week ending 25/5/14

just 55 miles in 9 runs - cramp in quads, feet, and chest still stopping me.  This run of low milage weeks in an already inconsistant season means I believe I cannot now run a good 100km this year.  So, I have decided to bow out of competition and pass into retirement with a fizzle.  I might try again if my Lyme symptoms disappear, but being now two years post-treatment, they are most likely to remain.

In the end, I have not achieved anything of note over the 100km, but I certainly could have.  More important than anything else, I put heart, body, and soul into giving it 100% and so retire contented.

Week ending 18/5/14

The cramps continue, limiting me to just 58 miles in 9 runs this week.

week ending 11/04/14

Just 15 miles this week in 3 runs.  The knee cap appears to be OK again so I will try a week of steady running and plan where to go from here.  The edinburgh marathon is certainly now off though, falling less than 2 weeks away.

Cramps and fatigue have been pretty bad again for all of the last 10 days, and I've needed lots of sleep despite not training - the third period like this in the past 9 months - hopefully its just another virus triggering the Lyme symptoms again but it is worrying.

week ending 04/05/14

Just 5 miles this week, a mid week test for the kneecap - was painful the next day.  Cycled to work 3 days, but cycling doesn't stop the fitness draining away in my experience.  Have also been feeling fatigued and headachey this week, hopefully its just a virus and not Lyme symtoms returning again.

week ending 27/04/14

Another set-back:  Just 25 miles in total this week in 4 runs, because I have a sore knee cap - a problem experience tells me is unlikely to disappear quickly.

I've had this 4 or 5 times in the past 4 years:  Its caused by cramping (Lyme related) and shortening of my quads which alters patella tracking and irritates the cartiladge.  Its fixed by lots of quads massage along with hip and quad strengthening exercises.  In the past it has taken between 3 weeks and 4 months to get back to running.

Very frustrating - yet again I've travelled the route from anger to sadness to acceptace that this is just how it is.  Now, it boils down again to my choice, either to give it up or to give it 100% one more time, and I can't answer this until I see how long it takes to heal.

week ending 20/04/14

A good week.  The 2.2mile race was a shock to the system, I felt strong but uncoordinated, and never really settled.  I didn't push too hard because of the recent mystery injury - with no sign of that coming back I should now be safe to start 800m reps this coming week.

Total Miles	Total number of runs	Quality sessions	Longest run	Other
111	14	2.2mile race 6.5mile Fartlek	18.5	c.30mins massage X7 c.10mins yoga X7 Hip+Core work X1

wk ending 13/04/14

The injury...healed! Whatever it was causing swelling and pain behind the tibia for 5 days subsided by last weekend, so after a couple of short test jogs on sat and sunday, I restarted training on monday:

Total Miles	Total number of runs	Quality sessions	Longest run	Other
105	13	4 mile fartlek	18 miles	c.30mins massage X7 c.10mins yoga X7 Hip & Core work X1

Decided not to do any testing speedwork this week as a precaution and after feeling pretty stiff monday and tuesday, I felt better as the week went on.

I really don't know what the injury, even with cycling and aquajogging last week helping with bloodflow and speeding up healing, 7 days for something so painful is almost unbelievable.  (I did 13 rides totalling c.90 miles, pushing with my heels on the pedals to rest my toes, and 1/2 hour 'hard' aquajogging)

I'd say my chance of a 6:40 at Winchoten in Sept has lept back up, maybe as high as 10%!

week ending 06/04/14

A difficult week.  The lower leg pain first felt last sunday worsened overnight and I did no running at all this week.  The problem is a toe flexor at the point where it joins the back of the tibia, which will take anywhere between 1 and 7 weeks  to heal.  I went through the usual rage, then demoralisation, and now have reached acceptance.  Begining the week certain that I should retire, I now will patiently wait and see what the coming weeks bring.

I believe the injury was most likely caused by the two fast rep sessions done last tuesday and saturday. Both were done in the rain on very wet grass in old trainers; I think struggling for grip overstrained the toe flexor.  A lesson learned, and another new entry to my catalogue of creative ways to lose hard won fitness!

I'm certain I've had worse than average luck with injury and illness through my running career, even for someone staying near the edge, genuinely trying to perform to their absolute best.  I also know I've done much more than the average runner to avoid injury through improving my technique, regular massage, stretching, diet, and good rest.   Such is luck in life - for every big lottery winner there is a guy who gets struck dead by lightning, (thankfully my luck isn't as bad as his!)

So, with luck in a week or two I'll start up again, though I now rate my chance of hitting 6:40 in autumn as less than 5% - I believe its a chance still worth trying for.

wk ending 30/03/2014

Total Miles	Total number of runs	Quality sessions	Longest run	Other
105	14	20X400m flat grass reps 9X800m flat grass reps	18 miles	c.30mins massage X7 c.10mins yoga X7 Hip & Core work X2

Another good week.  Tuesdays session was the 9X800m, done in the afternoon of a day off work after a post-lunch sleep.  Was probably my best speedwork session since 2010 - due to being rested and probably also due to feeling more optomistic that I might actually get to feel the benefit in terms of a good race performance!  Thought I'd overcooked it when I could feel lactic acid after just 3 reps (I usually aim to first feel lactic c. 3/4 of the way through a session) but managed to complete the 9 at the same pace.  No DOMS in the following days was encouraging too.  Saterdays session was the 20X400, which also went well but todays long run was a minute slower than last week as my left calf began to cramp and ache a few miles in - massage should have fixed this and I'll be OK again tomorrow.

wk ending 23/3/2014

Total miles - 104
Total number of runs - 14
speedwork - 6.5 miles fartlek, 16X400m reps
Longest run - 18 miles
Other -  20 mins massage X7, 10mins yoga X7, Hip and core strengthening X2

Felt strong in long run, but speed is down a little after the recent weeks of viruses and cramp -  basework is there though so a short stretch of hundred plus weeks and a race or two should fix this.

wk ending 16/3/14

Another frustrating week.  Over the last cold and feeling good when I caught another.  3 days of no running might have helped clear it quickly this time as I started full training yesterday and completed fartlek session tonight feeling strong. 

Total Miles	Total number of runs	Quality sessions	Longest run	Other
52	8	none	6.5 miles	c.30mins massage X4 c.10mins yoga X5

2 weeks ending 9/3/14

Two difficult weeks.  I had a mild cold, but this brought on my Lyme Disease symptoms - painful cramps, twitching muscles and severe fatigue. The muscles of my feet, quads, mid back and chest were worst affected.  I've been living with this for 4 years now and it is improving - I was optomistic enough to start this blog! I'll write about Lyme another time.  Felt strong today though, so should be back on plan from tomorrow.

wk ending 2/3

Total Miles	Total number of runs	Quality sessions	Longest run	Other
44	8	none	7 miles	c.1hr massage X7 c.10mins yoga X3

wk ending 9/3

Total Miles	Total number of runs	Quality sessions	Longest run	Other
48	7	5 mile Fartlek	13 miles (90 mins)	c.30mins massage X3 1hr back massage (by a Pro.) c.10mins yoga X3 Hip+core work X1