Injured Again

I've been cursing my luck the last little while. After the Tom Scott 10 Miler on Easter Sunday, I was building up nicely for a 1500m at the West District Championship then the Scottish 5km Road Race Championship in Edinburgh. Consistent weeks of 56, 51 and 54 miles with all the key sessions on their appointed days of the week. An encouraging time of 15:10 over 5000m at the first Mens League at Meadowbank. Come Sunday 29th April, a good, brisk 12 miles (1:12:39) with 2 sets of intervals of 4 minutes, 1 minute and 2 minutes duration. Twinge in the left shin at the end. Stiffness during the afternoon while officiating for Cambuslang at the Central and South of Scotland League. 2 uncomfortable days of running later, full blown pain. Cue training with a difference again.

The winter brought aqua jogging. This time, I was in too much pain to do that so dug out my 20 odd year old bike, got a helmet from Argos, blew up the tyres (well, my Dad did while I held the bike steady) and started cycling. I had found I could cycle without aggravating the shin. I've mainly been out Strathaven way and in the surrounding villages of Chapelton, Glassford and Stonehouse. My routes have mostly taken in the Strathaven Striders Run With the Wind 10k route. I'm pleased to have recorded a few sub-30 minute 10ks albeit on 2 wheels. Darvel was another option but I'm aware that a farm on route there is resident to a nasty looking dog so I've been too scared to go that way. I did for a run on one occasion and encountered said canine which didn't look too pleased to see me.

Above: set for the open road.

So it's been training with a difference again the last wee while. Touch wood, as I write this after completing 8 hill reps on my High Point hill session pain free, I'm now over it. Bring on the Mens League in Aberdeen.

Week Commencing Monday 30th April

Monday: Track, 5 x 600m, 5 mins recoveries, times- 1:41, 1:39, 1:40, 1:41, 1:40, 5.4 miles including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Club, 9.9 miles (1:02:52)- shin getting more painful, hurting by end of run.

Wednesday: Swim, 400m easy, breast/crawl- in too much pain to aqua jog, swimming was also uncomfortable.

Thursday: Rest- run abandoned after 30 seconds, shin absoloute agony.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Bike, East Kilbride to Chapelton and back, 1 hour 17 minutes.

Sunday: Bike, East Kilbride to Strathaven and Glassford and back, 2 hours 11 minutes- ate like a horse when I got back then enjoyed a curry and a few pints in West End of Glasgow later.

Running- 15 miles, swimming- 400m, bike- 3 hours 28 minutes

Week Commencing Monday 7th May

Monday: Bike, East Kilbride to Strathaven, Glassford and Stonehouse and back, 2 hours 55 minutes- day off work so took advantage. Drink (soft drink) stop in Strathaven then stop for a sandwich and read of the paper in Stonehouse. A restaurant there was doing a lunchtime Indian buffet for £4.95 but after a lamb madras and 5 or 6 pints the night before, I settled for a Co-Op chicken and stuffing sandwich and Lucozade Sport.

Tuesday: Aqua jog, 65 mins, including 5 x 5 mins with 5 mins jog recoveries, 200m breast/crawl warm up, 200m breast/crawl warm down- shin still twinging.

Wednesday: Bike, 10 mile time trial (42:03), 1 hour 12 minutes including warm up cycle and warm down cycle- used the Calderglen 10 Mile Road Race route from 2009, bumpy surface in places, tough.

Thursday: Hill reps, High Point, 6 reps, steady all way, 3.3 miles including warm down- walked to the hill with my Dad for the warm up and very short warm down. Horrible, wet night. Feeling twinge in later reps.

Friday: 4.3 miles (25:56)- shin still not quite right.

Saturday: 6.5-7 miles (42:58), Calderglen trail- see Friday.

Sunday: Bike, East Kilbride to Strathaven and back, 2 hours 1 minute- horrendously wet and windy, soaked through wearing 3 layers. Pleased to do it.

Running- 14 miles, swimming- 400m, aqua jogging- 1 hour 5 minutes, bike- 6 hours 8 minutes

After Sunday, plan is the Polaroid 10k in Clydebank next Thursday (24th) which I entered today. After Alsager, the 1500m at Ayr and Wednesday's 5k at Edinburgh, it would be good to pre-enter a race then actually run it. Hopefully that's my quota of bad luck used up for this year.