A question of class

It's been almost 5 weeks since I stopped running. In that time I've inevitably been reflecting on something that just will not go away; will hard graft and determination ever be enough or do I need talent for this game? I think I have my answer.

 

I'm in my mid 30's, married with two young kids, have a full-time job and have been studying hard in the last 4-5 years as I bid to become a chartered building surveyor. In that same time period I have taken up running and have very little history in the sport apart from the requirement to be relatively fit whilst I served in the Army for 9 years.

 

What was the point of that last paragraph? Think about someone you know who might be in similar circumstances. When I do, I can think of no-one else mad enough to take so much on. Well, maybe both Consani's but I'll come back to why I believe it may work for them.

 

Looking around at big running events I see all age groups and people from all walks of life but a closer look reveals something interesting. Without being disrespectful to those not mentioned here I believe that most of those who take it seriously are broadly categorised as:

·         ‘the young without kids’,

·         ‘the same age as me without kids or kids who have grown into adolescence’, and,

·         ‘the older without kids or with kids who have flew the next’

 

My relationship with running has been a torrid affair, probably in no small part due to my self-demanding and competitive nature. Looking back there is a recurring theme; injury, illness and a dogged determination to keep trying.

 

Early last year I told my wife that I was going to give the running one last chance. So after 4 years of refusing to spend any money on running (because we had none), I persuaded my wife to let me spend what little savings we had for a training programme from an ultra running coach and a tailored nutrition programme from a nationally recognised body. In addition, I invested in 'all the gear' and any injury prevention gadget I could get my hands on and bought a whole host of books to inform my brain.

 

Prior to starting the training I was as primed as I had ever been. Then 8 weeks into the programme just as I was beginning to pat myself on the back for finally 'doing things properly', I got injured! Again. I ploughed on for 3 and a half months, trying this and trying that and then just got to the stage where I had to hold my hands up.

 

In the 5 weeks that have past I have honestly not missed running. I don’t know if this is because I am 5 weeks into a new thing which will be reported on in 7 weeks time or if I have genuinely had enough of the struggle.

 

In times like this I ask myself what it is that I truly miss about running. Without question it is the freedom of running trails and in mountains and in putting myself to the limits of my potential. These are things I cannot do injured BUT they are the very things I know I must keep aiming for. For this hard graft and determination are all that are required.

 

The problem with this comes when you enter events and undertake challenges which have time limits and are flooded with other ‘competitors’. You are provided with a tangible record of where you stand - ultra’s are fantastic at exposing you for who you are. Excuses only wash for so long. So with the thoughts of the last 5 weeks spinning around, I read this blog by Andy Bowen.

 

I have my answer. Allow me to summerise; class is permanent, form is temporary.

 

 

I'm out

There are a variety of ways I could’ve begun this post but the title pretty much sums it up. I’m out; completely out of 2013 – as far as running is concerned.

 

The notion doesn’t sit very well with me but I think I’ve got to the stage when I have to be realistic as opposed to optimistic. For 12 weeks now I’ve done everything to rid myself of my mystery hip injury and it shows no sign of abating. If anyone doubts this please refer here. I say mystery because one day it refers over the left trochanter, the next the right and the next the right groin – though the vast majority of the time I feel as though I have a tight groin – like every minute of the day. The only thing left to do is ask my GP for a referral for further up the chain – which is what I have now done.

I’m not going to drag this post out with an in-depth analysis of what I think went wrong and what the experts have thus far told me. The long and short of it is that I am still injured and I am unable to freeze time to allow it to heal – so that I can still take part in this year’s events.

I’ve already pulled out of the Calderdale. The fling is 3 months from now. The only way I would commit to that now is if my injury miraculously cleared up today – and it hasn’t. I went for a gentle 4 miler this morning and bang - within 20 minutes it started niggling again – spreading out from the groin. A sure sign that all is not right especially when one considers the lack of running I’ve done recently. Call it what you will; the last straw that broke the camels back.

So, considering I need to take a complete break from running I think it’s sensible to un-cancel my Hemorroidectomy. That will take place up to 3months from now and has a 6 week running lay-off thereafter. Perhaps it is a little clearer why I have said that 2013 is a complete wipe out? And that’s not counting any prognosis of the latest mystery set-back.

