Not this time...

This week I made the difficult decision not to run the Windermere marathon in May. Even though it's a couple of months away I don't feel able to put in the training that I want to due to work commitments and injury.

I'm sure I could squeeze in the training runs but at the expense of time to rest which I know from experience is equally important in the training plan. I've also been struggling with IT band problems, and while I was keeping them at bay (just), I haven't been confidently running more than 8 miles before I start to get some pain. I'm aware that I should be running 14 miles on Saturdays as well as several 5-8 milers during the week and to be confident on race day I know I have to have put the miles in now.

Racing is the fun part; it's the reward of all the hard work.

-Kara Goucher

So taking into consideration all things as they are at the moment I had to be honest and admit this isn't the race for me. Despite the fact that I'll be envious of all the runners, I still plan to travel to Windermere for the marathon to support my training buddy Lou and all the other runners too. This race I can enjoy being a supporter. There will be more races for me in the future, and hopefully another marathon along the line when I'm healthy and able to commit, so that I arrive at the start line confident in my training.

The Dreaded Iliotibial Band Again...

Just as I dared to think I was back on track with running and starting to make plans my dreaded knee pain/IT band problem is threatening to return. The first time it really became a problem was in April last year but I thought I had got past it and was running quite good distances again comfortably.

I can only think it's because I've neglected to do my exercises this last few weeks while things have been too crazy at home. I'm also running in my trail shoes a lot but, while they're brilliant for the muddy off road bits, we spend quite a bit of time on roads too and they probably aren't the right support for it.

So for now I have to go back the basics: RICE

Rest

Ice (cream)

Compression

Elevation

However I'm also on the lookout for tips and recommendations of how to overcome this injury. I know the problem isn't really in my knee even though that is where the pain is right now. My trainers are right for me (maybe not my trail ones admittedly) as I had my gait checked only a month or two ago.

I'm going to return to my regular exercises that helped last time but please suggest exercises or websites you have used and recommend as I really want to put this behind me once and for all! Also feel free to share success stories to let me know that I'm not going to be out of action forever!

Thanks :)

WAHOOOOOO....

.... Today I ran!

In the scale of things I may be a bit too excited about it considering it was just 5km, but that little 5km signifies a return to running for me after a long stretch of injury and illness. To make it even better, it was a beautiful evening (although to be honest I would have loved it whatever the weather).

So everyone, please cross your fingers that this is the end of the injuries and illness and that I can have a new beginning in running and the blog inspiration that seems to go hand in hand with training!

I am a runner... Just not at the moment

I'm afraid to say that I've hit another hurdle. Just as I was getting back into running after my knee injury, I hit another set back shortly after returning to England and ended up in hospital having surgery. I'm on the mend, though it will take some time.

The other day I was encouraged by a friend, they reminded me that I am a runner and I will get back into it. I just need to keep that in mind and focus on getting back to full fitness (and resist the urge to do too much too soon!)

Posted with Blogsy

Not As Simple As You'd Think!

I learned something this weekend... apparently the rules of sports bras do not apply to trainers! Who'd've thought, eh??

As many of my fellow (girl) runners know, when it comes to sports bras there is no such thing as too much support....  well, apparently in the world of trainers there can be!

Back when I started running in January 2010 I just went to the sports shop and picked up a pair of Nike Airs. There was no thought process about the technicalities of what a trainer does, I just knew that they were a brand I knew, apparently made for running, I could afford them because they were on offer and they looked pretty.

My second pair I picked up were a pair of Nike Free's. Again with no knowledge of what I needed but I had seen the adverts that they were for running (and I fell for the hype!) and I liked the look of them (They do look cute!)

Back then I wasn't covering a lot of miles but over time I was increasing my distance. I hit a big hurdle early in 2011 when I started my 2011km in 2011 challenge. I ended up sitting in the doctors office wondering if my knee would stop me from being able to do my challenge before I was even a quarter of the way into it.
My running life changed once I had a gait analysis done. For the first time ever I bought a pair of trainers not because of how they looked, but because they were the right type and fit with the right support. No adverts, gimmicks, pretty colours or clever advertising required! Don't get me wrong.. this wasn't an instant fix as the first pair (or two) that they fitted didn't work for me for one reason or another. Thankfully I was able to swap them as the shop has a guarantee where if the trainers they fit aren't right, they will exchange them within 30 days.

All that being said I found a sort that suited me before too long. I had several pairs of Brooks Vapor and Adrenaline 11s and ran my 2011 challenge in them as well as my half marathons and full marathon. Both of these are support trainers and they served me well until earlier this year when I ran the Rock n Roll Dallas and got injured. I have tried my best since to stretch and roll and fix my IT band issues but every time I go out for even a short run, those little pains start up, threatening to be big pain if I run more than 4 or 5km.

I don't know why it took me so long but finally I got the opportunity to get my gait checked again when I visited Dallas this weekend which brings me around to my first point. Apparently, unlike sports bras, you can have too much support in a trainer. The Adrenalines are support trainers (which is what I needed when I was first analysed) though my style has changed over time. Some element of the support is now too high and is pushing me to overcompensate... leading to the pain in my knee. Hence... too much support.
So now I am the proud owner of yet another pair of trainers!

I've been out a couple of times in my Brooks Ghost 5s and so far, so good.... please cross your fingers that this is the solution!

ITB issues

When I told my mum I was having IT band issues she asked me what was wrong with my computer... Unfortunately my ITB issues are or the physical kind not electrical. The Iliotibial Band is the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from hip to shin and is apparently notorious for causing problems for runners that have been running for a while or running high mileage such as marathon training. I've heard people mention IT band pain on DailyMile and also at the running club but other than that I didn't know much about it. However Sunday's race showed me how painful it can be so I've needed to do some research into what the problem is and how to fix it.

There are a ton of articles on the internet about this because it affects so many people, and the general gist I can understand is that firstly I need to RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation). However that's about where the consistency of the internet ends as when it comes to what needs to be done other than RICE many of the articles begin to contradict each other! One running website states that if you rest an IT Band strain that you'll be fine to just carry on after. Then other sites state that someone could rest for 6 months and the first time they go out again it would most likely hurt. Most of the sites recommend steps to prevent this from happening by adding some stretches and strengthening exercises and this was also the advice given to me by other runners so I think I'm going to take that approach.

Firstly I'm heeding advice to rest, mainly because at some points I can hardly walk, let alone run! Then secondly I've invested in a foam roller (though thankfully the running shop had a $12 option rather than the $50 ones I'd seen on the internet... it may not last forever but it feels pretty solid and should last a while at least).

I've never used a foam roller before this injury but I can definitely feel the benefits already. Basically foam rolling is a tough love approach to muscle knots. It hurts like hell but really works! Your own body weight applies pressure to the area and rolling over it is basically a massage without the expense of a trip to a professional. Hopefully rolling, stretching and some strengthening exercises will help me recover and prevent future injury.
If you've suffered with ITB issues and have any advice please feel free to comment as I'm interested to try anything that might help me get back on the road as soon as possible :)