Life is not fair

Well, pursuant to yesterday’s post, I pootled out for what I hoped would be a three miler today. Ow. Like, really, OW! Unable to walk properly levels of ow. My gait was okay, my heart rate was fine, all other muscles felt good, I wanted to run–but my bloody shins were screaming at me after only three quarters of a mile. The pain was bad enough I was reduced to hobbling when I finally gave up trying to run. This is not a cadence problem (see yesterday’s post). My cadence was about 165-170 at the beginning. I warmed up properly. I’ve been stretching my calf and tibia muscles (twice a day, morning and night). So that leaves overuse. I guess I’m just going to have to stop running for a while and let it heal. I think two weeks should be enough, although the thought of not running for two weeks makes me cringe. That amount of time should give me enough to prepare for the St. Alban’s half marathon (which is coming soon). For those two weeks, cycling will have to do instead.

• Tue: 4 miles @ 10:41/mile
• Wed: 1 mile RP warm up @ 11:24, 3 miles RP @ 10:19
• Thu: 4 miles @ 11:20
• Sat: 10 miles @ 12:15
• Sun: 3 miles @ 11:22

The first three miles on Saturday were run in dappled shade and went fine. At mile 3, I turned onto the Grand Union Canal towpath, and I was running in direct sunlight. The temperature was 27 degrees in the shade; I have no idea what it was in the sun, but it felt fricken hot. I dehydrated very quickly and by the turn around at mile 6, I was knackered. It was hard going from then on. I went from 11:33/mile at mile 5 to 13:11 by the end. Lesson learned: don’t run in direct sunlight at midday on one of the hottest days of the year. Yup.

• Tue: 4 miles @ 10:42
• Wed: 2.5 miles RP @ 10.00
• Thu: 4 miles @ 10:48
• Sat: 8 miles @ 11:22
• Sun: 3 miles @ 10:55

21.55 miles total. 3:58:11 running time. Slowly, very slowly building fitness back up again.

Mileage slowly increasing. Fitness returning after the knee problems.

• Tue 5th, 4 miles @ 10:40
• Wed 6th, 1.5 miles warm up @ 10:30, 2 miles RP @ 9:53
• Thu 7th, 4 miles @ 10:37
• Sat 9th, 6 miles @ 11.05
• Sun 10th, 3 miles @ 11.27

Total mileage: 20.5.

A reasonable week this week, although my long run on Saturday was weak. I had insomnia the night before, and woke up tired and dehydrated before i even started running. After two miles I had nothing left. Ended up walking for about half a mile in the middle (I ran the full 7; total distance maybe 7.5 miles).

• Tue: 4 miles @ 10:25 mins/mile
• Wed: 1 mile RP warm-up @ 12:10, then 2 miles RP @ 09:43
• Thu: 3 miles @ 10:18
• Sat: 7 miles @ 10:56
• Sun: 3 miles @ 10:14

Weekly total of 3:30 running time, and 20 miles distance.

If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know I’ve had to reset my marathon training due to various injuries, sprains, etc. You’ll also know that I ran the Berkhamsted half marathon and found it . . . hard. The race blew my legs out for nearly three days after, and as soon as I started running again, my foot went wobbly and a strain appeared in my peroneal tendon.

But I was wondering at the time if it was my shoes that were doing it to me, rather than the miles. I think now it is almost certainly is the shoes, which means I’ve just spent a bunch of money on something I can’t use.

The first pair of shoes I had for running in the UK were a pair of Asics Gel 1150s. They put in some sterling work during the time up to my first

operation, and then afterwards when I had to go through the Couch to 5k program all over again. They’ve got so much wear now that the tread on the bottom is almost gone in some places. (I’m a heavy bastard, and hard on shoes.) The wear pattern shows increased wear on the outer edge of the sole–which indicates supination. The Asics lasted until my second op, in April, when I was knocked out fitness wise for months, and then had to start the Couch to 5k again.

That’s when I bought some replacements: Nike Air Pegasus. These shoes were great at first–really soft and cushioned. Sometimes it felt a little bit like trying to run on balloons, but they really bounced–and all that returned energy made running seem much easier. The only problem was that I’d bought them a little too small, and the fit of the shoe was too narrow. I didn’t notice in the shop–but after I started doing longer runs, I noticed a lot.

