The current Covid-19 crisis is changing rapidly day by day. Restrictions on our interactions and movements affect what we can do from a training perspective but it is also important to keep fit physically and mentally. Here are a few suggestions for what to do in the coming weeks around training and general health:
Do not take any risks with your health or othersâ health. If you are in a high risk category then stay at home and do what you can there. If you do go out for a run, go where you know there will not be many people or there is a wide open space where you can avoid coming into contact with other people.
Examples of suitable places would be playing fields, quiet country roads or wide roads with wide pavements, preferably quiet.
Stick to the same number of sessions during the week to maintain fitness. You may need to do different sessions from normal depending on your location and circumstances but keeping up a regular routine will mean your fitness does not decline. Remember that running easy still burns calories and builds your aerobic base.
Work on a weakness that you normally neglect. Maybe your balance isnât great or you neglect strength training. Maybe hills are your nemesis and you have some near your house you can train on. Whilst races are postponed, it is a perfect time to fill some of these gaps if you are able to.
Running drills, strength work and balance / coordination can all be worked on at home. You may be able to cross train at home if you have an exercise bike or similar.
Donât be tempted to let your diet run away. With all the extra time at home it is very easy to overeat and drink. Stick to your normal eating routine and even try and cook some healthier meals if you can. Make sure you keep drinking water through the day as it will help curb appetite.
Take time to switch off from the day to day and focus on where you want to be at the end of the year. Itâs easy to focus on the fact that there are no races right now and switch off from training but by keeping a good base going now, you will be in a much better position to tackle races later on in the year.
Keep yourself and others safe and focus on the running you have ahead of you. The situation will pass eventually so be in the best shape you can to come out the other side raring to go.
Iâm sure lots of you have been in the same boat this week. Checking and checking to see if your target race is being postponed or cancelled. It doesnât half sap the motivation. I canned two runs already this week and half arsed another couple.
Today Boston marathon was postponed. Iâve been looking forward to it since I qualified for it 18 months ago. I knew it was coming. I nearly didnât bother with my tempo today. But I did. And it was awesome. It took me by surprise.
Sometimes the best runs happen when you least expect it.
The race is just the culmination of the process and if we canât enjoy the process then weâll spend a lot of time being unhappy. Sure it is incredibly disappointing but sometimes there are more important things in life.
This weekend get out and run. Enjoy being able to run. Let everything else take a back seat for a little while and remember why we love the process. Remember what running means to you. There will be other races but theyâre for another day. Enjoy today.
The half marathon is my favourite distance. Long enough to be a great physical challenge to aim for but not so long that training for it need take over your life. It is short enough that you can run at a decent pace without carrying lots of supplies while not so short that you feel you are running out of control with every step.
Some of my best races have been half marathons. Itâs as close to the fabled runnersâ high that I have experienced. You are running at a pace which feels tough on the one hand yet you feel you can keep it going almost indefinitely.
Your body is working hard but your mind is only switched on enough to check your pace is consistent. Miles have passed in half marathons where I couldnât recall a thing and almost felt trance-like, so focused on maintaining form, cadence, effort and pace.
I have also had good races where external factors have been able to penetrate the trance. I have run half marathons with spectacular coastal or mountainous scenery and ones with great support or out and back routes where you pass many other runners.
External factors are really important to help you along when you are struggling but it is also great to enjoy them when things are going well too.
However, get the half marathon wrong and it can be a soul destroying experience. Let me reframe my opening statements:
A half marathon is long enough that you must do a decent amount of training to be able to complete it well. It is too long to run at your fastest pace. You have to know where the line is to be able to regulate your pace correctly for a half marathon.
Iâve made a lot of mistakes and run some pretty horrific half marathons. I was so under trained for my first half marathon that my brother had to drag me round the last 4 miles listening to me whingeing âI canât do this!â. We finished 11 minutes slower than I did for the next half I actually trained properly for.
