1- Drink cocktails the night before, even if they are 2 for 1. Happy Hour on Friday night doesn't make for happy running on Saturday morning. Although, after a few miles of running my hangover had gone so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all ...
2- Store your jelly babies in your sports bra. Seemed like a good idea at the time (maybe due to point 1) as I haven't got around to getting a running belt but by 5 miles in, they were starting to get sticky. I thought I might get a few weird looks when I pulled a sweet out of my bra to munch on but no one seemed to notice/care - I guess that SE London for you!
3- Sit on your butt for the next two days and forget your daily stretching. Having decided to use the bank holiday to catch up with some thesis writing meant I moved very little for two days. Still feeling a little sore and stiff now.
Still 18 mile run out of the way and I don't seem to have done any serious damage. Bit of an 'easier' week this week, in terms of mileage at least: club race on Thurs (3ish miles) and (my first ever) half marathon on Sun :-)
13 - unlucky for some?
Monday 16 August 2010
With my next trip to the physio scheduled for tomorrow, I'm reminded of what he said at my last visit: that I was ok after doing 9 miles but if I'd done 12 or 13 it would have been a different story. This was very similar to what the physio leading an injury prevention workshop at SMUC said the week before - that people are ok until they get to 13 miles then they start getting injured.
I wonder why this is. Does something happen to the body after 13 miles of running? Is this some kind of 'natural limit' for most people? Or is getting to a long run of 13 miles an indicator of the weekly mileage reaching some threshold where people are overtraining relative to the strength and conditioning of their muscles (and body more generally)?
I felt pretty bad by the end of my recent 13 mile run. By 11 miles everything hurt, I was tired and getting miserable. Luckily the next week's long run dropped down to 10 miles providing a welcome rest for my legs before building up to 14 and then 15 miles. By comparison, I felt much better at the end of these runs, maybe because I tried different trainer/orthotic combinations. Or maybe my legs are getting stronger? Last weekend, I was lucky enough to have some company for the last 9 miles, which definitely helped :-)
At least I'm getting up to distances where I can justify munching a few jelly babies towards the end (yummy!). 17 miles this weekend ...
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