Also have a look at the wear pattern. The outer edge is worn almost smooth, but the inner edge still has a high tread. That’s definitely a supination wear pattern.

And then I was diagnosed with a brain tumour, had whole brain radiation, got my fitness knocked back down to zero again, and had to start running from zero again. This time it was dispiriting. If you’ve have whole brain radiation, or you know someone who has, then you’ll understand the bone-deep weariness I felt at the thought of doing anything at all, let alone panting and sweating as I ground round the same old circuit, trying to get fit again.

Cancer is a dirty old bastard, though, and if you want to get the best of him, you’ve got to kick him in the fork when he least expects it.

So I bought myself a new pair of shoes after Christmas, trying to make myself feel better about running (it’s not just women who buy shoes to make themselves feel better). I got a pair of Asics Gel Kayanos–mainly because I’d read online that heavy runners (that’s me) needed more support in their shoes, and I’ve got a flattish arch–which is associated with overpronation. (Of course, I should have checked the wear pattern first–and if you have a look at the wear pattern in the pic, you’ll see the same pattern as before: wear on the outside of the shoe.)

The Asics felt hard. My feet kept flapping down, and because the sole didn’t bend much, the whole foot hit at once. It’s kind of hard to describe, but if you imagine trying to run with a piece of wood taped to the bottom of your feet, it felt like that. Except more cushioned. Like a bit of wood with . . . uh . . . a small cushion. (Okay, I’m going to abandon that now.) After a while, the Asics started to wear in and get more flexible, and I did a lot of miles in them–about 250 in January and February. (That’s a lot for me.)

But as I was hitting longer runs (16 miles was my longest), my knees were complaining–especially if the run was on roads. I had some hip pain as well, but ITB stretching took care of that. I managed to convince myself that I needed new shoes (cushioning was gone or something), so I went and got some more.

I got some New Balance 850s. They felt amazing in the shop–supportive and firm and cushioned all at the same time. I wore them for a six mile run, but my knees started complaining quite seriously, so it turned into a run/walk. I then rested until the Berko half, thinking that by then the injuries would be gone and I could wear my shiny new shoes (except the 6 mile run included a water-logged field, so they weren’t actually shiny any more) for the race.

I wore the 850s for the race, and the half marathon was super hard. I think Berkhamsted is a harder course than Watford anyway (check the ascent profiles for Watford and Berko), but it shouldn’t have made me 15 minutes slower.

I started running again last week. As an experiment, I wore the Nike Air Pegasus. Result: 3 miles feeling great, but an inflamed peroneal tendon about four hours afterward. The shoes are way too narrow now my feet have spread out from running, and they were pinching the side of my foot.

Next 3 miles I ran in my old Asics Gel 1130. They felt thin–I could feel bits of gravel through the sole. And they weren’t giving much cushioning, but afterwards, my legs felt okay. My knees were a bit irritable, but fine the next day.

I went 2.5 miles yesterday in the New Balance 850s. And once more they blew my legs to trembling bits. They’re great shoes for walking in–really comfortable without being soggy–but they just kill me when I’m running.

So it looks like I’ve been running in the wrong kind of shoes for about two and a half months, while at the same time increasing my mileage quite considerably. It’s no wonder I’ve been getting sore knees and feet. I’ve also noticed that what seems to be preventing me from going further/faster is joint pain, NOT panting and being out of breath. I don’t think this is normal for runners. Today, I’ll go in my old Asics (2 miles only), and tomorrow it’s off to the store to get a pair of Nike Air Pegasus in a larger size.

Lesson to be learned: finding the right pair of running shoes is much harder than it looks.

Earlier today I posted that while running my knee hadn’t hurt. Well, that’s changed. A lot. It hurts. A lot. The pain is off and on, but when it’s on, walking is very painful. I’ve bought myself a bag of frozen peas for icing, and I’m not going to do any more running until the Berkhamsted Half Marathon on Sunday next week.

6 miles today at 80ish% max heart rate. Flattish run on asphalt pavement, and one short section across a sodden field. Stats and map are here.

