On the Road Again

Time: Two minutes
Surface: Road

I'd rested quite a while and decided it was time for my first try on the road - outside my flat pretty much.

Went fine in many ways, but I really felt like I was running off balance, even though my back felt fine. I just didn't have that same smooth rhythm that I usually have when I'm running well.

Kneed Off!

Chiro appointment today - had a few minor adjustments, but nothing too major. However, the knee had flared up in spite of seeming fine at the end of the run, so in many ways I'm disappointed. If it had been fine after the track sesh I'd have been oevrjoyed, and indeed I was last night. So much so that I didn't bother to ice it!

Sara seemed to think (as do I) that my back had gone out before the run, or another possibility is that running the same way for ten laps wasn't exactly balanced running! I'm goign to rest the leg for a bit and then try again with some road stuff - which would be okay once the knee's rested. Hopefully!

Next chiro in about four weeks - progress :oD

Back on Track

Distance: 3.8km
Time: 20 minutes
Surface: Athletics Track

Mid-afternoon my back started to twinge for no obvious reason. Must confess I've probably been abit sloppy with posture lately, as my back has been heaps better :o) I consoled myself with the fact that I'm seeing the chiro tomorrow. My leg seemed fine after yesterday's early morning efforts.

Decided it would be good to get down to the track and try a 20 minute sesh before I saw Sara (the chiro), but really didn't fancy it with the heat. Still - I did, and it was good to see all my clubmates again, and some new faces.

Set out slowly, and to be honest didn't feel much like upping the pace in the heat! Did the first lap in about 2:09 and then slowed to 2:20-2:30. Took a drinks break after five laps, then another two later, and drank masses at the end. It was hard work in that heat :oS

No niggles whatsoever, which was fantastic!!

Footnote:
Next morning my knee was a bit sore - will b interesting to see what the chiro says - I'm hoping to be allowed to run on the pavement now :o)

Par for the Course :o)

Distance: circa two miles
Time: 15 minutes
Surface: Mud track

Up at the crack of dawn (about 4:30 am) to try and get out before it got hot. Swigged a cup of tea and some water to hydrate, and then headed up to the golf course that is combined with Banstead Downs on my moped.

Did a slightly different route from the other day and avoided the fairly banked track, but even so it was quite a rollercoaster up and down, and being tall I managed to take out quite a few spider webs along the way, which left my face rather covered in 'em!

Anyhow - no dead leg moments, everything went really well throughout. The worst bit was the heat - even at that time of day I was really finding it heavy going, and after the ride home left my helmet rather damp and smelly :oS

Slight dead (left) quad as I trotted down the steps into the back of my block of flats, and I've been stretching it from time to time since, but overall pretty trouble free. I do just wonder though if it might not hold up to a 30 minute run on the road.

20 minute run on the track (athletics one) tomorrow, and then chiro on Wednesday. After that it'll hopefully be back to road running, and building that up gradually.

Clear as Mud :oS

Distance: 1200 metres
Time: six minutes
Surface: Mud track

A trip up to the local golf course and a route I'd run before with my friend Jeremy, or so I thought - only when I got there I wasn't so sure!

When I saw Sara the chiro last week, she'd been very pleased with my progress and suggested moving on to other surfaces than grass, and I intended to take the step sooner, but I'd come down with a lurgy since then and been feeling carp for about a week.

Anyhow - I was back now, and intending to do five minutes in an "out and back" session, only I ran a bit longer than I meant on the first half which turned the session into six minutes. On the whole it went well, apart from one short section where my quad felt like it was doing no work and I almost had to left the left leg with my hand! And then it went back to normal. This was most odd, and at the bottom of a short hill where the ground banked to the right a little. I wonder if this was anything to do with it?!

Afterwards - the knee was slightly sore on the latral side, and also on the medial side. I'll see how this settles down and hopefully do 12 minutes next time.

In a way I feel like I'm making progress, but in another way there are strong enough signs of the leg feeling uncomfortable to make me worry!

Lap of Honour

Distance: 2.4 miles (approx)
Time: 20 minutes
Surface: Mainly grass, some mud track, some concrete

Went to Nonsuch Park again and this time didn't balls up with the keys! I'd decided to start running a lap of the park along the route of my first ever race back in 1998, because I knew that the distance was 2.2 miles. I wasn't necessarily planning to run it all, but I thought that if it felt good, I'd go for it and kept going. If not, then it was a pleasant walk back across the park.

I set out from the car park, which added on about 0.1 of a mile before the lap started, and then ran alongside the route on the track/grass - so as to avoid running on the harder road surface. I got a few twinge as at the front of th eknee down the middle, but these wore off. The grass was fairly uneven, and I got some aches on the outside of the right hip on the ITB. These kept up for the whole lap, and even spread to the right buttock at the top, and a bit into the hamstring - just next to the back. Nothing too bad though, so I kept going, and the knee twinge eased off too, although it did have a slight "deadness" to it all the way round the lap.

