A much better week for training, and I am really starting to notice an improvement in my short distance pacing. On Tuesday I did my usual 2 mile run with the beginners in my running group, and then hoofed it round to Medina Leisure Centre alone for 2 miles. It went VERY well with both miles falling within the 9-10 minute zone, so I was a bit chuffed with that! I was sweating in a very unladylike way by the end though!
Wednesday
I was lucky enough to be joined by a small group of lovely friends for this post-work hill-fest! We hoped to do around 5 and it turned into a very hot 5.7, using the undulating roads around Carisbrooke and Froglands (including the ever popular Nunnery Lane!). With different speeds in the group we all ran where our pacing felt the most comfortable, with faster members returning to the back every so often to keep the group together, and although the hills were hard work it was a very pleasant run. My one concern this week is a funny pain at the back of my left knee. It feels as if my hamstring is particularly tight, and it only causes a problem if I stand still for too long or crouch/kneel down. Deb swears by her massage roller, but with my back problem I actually find it hard to support my upper body enough to use one effectively, so I will have to do more stretching and get the old faithful stick roller out instead… nothing like a good rolling to make a leg feel as good as new!
At what point should a runner stop running and rest for a few days? How bad does the pain/discomfort need to be? Well – we get asked this a lot in the shop, and there is no definite answer as all pain is subjective and therefore entirely down to the viewpoint, health, physiology and opinion of the person feeling it! Not all pain is significant, but if your pain/discomfort is always making you turn to pain-relief before heading out on a run, you have an issue you need to address, or a psychological dependence you need to break. You should not make a habit of using Ibufen/Ibuprofen/pain-killers before a run as this can play havoc with your pain receptors and hydration, and has even been known to cause kidney or liver failure in severe cases. The pain information your brain receives is vital to warn you of impending trouble, or to advise you to slow down and take things easier, and to keep masking that is asking for trouble.
Thursday
With our Running Club – the IOW Road Runners – away at another venue tonight, Simon and I decided to run to and from work for a change to get some mileage in. We live 5 miles away from work, but we did not run the whole way as we have a cunning parking space 2 miles from home, where we leave the car! It was a brisk 3 mile trot into a stiff wind to get in today, and man oh man – I am NOT used to morning runs these days! I felt as if my ankles didn’t want to flex at all when we started, but as I was still managing around 10 minute mile pace for the first 2 miles it couldn’t have been as hard as it felt! The knee/leg felt absolutely fine, though a few times during the day it went tight and uncomfortable. Whenever I was working in the back office I would stop to do a few squats to loosen things up, but was always mindful not to do anything jerky or harsh. Our marathon buddy Sarah has sadly pulled a muscle due to an overenthusiastic lunge last week, so we are desperately hoping she will be well for Sunday’s run. Another 3 miles heading home, and the job’s a good ‘un!
Friday was supposed to be a gentle 20 minute run, but as it was my weekly ladies running group we did just short of 4 miles – which was actually 50 minutes all told (including loos breaks!!). I was feeling pretty tired by now and glad to be taking it easy, and it was no sacrifice having a running-free Saturday!
Most girls ought to have cialis tadalafil 10mg felt happy and satisfied then too. These people should not take anti-impotence tablets until india online cialis advised for the same. Many people prefer to visit psychiatric doctors to female generic viagra deeprootsmag.org resolve their problems. The foods that you need to integrate in your foods are green vegetables, oranges, watermelons, cayenne pepper, viagra sales in india ginger root, and omega 3 rich foods just to mention a few. Food: So should you change what you eat when marathon training? So far I haven’t done any alterations to my food at all, except that I haven’t berated myself so much for craving the odd glass of fizzy drink!! Simon has been looking into recommended daily carb consumption though, and is encouraging me to go for more white rice, bread and pasta than usual – which feels so naughty! OK then – if I must! You must definitely NOT expect that increased training will lead to weight loss (the body is under more stress and will stockpile every bit of nutrition it can now) and I would NOT recommend training whilst under any kind of weight-loss diet. For running you need carbs, you need protein and you need plenty of vitamins and minerals too… don’t mess about with fat-free or carb-free diets, don’t deny your body the protein it needs and please don’t start cutting meals. Snacking regularly on good food, and not eating too late in the evening, is excellent for the body, but sadly not easy for some of us. You won’t want too much fibre around race day either, so go easy on the cereals and wholewheat products in the final week to avoid “runner’s tummy”.
Sunday
Long run day again, and this time the plan said to do 13, so naturally we set out to do 14! Sadly Deb had to work and Sarah was still off injured, but Tracy was able to join me – as did Simon D, Ian and my awesome friend Coral (who inspired me to consider doing a marathon in the first place!). I had a cracking route planned which took in the rural areas of Wootton, the old railway line and the riverbank from Newport to East Cowes, and it went extremely well. Although naturally faster than us by dint of their long legs, the two chaps kept returning to the back of the group to stay with us ladies, and it was a very happy run. My ankle played up a couple of times (I decided not to wear the support this week, and it was certainly no worse than usual), but mostly it was a pain-free and consistent run that felt strong and steady (until the final 2 miles!). Ian regaled us this week with the “Southern Vectis Song”, but was extremely disappointed in our inability to manage to sing the chorus whilst running!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOx-tzXN3Pw
I have promised to try and learn some of the words in case we meet up at any point on race day!
Due to a dinner engagement with his lovely missus, we changed the route to run past the Folly Inn to drop Simon D. off, which meant that the rest of us had to tackle the onerous “Folly Lane” – yikes! Well, 70-something Ian sprinted the whole way like a gazelle, whereas 40-something me favoured the “gamboling hippo” approach, which then turned into a panting, puffing, WALKING hippo on the steepest parts! I am not too proud to walk when the need takes me, and will not be cross if I have to do the same on marathon day. Walking the hills and running the rest is an approach much favoured by long-distance runners, and if it is good enough for Scott Jurek, my running Club buddies and the Isle of Wight’s ultra-runner extraordinaire Dave Berridge – it is definitely good enough for me!
The run went well this week. I carried a rucksack with spare water, and as it was surprisingly hot again I used all that water by the end. I had no shoe discomfort, no pain (except in my stupid weak ankles), my knee is still a bit uncomfortable but NOT when I am running and I managed a good effort on the hills (except Folly Lane!). My efforts did leave me pretty tired and stiff in the afternoon, but my biggest mistake was sitting out in the sun for a couple of hours and getting over-hot, so my post run food intake was not what it should be.
My mileage this week has been the highest it has ever been – clocking up more than 30 in total, and I think I will have to rein myself back a little next week as the big 20 miler approaches…