This was my first run after knee pain from my ten miler last Friday. I ordered a knee compression sleeve from Amazon, and it stopped the wretched clicking I’ve been having for days. Once the clicking stopped, the knee ached a little, but nowhere near the level previously, when all I was doing was walking round the house.

The new shoes felt good too–although I made an error by running along a footpath that crossed a field . . . which was waterlogged. Not muddy, but under about an inch of water that wasn’t draining anywhere. Yeah. Wet feet. Luckily it was about the five mile mark, so I didn’t have to run far in wet shoes. They don’t look new anymore, though. Mud splattered all over them, and stained dark brown where they are supposed to be bright white. Still, never mind. They’re there to be run in, not to be looked at.

I bought them because of the hip and knee problems I’ve been having. They felt perfect in the running store. I tried a bunch of pairs on the treadmill there (with the staff videoing my feet and laughing at how my left foot waggles around like a chicken), and these fit best: New Balance 850. They’re designed for severe overpronators like me, and are surprisingly comfortable. I’m not getting the same feeling of my left foot going splat as I was before. In the old pair, it felt like my foot was landing flat every strike. This pair, it felt like I was landing on my heel or mid foot. Much better.

Training Log:

• Mon 14th: 5 miles @ 80%. Pace 10:07
• Wed 16th: 9 miles @80%. Pace 10:42
• Fri 18th: 10 miles. Pace 11:48

That makes 24 miles for last week. So far this week, I’ve done 6 miles, and I’m planning an 18 miler on Saturday. I’ll probably go along the Grand Union Canal up toward Tring, and take the camera along.

• Mon: recovery ride. 5.41 miles, 35 min.
• Tue: 4 miles at 80%. 4.12 miles, 43 min.
• Wed: cross-training ride. 7.55 miles, 45 min.
• Thu: 8 miles at 80%. 7.95 miles, 1:22.
• Fri: cross-training ride. 15.87 miles, 1:44.
• Saturday: long run. 16 miles, 3:01:00

Running mileage: 28.07. Maps and stats can be found here.

Lessons learned this week:

1. Vaseline around the toes reduces/stops friction blisters. It helps, but doesn’t stop completely, the blisters from your toe slamming into the end of your shoe.
2. A Snickers bar before running works wonders. So does Twix. However, they don’t stay appetizing in a belt-pack. In fact, they become revolting. So be warned. Body heat and chocolate do not mix. Except if there’s two of you…
3. Long runs on small roads need to be planned carefully to avoid roads in which you have to leap into a hedge out of the way of oncoming cars.
4. Sixteen miles is a bloody long way. But, strangely, it only seems like a long way after you’ve already covered twelve/ thirteen of it. And then the longness hits all at once. Like a brick. Or, actually, more like a Snickers that’s been pressed against your hot sweaty skin just above your buttocks for two hours.

I was feeling pretty knocked out by the half marathon on Sunday, but I wanted to try something different in recovery, rather than just slodging on the sofa (which feels great until you need to get up). This time, I tried a bunch of different things:

1. Ice bath on Sunday for 15 minutes
2. Very hot bath before bed on Sunday
3. Long session of stretching Sunday evening (as well as the post-race stretch)
4. 5 mile gentle cycle on Monday
5. Lots and lots of protein through Monday (at least 200 grams)
6. More stretching Monday evening
7. 4 mile run plus two miles walking on trails on Tuesday
8. Even more protein through Tuesday
9. Another long session of stretching

And here I am on Wednesday morning with my legs feeling fine–just a couple of minor twinges when I squat or bend right over. None of the stone-leg syndrome I felt after my last long run. In fact, I feel like I could do another long one now. But . . . I’m cutting down on the frequency of runs, and I’m going to try to make them more intense instead. I’m planning three runs a week. First will be hills/intervals, or a recovery run if I’ve gone long the weekend before. Say 4-6 miles. Second will be a medium-long run of about 6-10 miles, depending on how I’m feeling. I’m going to try and run these faster than race pace, which means a target of around 9.30 mins/mile. And last is the weekend long run, which will alternate between 10-15 miles and the really long runs–I’m planning an increase of 2 miles every other week.

I’m hoping that my problems with not recovering fully will be solved by this, but that it will also give me enough mileage to complete the marathon. We’ll see.