Sat, Sun and rain

I haven't run for over a week because I have hurt my foot. I don't know what the problem is because I haven't had it looked at (I know, I know..). So running is out of the question because the top of my foot, near the toes, hurts when I push off. It's the same for walking and running although I can walk almost normally now that the initial pain has subsided.

I've read a few bits and pieces online, and 'stress-fracture' keeps popping up as a potential cause of my pain. If I can muster up the enthusiasm I might pop over to accident and emergency to get someone to poke it around a bit.

Saturday's cycling route

All week I have been saying that I'd go out on the bike instead, but every day I managed to come up with a different excuse not to (too dark, too wet, too tired, too cold). However, this Saturday I really needed to get some kind of exercise done. So at 9am, just as thousands of runners were starting their weekly parkruns, I set out on a bike ride with the plan to cycle along the north side of the river, cross Putney bridge and head back along the south side. That would have me back in Westminster in just over an hour and be a total of about 20-23km.

I started off by following the plan, but as I turned to head back along the South side of the river I felt as if I'd only just started to warm up. So I faffed around with my route in Battersea and ended up arriving back at Westminster 1 hour and 58 minutes after I started. I managed to ride 34.2km (21 miles).

I was signed up for the Kenley 10k on Sunday (rescheduled from 27 Jan due to snow/ice on the course) but I had to pull out, which is a shame because it had the potential to be a fast run and a possible crack at my 10k personal best.

In other news I was recently nominated as parkrunner of the week and the article appeared in this week's parkrun newsletter. You'll find me at the bottom of the news page.

Sunday's cycling route

I'm usually a fair-weather cyclist, but I went out on the bike on Sunday morning in the rain for just over an hour. I clocked up 23.2km (14 miles) and checked out the running track at Regents Park in the process, it is free and open to all, and I plan to use it for some speed sessions when my foot is better.

57.4km (35.6 miles) of cycling in two days is a new personal best. However, I'm taking a break on Monday because I now have a sore backside.

Niggles and no #parkrun

In the absence of a parkrun blog post this weekend, I thought I'd have a whinge instead.... (yay)

Running is such a frustrating hobby. I just can't seem to get going without another new niggle popping up that prevents me from maintaining a decent stretch of training. Already in January I have had to cut short, move or cancel training sessions every single week, each usually with a completely different niggle to blame. I'm paying special attention to warming up (and down), stretching, hydration etc etc... but still the niggles keep coming..

• Calf (both legs)
• Hamstring (both legs)
• Groin (both legs)
• Pulled lower back (to be fair, not caused by running)
• Pain in the knee (again, not caused by running but by walking into a baby safety gate)
• Strange pin-like feelings in my foot
• Slight feelings of IT band pain

and now...

• an unidentified pain in the top/front of my left foot that hurts as I push off (walking and running)

Because this latest one started on Thursday evening and had me hobbling around all day on Friday, it prevented me from running at parkrun last Saturday. I know it isn't the end of the world but is extremely disappointing as I look forward to this run more than any other.

I know we all have our niggles but I just felt the need to have a little whinge about them. All I'm trying to do is enjoy running - keeping relatively fit and healthy in the process, and run some races to the best of my ability. Apparently it's not as easy as it sounds.

post porc injury update

Two weeks ago I fell off a mountain bike at penshurst off road cycling.

Something I didn't spot straight away was that I manged to pick up a puncture. I got that sorted straight away. It cost me £8.50 for a new inner tube (apparently it has gel inside that helps if I get another puncture) plus another £8 labour charge for the bike shop to put it together.

A few days after the crash, I though it would be wise to have the hand looked at by a professional. So I went to Sevenoaks minor injuries unit. I was seen very quickly and the nurse diagnosed my hand as being bruised and that I would have to let it heal naturally. The nurse was also kind enough to remove a splinter that I must have picked up during my journey through the brambles.

When I am not using the hand it feels completely normal, but as soon as I try to do something I get quite an intense pain just between the thumb and wrist area. Things that hurt are; picking Matilda up; pulling up the handbreak in the car or changing gear into reverse, 5th and 6th gears; chopping onions etc..; picking up my laptop... you get the idea.

Last weekend (25 August) it hurt so much that I felt that I couldn't drive to Riddlesdown for my weekly parkrun fix where I was supposed to be volunteering and had to pull out at the last minute. Thankfully the volunteers are very committed and my absence didn't cause any great trouble for the event itself.

Some further advice I have recieved suggests that this could go on for months (or longer). Thankfully I didn't injure and of my essential running parts - that really would have been hard to deal with.

Once the pain has completely gone I am going to get straight back on the bike, but I think my choice of terrain might be a little less extreme in future!

