didn't feel injured (very weird sensation). I went to bed that night confident that I would wake up feeling fine...

Wednesday: After a broken nights sleep I woke up to find my back still in spasm. I had to go to work due to an important meeting, but the whole day was hell - every time I had to walk even a few steps I was close to tears. Went to the physio in the evening, she discovered I had a joint in my lower back that had got stuck out of place - she managed to click in back in without too much trouble but alas the muscle seemed to be stuck in spasm. I drugged myself up and went to bed - woke up at 3am and to my immense relief the spasm had stopped! Phew - my next step was the doctor for valium on Thursday morning so I'm glad I avoided that.

Thursday: I'm sore and as stiff as a poker and certainly won't be running this evening, or tomorrow either, but hopefully by Sunday I'll be able to get out for a gentle jog.

I don't know if I'm incredibly injury prone or just unlucky, but I've had enough now :mad: I feel like I'm doing everything right - plenty of core work and stretching, but every couple of months there's something new...

runrabbit · 10-06-2010 08:39AM

Friday - Tuesday: Spent in a pain-killer induced haze of misery, felt extremely sorry for myself and was as ratty as hell. I have my running plan up to the half marathon in September and I'm a bit OCD about plans and sticking to them

But I need to cop on as a few weeks off won't kill me and I'll just start back from with shorter and slower runs and hopefully work my way back up on time for the adidas race series.

Wednesday: 4km on the cross-trainer followed by a little swim. Both very painful but I'm told it's fine to do them. It was damn sore though.

My plan for the rest of the week is to hit the cross-trainer as much as I can and hopefully in another week I can hit the fields for a little jog and I won't have lost too much fitness...

runrabbit · 23-06-2010 07:24AM

Thursday 10th - Friday 18th: Went to see a different physio who had very different advice to the first one so no cross training at all - just rest. He also made the agonising pain go away very quickly thank goodness! Had a few intensive sessions during this time and spent my spare time lying on the floor!

Saturday: Tried my first run back - just 2.5miles at 11min pace. It felt like I was dragging my right leg after me but overall wasn't too bad considering. It's scary how quickly my fitness has dropped off

Sunday: It felt a bit better today but still SO slow. 3.5 miles, around 11min pace again.

Monday: Back to pilates!

Tuesday: Could only get out in the middle of the day - had intended to do 4 miles but it was so hot and horrible I only did 3. I still feel really slow and unfit.

So I'm not feeling too confident about the adidas series, my training has really taking a set-back and to be honest I'm dreading it! I've done 2 races so far and I've been injured after each of them, and I just don't see how I will ever manage to run 13 or even 10 miles. I'm starting to feel like I'm just not cut out for this running lark

RubyK · 23-06-2010 07:44AM

Try not to get disheartened RunRabit, I know it must be incredibly frustrating, you've been very unlucky injury-wise. Don't think about 10 milers or halfs for the moment, concentrate on enjoying shorter runs, injury free. You have plenty of time for longer races, just start enjoying running again.

Hope you're on the mend, once and for all

runrabbit · 23-06-2010 08:11AM

Thanks - I think you're right. I spent some time last night figuring out how many weeks I have left and how I could build up my long runs over that time but I think I'll just build back up to the 5 mile now and worry about the longer distances afterwards.

Best of luck on Sunday - I will be looking forward to hearing how you got on!

RubyK · 23-06-2010 08:38AM

There'll be plenty of time to do longer stuff in the months to come. There's no point in pressurising your self physically and mentally, you need to feel the love for running again

Thanks for your best wishes.

runrabbit · 24-06-2010 07:19PM

Wednesday: 3.5km on the cross-trainer, followed by some strength and core work. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it - mainly because my last attempt on the cross-trainer was so painful. It was bloody hot in the gym though!

Thursday: 4.08 miles, 39.27 minutes. It still feels really slow but I'm getting there bit by bit. The rest of the club were doing pyramid intervals but I just stuck it on my own as I didn't want to push myself too hard and end up injured again. One of the other members suggested I do a few 100m strides at the end of my run - unfortunately I didn't know what to do between them! So I didn't take a break between them at all (I don't know what my logic was

) and I was wrecked after 2! A quick google there now tells me I should walk around and shake out my limbs for 90 seconds. So I'll know for next time - they feel good though - like I'm really stretching my legs!

Edited to add: I just checked the distance I used for my strides and it was closer to 200m so I got that totally wrong - I'll know for next time!

runrabbit · 29-06-2010 10:17PM

Friday: Strength and core training in the gym

Saturday: 6.01 miles, 57.42 minutes. Hot hot hot, and not too enjoyable

Sunday: Hangover

Monday: Pilates

Tuesday: 5.6miles, in around 52 minutes. I knocked my watch off when stopping to ask directions in the phoenix park and forgot to restart it. I ran the adidas 5 mile route (plus a bit extra), I will pop over to the race series thread tomorrow to report on the hills for my fellow newbies!

runrabbit · 04-07-2010 07:26PM

Wednesday: gym

Thursday: 4.4 miles, not sure how long it took (no watch). Felt like hell and I really felt like stopping at some points - it was so warm and I was so tired

Friday: Gym for a half-hearted session. just too tired again!

Saturday: I had intended to head out for a few miles of a jog but my legs were feeling a little achey so I did 5km on the cross-trainer instead. I really pushed myself though (which makes a change from my usual steady pace while reading a magazine

)

Sunday: 7.15miles, 69 minutes. A really enjoyable run, I could've gone further except that I didn't want to push it too much and I was starting to get really thirsty!

runrabbit · 06-07-2010 07:01PM

Monday: strength and stretch

Tuesday: 4 miles, 38 minutes. My right glute was feeling really sore (the one that was impacted by my recent injury) but other than that I felt brilliant - I barely got out of breath and my legs felt like they could keep going forever so it was annoying that my bum was hurting because I made myself take it really easy just in case! A bit of ice on it when I got home and it seems fine - hopefully by Thursday it'll be totally better.

I tried a little fartlek-type training today - just a few quick sections - and really enjoyed it so will try to incorporate them or some more formal strides to my Tuesday runs from now on.

runrabbit · 11-07-2010 02:09PM

Wednesday: 5km cross-trainer in gym, followed by some weights

Thursday: 5.2 miles in 50 minutes pretty much bang on. Felt so tired and the back was so sore - a really demotivating run being lapped so many times by my club members

I hate being slow

Friday: rest day!

Saturday: After Thursday night I decided to get my long run out of the way on my own rather than face the humiliation of being left miles behind again. 8.04 miles in 77 minutes exactly. The heat and humidity were unbearable - I really struggled on the 6th and 7th miles. I had to stop after 5.5 miles and again after 6.5 for around 30 seconds to stand in the shade and drink a little water (and pour some over my head!). On my final mile the rain started so that cooled me down a bit. Otherwise it was a grand run, the legs and lungs felt fine, I just overheated.

Sunday: 4.15miles, 40:05mins. I had intended going out for a very slow recovery run but went out at my normal pace (I only seem to be able to run at one very slow pace!). I met up with a girl for the second 2 miles and slowed down a bit for that as we were chatting, she gave me some advice and convinced me I need to do some speed work in training if I ever want to get any faster. Now all I need is the motivation!

Once more from the top...

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