In 2019 I ran a fairly flat half marathon 6 weeks after running a half marathon PB on a similar course. I started far too fast, neglecting the fact that since the last half I had run London marathon and not really recovered properly and my training had been reduced for taper either side of it.
After 2 miles at 5k pace the damage was done. The last 11 miles seemed like the longest, toughest miles Iâd ever run, though in truth they should have been relatively easy. By the end I was running a minute a mile slower than my London marathon pace and finished 6 minutes slower than 6 weeks earlier.
You can definitely avoid the woeful runs Iâve had throughout the years. Obviously having strength in the legs and some decent long runs in the bag is essential. Base training of strength and conditioning sessions combined with some hill runs can build up your strength.
This phase should precede your half marathon training. During the plan your long run will increase gradually over each week. I recommend building up to at least the same elapsed time you plan to run on the day. 11 miles at easy pace should take you the same time as a half at race pace.
In the more advanced half plans we go up to 16 miles. With proper fuelling beforehand this should be over before any âwallâ you may encounter in marathon training and races. You may still feel you need energy boosts for a half marathon, especially if you are running 2 hours plus, but unlike marathons, it isnât as critical. One less thing to think about makes things easier.
If you are new to half marathons then ensuring you can complete the distance should be your main focus. If you have run a few and are looking to improve then you may want to focus more on speed but never forget your long runs are still key.
The short intervals are great for increasing raw speed and improving your 5k time. If your 5k time is improving then it is very likely that your half marathon time will improve too if the rest of your training is going well.
However, the tempo or progression runs are my favourite for the half marathon. Typically you will run 3 to 6 miles in the middle at half marathon pace. If you can hold this pace then itâs a great indicator that youâre on the right track for the race.
Technically, this pace is slightly below âlactate thresholdâ pace. This is the pace at which the body can clear out lactate faster than it is produced in the muscles. Once you go over this pace you will fatigue very quickly – which is what happened to me in my ordeal in 2019.
My biggest tip is to understand and be honest about exactly what shape you are in when you take on a half marathon. This can work both ways. In the past I have been overly optimistic of what I could achieve leading to some spectacular blow-ups.
However, sometimes when the training has gone well, you have to back yourself to maintain a pace during the race that youâve only held for 5 miles in training. You have to remember that the race is a culmination of all the different parts of training coming together combined with the freshness of rest and the adrenaline of race day.
When you get it right the half marathon can make you feel almost invincible.
Have you ever noticed how your focus or intensity in training tails off when you donât have a race booked in? Or maybe you had a race booked but you were just running it for fun and so you didnât really take training very seriously?
Now I am all for enjoying running. Absolutely. If you donât ever enjoy it then there better be another darn good reason for doing it! And you should definitely have some easy weeks built into your training to avoid burnout.
But Iâm also a believer that you need to keep the horizon in your eye-line. You need to know and be thinking of the next big thing for your running. You need a goal that is going to keep you focused and motivated to maintain your fitness.
It could be a special race, a charity event, a faster time, a new distance, terrain or country. It might not have to be a race at all but it has to be something that is big enough for you to have a plan towards.
Planning out at least 6 months in advance keeps you focused on what you need to do to achieve your next target. It will prevent you going onto autopilot and potentially undoing the good work youâve done up to this point.
Sign up to something today if you havenât got anything planned. Tell your friends and family to make you accountable and start planning towards your next big goal.
The Mourne Skyline Mountain Trail Race is set in the mountains of Mourne starting and finishing in Newcastle Co Down. It is 35km long and there is 3370m of ascent. It climbs eight peaks along the Mourne wall including the highest two in Northern Ireland, Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh.
What do you need to do beforehand?
You must sign up for the race on the day registration opens. It is a hugely popular race and on 14th February 2019, it sold out in just four hours. Once youâve been accepted into the race youâll need to make sure you have the items on the mandatory checklist such as full body waterproofs, a hat, gloves, compass, whistle and possibly more. Oh and some training is a good idea.
