South Kent Harriers (25 years on the road! 1987-2012)

My last entry (November 2009- Eightlane Forum)

I'm afraid it's all come to an end. I cannot keep going with it anymore. The highs and lows, the positives and negatives have become too much to bare.

Consultant surgeon has said that my chances of getting nack to normality are extremely unlikely. He advised I get on with real life.

Indeed maybe running isn't real life, but I suppose that is what is good about it.

I've enjoyed my time (s), but giving in appears to be the only option on the table.

My heart goes out to the injured ones. It's a grim and lonely place to be. It's a no mans land, where everything is not as it should be and you feel you are theonly one out there on your own.

Jog - I may do just to keep the gut away, but that is it.

I've retired from competition through advice and yes - realisation that just maybe there is life after running.

To all those I've ran with and have been part of my running experience, it has been an honour to know you.

Thanks

and goodbye!

AND NOW......

After being told to completely rest for 6 months, I knew this was never going to happen. (I didn't believe it!) So I did take some time out and rested more or less for November and December 2009.

In this time I thought about what I had done and yes I was pleased with my achievements, BUT a life without running was going to be difficult, so I went back to basics and started jogging again. I bought myself 2 jogging suits and at near 14 stone decided to strip the fat back one more time.

It has taken 6 months to get a good standard of basic fitness, which I feel happy I have achieved. The heel is still an issue but I am working ways round it so I can keep a routine going.

This does mean from time to time, having to cancel a workout because the pain is too bad, but other days I can move more freely. I massage the area frequently with an aromatherapy solution made from comfrey and eucalyptus and this has helped.

I have also opted to train in less modified shoes - racers and nike free in an attempt to strengthen my ankles and feet. This has caused no elevation in pain whatsoever!

I am also doing more of my running on trails (have great hills and trails adjacent to and above Channel Tunnel Terminal)

MY GOALS - To make the Ireland M40 Team November 2011 and be competitive in the International. I have no other ultimate goals. Everything I do between now an then which is about 16 months, will be preparation to A) make the team in the Dublin Trial Oct 2011 and B) Get the very best result I can out of myself in the Masters International.

CURRENT WEEKLY TRAINING (sometimes heavier weeks than this and occasional doubles - with regular core work/light weights)

Mo - 78 mins (easy) (7-8 min/mile av)

Tue - 60 mins incl Road Relay - 2.2 mile leg @ Canterbury

Wed - 49 mins - ran 26 min out and ran back faster (negative split run) - something John Downes got me doing years ago.

Thu - 66 mins (easy)

Fri - 55 mins (easy) -extremely hot and uncomfortable

Sat - 40 mins (easy)

Sun - 20 miles (easy) - 2 hours 18 mins (The only run I monitor apart from some workouts) (8.04, 7.11, 7.07, 6.47, 6.40, 6.49, 6.28, 6.26, 6.34, 6.57, 6.55, 7.07, 6.51, 6.55, 6.48, 6.59, 6.49, 6.50, 7.28 (hill), 6.45.) Had a couple of occasions where I tightened up and needed to stretch, but really I was flowing well, particularly in the heat. Ran with MC, SI, DM, HW.

Now the base is good I need to get faster. That issue is very much 'heel dependent!' It's a nursing job but I have 16 months!

Mon - Rest Day - Needed one so took it. Like to take one every 12-14 days. Using it as part of my training. Have neglected the need to rest in the past.

Tue - am 40 mins (easy) Early run. Adaption run. Trying to introduce more volume. And of course running doubles is a great way of doing it.

Wed - am 38 mins (easy) Yaaaay! Made another one.

           pm 48 mins - incl. 8x2mins 1 min jog. Decided not to do a formal session, so got

                                    something in. Used Channel Tunnel Track. Shelter from the strong

                                    winds.

Thu - pm 76 mins (easy) - ran with LL Kingsdown, Deal

Fri - pm 60 mins (easy) with MC

Sat - am 1 hour 26 mins (easy) - long gentle run. Too sore to bash out a hard workout, so opted to run long and slow/distance. I think it works!

Sun - am 2 hours (easy) East Langdon/St. Margarets/National Trust Cliffs

          A good long run, but found the hilly route challenging today. Blowing in parts

         but feel that I will get benefit at some stage. Autumn!!! Hopefully. with MC

Looking forward to hitting some trials next week. Looking at Tuesday relay and possibly Friday 5k if I can clear a time frame from other appointments that night. First 3-5 mins of those will tell me an awful lot about how the last few weeks have gone. Have had 4 x 2hour runs since last race. Effect???