Yeah sure, I could have the op’ and do some build up to the WHW, Devil’ and High Peak 40 but I don’t want to just complete them. I know I can do them…..with injury. That’s a story I’ve lived. I want it to be different now; train properly and avoid injury.

Anyway, I’ve emailed the organiser’s/directors of the three races held over the West Highland Way and informed them of my decision to pull. I’ve been putting it off for weeks and today I just felt it was time I called it.

Where does that leave this blog? I’m a long way from finishing my four pillars of ultimate performance and reading this now I understand that it would seem how delusional I might seem. All I can say is that I don’t doubt myself. It may be that I am not destined to run and that I have wasted a precious amount of time simply trying to be more mediocre than before.

If that’s the case then so be it, time will tell. I intend to deal with this properly when my body lets me. And as there is still so much for me to share I will resume the blogging when the time is also right.

 

Strength workouts for runners

Each of these sessions should take no more than 20mins to complete.

A few years ago I learnt a couple of things about weight training that have stayed with me ever since. Before I go on I’d like to share them with you;

1.       When you train one part of the body during a session you must also train the opposite part. This ensures your training remains balanced. For example, if you intend on a bicep session you have to do the triceps too; chest and back etc.

2.       The only body parts/areas that should be trained on consecutive days are the abs (core) and the legs. This ensures adequate recovery and as we all know it is during recovery that improvements in fitness are made.

3.       Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to consume masses of protein either pre or post workout. As an endurance athlete you need 1.3g of protein per kg of body weight every day. Body builders need approx’ 1.7g per kg of body weight. The difference is more subtle than manufacturers of ‘muscle building’ supplements would have you believe.

I use free weights. However, you can use your imagination and utilise your own body weight, household items or pulley machines at your nearest public/private membership gym.

Many of you will be familiar with the terms ‘reps’ and ‘sets’, so I’ll not go down that road. Broadly speaking you should be looking to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise – with a weight that you struggle to do 15reps with.

Now then, having said that, I do something slightly different; I perform each exercise immediately one after the other and then that whole session counts as a set for me. I’ll then rest for a minute and repeat the whole thing again. I do that three times in total. Does that make sense?

I got this tip from the book; the 4 hour body. Essentially, it gets my heart rate pumping a lot more than it would do otherwise, it saves me loads of time and it turns my body into a ‘fat burning furnace’ when I’m at rest.

Our focus is on all body strength. So there are 3 upper body workouts and 2 lower body workouts. As said beforehand, Olga gave me the basis for these routines but I’ve subtly changed them to suit.

Note; if you aren’t familiar with these types of exercise and you feel you might want to give them a try, why not take a note and google or youtube them. That’s what I do, if I can’t visualise something.

Upper body 1 (chest and back)

1.       50 dumbbell jog swings

2.       Decline bench press

3.       Wide arm overhand pull-ups

4.       30 Decline bench sit-ups

5.       Bent over row

6.       30 decline bench twist-sits

7.       Underarm pull-ups

Upper body 2 (arms)

1.       EZ bar curls

2.       20 Tricep dips

3.       Hammer bar curls

4.       Decline bench overhead tricep press

5.       Dumbbell curls

6.       Lying cross over extensions

Upper body 3 (shoulders)

1.       Overhead barbell press

2.       Hammer bar curls

3.       Decline bench overhead tricep press

4.       Alternate overhead dumbbell press

5.       EZ bar shrugs

6.       Bent over rows

7.       Punch bag – all out for 30secs

Lower body 1

1.       Dumbbell squats

2.       Deadlifts

3.       Bulgarian squats

4.       20 Standing calf raises (with 40lb pack on)

5.       40 seated calf raises (40kg on knees)

6.       Hamstring curls (inverted on exercise ball)

Lower body 2

1.       Single leg squats

2.       20 clams

3.       Reverse dumbbell lunge

4.       20 standing calf raises (with pack on)

5.       40 seated calf raises (weight on knees)

In a future post, I’ll show how these are included in my programme but essentially I’ll get through all workouts within every two weeks. I also sprinkle in other strength related workouts in that same time period and in a future post I’ll log what those are specifically. For now though they relate to;

        I.            Core workouts

      II.            Plyometrics

    III.            Physiotherapy workouts

    IV.            Intense circuits

A new way to train

Around 6 months ago I penned a rather frustrated picture of myself in the curse of a novice runner. It was here that I acknowledged once and for all that four years of trying just wasn’t working out. I had been training hard (too hard) and was on the receiving end of set back after set back. That effort bred inconsistency and ultimately confusion.

