On the Road to Recovery

While Thursday was a bad day, Saturday was a good day.  13km done, no aches or pains and I felt I could have done more.  As the post title says I feel I'm on the road to recovery.  I also maintained a nice pace around and got in a lovely sprint at the end, before my cool down.

I'm starting to think that my shoes may be a factor in my injury.  I've been running in my Asics GT 2150 and New Balance 1064  for a while now and felt they still had more mileage left in them but now I'm not too sure.  My Asics has 606km on them and the New Balance has 496km.  I've just bought two new pairs of runners, one is the Brooks Ghost 4 and the other is the Saucony Kinvara.  I was running in the New Balance on Thursday when I had to stop early and then I used the Brooks runners on this run and they felt great and more importantly my Achilles felt great too.  Could my runners with 600km and 500km be at the end of their life span?  Should I not be able to get 750km out if them?  Another note is Tuesday's run in the Kinvara was also a lovely run with no problems.  It has got me thinking.  Any advice?

Ups and Downs

What I've come to realise is that in recovery you have good days and bad days.  Thursday was a bad day.  As I've said I had a flare up in my Achilles tendon which has restricted my running.  I went to get it checked out a week a go and had some work done on it and have been working on it since.  I've been very careful not to push too hard and to stop when I notice it acting up, so I've been building up.  5km done last Sunday, 7km last Tuesday and I was hoping for another 7km on the Thursday run.  I had to stop before I got to 4km, really frustrating, but I guess I just have to take what I can get at this moment and continue the recovery.

Kinvara Speed Run

Today I felt good, no real pain in the Achilles tendon.  I had planned a run for tonight to see how the recovery is going and I decided to try a speed workout and to run in my new Saucony Kinvaras. I had read a lot about the Kinvaras over the past few months and the reviews mostly raved about them.  Recently Saucony have brought out the Kinvara 2 which meant that on Amazon the Kinvaras had become a clearance item, which I picked up for half price.

Immediately I could feel the difference in the shoe as I ran.  It felt great.  I could feel my feet land correctly (at least to me it seemed I was landing on the mid-foot as opposed to my heel).  I also felt I was running fast.  It has been a long time since I did a speed session and the fastest I had run 500m before was a 1:53.63. So how did I preform in the Kinvaras.

500m:
1: 2:06.14
2: 1:49.27
3: 1:58.95
4: 1:51.07
5: 1:58.77

4 of the 5 in under 2 minutes and a new PR for 500m, delighted.  Number's 1, 3 and 5 were slightly uphill with 2 and 4 slightly downhill.  All in all a good workout and I see how my Achilles Tendon is in the morning.  So far it feels fine.

Keeping Going

On Saturday I didn't run the Dublin Half Marathon, instead I went to the physio.  It turns out that the range of motion I have in my Achilles tendon is pretty bad and it was just a matter of time before this injury flared up.  I got the tendon manipulated, which was no fun at all and shown some exercises to try to lengthen the tendon.  I'm going to try to take it easy over the next few weeks and am still hoping to run/walk the marathon at the end of October, I just have to revise down the time I though I could finish in.

Out tonight for a tentative run to see how things are.  A nice 5km run done and a slight twinge in the tendon, not to bad.  We'll see how things go on Tuesday.  Thanks to Fortnightflo for the tips on looking after the Achilles Tendon, much appreciated.

Yep, I'm Injured

I've been icing my Achilles as much as I can and putting Arnica Gel on the tendon in the hope that I would get better.  So far there has not been that much of a recovery.  Today, a little annoyed and probably not to clever I went out for a run in my new Brooks Ghost 4.  They felt great but I only got to 4km when I thought that I may stop before I do damage.  Back home and out with the ice again.

My new Brooks just before their inaugural run

This has really put my marathon training in disarray.  With only 6 and a half weeks or so to the marathon I'm not sure I'll be in the right condition.  There is a half marathon on this weekend and I just may have to miss it in the hopes of getting some recovery in.  Any tips on how to quicken recovery?

Long Run But Not Too Long

Last week was a bit of a disaster.  I ran Tuesday and felt great.  Didn't get to run Wednesday or Thursday but that was no big deal as I was going to run Friday and try a long run on Sunday.  I woke up Friday with a terrible pain in my right Achilles.  I was in pain all day.  I didn't know what I had done.  I decided not to run at all that day.

Sunday I did get out and the plan originally was to run 28km but with 16km on the clock I called a halt to the run my Achilles was quite painful.  I'm a bit upset and annoyed as I felt great, just not in my right Achilles... not sure how this is going to play out but hopefully it will rectify itself pretty soon.

A short recovery run today.  My legs weren't up for much more.  6km done at a nice slow steady pace and my legs feel that little bit better after it.  Just over 28km done this weekend.  I think that is the most I've run in two consecutive days.  46.47km done this week.  Next week is a big week and I'm looking forward to it.  A lot of running will be done, I hope ;-)

DCM Week 9: Long Run

Long run of 22km done and I struggled a little getting it done.  My legs are fairly sore today.  With just over 8 weeks to go I'm wondering how I will be during and after the marathon as I'm still finding the half a little tough.  Missing that week of running two weeks or so ago has set me back but I'll see how I get on next week.  Long run of 28km planned for next week.  That should let me know how ready I am for the marathon.  Hopefully I'll be feeling more confident at the end of next week than I am today.  Maybe it is just a slight fear of the unknown.

DCM Week 9: 8km Regular Part 2

Yesterday's run was a strange one.  Although the speed was similar to Tuesday's run my heart rate was higher and funnily enough I actually felt better running it than Tuesday's one, go figure.

I cancelled today's run because my legs were a little sore and I'm trying to ease myself back after the break due to illness.  My next run will be a nice 21km on Saturday morning and then I think it will be off to visit a sports store and maybe a new pair of runners.  My current two pairs have clocked up 600km (Asics GT 2150) and 447km (New Balance 1064) respectively.

I was thinking of going for the Saucony Mirage.  Anyone tried these, run in these or have any experience of these I would appreciate any comments.

On a happy note even with the 10 day absence from running due to illness I ran further than ever before in the month of August, 129km.  I guess holidays and running appeal to me.  Now to beat that distance in September.