355 days to go!

Yesterday was the day of the London Marathon, which I should have been running if it weren't for an pesky injury. It was also the first time that I've been to watch the whole race and after racing around (not literally) to see the start and then various points along the way (Greenwich, Westferry, Embankment), I was exhausted!

It was great to go and see where I'll be lining up next year and get some good practical advice on the course from JT. What a difference between the happy and excited runners at Greenwich (6 miles) and the tired and sore runners along the Embankment (24-25 miles)! I kind of wish that I'd only seen Greenwich and then I could fool myself that it was smiles and laughter for the whole 26.2 miles ...

I came back full of inspirations and with some recommendations from other people from the running club about which physio to try for some more specialist running advice than my former physio could offer. I now have a year to raise the remaining £1300 towards my target and no excuse for reaching - if not exceeding - it! It's our second karaoke night today, which should kick off the next phase of my fundraising nicely :-)

What I didn't mention in my last post was that I'd been persuaded by JT to go to the first of the Assembly League fixtures the following day. I was easily swayed by the promise of a short and easy race, with "runners of all standards" and just a "little" hill at the beginning. Considering that my only previous race experience had been a 10K Race for Life last year - in which I'd finished near the front of the pack - having hundreds of serious club runners overtake me at the start of the race was a humbling experience! Nethertheless, as I hadn't run much for several runs, I was pleased with a time of under 24 mins (2.8 miles) and very happy not to be last at least :-)

After some discussion with JT, I'm thinking that the Dublin marathon in October might not be a good idea. My injury is getting better but I still have pain after a few miles and don't want to rush back into an intensive training schedule too soon. So the alternative is to wait until the London marathon next year and do a half marathon in the autumn. But which one?! There is a possibility that I'll be in Montreal for a conference justbefore the half-marathon there, which would be a great reason to extend my stay for some sightseeing and running. My other choice was the Royal Parks half marathon in London this October but apparently that's already sold out. There is the Run to the Beat half marathon at the end of September - quite a new and funky one by the look of it.

However, I'm aware of my recent run of paying to enter races that I'm then not able to take part in due to injury and think I may have previously blogged about tempting fate!

In da club

I went to running club last Wednesday for the first time in more than two months. I was pleased to manage a fair paced five mile run although my hamstring was up to its normal tricks by the end. Two hours later, my hip/hamstring had completely stiffened up but I had enjoyed catching up with my fellow runners, a refreshing drink and some cheesy bar snacks!

I'll continue with the stretching/strengthening and delay running again until my muscles have recovered. At least the evenings are lighter now that the clocks have gone forward so some post-work running is just waiting to be enjoyed :-)

Sports therapy goes hi-tech

I had my first experience of ultrasound yesterday. No, I'm not pregnant! My sports therapist suggested ultrasound therapy to break down some of the many adhesions (bits of scar tissue) at the top of my hamstring. Apparently, they can cause the muscle to remain contracted, which might explain why it feels tight still. Happily ultrasound is completely pain-free, unlike the 30min sports massage that came before it!

I'm quite happy at the moment as I managed a 25 min run/walk session this week so feel like I'm making some progress at last :-)

Mixed blessings

After attempting a very easy run last week and having to stop after just one mile, I had to face the fact that my injury hasn't healed and I probably won't be able to attempt running for another week or two. On Friday, I took the very difficult - and just a little emotional - decision to inform GSTT charity that I wouldn't be able to do the London marathon. I felt really sad writing the email and everytime I saw a runner over the weekend.

I got a lovely response from the charity on Monday, offering their sympathies and giving me the opportunity to have a charity place in next year's London marathon instead. I'm really excited that I'll have a place for next year, can roll my fundraising over, and won't be letting anyone down!

I'm still planning to do the Dublin marathon in October this year, with a plan to take it easy and just enjoy the experience. In any case, I think I'll need a break from my PhD by then, even if it is just for a long weekend :-)

I'm really itching to get back to running, especially with the current sunny and dry weather!

Trust me - I'm a sports therapist.

It was my second appointment with the sports therapist today. I had some more massage, which although not as painful as I'd feared, has left me with a cluster of bruises on my inner thigh!

Unfortunately, they couldn't give me any advice on training for the marathon other than to have a test run and build up slowly (they're more used to footballers and rugby players). I also lost some confidence in my therapist after she admitted that after having assured me my problem wasn't a bursitis during last week's appointment, she looked it up after I left and had a panic that she'd missed it and made it worse with a sports massage!

Previously, I'd thought that I was ok with the thought that London might not happen for me and had even picked my second choice marathon for the autumn. But as another week's ticked by without training and there's less than seven weeks to go, everytime I see a runner (which is quite often at the moment!) I feel a pang of sadness about how much running I've missed out on and disappointment at the thought of not being able to run London.

I think it's time to consult someone with running expertise to get a more definitive answer and put an end to the "Will I? Won't I?" saga ...

Things you don't want to hear when having a sports massage to the groin:

"Hmm, the muscles are so tight I don't know what else I can do ... unless I use my elbow".

Eek! Yes, Tuesday was my appointment with the sports therapist for the pain in my butt, which has stopped my running for the last 10 days or so. After a very thorough examination, she concluded that as a result of me not rehabilitating my adductors after my earlier groin strain, the other muscles around my hip had started to overcompensate and were pulling on the bottom of the bone in my butt. The solution? Daily stretching and sports massage.

For anyone that hasn't had the pleasure of a sport massage -it is nothing like a regular massage! I regretted making a joke about someone who'd been given a wooden stick to bite down on during a sports massage from a rugby physio, especially when the therapist mentioned using her elbow!

So, no running for yet another week although I am allowed to swim. Unfortunately, I'm still eating the same amount as when I was training so may be carrying a few extra pounds by the time I start running again :-(