I had been training via programmes I had built myself. They were based on military experience, the books I had read, an over-inflated ego and more recently the vast array of blogs I had been following.

The first mistake was the books. Until the last year or so I had only ever read books that were designed for marathon training and alike. I took the parts I thought to be important for ultra running and simply over-cooked them to form an ultra training programme.

 

The second mistake was allowing my ego to have a say. I believe that some people probably battle with this for a while (whilst others are oblivious) and very much like ultra running, this is a journey you-alone-must go through to bottom it out. I’m not out of the woods yet but I think I have a much better handle of it now.

The third mistake was studying blog after blog. This process really was like panning for gold. For every 50 or so blogs read I would probably find a tiny morsel worth holding onto. Don’t get me wrong, reading blogs is a great pastime but when you’re searching for answers against a backdrop of life’s issues and getting little in return the process is simply frustrating. I don’t tend to read anywhere near as much as I used too.

I understand that we are all different and therefore do not share the same intentions when writing; what might appeal to me will not to others and vice versa. For example, I know that some people find me to be too serious and yes that is one side to my personality.

However, I’m now in a position to share all of those tiny morsels and everything else that I have recently learnt as part of my Four Pillars of Ultimate Performance series; this, for example, is intended as a chapter within ‘Physical Conditioning’.

In the curse of a novice runner I stated that I had been training wrong BUT as it will be shown, I was doing nearly everything that I should’ve been. It just wasn’t structured properly and of course there was too much of it. I’m not talking about mesocycles and macrocycles – I’m on about the specifics of what to do during the week. I also concluded that post by saying I felt I needed help before I resumed training.

This is how I found it; a short time afterwards, and without consciously looking for any advice, I read Steve Q’s post about different types of coaches and how they should match the athlete. This had never occurred to me but made perfect sense. I followed a link from that post to Carilyn Johnson’s blog and from there followed another link to Olga King’s blog.

Olga speaks from the heart and is a straight-talker; consider the name of her blog. When I read that post I was spellbound and immediately felt a connection – one that led me to believe fate had crossed our paths. I acted upon that chance encounter straight away by emailing her.

In the end, the programme I received didn’t look all that different from what I was doing but it had subtle differences, was less time consuming and contained one new thing;

I’m still doing weights. Now however, I’m not trying to kill myself and set the bar higher with every session. This is probably a male thing (or and ego thing), I love doing weights but now I’ve come to realise its true purpose. Running is an all body exercise, just as rugby players must be bulky (to be robust), we must be robust (but in a specific way) to mitigate the continual rigours of running.

I will detail my weights sessions in future posts – like I have said previously though, Olga provided the basis of this new understanding, I have simply revised her workouts given to me.

I’m still cycling on my turbo trainer. This is used primarily as a cross training recovery session. When your running muscles are in need of some time off it is important to realise that you should still train the ventilating muscles – which account for up to 15% of your effort expenditure when exercising.

I’m still doing plyometrics. They’re not as explosive as the type I was doing beforehand but they’re at a good level of intensity and provide the right balance of what is required during my early phases of training.

Now for the big change; the running. This is devised around the McMillan method of running which essentially means that throughout your cycle (e.g. a week) you should run at varying intensities. No longer am I just running easy for most of the week with one lung buster thrown in for good measure.

Instead, this part of the training is incredibly structured by using a heart rate monitor. So for example, weekly (or cyclical) running volume should be calculated on the following basis;

·         Recovery sessions are done at between 65 and 72% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR).

·         Base (easy) sessions are done at between 72 and 79% of MHR.

The above should be 45% of your weekly total

·         Marathon paced sessions are done at between 79 and 90% of MHR.

90mins or 12% of weekly total

·         Threshold sessions are done at between 88 and 92% of MHR.

60mins or 10% of weekly total, track 800-1600m

·         Interval sessions are done at between 93 and 97% of MHR.

8% of weekly total, hills or track between 3-7mins

·         Repetition sessions are done at >95% of MHR.

5% of weekly total, 200-400m track

Clearly, this can get a bit technical for some people but you know there must be a good reason for its existence as a method of running training. And besides, if you’re leaving a coach to work it out for you all you need to do is follow the plan.