Steve.

My first sports therapist visit

Wednesday 30 May 2012 - I went for a session with a sports therapist to try to make some sense of my hamstring troubles.

She went through a series of massage techniques and then some stretches.

I had been warned - by other runners and the therapist herself - that the process could be quite painful, and I had gone along prepared to be in tears at some stage. However, there were very few moments where I experienced anything even remotely painful. The therapist said that I must have a very high pain threshold.

The outcome from the session was that there is nothing obviously wrong with my hamstrings.

In addition to the high pain threshold, I was also pleased to find out that I have good arches in my feet.

So the search for what is actually causing the pain/tightness/etc continues.

The candidates include:

Shoes
My trail shoes are the number one suspect here, so I am going to put them to one side and see if anything changes. (see below)

Stretching (lack of)
I'm pretty inconsistent with my post-run stretching, so I will make sure that I leave time to stretch after my running sessions.

Not enough salt in my diet (causing cramping)

I'm not quite sure about this one but I will investigate it anyway.

--

I have been going over my running log and the first instance of the issue was a few weeks after I started using the trail shoes on a regular basis. The reason that I had not really considered this before is that I sometimes have the problem after runs using standard road shoes, then again it could be a delayed reaction to a previous run in the trail shoes.

So I'll see how I get on over the next few days and weeks by not using the trail shoes, stretching religiously and making sure I eat some additional salty foods every day.

The ongoing hamstring saga

My left hamstring has been a bit of a weak spot for me for as long as I can remember.

I know that I should really attempt to strengthen it, but I've always been nervous about lifting weights with it as it doesn't take much to pull it. I know that lifting weights would probably help and my intention is to put some more effort into this in the coming months.

Anyway, the left hamstring has been tight for a number of weeks and I think I pushed it to the edge with some of the hill training (did a few big hills on consecutive days - lesson learnt) I did in the run up to the half-marathon.

I think it is firmly in the 'overuse' injury category, what I mean is that there was no sudden pain or any sensation of anything tearing. It just gradually started to tighten up. I first noticed this happening while running uphill during some training runs.

I'd definitely classify it as stage 1 (just like last time), basically it's not too bad. Most days I feel like I could go out and run. However I have been very good and avoided doing so.... apart from last weekend when I raced at Riddlesdown parkrun (RDp15) (bad 7t). In retrospect that wasn't the cleverest thing I've ever done because it has pushed my recovery back a few days.

I haven't done a full run since that parkrun, I did pop out on Sunday morning to see how the hamstring was but that was just 2km so doesn't really count. Since then I have been resting.

As people that follow me on twitter ( @copy7t ) will know, I have been icing it daily (using various types of frozen vegetables).

During the last couple of days I have been back on the trusty ol' foam roller and it feels good (I hope I'm doing the right thing here).

I am going to head out for a parkrun on Saturday, I'll be running an easy pace and I'm mostly using it as an opportunity to assess where I am with the recovery.

I was scheduled to race on Sunday in the Dartford Bridge 10k, but I seriously doubt that I'll be anywhere near Dartford on Sunday morning. In fact it is quite convenient because I get to stay at home and watch the Formula 1 instead.

Every cloud..

My Iliotibial Band Problem (4)

It has been a while since I last posted about my ongoing iliotibial band problems. If you need some background you can read my previous posts at the links below.

• IT band problem (1)
• IT band problem (2)
• IT band problem (3)

-------------------------------------------------

Generally they (IT bands) have been fine, but there has been one flare up that I didn't write about back in June and a new one that I need to figure out.

The one that I didn't write about occurred during my hill running sessions down at Beachy Head. I think that was caused by way too much downhill running, it sorted itself out very quickly once I cut out the extreme (down)hill running.

The latest flare up is on the left side. It has been very mildly saying 'hello, remember me?' on and off for about two weeks. In order to get on top of it I need to look at the things that have changed recently that could be causing it, ready?

This is what I've come up with so far..

• Not enough foam-rolling and pigeon pose stretching
• Downhill running (going up the hill is fine)
  
• Racing too often
  
• Increase in mileage
• Running whilst wearing my backpack

What now?

One thing that I know from experience is that NOT running does not work. It might help to ease the initial soreness, but the cause of the problem is still unknown and it is likely that the pain will return on the next run. With that in mind I will keep running, if it gets worse I may run shorter distances and increase the number of running sessions - this helped me to keep the mileage/running time up but each run was short enough to avoid bringing on the pain.

The first step is to foam roll and get into the pigeon pose as often as time allows - at least twice per day. I have to admit that over the last few months I have been doing these less than I should. When I am not at home and need to roll a good alternative is to use an unopened 2 litre fizzy drink bottle. Both IT bands seem to be knot free at the moment so it could be that my glutes are tight again ( please don't laugh - :-p ).

