Running with the birds or for the birds?

Dory Dory wrote: »

Super job you!!! Excellent report - and I love how they mixed up your bib/pen, but it sounds like you handled it like a champ. And I think you can keep 3 as your lucky number.

P.S. Congrats to Mr. Stew on his awesome performance!!!!

DD, how lovely to see you over here, we miss you:), although I'm sure everybody is doing the same as me and popping over to see how you're doing (amazing training in that heat:D), I'm tempted to get myself a swishy running/cocktail dress to cheer myself up... I think you may have started a trend;)

I've had plenty of time over the last week to also mull over my current predicament......

RayCun wrote: »

I can't give an unbiased answer

When it comes to your Berlin target, how do you think your other race results compare? Which runs in your training have given you most trouble so far, for hitting target paces or distances? I doubt it's the long runs. Whatever sessions you find hardest are the ones you don't want to miss.

After Berlin.. depends on what you enjoy doing really. Do you want to give the club training a proper bash, see where that takes you? Or do you enjoy the long runs more, and are waiting for Connemara entries to open?

I lack the discipline that is needed for speed sessions and this is one of the reasons I joined a club, I'm also looking forward to giving the club training a proper shot over the winter and then I'll have a better idea of what I enjoy most and also what I'm good at.

menoscemo wrote: »

They are already open

To be honest there is more than one way to skin a cat. Some people do better of medium miles with lots of speedy work. Others do better from lots of miles and less speed work. My advice would be to see what you were doing when making all those improvements a few months ago and look to replicate that.

I would also consider sticking to the plan rather than throwing in speedwork or races just because the club are doing them or the race is closeby
I think that you have just been overdoing it a little of late.

If you are finind the 70 mpw plan too much then definitely drop back to the 55 MPW one, I don't think endurance will be your issue and you do plenty of Cross training to make up for the missed easy miles...

I totally agree and as I said before hindsight is a wonderful thing... The fine line between overdoing it and working as hard as I can is always going to be an issue. I dread the thought of arriving at the Start line having not worked hard enough but my over exertion over the last few weeks could have jeopardised my arriving at the start line at all:o
I need to give more thought as to how to fit the club sessions into my training and train more intelligently, this will all come with experience and also the help and guidance I'm getting from you all on here:)

claralara wrote: »

Hey missus. Just catching up on your escapades over the last while. Injury aside, well done on the 10k (you silly goose!). You're right to ease it back. I found the club sessions at the start really took it out of me and I'd be sore and tired for a while after - I never had problems like that with my Connemara plod training. It's just a different kettle of fish and you have to let your body adjust. You know yourself that you'll have no problem with endurance so don't even think about that. I had to give myself a kick in the rear with all the races I was doing too and the last month sans-race pressure (physical and mental) has been refreshing. Just make sure to look after yourself!

Kick in the rear was just what I needed... see below.
Well done on another super pacing gig yesterday, Mr Stew says he can't wait till the next one:)

Always look on the bright side of life…..


Over the past couple of weeks I have gone from low to even lower about the fact that I haven’t been able to run. I have been cross training most days; swimming, spinning or some kind of lower body class but truth be told I miss running.


I won’t bore you all with the details of my injury (well I will bore you; but I’ve nothing else to write about so I may need to move to the injured support thread) what seemed to be a calf strain wasn’t healing as such so my physio suggested insoles because my problem was clearly stemming from some biomechanical issue. I have always favoured my right leg with a problematic left leg. I’ve also spent the last two summers icing and stretching my left calf trying to keep myself on the road. I was practically limping around the expo in Berlin last year when I collected my number and similarly before Dublin 2010. It's amazing how you forget all the niggles, injuries when things are going well:)


The reason I decided to get to the root of the problem now is because I know it’s something that needs addressing. That was the theory anyway but I won’t lie, many times in the last few weeks I’ve wished I did as I did the last few summers and popped a Nurofen and kept on running:D
I’ve been driving myself around the bend trying to think and rethink how I can get back on the road as quick as possible but last weekend I headed off camping with my boys and a big group of friends and that did me the world of good, it felt great to chill out, no training and lots of overeating and drinking. I read on Brianderunner’s log that when you step away from the world of running for a while then things don’t seem so bad, this was definitely the case for me but I also knew that I wanted to get back into running sooner rather than later.