Please note this isn’t an argument for which method of running training is best. I’m aware there are different ways to train (Lydiard, Daniels, Cavona, etc) but this is my first taste of structured and specific running training. I’m also aware of the differences in training by perceived effort, heart rate range and pace range. For now, I will stick with the heart rate. Training by feel is my ultimate goal as I have acknowledged previously.

Obviously, one would not try to fit all of the zones (above) into a weekly cycle. I follow a process of 1 week recovery and three week progression where each of those three weeks gets incrementally more challenging. And each of these four week blocks are designed with a goal in mind too e.g. strength, endurance, speed, taper etc. So some cycles have more intervals in them than others.

One key thing to remember here though is that speedwork is included in every week. As I  said to the Pirate previously, this fact alone rules out any argument as to whether ultra runners should do any speed training or not.

In terms of physical conditioning, there is only one thing I have not addressed in my lead up to 2013. That is a proper base training phase. Olga has told me that would take 6months to do; therefore I do not have time. My intention is to get the Triple Crown done, take some time off (for my operation – referred to in the previous post) then build back up with said base training in preparation for my as yet undecided goals for 2014.

One other specific, I try to do all of my long stuff off road, on trails.

So I suppose all of this will only make sense if my performances pick up and I become a lot more consistent. Although I have been injured for the last 8 weeks, I am quietly confident that 2013 will be a good year.

Up until I received that hip injury I had been running stronger and more efficiently than ever. For example, I did a 1.5mile time trial on a treadmill and got a pb (sub 8mins) and was noticing finishing my long runs feeling as though I could do the same again i.e. not feeling washed out and ready for a rest.

 

For now though, I’m taking those nuances with a pinch of salt. Treadmill running for example is done predominantly with the hip flexors whereas natural outdoor running (at speed) can be dominated by the hamstrings (thanks to my mate Chris for this insight). My hip flexors are way more powerful than my hamstrings and always have been. Also, I have seriously addressed my nutrition and mental strength in preparation for 2013 – something else I wish to share as soon as I have the time to do so.

One of the benefits of this new training regime is the aerobic fitness consistency. Almost 2 weeks ago I was delighted to realise that my hip injury had cleared up. However, during that 14miler I pulled my right hip flexor.

I did what I always do and carried on running for another 4 days before I told myself to screw the nut and revert to cross training until it cleared up. As I’ve been following the principles of injury prevention and mitigation (recently penned), I hope I will be clear as of tomorrow’s 4 mile recovery run.

Anyway, by the time I had done that run 4 days after I pulled my hip flexor I was already back to my previous best running pace (at base pace). Beforehand, it would’ve taken me between 5-6weeks to get that fitness back. Needless to say, my confidence is good.

My confidence has also taken a surge recently having read Brain Training for Runners (BTR) and The Winners Brain (WB). I’m doing many of the things suggested in those books and ironically have been for a while now. For example, whenever I have been running within the last 12months my thoughts are focussed on my technique (BTR). More recently, those having read this blog will understand that I have been delving deep within to truly understand myself too (WB). I will write more about these books in future posts but if you want to cover every facet of your own running, I strongly suggest you get them for yourself.

I have essentially missed my strength build up phase (running wise) in my lead up to what is to come. But nothing is ever perfect and I’m fitter now than I would’ve been had I done what I was used too and taken a few weeks off – to recover!

From now until the fling I have two 4-weekly cycles of endurance build up, then a 4-week speed sharpening cycle before a taper. If I could work out how to put the programme on here in an easy to read format I would but I’ve not got the time to re-teach myself photoshop. Perhaps another day, just not this year I’m afraid.

What I might do is summarise a weekly or 4 weekly block in subsequent posts? I will also pen the specific workouts i.e. the nuts and bolts of what makes this thing stick together. As stated, I also really want to share what I’ve learnt about nutrition (Advanced Sports Nutrition, edn 2) and mental strength. But there’s only so much time in a day.

Here’s to later then……….

How much time do you spend writting a blog post?

It’s quite time consuming isn’t it?

It usually takes me in excess of 8 hours. However, this post should take me minutes to write.

What’s coming up? A new year with new seasons and therefore a cycle of training and events to suit. Here’s what I’m aiming for and what life has in store for me;

The Calderdale Hike (13^th April) – this is meant as preparation for the next race. It’s 36miles long and at this moment in time I have no idea how to approach it i.e. what strategy to adopt. All I know is that Olga says it should be ok for me to do. It’s also an opportunity to meet up with my mate Chris who will be returning the favour 2 weeks later.

