Monday saw me back on the physio bench for session number 3, Andy used a deep heat machine to warm my ITB up for its punishment. We also took some time to discuss linking David Roberts Physio to Oldham parkrun as they have done with Bramhall and Woodbank. They are offering a monthly prize of either a massage (Sports or the relaxing kind!) or 1/2 price assessment, to someone who has been injured. Much like the sweatshop prize for a deserving runner we can help a struggling person :)
I went for a run after physio and boy did my calves give me grief, my sedentary life has been taking its toll on my ahem..."athletes" body. The basic plan is to run the same 2 mile loop whilst I get my fitness back, then gradually increase the distance. The classic London marathon training starts on Jan 1st which gives you around 16 weeks to prepare, for me it starts on my birthday which coincides with the Hot toddy road race which is usually icy and has the best hill (Old Lumbetts) you know the one where you nose is scraping the road.
So after one mile my right calf was screaming and I was forced to stretch it out for a moment, when I got home I jumped in a hot bath to give my legs a good stretch!
On Tuesday I repeated the same loop and felt a bit more comfortable, that said my right calf was tight and my thinking is that my running style has changed to protect my ITB (Sub-consciously). I need a coach to access my style but the track is shut until Jan 9th, hopefully Brian will be at a parkrun over the break so can give me a check over!
Wednesday was my last physio session, so fingers crossed my ITB issue is under control and I hoped to run at Oldham parkrun this week and use the "hot toddy" race as a training run. To put my RRR vest on once more will hopefully spur me on! (not all plans workout as you see later in the blog)
I ventured out on the same two mile loop that I used this week and yet again the calves where tight after one mile. My physio assures me this is fine and just a case of my body being way out of shape have been a couch potatoe for the last 6 months (my words not his...) happily though I stepped up to an average 8:36 min/mile from Monday and Tuesday's 9:03 :)
Now I can get my training diary sorted for 2012 but RRR have not published the race calander for 2012 as yet...
Yey I joined the gym again at DW sports, got a free month and looking forward to getting into "gym bunny mode" as I was being shown around the gym little has changed since last time I was a member. I will have to dig out an iPod as treadmills are notoriously boring but a neccasiry evil in winter training, my marathon mojo is definatly back in full swing.
Today I took part in the Stockport Boxing Day 5k, my first road race since the London Marathon. On arrival I parked up near Iain Stainthorpe of Rochdale Harriers and chatted whilst we walked to register. The excitement of filling out an entry form flooded back memories from earlier in the year, pinning on the number too much for me and I pinned it onto the back of the shirt in error and proceeded to wear it back to front!
Of course it is winter but an unseasonably warm 11 degs meant I was getting dressed outside, topless and frantically re-pinning the number I got a "rude" awakening that 11 degs ain't that warm.
It was good to see Angie and Tony from Oldham parkrun in attendance, I also had a brief hello with Gill Doolan from Heaton parkrun... And again as she passed me on the second lap!!!
I ended up with a 23:01 which was not bad in my current fitness level and recovering from injury. The left calf was quite tight but manageable, the knee behaving its self except on the last downhill section, where the pounding must have caused a bit of discomfort to must runners.
It felt great to complete a race before the end of the year, but I won't be at the "hot toddy" on my birthday as today was a good indicator of my capabilities. 5.8 miles and the biggest hill in Todmerdon just a bit too much to handle me thinks.
Instead I am off to Sweatshop in the morning for some shiny new running shoes and as my garmin's battery life is poor... possibly a new watch.
Just for those to have a laugh below is a picture of me on Christmas day wearing the bad shirt my bro Robert got me. Each year a group of us must buy/make a shirt so ugly you don't want to wear it and certainty not wear it in public. But wear it all day we must and this year I took my family to our local curry house for the best Christmas meal ever... For some reason I got looks of looks from customers and staff alike :p
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