What to expect before the race
The registration on the day was very efficient, so much so I almost didnât know what was happening as I got moved from person to person! Your mandatory kit will be checked so make sure you have your pack with you.
Youâll get a tracker taped to your backpack to allow people to follow you on the website. Youâll also get an electronic dibber strapped to your wrist which you will need to check in at each of the checkpoints around the course. You can place a drop bag with food in it to pick up halfway round the course. Be sure to number it!
The race in detail
You start off on the promenade at Newcastle before quickly entering the forest park. After a short while of undulating trail youâll turn right to be confronted with a long set of steps up. This leads up out of the trees where youâll turn right for a short downhill to the start of the Glen river path.
The path takes you up the valley to the saddle between Slieve Donard on the left and Slieve Commedagh on the right. In most parts the path is excellent and ascends gradually. Gaining elevation after this point is nowhere near as easy. You cross the river around two thirds of the way up where the path starts to get steeper.
The first dibber checkpoint is at the col at the top of the valley. The wind picked up here from behind and it suddenly started to feel cold and more remote. Crossing over the huge Mourne wall here provides some short term shelter.
The next section along the brandy pad provides some of the easiest running of the day. The path skirts round the side of Commedagh and is good in most places. The path gets a little more broken up and steeper towards Hareâs gap. Thereâs a checkpoint here but no dibber then you start the first summit ascent of Slieve Bearnagh.
The ascent of Bearnagh from this side doesnât seem too bad. There are a few steps near the bottom which take you to some steeper climbing. Then a track runs off to the left and plateaus for a while before bending back round for the final climb. A dibber on top marks your first peak for the day.
I had a battle in the wind trying to get my jacket back on halfway up the climb as the freezing rain started to fall. After I put it on at this point I never took it off again! It can be bleak and unforgiving up there and it can turn rapidly as I would find out a lot later. I could also feel that my big toe had punctured a hole in my sock. I tried to forget about that.
As soon as we started descending Bernagh I knew I was in for a tough day. My technique or maybe just my courage for descent is very weak. Additionally, I and perhaps my shoes were not ready for the soaking wet steep slope of Bernagh. It seemed like twenty people passed me just on the downhill.
Over the course of the entire race I went over at least three times and tripped countless other times. However, on reflection I think was probably lower than average listening to the general chat afterwards. I was certainly very cautious to try and avoid injury which meant I lost a lot of time on the downhills.
The ascent of Slieve Meelmore from the col seems quite long and relentless but in truth it is probably one of the easier climbs with the help of the steps by the side of the wall. There is not much room for passing but I did manage to retake a few positions on the ascent.
The second summit dibber awaits on top and then the heavens opened. I felt like I couldnât see a thing on the descent of Meelmore due to the rain on my glasses. Again, I was passed by at least a dozen other runners. After a relatively short slither down the very top, there is a right turn onto a âpathâ which takes you towards Fofanny Dam.
At the top this is still fairly steep and the path is very poor in places and I found myself making very hard work of it. This was my worst section of the day. Better looking paths turn off to the right and the orange flags that guide you round the course lead off to a small stream crossing. I actually managed to miss a couple of flags and come down slightly to the right and had to work my way back over.
A short path from here takes you to the dam which you run along to get to a checkpoint, dibber, drop bag and cut off point. You must make this point in three hours fifteen minutes so I was satisfied to make this point in just under two and a half hours. Barring any disasters in the second âhalfâ I should make it round in the eight hours allotted time.
I say âhalfâ because realistically I had marked out the next summit of Slieve Loughshannagh as the real halfway point in terms of effort as thatâs what previous yearsâ times seem to indicate. A lot of the easier running is in the first half and most of the big climbs are in the second half.
I quickly located my drop bag; they have them out in a rough order but it definitely helps if you know what yours looks like as I think the number had mostly washed off. I had been looking forward to the banana I knew was awaiting me though Iâd left my coke at home and I was going to crave that round the second half.
