spring marathoners

[Mitchy1nge]

suspect there are a few of us preparing for a spring marathon - any interest in chat about training schedules, black toe nails and so on?

thanks, i've been trying with gels etc, SiS give me terrible wind, so tried high5 on sunday, don't think I took it soon enough, or with enough water

have now got a hydration pack so don't have to think about faffing about with belt etc, i have a shaped water bottle, but hate carrying it

also going to give shot bloks a go - this weekend

that's a pretty positive and philosophical attitude please sounds like a good plan

I kept up my endurance really well on the rowing machine when injured before and it was a fairly seamless transition back to running or run/walk, I just did 5ks and 10ks on it at roughly the same pace as I'd run them - might have to revert to that

thanks for asking isit, it's much much less painful although still visibly swollen and if I run my finger over the area it's very tender, I can't lift myself onto the ball of that foot (like a calf raise) but there are still 4 whole days between me and the half marathon, will try a test run on Friday I think

Mitchy, have you got any arnica? I'm rubbing arnica oil in, it might help? The oil will also let you massage with some slip which is softer going around the area. Ice ice ice as often as you can too. Taker turmeric, arnica pills, ibuprofen or naproxen/diclofenac . Also if you are putting ibuprofen gel on it too at night you could try wrapping it in cling film so that you calf rather than clothes/bedsheets are absorbing it. Drink loads of water to help too and eat lots of protein for muscle repair. That's what I'm doing and hoping that the rest and throw everything at it will do the trick. My mission after this is like you to try and figure out why I am ALWAYS getting injured. Ive orthotics I'm trying to break in but I have such reservations about them there are two schools of thought - fix your feet by strengthening them and get your muscles imbalances sorted and re think running technique or else go with the orthotics and let them readjust gait. Ugh I dunno.

oh shit I forgot to get ibuprofen gel, not really meant to take NSAIDs so am not (I do if am utterly incapacitated like recent back pain)

other than the prancing about on my toes (can't seem to help this) am not sure what I do to overload my calves - last time it was a big change from running off road to on, and an increase in distance and overall volume, but went through the whole physio rehab thing (was not a candidate for orthoses or special shoes or anything, just stayed in neutral ones) and I've been cautious to the point of neurosis this time, have been working with a special rehabilitative personal trainer who is even more cautious

I still think there is time for it to heal and adapt, it has a very very bad effect on my mood and confidence though - if I can't run for a while I will find other things to do in the meantime and get pleasure from them but running is really my best thing so I will fucking cry if it doesn't resolve swiftly

I totally get the 'can't run= low mood thing. I'm the same and trying v v hard not to slide from not being able to run. If you are road running, have you thought about the camber? Is that pissing off your leg? I think/know that the camber really f@cks with my legs which is why I prefer trails. And the race I ran in was on road whic I normally avoid. Is your stride short enough, under your body enough? Cadence high? I've had to really try and drop my forefoot up on toes running to a mid foot strike and shorten my stride. I also was told to run with a maximal heel drop to minimise calf fatigue. I suspect none of this is helpful but I'm trying to think up anything else you can consider. I think my ankle issue comes from compensating on it due to not resting a sore knee which I think comes from a probable hip weakness.

actually that's all quite thought provoking - my stride has lengthened, a running friend noticed it (and garmin confirms, no footpod but the FR220 measures it somehow and it's crept up from 0.8 something to 0.96) and suggested shortening it to help my lower back issues (assumed I hurt it riding, but who knows what's going on?)

my average cadence is 166spm, I guess that is low, seem to think 185 is the magic number?

Loving all this technical talk.

I am getting completely OBSESSED with running now. It's ruling all my planning, eating, hair washing, sleeping.

Totes fell over on my 8 miler today. That was a new one

Hope you didn't hurt yourself Blahblah! That's what's got me into trouble. I think I stumbled on a tree root a couple of weeks back and hurt my knee and my ankle but I felt only a fleeting roll pic my ankle whereas my knee Wasserstein but I continued running on it and I think then compensated by landing heavily on my left foot hence swollen tissue getting trapped in ankle joint. I'm def seeing an improvement today, I'm walking on it better. It still catching a bit on certain movements and a bit achy but otherwise heaps better. Not runnable yet but I'm hopeful :-) I'm envious of your 8 miles, I'm envious of every person I see out running at the mo. It's a killer doing nothing. Physio said not to even swim before fri. I feel like I'm larding up and losing shape by the hour - nothing like completely losing all perspective ??

am losing perspective a bit too, but have been here before and I don't know if that makes it better or worse?

am still hoping a few days rest will produce miraculous results, it's painful in walk but less so, but deep down I know these things cannot heal properly that quickly

I suddenly remembered that the physio treated my soleus strain with heat rather than ice, am wondering whether to switch? Maybe soleus too far away to be reached by ice? I don't know what reminded me, it is certainly more difficult to warm up the gel pack things than to freeze them

I'm really sorry for you injured ones. You. WILL get better. And you certainly won't get lardy in a week.

I have literally no idea what you should do with these injuries so no help at all. And I just hurt my pride today rolling on the ground in front of horrified motorists.

