Almost a nice (rather than ice) spring day so thought I would try a very slow run. At first planned on 3k, then 2 miles, and in the end got through 5k. Kept the pace extremely slow and felt very comfortable, just didn’t want to risk another pop of my hamstring, which thankfully behaved itself, hopefully I can keep running, even if it’s very slow for now!
It seemed a cold day for a run – too cold. Wind blowing, not nice at all. Something told me it wasn’t a good day for running, but the fatal Facebook effect took hold – lots of people posting results and pictures from the Wilmslow Half. Surely if people could go out and race 13 miles on such a freezng awful day, I could go out and run 3 or 4 miles slow just to keep the miles in my legs, right? Wrong!
Set off and was aware of feeling incredibly cold, my hands going red and numb almost immediately. Just settled into a very slow pace, and clicked through 1k with no trouble. Coming up to the mile mark and planning a route in my head, was envisioning a nice gentle loop and doing about 5 miles, when twang, my hamstring blows. Walked for a little then tried to jog at a barely above walking pace, but twang, sayonara, sucker… You aren’t running for a while again.
So 9 miles on Monday, a faster 5k on Thursday (though still over 31 minutes), and a gentle trot today (was just turning 11 minutes at the one mile point) and twang, off it goes – looks like there is no rhyme or reason and I am not going to be able to trust my legs for an awfully long time as one day I can run, and get a nice pace or distance done, a few days later, it’s like I have a different pair of legs.
I think my days of running sub 50 10ks and sub 24 5ks, and in fact going for any kind of running intensity at all, are effectively over, incredibly frustrating when I read of people my age or a lot older running hard and doing well, as my body just keeps letting me down and stopping me doing one of the things that I really enjoy 🙁
Maybe I shall take up knitting until his effing cold weather effs off back to effing Siberia!
Really wanted to get out for a run and just get some exercise hormones flowing after quite a stressful and strange week.
Figured I might try 2 or 3k, and at first thought the hamstring was going to pop straight away but it didn’t. Kept the pace very slow, and when I got to 3k, decided to keep going at the same slow pace, and although there as a slight twinge after I’d stopped at traffic lights, it passed and I was able to complete 5k in 38 minutes without the hamstring popping painfully, so it’s a start!
After my last entry, I managed to get back to the Sweatshop Running Community in Hyde and run a full 10k as backmarker, gathering pace at the end (as far as I gather pace these days) and while I was vaguely aware towards the end of the hamstring, it was fine and had no further sensations.
Next day was fine, until suddenly I was walking down the street and it kind of popped again. Rest up for several days, tried to run 2 miles at a very slow 12 minute mile jog, and it was popping horrendously by the end end so I had to give up.
Took about 2 weeks off, during a time that was so stressy I really really needed some exercise, and then went out tonight, ran a very sedate pace, but by the end of 2 miles my left leg was not happy all over again.
Really don’t know what to do, if two weeks total rest from running doesn’t seem to have helped, where do I go from here? No, I can’t afford physios etc. 🙁 What I don’t get is after the initial trauma, it wasn’t long before I was back running, didn’t seem to have any problems, now I’m resting for 2 weeks and can’t get through 2 miles at a very slow pace…
Have tried massaging and stretching in the meantime, doesn’t seem to have helped.
Time to venture out to Sweatshop Hyde running group again, and this time decided to do the 5k followed by the new mid week 10k group which was set to run at an easier pace than the usual Wednesday 10k crew.
Felt good on the 5k, a nice warmup, ran out at the front quite a bit and felt stronger than I have in a while. Tried to conserve energy for the following 10k but didn’t do too good a job of this.
Got a bit cold waiting for the 10k to group and set off, tried to stay moving. My plan was to run most of the route and then break off and head back home when the group reached Denton, rather than running all the way back to Hyde and then having to bus it back.
Lot of ice around, which was negotiated safely, and I felt strong, and put in some strides, mostly running out at the front. When we got to Denton my laces came undone so I stopped for a minute, and elected to catch the group up then turn back towards home further down Hyde Road. Managed to catch the group, then turned off, and about 200 yards from home my hamstring twanged and I cam to a stuttering halt 🙁
So if it’s not my lower right leg, it’s my upper left leg – looks like a few days off running at least, and another slow comeback after feeling the fitness was coming right back. Glad I have not entered any races apart from Great Manchester, would just be a waste of money at the moment as I seem to get more and more injuries so will have to go back to slow jogging again…
Just for my own personal record, I have missed a couple of updates, so just making a brief note of them:
The other week, did a 6.5 mile hillyish run with SRC, meeting new people and seeing some familiar faces, and ran at the back at a nice slowish pace. Leg was fine the next day.