My physio had referred me to an osteopath who is a marathon runner for a second opinion and I headed into him last Tuesday dreading what he’d have to say. One hour later I bounced out of the office with permission granted to try back running on Thursday. He had hopefully isolated the offending muscle in behind my calf and after some painful dry needling I hopped off the plinth. He was optimistic that I would be back on track before long and he was so confident I felt a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. He did tell me that I would need to be really honest with myself and if I felt even a twinge of doubt I should get back to him.
I was very nervous heading out on Thursday morning, I ran 1.5 miles at 9.16 pace and while I didn’t feel like taking off at speed it felt ok, but I was still very much aware of my left leg. I really wanted to try a proper run so I cut the run short cos I knew the club session was an easy 45 minutes that evening and I was bringing the boys in anyway so I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with everyone.
Thursday evening I stretched and double stretched and headed off with the group. Still the awareness in my left leg and it still felt tight, at no point did I feel I needed to stop but my gait was definitely off, I was most definitely limping. I tried to relax into it but even after 6 and half miles I was still aware of it.
Friday I woke and it was still tight so I very reluctantly decided to pull the plug on the Frank Duffy, I have to say this decision crushed me. I love the 10 miler and I was really looking forward to it. I was happy enough to run it at an easy pace and this reminded me that running isn’t just about running, it’s also about all the other great things like racing and meeting up with your pals and having fun in the park:)
The osteopath had an appointment free this morning at 9.15 so I figured it would be some sort of good running karma to be lying on the plinth being tortured just as Mr Stew and all my other running pals were starting their own ordeal. (PB for Mr Stew 73.52 mins, and yes... that beats my PB:mad:)


A reassessment of my symptoms and it turns out the kids are responsible for my woes…. Well not exactly; during all three pregnancies I suffered from sciatica on my left side, and I'm now most definitely suffering from a trapped nerve:eek:
The good news is the osteo has suffered from a similar injury so he knows exactly how to get me back on my feet. He was so sympathetic (us marathon runners are a great lot:)) and was genuinely sad to give me the news that I’ll need three more weeks out of running so Berlin is out for me:eek::eek::eek: I was sitting in his office fighting back the tears as he said this (and also being annoyed at myself for feeling so sad, it’s not like I was sitting in a doctor’s office being given a diagnosis for something serious:o).

I was very, very relieved when he told me that I can begin to focus on Dublin and New York when get back on the road (not sure what I would have done if he said I'd be out for the rest of the year).

I’m very lucky to have run Berlin last year so all is not lost and I’m still on track to have completed the Marathon Majors when I cross the finish line in London next year.


I won’t lie, the last few weeks have been very, very tough, I realise I’m a happy person because I have such an easy life and I had to work really hard at being cheerful and optimistic while I wasn’t running. The constant over-analysing and fear of the unknown wore me down and it’s a relief to have a plan of action to sort out a problem that if I’m honest has been in the background for the past three years.

So where is the bright side in all of this?
Mr Stew and the boys, my family and all my friends have been unbelievably sympathetic and supportive; as the Beatles once sang “All you need is love…”:D
In the big scheme of things if a few weeks off running and one missed marathon are all I have to worry about, then I have nothing to worry about. I started running when I turned 42 because that’s the age my mum was when she passed away and I was worried about my health, I’m still very strong, fit and healthy and I’m allowed to cross train. The osteo reminded me that when I sort this problem I’ll be back running for many, many more years.
I had a great start to the year with some super training and some very lucky wins and that will stand to me when I come back, while the year isn’t panning out as I hoped it would, I have to remind myself that that’s life, isn’t it?
Onwards and upwards now….