Mon - 70 mins (easy - Ripple Walmer and Deal

Tue - 72 mins (easy)

Wed - 75 mins - incl 3x2000m 90 sec rec (6.30, 6.30, 6.42)

Really struggled on last one. Hanging on from 500m in and depreciating constantly. First two went well, but they were probably on the wrong side of comfortably hard. The aim was to run at 3.15/km pace and I felt that could be achievable. More time needed. I feel I have been too impatient to get back to the form of over 2 years ago. It is going to take longer than I want it to.

Thu - 30 mins (easy) - Difficult 'life' day today and had to squeeze a run in. Could have easily dropped this but I am determined to keep a routine going, otherwise I might as well bonk out and watch crap TV and order overpriced pizzas like many regular people. A training programme is a discipline - a life style component - not something to be played with. I have no time for fair weather athletes. Where are you in the depths of November and December? In some overpriced air conditioned graveyard of exercise machines.. Yer get me?

Fri - 54 mins (easy) Ran with LL. Glad he has made the decision to get back. I know he will rock when he gets fit. COME ON L!!

Sat - 72 mins (easy) - ran with RL. Again another comback athlete. No doubt at all that when RL gets fit the wins and times will start flowing again. An amazing talent who could do really special things.

Sun - 2 hours (easy) - A nice relaxed run around Saltwood and surrounding hills. Enjoyed the run. Felt pretty strong. Locked up in last 5 mins, but that could be the exertions of watching that hopeless match last night. England have great individuals, but they lack something as a unit. They get all excited and throw everything at teams in the first few minutes, but they haven't the resolve to win a match when they take the lead. I'm going for the Italians. They are the masters of doing enough to win games without throwing all their resources at a 10 minute time frame.

Anyway as far as running is concerned, I think it is a question of time. I'm getting fitter, but I feel that any significant gains will not be made until I get into the October to March section of the calendar. Heel still not 100% and whilst it remains like that, getting back to old form is always in question. I remain ever hopeful.

Mon - am 43 mins (easy)

Tue am 43 mins (easy)

        pm 35 mins (easy)

Wed pm 66 mins - incl 3 x number stride fartlek to 60 strides

Thu am 35 mins (easy)

        pm 40 mins (easy)

Fri am 64 mins (easy) Deal/Kingsdown - with LL and JM

      pm 75 mins - incl 5x1000m off 90 rec 3.10, 3.11, 3.03, 3.03, 3.06

Happy with this workout at this stage and today was really hot so to get the workout done was great. Did a15 min jog with DM who was racing the next day.

Sat am 20 mins (really easy) Very sore from previous day. Bumped into GF who was out training. Great to see him getting back. Hope to see him at a race in the Autumn.

Sun am 2 hours 1 min (easy) Dover/ St Margarets with MC - A great start to the week. Felt better than of late with this type of run.

All in all a positive end to the week. Had niggles at the start of the week which made me change my idea of racing the Harvel 5, but at the end of the week I seemed to feel better.

Will do a 10k workout on Tuesday and Wednesday and will decide on the basis of this whether to make the trip to Bluewater. Unfortunately Bluewater is a very testing course, so any gains I may have made will not show their true worth. Wait and see...

Creane Training up to 31st May

A very difficult week. Riding the rollercoaster of injury again. This week there are quite a few downs in there. It's a difficult thing to cope with. All I can do is battle on and hope that the end is not far away. Purchased another pain relief aid today. Going through freeze spray like there is no tomorrow. Ultrasound yesterday and loads of eccentric work on calves. It's hard work and makes training seem like the easy part. This week has been a low week in terms of distances. Social functions and time table clashes can not be helped.

Sun - 1 hour 16 mins (easy) - Cut run short as had to go out.

Mon - 65 mins (easy)

Tue - 60 mins (easy)

Wed - 65 mins - incl 8x300m @ 50 sec ave. Also did 6 x core/stride circuits. Session showed i've still got something to give

Thu - 73 mins (easy) with DM

Fri - Planned Rest Day

Sat - Unplanned rest day. Battered from night out. A real late one.

Sun - 1 hour 57 (easy) good run with MC

Mon - 43 mins easy

Need to keep eye on the goals. Weight better and making healthier choices. The three day starvation diet really helped. Took 6 lbs off, but it made me realise that food (healthy food) is great. Diets are not something I believe in, but as a tool of retraining the brain, I think they have a place. Healthy choices are the way to go and must stop binge drinking. It's not good to say I hardly drink and then slam it in in one night. Have to sort this.

Was looking at doing the Harvel 5, but niggle in heel is being nasty again. I'm ready to go, but that 0.5 cm diameter of pain is taking its toll. I will keep going. My long term goal is November 2011 (Masters International). If I can get niggle free, I will do very well in that race and then it might be time to finally step off the gas (20 years of competition!).