I'm also going to stick to running on the flat, or at least just walk any steep downhill sections I come across. Not a problem on my London route because it is as flat as a pancake!

I hope the mileage is not the problem. It hasn't risen drastically, I make sure I keep any increases to a couple of kilometres per week. I won't cut it significantly to start with (Although I could trim the long run). To be on the safe side I won't raise it either. Also, not sure if wearing a backpack (only during the runs to work) could contribute to this or not but I hate it anyway so this is a good time to stop.

Please don't let it be the racing (I love it so much). :-(


Steve. (7t)

A bit too much racing?

I've been having a bit of trouble with my left hamstring since last Thursday, so I have imposed a few days rest on myself. I was going to have two days off (Mon and Tues) and then start again on Wednesday, but now that it is Tuesday evening I know that I really need longer.

At this stage I'm still planning to go to the Riddlesdown parkrun on Saturday but even though I'll run, I certainly will NOT be racing! (if anyone hears me saying that I'm feeling good to race please send me back to this post). Hopefully I can do the right thing and make it through to Saturday without doing anything stupid!

So, what caused it? I have a few theories...

• I have been racing quite a bit - Six races in the last nine weeks. Four of them in the last five weeks.

• Last Wednesday I had quite a bad run, I think I started too fast and never really recovered. I didn't notice anything odd with the hamstring at the time though.

• Lastly, it could just be that I'm pushing things too much at the moment and I need to take a few steps back.
  

I've looked at the wikipedia page for pulled hamstring and from what I read I would put myself in the following category:


From Wikipedia:


Grade 1: Sensation of cramp or tightness and a slight feeling of pain when the muscles are stretched or contracted.


It's the 'sensation of cramp or tightness' part that really describes it well.

The good news is that it is the most mild stage of injury, so if I'm sensible I should be able to turn this around and not escalate it to grade 2.

I've iced it a few times (but probably not enough) and, as I mentioned above, I have had two days off so far. I'm definitely taking Wednesday off too. After that I'll see how it goes.

I've read a few pages in Bob Glover's competitive runner's handbook and it says that the first thing the majority of runners do when they feel something wrong is..... Ignore the injury and run through it, often making it worse! To be honest I think I was in this phase over the weekend, I wasn't prepared to let go of my mileage goal for the week. I'm slowly accepting that if I attempt to keep to my mileage goal this week I'm going to end up with a much worse problem than I have right now.

Instead of seeing this as a set back, I am looking at the next few days as an opportunity. I have a few days off work, so instead of getting out of bed at the crack of dawn I am going to stay in bed for longer and have some morning time with the family. I don't do this enough.

7t (hopefully being sensible this week)

My Iliotibial Band Problem (3)

I don't want to speak too soon but I may have had a breakthrough. The last two days I have been free of ITBS pain, the runs were relatively short at 5.5km and 4.5km but it feels like a huge step in the right direction.

On daily basis I am generally doing the following:

The routine for a run is

• Warm up approx 10-15 minutes (Leg Swings etc / pigeon pose)
• Run
• Cool Down approx 10-15 minutes (Stretches / Foam Rolling / pigeon pose)

At various points throughout the day I am doing

• Leg Abduction Exercises (just bodyweight, usually standing)
  
• Hip Hikes (not every day)
• Occasional pigeon pose
  

Then in the evening I am doing

• Foam Rolling (10-15 minutes)
• Pigeon Pose (Hold it for longer than at other times in the day)

Photo of me getting into the pigeon pose, when I feel ready I bring my torso all the way down to the floor for a really good stretch.

I'm sure everything is playing its part in helping, but since I started the pigeon pose I feel like my progress has stepped up a gear. In the pose I really feel a nice stretch in the glutes, it makes me wonder if my ITBS problem is simply caused by tight glute muscles. Probably too early to say for sure. Hopefully update 4 is full of more good news and progress.


7t.

My Iliotibial Band Problem (2)

I thought it was about time that I posted an update on my ITBS issue. So these are the things I have been doing...

Break: I had a 1 week break from running. - The pain went away completely (as expected) but obviously NOT running isn't a long term solution to the problem. By the end of the break my body was aching (literally) to run again.

Strengthening Exercises: I was doing some hip hikes and other hip strengthening exercises but I must admit that the last week I have been slacking on these exercises, mostly because I've been at home and had no access to my gym (which is at work).

Stretching: I have been doing all the usual leg stretches plus I've added in the yoga pigeon pose position for opening up the hips (I get a really nice stretch in the glutes!). I really like this position and it helped give me some relief after a few of my runs. I'm going to continue with this one.