I picked it up and walked up the short hill to the road. I didnât want to stop at this point but keep on moving and I picked up a steady pace up the road towards Ott car park. Clearly a lot of other competitors had marked this out as a breather and I passed quite a few walking up the road.
Turning left onto Ott track it feels like you are now heading for home. True, it is still a long way off but completing the course is now probably the easiest way to get back. The track is reasonably good for the most part and found I was able to run most of it. This section was my best of the day and I still had time to take half the banana and a bar on board as I was going.
In general I soon decided to ditch my usual road marathon fuelling plan of every half hour as I didnât fancy trying to take anything during the descents. Firstly, you should be going faster (which I probably wasnât) but secondly, you need both hands free for any tumbles you may incur. Consequently, I ended up eating something on most of the ascents.
Despite taking on what I thought was quite a lot, a banana; several coco pops bars; a couple of gels and some fun size milky ways, I was getting hungry at some stages and I didnât end up with much spare by the end.
As the Ott track steepens and starts to dissipate, it meets the Mourne wall which takes you on a short steep ascent to the top of Loughshannagh. This is the fifth dibber point and what I would regard as the halfway point. Having reached here in just over three hours I was still hopeful that I may get round in six.
I found the descent of Loughshannagh one of the easiest of the day. Not only is it short but there were quite a lot of long, grassy tussocks which didnât seem overly wet to allow you to get a decent grip going down.
Each peak seems to have a slightly different characteristic to the others. Loughshannagh was grassy but some are bouldery and some are slithery mud. And a couple do have a discernible path to follow.
I donât remember the climb to the summit of Slieve Meelbeg and the sixth dibber point but at the top there is a right turn along the northside of the Mourne wall which was straight into a gale. This made for another awkward descent back toward the slopes of Meelmore.
Again, the ascent of Meelmore seemed deceptively long despite it clocking in as the shortest section of the day. I think it is the close proximity of these peaks and the steepness of the slopes that make them short but feel long.
Getting back to Meelmore seemed like another target crossed off. I knew what to expect for the next section at least and I also knew that I only had three more ascents to go although they are the biggest three.
However, the bouldery steps that proved helpful in climbing Meelmore on the way out prove tough on the legs on the way down. I was still able to make decent progress down with their aid and reacquaint myself with the tough side of Bearnagh. I knew it was going to be a tough climb and Iâd planned to get some caffeine in if things were getting tough which I did.
I reached the summit of Bearnagh two and a half hours after I was last here and almost as soon as I started descending the weather suddenly cleared and I was treated to amazing views off to the right of Cove Mountain and Slieve Lamagan heading in the direction of Slieve Binnian.
If you remember from earlier, this side of Bearnagh is by far the easier to the extent that you can actually get a bit of comfortable running in round the rocky outcrops. I knew that six hours was now no longer attainable and I decided to really try and enjoy the views and the last couple of climbs.
At the bottom of Bearnagh is the checkpoint at Hareâs gap where the Brandy pad which we ran on in the morning diverges off to the right. This time we head on straight up towards Slieve Commedagh though this ascent has a few parts as it passes over the minor tops of Slievenaglogh and Slieve Corragh.
The first part up to Slievenaglogh is quite steep but I took it slowly and kept enjoying the views to the right. Ben Crom and Silent Valley reservoirs where the Dambusters half marathon turns round come into sight below Lamagan and Binnian.
Once Slievenaglogh was conquered, the path turned right towards Corragh. This means you can see back towards Bearnagh and the Meels from where we have come. This is a fine sight and makes you realise the extent of the challenge. The terrain to Corragh and beyond is fairly good and running becomes possible again. It is like a long gradual shoulder to the final push up Commedagh.
There is a big tower at the âtopâ of Commedagh (the actual top is off to the left but the penultimate dibber point is the tower). Unfortunately, it disappeared into the mist again as I started the short sharp climb to the top.