The Highland Fling (27^th April) – this race has occupied my thoughts almost constantly for the last 18 months, you could say I have unfinished business with it. First and foremost, I must do myself justice in the training beforehand – both mentally and physically. If I get to Milngavie on the 27^th April I’m likely to be completely and utterly in the zone. Bring it on!

The West Highland Way Race (22^nd-24^th June) – Having done this beast late 2011, I now want to go for it under race conditions. I’m mindful of the fact that I have already placed more mental focus with the fling. However, I’m comforting myself with the fact that I have done virtually no running training for the last 8 weeks. Thus by the time I get to Milngavie on the 22^nd June I’ll have been training properly for 6 months – just about hitting my physical peak (fingers crossed).

courtesy of google images
 

The Lakeland 100 (26^th – 28^th July) – I’m not running this but one day will want to. My mate Chris is doing it and I’ve offered my hand in support. Having said that, I’m sure I’ve no idea of what I’ve let myself in for. Chris, I hope your itenary will be detailed to military precision!

The Devil O the Highlands Race (3^rd August) – I love the WHW and would like to see what I’m capable of over the latter half under race conditions. If I’m lucky enough to avoid injury and actually get to Fort William on this day then I’ll have achieved the unofficially titled ‘Triple Crown’; all three of the races held over the WHW within one calendar year. However, I’m not counting my chickens. There’s a good reason it’s not been completed by a large number of people.  

The High Peak 40 (21^st September) – I signed up for this earlier this year but pulled out due to being consumed with stress in the weeks leading up to the race. My mate Rob did this a few years ago and I believe it would be an opportunity for me to spread my wings a little. Again, having said that, I’m aware of my limits and being a novice to ultra running – one prone to injury – I would have to say at the moment, this is a bit of a pipe dream.

RICS APC (November) – This is completely unrelated to running. Having achieved my honours degree I’m now under pressure to become a Chartered Building Surveyor. Apparently this is the only way to prove my competence – written with cynicism for a very good reason.  

Hemorroidectomy – Anyone else suffer with piles? Ha. I had one of these way back in 1997 and another operation in 2009 prior to training for my BGR. It turns out I need another one – confirmed at a recent Sigmoidoscopy.

Clearly the last two headings pose me a bit of a problem.

·         First of all, the red tape brigade at my work need to get a grip – and that’s about all I can publicly write on the subject.

·         Secondly, writing good quality blog posts is time consuming. Going for your APC isn’t simply about going to an interview and telling the board how you do your job. No, instead you have to tell them what they want to hear. You have to play their game and to do that you have to learn how to play their game! Studying towards this objective is time consuming too.

·         Thirdly, it may come as no surprise to some but a huge part of my ultra training is mental preparation. For this I have to be completely focussed on the next ultra challenge. I’ve managed to juggle life’s quandaries to date but had really hoped that 2013 would be a clear run – it’s now not and I’m already struggling to overcome this frustration. I must find a way however.

·         And lastly, the bloody haemorrhoids! This is just typical. I have to go for my pre-assessment early next month with a view to getting the Op’ within a couple of weeks thereafter. This will involve up to 6 weeks off running post Op’. The only thing I’m thinking of right now is deferring it until later in the year. I’ve been waiting for the last 4 years to finally get rid of the monkey off my back (the distance learning honours degree) and then this. Besides, I’ve been living with blood constantly coming out of me for so long now – I’m sure I can keep on top of it for a few more months.

The further downside to this is that I’m not able to fully concentrate and write the kind of blog post that I want too in the forthcoming months – this frustrates me deeply.

On the bright side, if I get through all of my challenges and then have the Op’ in either September or October then I’ll have a couple of weeks off work to read up thoroughly in preparation for my APC!

One thing is for certain though - I’m sure life will throw in a few surprises no matter what I think or hope for.

Have a blast peeps

Injuries (updated); trying to prevent them and what to do when you get them

 

Runners get injured. If they don’t then they are either lucky, don’t work hard enough or are biomechanically perfect. It’s as it is with everything in life; far from ideal but what’s a man to do?

The four years I’ve spent trying to become a runner have been littered with injuries – all of which have contributed to inconsistent training and thus inconsistent performances. In the vain of writing what I wish I’d known back then..........

this post is about the processes I go through to avoid injury and then what I do when inevitability strikes.