Foam Roller: I have been using my foam roller on my legs. - It does provide quite a good amount of relief after I have run and I am enjoying the process, so far it hasn't made any difference to the onset of the pain but I will continue.



It's a very depressing problem/injury which seems to have no one single method for resloving it. I'm running again but find it difficult to do much over 4km at any one time, and I may have to re-evaluate my plans to race 10k's and upwards this year. I defintely think running the Tonbridge half marathon in September - which I really want to do - is looking unlikely.

I found some information online that suggested that the way I position my legs while sitting in my chair at work could also be a factor, I find that I put my legs back under my chair - Apparently not good. I am making an effort to sit properly with my feet in front of me.

I've made a page that I can use for quick reference listing the different things I am doing to help get over this problem. You will see the tab for it at the top of the page. If not it's here.

Update 3 will follow very soon.

7t.

My Iliotibial Band Problem (1)

As you may have spotted from previous posts, I have recently developed Iliotibial Band Syndrome in my right leg. In the past it has always been my left leg that has suffered. Somehow I have managed to get over the pain in the left leg but I'm not completely sure what I did that helped.

I am feeling very frustrated as the weather has been great and all I want to do is get out and run. However I am being sensible and forcing myself to take a break from running.



From what I have read the pain comes from the fact that the IT band is 'pulled too tightly causing it to rub over the femoral condyle (bone) and\or the bursa.' - Taken from this helpful post, it also contains links to exercises.

The following 'could' be reasons for the pain. I have highlighted which ones I think are most likely. But this is just what I think is most likely, in reality I really don't know what has caused it.

From Wikipedia:

Training habits:

• Running on a banked surface
  
• Inadequate warm-up or cool-down
• Excessive up-hill and down-hill running
• In cycling, having the feet "toed-in" to an excessive angle
• Running up and down stairs
• Hiking long distances
• Rowing
• (added by me) Increasing distance too quickly
  

Abnormalities in leg/feet anatomy:

• High or low arches
• Supination of the foot
• Excessive lower leg rotation due to over-pronation
• The force at the knee when the foot strikes
• Uneven leg length
• Bowlegs or tightness about the iliotibial band.

Muscle imbalance:

• Weak hip abductor muscles
• Weak/non-firing multifidus muscle
  

Points to Note:

• I have a new pair of trail running shoes. (Although, I haven't had pain while wearing them)
• I recently took part in a 10km race on a very hilly course.
  
• There were a few runs where I may not have stretched quite as thoroughly as usual.
• I haven't raised my mileage in the last few weeks, but have started the year with more miles per week than at the end of last year. (Could this be it? Maybe taken a while to catch up with me?)
• The pavements I run on are not the flatest, but I have been attempting to run on the roads with the least amount of uneven surfaces. I have been trying to make sure it's not always the same leg that encounters the banked/cambered surface.
• Over the last few months I have been trying to run slower, maybe this has had an effect on my running form.
  

What Now?

• Initial Rest Period (No running and Daily Stretching)
• Start Running but keep them short (under 4km to start with)
• Stretch Well
• Use a Foam Roller (awaiting delivery) for Myofascial Release
• Exercises that attempt to strengthen the leg muscles (focusing on - but not limited to - hips, glutes and hamstrings)

As I type this post it has been 4 days since my last run, I plan to start the strengthening exercises from Thursday (just body weight) and to attempt a 3km run on Saturday, that'll be a full week without running. Of course, when my foam roller arrives I'll start rolling too.

7t.

Workouts - w/c 21 March, plus new IT band Issue.

I was sick for the first half of the week, and although I still managed to run 22km in total I didn't get to the gym at all.

• Mon - Sick
• Tue - Sick
• Wed - Sick
• Thurs - 10.5k (right knee/IT band really sore)
• Fri - Rest (right knee still in pain)
  
• Sat - 5.5k (mild knee/IT band pain)
• Sun - 6.5k (mild knee/IT band pain)

The worst thing is that my right knee/IT band has flared up. I'm having trouble with anything over 4km. This is really frustrating especially as the trouble I've always had with the IT band has previously been in my left leg/knee. I don't know if this is caused by the surfaces I run on, shoes, weak/imbalanced muscles, or something else.

So for the next few weeks I'm going to cut back the length of my runs (after an initial rest I'll start with a 3km limit and build slowly from there) and focus on a combination of resting, strength training (especially the hips) and stretching.

I'm working towards a 10km race in May, so it would be brilliant to have this under control by then. The thing is I have no idea exactly what I did to 'fix' the left leg - It just stopped hurting towards the end of last year and has been fine ever since.

7t.