You'll be back very soon

9.5 weeks til my marathon. I'm still in the "never gonna be ready" zone. 4 hours of running seems ridiculous at this point right now

it's only a bit more than double what you're doing now?

Good luck for your race this weekend Mitchy, hope the calf is feeling better. My ankle is improving and I put my running gear on to go to boot camp this morning but have stopped myself as I kind of know I'm pushing my luck to do it when not fully healed. I know I couldve prob got through it and tolerated the soreness but at the back of my mind is how sore it would be after and if I'll make it worse. I'm walking without limping and can run a bit but I can tell From jogging a few meters to school gates that my feet are v much staying flat ish and heel strike and not wanting to rise up much. Physio at lunchtime and then I'm going to go and cycle in the gym. And hopefully Physio will clear me to do some short test runs this weekend. He said he'd do hop test stuff etc. I suspect it needs more time - tenderness when I come off weight bearing. if I push it I think it will inflame again which means the tissue will catch in the joint and I'll be back to square one. Patience.
I'm wondering about cortisone option?

we must be stupid to put ourselves through this

I feel very stupid anyway, can't even flex my foot at rest now, it's worse than ever - went for a very ploddy 3 or 4 miles and now it doesn't want to bear weight at all

I had to try though. If it's just a matter of a couple of weeks I could still be on course for the marathon, there's another half next month. Better call my physio. Good luck with yours x

I'm back and I failed hop tests big time and now feel sore after joint has been tested and instructions not to run, to wear an air cast boot as much as I'm willing to and to really let the joint settle. Bah humbug. Stationery bike is about my only option.

oh dear :(

yes am also looking at my spin bike, can't press on ball of foot yet but soon

Do you own a spin bike? I'm looking to buy one but put off by not knowing what brand/model to buy. I've mulled a turbo trainer before but I think they take up more room. Watt bikes are ££££. Would really like to have an ' at home' training option and I thought a spin bike might be bestseeing as I do the odd tri.

it's not really a proper spin bike, it sort of held itself out to be one but it's not - also makes a horrible noise now but have had it for a while, it does have the same plus/minus dial as the spin bikes at the gym though and a similarly uncomfortable saddle

is only for emergency use so mustn't grumble plus it is orange plus am no pro cyclist - it was about £300 I think, bodysculpture, would probably not recommend but it's all I have by way of that sort of thing

Hi

My first London marathon. I'm doing the 16 week plan- just finished week 5.

It has been hard going, I only ran 50 mins, as planned but could of cried I found it so difficult- came back with a banging headache, tearful and fed up!

I Need to start using gel packs as at the moment I'm just sipping lucozade sport every 10 mins or so.

I feel like I will never get to finish the race at this rate!

Help?

Welcome VLM. 50 miles in the week is a good result - what's your longest run to date? How much did you tun before starting the training plan? So many things can affect how you feel so I hope the next run is better. If you're running for more than an hour I'd say that lucozade isn't going to be enough to fuel you through it. Make sure you're eating well before your run and test out different things to see what works for you. I use SIS gets but some of the runners on here don't get on with them. Jelly babies, pieces of flapjack, pretzels, raisins and (small pieces of) peanut butter sandwiches are all good to try to take out with you as you run.

Work really has got in the way of training this week Have done 2 x 3 miles earlier this week and now waiting for dh to vone home from work so I can go out again. Going to do 5 miles and then 12 tomorrow - hopefully by then I'll be feeling more positive! My new trainers arrived today so really keen to get them on and test them out

Hi ladies. can I join and ask for some opinions?
I did Brighton marathon 2 years ago and experienced hip problem which I had physio and ended up having a MRI. I have joint which is a bit worn with some cartilidge wear too. Despite a wobbly start to training and terrible pain at the finish line I did it in 4.35. I followed the "Run Less run faster" training programme. I had worked on my hip and built up strength and have been fine....till now
I have madly entered Brighton again this year unfortunately my hip problem has reared its ugly head. I have had physio again and am doing lots of strength exercises (I also do triathlon so my training is varied)
Yesterday I comfortably ran 16k without too much trouble. Back in November I ran an off road half marathon in 2 hours
My questions are:

If I want to do my Run less run faster programme I haven't left my self enough time, is there a training programme which I could do in this time left?
Which training programmes are some of you ladies doing?
Many thanks!

Hi Clure - I'm using the Runners World beginners plan over 16 weeks. I would class myself as an intermediate runner but also had done injury last year so wanted to build myself up gradually.

ah thanks isittheweekendyet. I had seen that plan, it looks sensible. I am just having a bit of a dither whether to defer my entry or not. I think I will see how this week goes. Thanks for reply, x

welcome clure, hope this week goes smoothly for you - like all injuries it sounds painful and frustrating

I have 13 weeks today until the marathon, I'm thinking the worst case scenario is two weeks off, a week of short test runs or run/walk, then maybe start at week 9 or so of a new plan, any plan that gets me up to 18 miles will do

Injuries suckFwiw due to my calf injury last year my training was also set back a bit. My last long run was 18 miles and I had to leave it at that. To do any more miles would probably have been detrimental and may have resulted in me being out of the race altogether.