The descent of Commedagh was not bad on the south side of the wall. Some remnants of paths can be found and it is not quite as steep as some of the other downhills. Soon I was back to the col between Commedagh and Donard and I couldnât see how far up I had to go for the final climb.
Iâve done the climb up to Donard many times before but this was by far the toughest. Whilst the ground isnât too bad it just feels relentlessly long and steep given all the climbing already done. You can see other runners descending on the other side of the wall and wish that you were there.
Finally at the top you dib for the last time and head over the wall and back down the other side. Having not passed or been passed by anyone since Hareâs gap runners suddenly appeared from nowhere blasting past me again on the descent. I went over slightly on my ankle reminding me that I was not home yet.
I stayed close to the wall to make use of the steps but I think there was better ground to be had off to the right. Eventually I crossed over to it as I approached the col then turned right down the glen river path. As noted on the way up it is still relatively steep at the top and I was very cautious simply trying to get home in one piece.
After crossing the river, I picked up a bit more speed and confidence to lead back down to the fire road. This is a gravel track that zigzags down to the finish. I canât tell at this point if I have stones in my shoes or blisters on my feet or both. At the top, Newcastle still seems a fair way to go but covering distance suddenly becomes a bit faster and easier.
The tanoy and music can be heard a little way off then you hit the grass. One last left turn takes you down to the finish area, no sprint finish just a very hard shift put in and a resolve to not get talked into another race like this without a lot better preparation.
I thoroughly recommend this event as long as you know what you are getting yourself into. The registration, marshalling and course marking is all excellent and unless you are seriously good on this terrain you should think of it as a challenge rather than a race.
Invest in some proper fell running shoes and go and practise in the Mournes. Try running in various conditions. You wonât know what it will be like on the day but it is worth preparing for the worst. Finally, plan for it taking a long time! I seriously underestimated my ability on a course like this. It is tough and if you are not used to it, doubling your marathon time is not unrealistic.
Investing in the stock market always comes with the warning above. However, it applies to running too. It is far too easy to focus on the past and let it cloud our judgement of what we do now. This can manifest itself in two ways: Reminiscent running and Rut running.
Reminiscent running is where we wish that we are as fast and as fit as we used to be. We may wish it so much that we actually believe it until we try running. We then come back to earth with a horrible crash leaving us demoralised and dreading running.
Instead of focusing on where we once were at some perfect point in time, we must be pragmatic and use ânowâ as the starting point for where we can get to in the future. Start with realistic goals based on your current fitness and work up from there.
Rut running is almost worse. This is where we get stuck doing the same training and our levels plateau. We could see improvements but instead our potential is stunted by doing training that doesnât work and doesnât excite us anymore and leaves us feeling stale.
By constantly reassessing our goals and challenges and varying our training accordingly, we stay fresh and keep improving. We conquer new challenges and get the best out of ourselves.
If you are going to invest in the stock market then take the statement above as a caution. However, if you are running take it as a positive reminder not to compare yourself to a former you and that quite possibly your best running days are still ahead of you.
Sometimes itâs very easy to forget why we run. The reasons are different for everyone but there are some common ones that many will share: lose weight; get fit; improve mental health; sense of achievement; meet new people; new experience; set an example to our kids; the list goes on.
However, there may be lots of times when we forget these factors: when the weather is bad; when we feel like we have a bad run or race or sometimes we just donât feel like running. Itâs at these times we need to remember the reasons we chose to do this, especially the most important one.
It may be that weâve got caught up chasing PBs and we forget that the main reason we run is to be able to eat a few treats guilt free. Or itâs the middle of the winter training for a marathon and the elation of crossing that finish line feels so far off.
A visual or audio cue is a great way to remind us of our reasons for running. It could be a phrase or a picture. It could be before we run or even during the run itself. Pick a short phrase you can recite when things get tough or have a picture that epitomises your why in your kit bag.