Eat and drink sensibly

Water is vital to our survival. So are nutrients and vitamins. I will write a more detailed post on this in future but for now one must surely realise that keeping the body nutritionally healthy will only help matters.

 

To expand slightly; if you unbalance your hormones as often happens during extreme exertion you are practically asking for trouble. Sometimes we seek this and on other occassions it cannot be avoided but doing it every time you go for a long run is foolish. You must eat and drink whilst training and you must focus on recovery to avoid the issues associated. Here's a few things I do;

1. never train on an empty stomach

2. ensure my last meal/snack pre-training has carbs in it - slow release only

3. avoid comfort foods as much as possible - think foods with a high fat content

4. try to only have sweet foods either just before I train (within 15mins), during training or within 4 hours of finishing my training

5. have carbs during my training runs - all over 90mins

6. always take a gel with me on every run - just in case of a sugar crash

7. have a post training snack consisting of 1gram of carb for every kilo I weigh e.g. 70kg equals the need for 70g carbs within 30mins of completing a key session. This roughly equates to a couple of medium sized banana's and a nesquick milkshake.

8. have a high quality meal within 2hrs of completing a key session i.e. good quality protein, low fat content with slow release carbs in the form of vegetables e.g. a roasted chicken breast with savoy cabbage and mashed sweet potato.

9. I eat between 5 and 6 times per day and try to avoid hunger.

10. some supplements; glucoseamine sulphate and Omega 3 for natural anti-inflammitories and also Neovite for repair and recovery. Cherry juice is exceptional in terms of speeding up the recovery process. Some supplement with this for 7 days leading up to an event to mitigate muscle damage.

Train smart

This means I only do what I need to do to achieve my goals and nothing more. It means I avoid overtraining and becoming fatigued more than I need to be. However, the last 4 years has left me incredibly frustrated with this part – so I contacted Olga King and begged her to help me. I now leave the thinking to her. The Heart Rate Monitor is an essential piece of kit for this.
 

Strength training

Part of my weekly routine is to work on my whole body strength; upper body, lower body and core. And this shouldn’t just be the big compound moves and large muscles – it’s equally important to focus on all the little muscles – the ones that provide support and stability for everything.

Olga gave me some routines to do but as I only have free weights at home I’ve adapted the routines to suit me. Essentially I will do 3 sets of 12 with a weight that I struggle to lift 15 times. Actually I do something a little different but from experience it’s difficult to explain in writing – you get the jist; do some strength training.

I will expand on this with specific types of workouts at some point in the future.

 

I also do some basic plyometric exercises and some bosu ball work. The plyo’s are usually done after a quality speed session and my gut feeling is that this technique really improves strength and efficiency.

The bosu ball is a tremendous piece of kit, especially for the lower limbs. The more you can do on one leg the better for your running efficiency.

Stretching

I have another routine which I try to do most evenings. It only takes about 10-15mins. I don’t go for the stretching each area 3 times for 30 seconds each way. Instead I just do each area once and for about 20-25seconds each way. I got this tip from the Men’s health book ‘Beat Any Injury’. Apparently, the body gets just as much benefit from one stretch as it does three; Bonus – some time saved there!

Wear compression socks

One of the injuries I suffer with is tenderness and pain in my Achilles. I’ve found that calf raises helps to prevent this but so too does wearing compression socks – especially when running on hard monotonous surfaces like roads. I don’t have to wear these type of socks when out on uneven terrain though.

some extra's
it's a really good idea to warm up properly prior to going for a long run. You should do some dynamic stretches and if you've just got out of the car to go trail running it might also be a good idea to pre-empt that warm up by using heat packs over areas prone to injury and niggles. For example, the hip flexors are prone to problems due to the amount of time many of us spend sitting.

when you finish your run you should do some stretches and if possible should ice the legs. This speeds up the recovery process - especially important if you're set for another long run the day after. You can either find a small stream near your car and sit in it for between 5-10mins or you can have some ice packs in a cool box (in your car - along with your banana's and milkshake) and get these on your legs as soon as you get back to the car. Once home and after your shower get some emu oil on those legs (thanks to Ali Bryan Jones for this one) alternatively you could try magnesium oil.

 

Now I’ll explain what I do when I get minor aches and pains…..

