Injury and Recuperation

The best laid plans and all that. I began 2012 with a clear game plan- run the Beith Harriers New Year Race, go into a 4 week training spell of 60 miles per week, ease back a bit for today's Alsager 5 Road Race, back up towards 60 for a week then taper right back for the National Cross Country on 18th February. I managed the 60 for 2 weeks and the third week looked like this:-

Monday 16th January: Track, 12 x 500m in 1:26-1:29, 9.5 miles including warm up and warm down- slippy track, really struggled, glad to get done (this is my training diary entry).

Tuesday 17th: Club, Hampden run in reverse, 7.8 miles (47:06).

Wednesday 18th: Tempo run, 20 mins easy, 5 x 5 mins with 2 mins jog recoveries, remainder easy, 10 miles (1:00:22).

Thursday 19th: Hill reps, High Point, 12 reps, steady all the way, 7.4 miles including warm up and warm down.

In what was in hindsight a foolish thing to do, I changed my footwear for Wednesday's tempo run, since the previous week's hadn't gone great, from my usual Asics model to K Swiss trainers I last wore in September at the Strathclyde Parkrun. The downside to a 3 minute improvement  for the 10 mile route was tiny twinges around my right shin. I didn't feel it during the hill session, which is on grass, but afterwards I did. Literally overnight, it worsened and on the Friday (20th) I limped around all day with severe pain in the shin area. No more running that week. I walked okay over the weekend but with great stiffness. 34 miles for the week.

A physio appointment (Iain Reid at Achilles Heel in Glasgow) diagnosed inflammation in the tendon which, whilst not thrilling news, was better than a stress fracture or shin splints. A diet of ice packs and stretches has happily meant, as I write this 16 days after the initial twinges, the tendon finally feels normal again. Naturally, Alsager didn't happen for me today but the National is still there. I'll be happy to be on the start line and setting no targets. Hopefully no-one else will either. Que sera sera.

Having been frustrated at no training of any kind for 3 days, I was introduced to a whole new world of aqua jogging, i.e. water running. Athletics Weekly magazine had an article on it in December 2011. "There's no impact, injury risk is minimal and muscle soreness is almost eliminated" and, according to aqua fitness coach Linda Ward:-

"A bonus is that you're out of the wind and rain where there's always a chance of slipping or falling. It also improves your posture, running style, strengthens your core and you can train at high intensity even with an injury because the water supports the body."

I can't say I've missed the wind, rain or even mud too much, I haven't slipped or fallen at all and I must be training at high intensity because I'm sleeping like a log at night and have the appetite of a horse. Whether my 18 year old haphazard, heel flick running style has improved remains to be seen.

As of now, I'm on a run-aqua jog program on alternate days. Yesterday I jogged for 5km not feeling a single twinge. I've had 2 weeks of a rather different training regime. Here's the first week. The second one will follow at a later date.

Monday 23rd January: 6.4 miles easy (43:43)- attempting to run again after 3 days off. Shin/tendon feeling stiff.

Tuesday 24th: 8.8 miles easy (58:03)- never comfortable, dragging the right leg behind me by the end.

Wednesday 25th: 40 mins aqua jog- 10 mins easy then 4 x 5 mins, 1 min jog recoveries- first ever aqua jog, felt silly for 5 minutes then started enjoying it.

Thursday 26th: 50 mins aqua jog- 10 mins easy then 14 x 2 mins, 1 min jog recoveries.

Friday 27th: Rest

Saturday 28th: Swim, 4 x 250m crawl (5:40-5:50), 60-90 secs recoveries, 100m breast stroke warm up, 100m breast stroke warm down- no quiet spot to aqua jog but had a swimming lane to myself, feeling the shin/tendon every time I kicked off the wall.

Sunday 29th: 30 mins aqua jog including 4 x 1 min, 2 mins alternate- "recovery run."

All aqua jog sessions included a 100m breast stroke warm up and 100m breast stroke warm down.

"Mileage-" running/hobbling- 15 miles, swimming- 1800m, aqua jogging- 2 hours

It must be said I'm going to miss the pool when fully fit again. I can console myself with a 100% race record so far this year (while it lasts anyway), one race, one win.