If you canât think of a single reason for why you run then it is possible it isnât for you and you should think about doing something else. But for almost all of us our personal reasons for running are the single most important thing. They will get us past the toughest points and allow us to enjoy our running more.Â
If you donât believe in yourself you will not achieve the things you are capable of. This is not easy for most of us. How do we know that we can succeed at things before weâve done them? The truth is that we donât know so we think about it irrationally. We persuade ourselves we canât go for the goals we dream of and then invariably we talk ourselves out of doing it. Weâre scared of failure but actually, not trying is the biggest failure of all.
We look at other people achieving the things we want to and we make up reasons why it is possible for others but not us. Maybe they are ânaturally giftedâ or they âhave more timeâ. What we donât think about is that maybe they just believe in themselves more. They donât know any better than us whether they will succeed but they trust in their training plan, lifestyle and work ethic to get where they want to.
Instead of focusing negatively on others, we can use this to our advantage. If these people can achieve their goals then there is no reason why we canât. Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you too will help. Try and cut out the people who bring you down or try and dampen your expectations. Setting smaller targets to see your progress also helps to build confidence. Combining this with a longer term goal makes the latter less daunting as you see your progress.
The body is capable of far more than we think it is so stop telling yourself you canât do it and start doing it today.
Do you ever find your breathing is out of control on a run? Do you find yourself running faster than you can manage? Do you need to stop just to get your breath back? If so, following this simple technique can help eliminate your breathing problems on a run and help you run and train more efficiently.
Have you ever thought about how you breathe on a run? Quite possibly not, why would we? We donât think about breathing the rest of the time, itâs something that just happens.
Most of us just run without thinking much about what weâre doing at all. If we do think about anything it is likely to be focusing on how fast weâre going or some aspect of our form, maybe foot strike, swinging arms or running tall.
However, it goes without saying that breathing is critical when running. Breathing is what gets oxygen to your muscles to give you energy to run. You need enough oxygen to sustain the effort you are putting in.
The worst thing that can happen is if you start to panic that you are not getting enough air. This is when you start breathing uncontrollably to get more air in and will most likely have to stop to recover.
The key is to moderate your pace and breathing together so that they are in sync with each other. i.e. the faster you go, the faster you need to breathe. However, if your breathing becomes too fast you can reduce it but only by reducing your pace at the same time.
To do this, you take the same number of strides for every breath in or out. The number of strides will be dictated by the intensity of the workout and also your average cadence (how many strides you take per minute).
The numbers below are my suggestion but you may want to add 1 to some if you have a particularly high cadence (200+).
Interval pace (more than 90% effort) – 1 stride per breath in or out
Tempo pace (80-90% effort) – 2 strides per breath in or out
Marathon pace (70-80% effort) – 3 strides per breath in or out
Long run pace (60-70% effort) – 4 strides per breath in or out
Easy pace (less than 60%) – 5 strides per breath in or out
Taking marathon pace as an example, you would start breathing in when your left foot touches the ground. You would keep breathing in while your right and left touch the ground again.
Start breathing out when your right hits the ground for the second time. Continue to breathe out as your left and right touch the ground again. The cycle starts again when your left foot hits the ground for the fourth time and you start breathing in again.
If youâre having difficult getting the rhythm right simply start by counting rather than breathing. Count as your feet hit the ground, replacing âOneâ with âInâ or âOutâ depending which way you are breathing – âIn, two, three, out, two threeâ.
If youâve got the rhythm but finding you need more breath then try breathing a bit more deeply. You can practice breathing more deeply without running just by sitting and trying to breath in counting up to ten and out counting up to ten.
If youâre still having problems and need to breathe faster then try dropping your pace slightly to make it easier. It may seem counterintuitive to take fewer breaths when running at an easier pace but because you are not working as hard you wonât need to breathe as fast.
You should be able to reach a point where you can take three strides per breath but you cannot run any faster. This is fine – your breathing is now limiting your pace not the other way round. Breathing is the most important thing, pace comes second.