The grass got more even, and the run became easier, and I felt like I was going well. I turned the first corner, heading up a slight incline, and things got tougher, as the grass grew uneven again. At this point I noticed various signs out along the route giving directions - it was the race I had first done seven years ago! It didn't seem to have started, so I kept going, wondering if I would be passed at any moment!

I turned the next corner, and here the grass turned to very uneven mud track - fairly hard but hard work on the ankles, and jarring on the knees, which wasn't good. It evened out after a bit apart from the occasional bad patch, which I walked through. It continued to climb, until a right turn that headed back towards my start point. The grass was pretty even and I flew down this, venturing onto the path occasionally when the verge wasn't wide enough.Fifteen minutes came, and I felt good, so I kept going, and felt good until the end was in sight. At this point I could see runners gathering, but I headed off across the grass towards the car park, to make the time up to twenty minutes. Who should I see in the car park but a large contingent from my club - Sutton Runners!

Afterwards - I've iced the knee which feels good (about an hour later) and had a cold bath. The main concern at the moment is the right quad which is aching a fair bit. Nothing too drastic, but I do wonder why. Perhaps I should stick the heel lift back in!

I see the chiro tomorrow, and unless I wake up feeling a lot worse than I do now, I think that that has to go down as a big success. I've built the mileage up quickly this week, in many ways probably rather daftly, but I seem to have got away with it so far. 20 minutes was the target I was set, and in spite of a bad twinge after my eight minute run last Thursday, which meant I rested for three days, I've made it to the twenty :oD

Double Figures :o)

Distance: 1.5 miles (estimated)
Time: 12 minutes
Surface: Grass

Wow - went a bit mad as I felt good at ten minutes, and leapt from 8 minutes up to 12. Perhaps a bit daft, but it really felt good today. I decided to use the black 2080s again but remove the heel lift, as I'd felt comfortable walking around in the Brooks - and I suddenly thought "I wonder if that's 'cos I haven't got a heel lift in them?".

Went to Nonsuch Park which has lots of lovely grass - went over there on the scooter with hopefully a minimum of kit, but mucked up the keys and shut those for the top box and the flat keys in the top box, so had to come home to get the spare keys to the top box. Then I realised as the flat keys were in the top box I'd have to go to mum's to get those, let myself into the flat to get the spare top box keys, and then retrieve the spares so that I could open the top box at the park to store my helmet. Plus I had to go back into the flat to dump off the spares - didn't want to lock them in too!! All in all it delayed the run by about 45 minutes!

Run generally went well - middle of knee felt a tad scrapey but it eased off, right quad was working too. Back feels a lot better, although I think the 'ped ride may have upset it a bit. When it's being serviced, I'll take a rest and see if it calms down a bit.

The runs on an even surface (did a bit on smooth grass, and also on a dirt track) were the bits where I felt best :o)

No obvious problem afterwards, but then I'm only just back!

Ouch!

Distance: zero
Time: 60 minutes
Surface: Massage couch ;o)

My first proper sports massage. I was expecting pain, but actually although most of the time the pressure was firm, only the occasional bit was sore. Had a very nice chat about massage schools as well with James as well. All in all a very enjoyable session.

My left tibialis anterior was distinctly sore, but I knew that from the previous sesh with Sara. The back had been giving me a lot of trouble as well, and it just felt sooooo much better after the session. My left QL (Quadratum Lumborum I think - basically runs from the rear of the pelvis up to the ribs) was very tight, which figures!

I walked out of there moving very freely - I do still wonder whether the two or so hours I spend a day on the scooter with an unsupported back are doing me any favours. That said, it's such a great way to get into work, and commuting can be pretty stressful on the posture too!

Mile High Club :o)

Distance: One mile
Time: eight minutes

okay - maybe not a mile, but it was eight minutes and it felt like 8m/m pace.

All went pretty well - left quad a little bit tight while I was running, but shortly after I stopped it had a bit of a twinge. I'm not sure quite what's causing the tightness, but it does seem to be a potential source of the problem, given that it could easily be pulling the kneecap out of alignment and giving patella tracking problems. There was a bit of a pull on the inside of the knee, but this was more above than at thhe point below. I'm not convinced it's the same problem as before.

I'm now not sure whether to do another run for a bit. The plan would be to run 10 minutes Saturday morning, but then again I don't want to risk doing myself any damage. I wasn't too sore after the run, but iced the knee as there was a bit of a nagging feeling there.

Sports massage Saturday morning, so hopefully that'll loosen stuff off.