Ice

If I’m near home, I’ll try to get some ice on the affected area – for about 10-15mins. And I’ll repeat this throughout the day, maybe another once or twice if I have the time. If the pain persists (unusual for minor stuff) then I might continue to do this for another day or two. Then it’s time to reintroduce blood.

Compression gear

This stuff gets the blood circulating i.e. delivers nutrients and oxygen whilst retracting the bad stuff. It’s good to get some heat applied to stubborn areas too.

Self massage
I have a foam roller, a little sports ball and a little massage tool. All are used for different areas of the body and have a unique way of dealing with certain tweaks.

I was side-lined for 4 months after my WHW challenge. Why? Because I did it with an ITB strain. Ok so I had done little training in the 3 weeks prior to it in the hope that it would clear up. And to a certain extent it did except for the absolute pure agony I endured for the last quarter of that challenge. How did I eventually rid myself of this problem? A big part of it was using the foam roller. But if you think it’s going to be easy, think again. The pain one goes through using this bar-steward
is full-on!

I also have a TENS machine and an ultrasound machine. I also believe that the ultrasound machine is an invaluable piece of kit. I bought it from some beauty website but it still does the same thing whether you apply it to your face or your affected area. The ultrasound might come with two settings; low and high. The low should be used for deep tissue injuries and high for those nearer the skin surface. For acute injuries, you can use every day once or twice.

And now for what I do when things go from bad to worse….

Continue to do all of the things above
To save from repeating myself, all of the above is continued where it can be i.e. when it’s not painful to do so.

Ignore the pain and continue to train

Not intended as advice, more just the first thing I usually do – like many of us.

Stop doing the type of training that results in the pain

Notice I didn’t say ‘causes the pain’? There’s a reason for that and I’ll come to it in a bit. Yes unfortunately this is the bit that most runners have a problem with. It halts progression in running gains and by the time the runner is able to resume specific training often takes him/her back a few stages in that progression. 

Psychologically, this is made worse for the athlete who has ambitions to do well in a forthcoming competition/event. Time stops for no-man!

Fortunately you can still train if you can find an activity which doesn’t hurt you. But why would you when it’s running you love? Well, there are whole books written about this but for me one of the stand out things is the need to keep the cardiovascular system active. 

Yes you’re going to lose some running gains but if you simply stop training then it’s going to take you a lot longer to get your running fitness backonce you get over your injury.

 

At home (during the week), I’ll get on my turbo trainer and replicate whatever session I was down for that day. On a Saturday, I’ll try to get down the local municipal gym (sweat factory) and cross train for around 3hrs and follow with maybe a couple on Sunday.

What I would like to add here is that you should really focus on your leg strength work during this phase. Ohterwise, as soon as you resume running you will notice that your legs are  unusually unconditioned i.e. you will fatigue quicker than you remember beforehand.

If the injury is really bad, perhaps you can do some aqua running. I used to do this after big sessions in the Lake District as it was a great way to flush the toxins out of the legs. It’s also good for when you have DOMS.

Email and speak to other runners

With my most recent injury, I emailed Olga. She has a vast amount of experience and straight away offered two suggestions as to what she thought it might be. She also told me to continue with the training albeit substituting the running with something else that didn’t hurt.

Add a query to a runners forum
I actually did this with runnersworld but got no repsonses. I think this may have been for two reasons; 1. the time of the week that I posted - very late on a mid week evening, and 2. the post was very technical.

Start reading up about the injury

The sports injury clinic website is a great starting point. It’s not too technical and gives you just about the right level of information to get you going. This will often hone me in on some key words which I take note of then google afterwards.

 

So for example, with my latest injury I knew the area. After looking though this website I had more of an idea what was going on but my search was expanding on the basis of options offered to me.

 

I googled each diagnosis separately and like a mind map found that two or three theme’s kept being repeated. I now had a better idea of what was going on.

 

You tube is also very good in terms of watching how some physiotherapy exercises are supposed to be done correctly.

Re-read your books

For many runners (me included) the head needs to be in the right place prior to undertaking big challenges; doubt within regarding previous injuries can manifest itself in failure. Therefore this process is a great to reinforce your understanding of the injury.

Ch14 of Noakes is superb. Here you are told to prioritise treatment of what causes the injury rather than just the symptoms. Put simply, if what you have is as a result of overuse – you have a problem. If on the other hand, it is as a result of some external trauma e.g. a sprain, then you know what you need to do.