Now that youâve mastered the trick, you can run faster by changing your breathing pattern. If you want to run at tempo pace, just take two strides per breath instead of three. You can even change it mid run if youâre doing a session with variable pace in it.
There are three great benefits to this. Firstly, your breathing is now controlled. Secondly, your pace is now controlled. The third benefit is more subtle.
You may think you have no issues with breathing and always feel comfortable. But it may be that you always have the same stride to breath pattern and it may be inefficient. If you are only taking two strides per breath even on long or easy runs, the chances are those breaths are quite shallow so you are not practising the deep breathing youâll need when pushing yourself.
You may also be running those long or easy runs faster than you mean to. Following this technique and taking 4 or 5 strides per breath will really limit the pace you can manage. However, it should still feel easy because your breathing is slow, deep and controlled.
Try following the breathing maximisation technique next time youâre out for a run and let your core control your legs not the other way round!
I was flying at the start of the year. Iâd clocked my fastest mile ever in training and had my sights set on beating my shorter distance PBs. I ran a 5 mile PB in challenging conditions and had a 10k round the corner. I was about to start training for a marathon PB in the summer.
Then I decided to take on a half marathon fell race. It seemed sensible to get some hill training ahead of a mountain race in France I was doing at the end of summer. Iâd been going about 5 miles; some steady up followed by very uneven terrain across the top and a rapid descent.
It was misty and Iâd lost sight of the runners ahead but at least I could hear the traffic on the road down below. I wasnât far away but the grass was wet and slippery. I made a split second decision to move onto rocks and stones over to the right to avoid sliding down the slope.
As I landed on my right foot it rolled out too far to the right as the rocks gave way and I let out a howl. After a few moments I got back to my feet and although the pain wasnât too bad I knew something was wrong. I hobbled down to the road and contemplated hobbling round to the finish.
Instead, I decided to take my shoe off to inspect the damage more closely. I could immediately see what the issue was. I had a bruise the size of a tennis ball on the side of my foot. There was no way Iâd be able to get the shoe back on even if Iâd wanted to. Moments later my clubmate caught up with me, took one look at my foot and told me to get to hospital. My race was over.
I was lucky, or so I thought. I hadnât broken anything but I had damaged the ligaments in my foot. I was given crutches and prescribed a course of PRICE (Painkillers, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation – actually compression wasnât mentioned in this case so maybe it was RIPE!) I would get physio on it in a weekâs time.
After a week I barely needed the crutches and I had my initial assessment with the physio. My rehabilitation was going well. However, Iâd been warned that initial progress would be much faster than subsequent progress.
Days turned into weeks with my question at every physio session – âWhen can I get back running?â. At first he pretty much laughed my question off as if I was joking then after a while started to set my expectation that I was still a couple of weeks off.
About 4 weeks after my injury I went back out for my first run. I intended to run slow and only a mile or so but I ended up doing 4k at a decent pace. The following week I did 4 miles and ran a decent 5k. I still had 7 weeks until the marathon I should have been training for. Maybe I could still make it?
Six weeks later Iâm a week out from the marathon. Iâm going to do it but seriously wondering if that was sensible. My foot feels ok when running but I can feel it niggle the rest of the time. I know I havenât dedicated enough time to strengthening it.
My training program has been âdesignedâ to build up my long miles with plenty of rest days to try and recover. The result is that a lot of the shorter faster and hillier stuff has been left out which means I canât compete at the level I want to.
If Iâd sacrificed the marathon I might have been further down the road to ironing out the problems in my foot. I might have been able to compete better over the shorter distances. The problem is that we as runners are stubborn. We donât like to be told we canât do something. Iâm going to do this marathon. But what am I doing it for?
In my defense, if it had only been the marathon I would probably have pulled out of it. 5 weeks after the marathon I take on the Canigou race in the Pyrenees in France. It is race I am completely unprepared for but it holds sentimental value for me and I need to complete it in whatever fashion I can (which for me will probably be walking large sections of it).
