Running tribulations
When I undertook an Asics training plan in preparation for the Gold Coast 10KM, I found it pretty unusual that the plan started off with two 8km runs in the first week, before tapering off and then building back up over the following weeks. I followed the plan anyway and felt I was up to the challenge.
After two weeks of running, I was getting quite strong but started feeling an unusual pressure in the ‘side shin’ above my right ankle. It was a really unusual spot for such pressure and I eased off the plan in the following week.
On my next run, I could still feel the pressure but it had recovered enough that it wasn’t too much of a problem – until I ran down a hill about 1.5km into the run and it completely went. It didn’t ping or anything, but was immediately debilitating. I stretched and tried to get a slow jog happening, but it was bad. Real bad. I limped back home, barely able to walk.
For a week I was walking around like Al Swearengen after his minor stroke in Deadwood; “…always dragging that fucking leg!” I would exclaim to myself, to the amusement of no one else. It was incredibly painful. Every trip across the room or down the hall was a journey. I only started walking somewhat convincingly after 3 weeks of rest, when riding my bike to work the only low-impact exercise that I could physically complete.
In that time, I had 3 physio appointments. My right foot has always been a little crooked and the increased load (through 100%+ immediate increase in training) was the main reason for the failure, causing peroneal tendonitis. The physio worked the affected areas, gave me a lot of strength exercises to do and recommended no running until it was fully recovered – advice that was hard to ignore as I couldn’t run without significant pain.
Consequently, I missed the Gold Coast 10km run. From there I tried to keep a balance of recovery and training for Run Melbourne 3 weeks later. That “balance” meant that I only managed one 5km run before the race, in which the leg held up ok. I was pretty happy to be running again.
Given the lack of training for Run Melbourne, I was surprised how well it went (perhaps lifted by occasion and the obsessive leg stretching borne out of worry!). I was only aiming to complete the run, free of troubles. I posted a slower time to previous years as I had to heavily control my downhill runs. I was happy to just get through it. Afterwards and in the days following, I pulled up so much better than I had in previous years. I was now running a lot smarter.
Since then I have only run once a week, some weeks not all.
When I don’t run I start feeling depressed and start craving some huff and puff. I call it the need to “kick up the enzymes”. I am now getting back into it. In the lull, my weight has maxed out at 98.4kg – the heaviest I’ve ever been. It’s due to the usual stuff: terrible winter weather, winter eating, lots of eating out (not fast-food), too many tasty craft beers, being busy at work, after hours meetings and resting due to injury. Though I’d say that the beer is the main killer.
92kg is my comfortable weight, so I’d like to get back to that weight as a minimum. The plan: eating less crap, eating more healthy stuff (much easier in spring!), drinking less, drinking lo-cal beer, running more and throwing in a few gym sessions when weather is bad.
I’m considering doing the Run Geelong 12km event. So right now I am increasing my training …gradually!