Training Monday 7th - Sunday 13th July

After the high of running well and setting a new P.B. last weekend, I was brought back down to earth with a bump this week. I felt tired and off colour as a result of the race and all the travelling that went with competing up in Leeds. The race also left me with tight calf muscles, I believe from sprinting full-pelt round the last 200 metres of the race, something my legs are not very use to. This all meant that the week became an exercise in injury management.

I eased myself round my Monday morning run but my legs didn't feel great, it was like walking the tightrope of good health. I knew I was starting to wobble and I didn't want to fall off! Reluctantly I decided not to do my evening run and rather than hit the gym, I spent my time stretching and manipulating my tight calves. The decision was made a hell of a lot easier when a summer storm hit Surrey. I really didn't fancy my chances in it, especially when it started hailing!

By Tuesday I was feeling a lot better. I knew I'd made the right decision and my legs were feeling a bit more like it as well. I knew a track session would really test my health and my slight injury problem but I wanted to get this key session in. I could worry about the consequences later. The session went well. Two sets of 1200, 800 & 400 metres followed by a final 1200. It was a slightly odd session given that every member of the group had one decidedly dodgy rep. Mine occurred in the second 800. I felt dreadful, but quickly regained my composure and flew round the remaining two reps. I reckon it was a case of mind over matter. However, the aftermath of the session was not good news for my calves. They stiffened up a treat and all the stretching, icing and massaging I proceeded to give myself before I hit the hay, made not a jot of difference come Wednesday morning. I knew my calves were not great before I even got out of bed and the walk down the stairs, which I nearly had to do on my backside, made sure I knew they were none to pleased with me.

I began to stress about the training my coach had set for the next few days and there was also a race at the end of the week that my club really needed me to make. I started to get caught up in thinking about the short term and how completing every session was the be all and end all. I got carried away thinking about the ground I would lose on everyone else if I didn't train every day. Thankfully I soon saw sense and chilled out. Missing a few sessions was not really going to hurt the game long term but forcing myself out the door in a vain attempt to complete every run would definitely do me a lot more harm than good. So I spent Wednesday and Thursday rehabilitating my legs. I felt almost nauseous as the time for each session came and went but I knew I was doing the sensible thing. I was getting over this strange and intense guilt you feel whenever you miss a session. It's a strange feeling but it at least shows how much I want to do well and how much I love to run and push myself forwards.

By Friday I felt confident I could run without putting myself back to where I was on Tuesday night. I just set myself an easy twenty minute run, with half a mind on the injury and the other on Saturday's race. I came through unscathed and confident I could race on Saturday afternoon.
The actual race was a bit of an odd one. I was worried about doing more damage to my legs and I think that really affected my mindset. I warmed up really well and paid close attention to the old calves. I didn't want to push to hard, to protect my calves, but I still wanted to perform reasonably well. When the gun went bang I suddenly didn't fancy it at all. I knew I could win but I was so concerned with aggravating the problem that I just dawdled round the track for two laps. I was in third and had lost nearly fifty metres on the leaders. Suddenly at the start of the third lap I got interested. I eased back up to the leaders, stayed with them till halfway, then pushed on. My nervousness towards the injury problem that had left me feeling quite subdued was gone. I was running well, still not giving it 100%, in order to protect my legs, but I felt strong and reasonably fast. I finished first and was pleased to be only thirty seconds down on last week’s effort. Not to bad seeing as my first two laps were a complete joke.

I quickly flicked into recovery mode, taking great care to warm down and stretch out any stiffness in my legs. I continued the process for the rest of the day and went to bed without any problems. I even decided to play it extra cautious on Sunday. Rather than getting up first thing to do my long run as normal I waited till after lunch. I wanted my calves to have woken fully and to have done some rehab work on them before I hit the road for ninety minutes. It all worked out really well. I had one of those runs where you feel like you could go on forever, and take on the world. I felt so relaxed and fast I didn't want it to end.
I feel proud of how disciplined I've become towards dealing with injury and illness problems that will always occur when you are training hard. I didn't panic too much and took my time, which ultimately resulted in a shorter lay off than may have happened. During this new phase in my running I've learnt that Rome wasn't built in a day, and know I know that Rome won't crumble in a day either!