 

‘Running anatomy’ and ‘beat any injury’ are brilliant books in that they help to refine what you think you know and also offer physiotherapy exercises specific to each problem i.e. they explain how to address the cause of your problem. I haven’t got round to reading ‘brain training…’ yet.

Arrange an appointment with a sports injury specialist

This should be done in tandem with your self understanding of the injury. After all, hardly any of us have the time available to spend whole swathes of time reading up. For my most recent injury, I spent an hour here and half an hour there over the course of 3 weeks trying to get to grips with what was going on.

My appointment helped in terms of the physio giving me some specific exercises which isolated a certain area. It’s not the panacea though and as I still had some doubt I had to continue to pursue a more definitive answer.

Arrange an appointment with a masseuse

As part of my injury prevention processes I have been visiting Linda Curry, a registered masseuse, once a month for some maintenance work. With a bit more understanding of this injury I explained all to her at my most recent visit and she set to work on the area.

There are many techniques a masseuse can use as therapy; Linda specialises in Myofascial release. After the last session I began to feel slightly better about my predicament.

In terms of timing; a deep tissue massage should only be done 3-5days pre-race, 3-5days post race or 1-2days pre or post a long training run depending on your own recovery ability.

Arrange an appointment with an osteopath

The spine is the most important component of the body. Anyone who suffers with chronic back pain will testify to this. A huge tip is to always take care of your spine. Why do you think we runners care about our core so much?

One of the things I read about my injury was that a tilting of the hips could cause the problem. My visit to Vince Matthews was a big help as he confirmed that there were no major issues with my hips and spine.

Get your gait analysed

I haven’t done this on the basis that I believe my most recent injury was caused by trauma – as opposed to overuse. Once you have this done, I dare say you will be offered some cure – usually in the form of an expensive pair of trainers or shoe inserts.

 

If I sound negative about that - its because I am. Orthotics might work for some but they didn't for me. The 4 months I spent in rehab earlier this year was possibly 2 months longer than they needed to be - because of an orthotic I had been prescribed. Recurring back injuries finally woke me up!

As a slight side issue, I have spent the last 12 months making minor adjustments to my own running gait. There are two reasons for this; one in the hope that I reduce my chances of getting injured more often in the future and two in the hope that my running becomes more efficient – especially important for ultra running. Whether or not this works only time will tell. From what I’ve read, research into this process is inconclusive i.e. actively changing your natural gait.

If after 3-5 weeks you’ve still got some problems then you will have to seek a more permanent solution.

The NHS

We are quite fortunate in the UK. But any responsible person understands that things like an MRI scan cost the tax payer a heck of a lot. This is one of the reasons I try to deal with the injuries myself. There’s also the issue of time as it can take months to finally see a specialist.

My most recent injury

It’s exactly 5 weeks since I first felt this one and whilst I’m not completely out of the woods, at least now I can see through them. I went for a run today (6.5miles) and felt some minor pain but the key thing is that I have been able to walk freely afterwards.

I have followed all of my own advice and according to today’s run have lost between 15-20seconds per mile from my running at base pace. I’ve seemingly not suffered with fatigue from yesterdays sweat session either, so that’s quite promising too.

If anyone has any idea about this injury I’d be relieved to hear from you;

 

Pain over my left trochanter felt at first by a tendon flicking up and down over it. When I stop running the whole of the left of my hip was quite sore and tender and was making it very difficult for me to walk. I also have sciatic nerve pain deep in my upper left buttock – almost constant.

I believe I have knocked my piriformis out of its usual alignment. This has caused it to become strained under tension on the left side and coupled with other small muscles such as the iliacus and tensor fascia latae has manifested as pain over the trochanter and has also trapped or impinged on the sciatic nerve.

 

The single best form of therapy for this injury (whether I’m right or not) has been the Myofascial release and I intend to re-visit Linda soon. The down side to this is clearly financial as after the next visit I’ll have no money left until the next pay day – mid January!

Nevertheless, my coach has told me that I can just about manage to achieve my goals for 2013 if I am able to resume proper training by January. Fingers crossed.

In summary my weekly routine is self-reffered to as a 'sprinkling of several ingrediants' which are geared to keep me free from injury.  And although I don't have all the answers I'm somewhat comforted when I do suffer a set back that I have some means of trying to get over it.