This Sunday 11/11/12, did a gentle 5 miler in about 55 minutes, leg felt a little niggly, but still ok as long as I keep the pace down to a very gentle trot.
Will keep plugging away!
10 days or so since I went to the sweatshop Hyde 5k group, leg flared on weightbearing somewhat after that so decided not to run.
Have opted into the Halloween run this Weds, as would like to have a bit of fun in fancy dress. The plan was to go swimming today but the school hols somewhat messed up that plan as the pool was closing in 10 minutes when I got there.
So decided to do a short run, and see how my leg was holding up – was aware of discomfort in the lower right leg as usual after the first step, and it was present all the way through the run, despite going at the meagre pace of 7 mins or slower per km. Felt fine fitness wise but really not sure what is wrong with leg now, it’s been 2 months since Salford 10k, have rested up for weeks at a time, but this problem isn’t going away – just hope it’s not another winter of no running as visits to the pool could be costly!!
Another 5k with mixed feelings, right leg never felt 100% but seemed to survive if I kept the pace really slow. Had been swimming earlier in the week, which is great, but at £2.80 a time can work out more expenseive than hitting the road!
I have a current theory about my injury, which goes back to the fall I had over the summer, cracking my back hard on a rock. I’m wondering if I compressed a nerve, as when I had 2 weeks off running, some other symptoms I had, such as a mild numbness in certain places, subsided, but seem to have returned along with starting running again, so am wondering if running is putting pressure on it and this is in fact what is causing the leg pain…
I will see what happens after this run. It may be that I need an extended break for the nerve to uncompress itself (funnily enough, after swimming, and stretching my body out, the symptoms greatly ease). Maybe I will even have to quit running altogether.
Good or bad news? Who knows! I’m thinking of the Zen story where a farmer’s son breaks his leg, but thus avoids being conscripted into the army and killed. Maybe my injury will help me avoid a rendezvous with a truck or maniac gunman…
A very gentle 5k run to test out my legs. Was ready to abort at any minute if I felt pain, must admit legs didn’t feel as solid and dependable as I would have liked… Wore my tracksuit bottoms for the first time with long sleeved top, felt quite chilly out there.
Set a very sedate pace of about 7 mins per k and soon warmed up. Lungs and heart seemed to respond well, and managed 5k without feeling any sort of discomfort or breathing hard, will now see how the leg reacts to this, before deciding what to do next.
Had the week off running after a disappointing race and some soreness in my ankle when bearing weight, so wanted to get a run in, even though it was my birthday, not sure I have run on my birthday before!
Set off at a very gentle pace after a chap on the road had joked I should be running dressed in shorts! Legs felt a bit painful, not sure why, knees were protesting a bit but it settled down and first km ticked over in about 6:30. Decided I was in the mood more for 5 miles than 5k, and planned a route accordingly, as I hit the road towards Hyde a boy on his back high fived me, which was nice, and then I took the uphills without too much pain, and once 3k was completed I felt strong and moved up to a tempo pace. I felt the odd protest in my right leg, but kept going, trying to keep cadence up and stride length a bit shorter, and was hitting 5:30/km pace. At one point a little bou started racing me and kept up a good pace for a bit so I told him he was really fast, who knows, I may have inspired a future Olympian!
Had to stop for traffic in the latter stages, and started to hurt around the 6km mark, but kept up a decent pace and at one point the garmin was showing 4:25/km pace though I couldn’t keep that up consisently. I thought I had run really well and might be in with a shout of a season’s best, and clocked 47:16. I checked it against previous runs and it wasn’t quite a season’s best – in fact the 3rd fastest 5 miler of the season, a little bit of my 46:45 in May, and still way off my 40:01PB set in 2010 I think. Still, it’s hard to tell from this run, as I had just had a week off and normally feel very rusty, so for all I know a few more runs and I could see some improvements.
Unfortunately my right leg seemed to flare up a little bit afterwards, did some stretching but will have to keep an eye on it, as I would like to keep running, even if I have to slow down – it’s hard to judge what I should do sometimes!