The idea of training for the marathon first was to get some distance into my legs ahead of that race. I didnât feel ready to do hill training (though I will start if I get through the marathon in one piece). Iâm now petrified of steep downhills. And the marathon is fairly flat. At least Iâll have some distance in my legs I thought. There is method in the madness. Somewhere.
The problem is that I see everyone else in tip-top shape for the marathon and wonder what my aim is here. I honestly donât know what is realistic. I should be happy just to complete it in any time. But it would be nice if it wasnât my slowest ever. Or if it was faster than my first. The mind sets goals that the body may not be capable of.
Iâve been very lucky; this is the first time Iâve ever been injured and itâs not been too serious. But it has still impacted my training for nearly 3 months now. However, I can empathise better how it can hit you mentally. It is difficult to accept that it will take time to get back to where you were. It isnât easy to see others breezing past you. And I now realise how hard the work is that will get you back to where you were.
7 tips to stay or get injury free
Donât race something you are not ready for
When deciding this, consider not only the distance and your own fitness but the terrain, altitude, climate and your health on the day. In my case this applied to the fell race especially. I hadnât practised enough steep hill routes in training and was not cautious enough coming downhill. More training may not have stopped the accident but it would have made it less likely.
If you have an injury get expert medical advice
We as runners never want to hear that we are injured from an expert. That would make it real. That would stop us running. However, this is a short-sighted view because nipping an injury in the bud early will save a lot of downtime later on. Even if you are not sure, get it seen to by a physio or doctor. Donât rely on a self-diagnosis from the internet or anecdotal stories from unqualified runners.
Do what your physio tells you
Your physio is going to tell you do stretches in many cases to strengthen the injured area. These are not exciting. They are not setting PBs on Strava but they are what will get you there faster. I know that my progress was quicker on the weeks I did more of the stretches than others. They shouldnât take long, you just need to block off 10-15 minute slots to do them. Get them done, get back faster.
Cross-training is key
If you are unable to run for more than a couple of weeks you will start to lose the fitness you had built up. This is when you need a non-impact activity to do such as swimming, cycling or yoga. The problem is, if like me you donât do any of these regularly, then it can seem alien to start doing these once you are injured. Pick a cross-training activity that you like and start it when you are fit once a week so that you have something should you need it. In any case it is beneficial within your training to give your legs one non-impact training day in the week.
Manage your body after training and races
There are a few things you can do here. Firstly, you should stretch after every session. 15 second stretches for your calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors etc will restore the muscles to their normal length and reduce the likelihood of tightness. After long runs, I find a cold bath works wonders to get the legs to recover faster. They are not pleasant when you are getting in but you do get used to it after the initial shock! You could also get a sports massage from time to time which will help any tightness and get rid of the lactic acid in the muscles.
Rest – donât overtrain!
Giving your body an extra day to recover from time to time is not going to adversely affect your overall training plan. Rest is important especially if you are feeling a potential problem area. You should also rest if you are ill. A head cold is usually ok to run with but you should rest with anything chesty or more serious. If in doubt, leave it out. Overtraining can happen if you are trying to build up your training, possibly when targeting a new distance. Rule of thumb is no more than a 10% increase in weekly running mileage or long run mileage otherwise you run a higher risk of injury as your body is not used to the extra strain.
Stay mentally focused
If you suddenly get an injury it is easy to switch off and let it get you down. You quickly need to refocus and build towards a new target. The new target may just be getting back to fitness or it may be a more realistic running target. If youâve had a very long term injury, try and focus on seasonsâ bests rather than personal best. Stay in contact with runners who will check how you are, have recovered from injuries themselves or just generally give you a mental boost.
Being injured is the worst thing for a runner. If you are not prepared for the possibility, it can knock you for six both physically and mentally. However, taking as many steps towards injury prevention as possible coupled with a strategy to get back to fitness if an injury does occur should stop injuries derailing your running completely.
