Two steps forward... and...

I have been making solid progress in regards to returning to a 'normal' training program. I'm now into week three and, generally, the hamstrings have been behaving themselves and I've been able to do some solid training. Last week I did 95k in total, with a fair bit of quality running. It's made it feel like a weight's been lifted off me and I've been feeling so happy and motivated.

Yesterday and today, however, were not good days. My left hamstring/tendon was definitely feeling something so yesterday I decided to swap Tuesday's track session with Wednesday's 14k run in the hope that an extra day away from the track would settle things down.

Unfortunately when I woke up this morning my hammie felt a bit achey and, as I feared, when I did the hamstring bridge to test things out I felt the slightest little twinge up under my butt. Just the slightest bit, and only for a split second at the start of it, but it was there. Not what I wanted.

So, in an effort to let it settle down completely, today was a cycle only day - as per my instructions from physio Brent that if there is any pain when I do a bridge I'm not to run (let alone to the track session I was planning on doing). I've been feeling very positive these last few weeks so today broke the spirit a little bit. I'll admit to having a bit of a cry this morning, then another one this afternoon when the Athletics NSW email newsletter arrived rubbing salt in the wound.

I just want this to disappear once and for all. I suppose I was naive in thinking there wouldn't be any setbacks when getting back into training. At this stage I suppose I'm prepared to modify my training every now and then to cater for any niggles but the worry is that I'll have to keep modifying it, and modify it too much, to the point that I'm not going to get the best out of myself.

Bah.

Here we go again

I am officially on day two of 'proper' training. Woo hoo!

I finished with my physio last Friday - we just went through the exercises I needed to keep doing (as in, keep doing forever and ever, amen, if I want to continue running) and talked about the warning signs I had to look out for that would signal tendon problems.

The biggest warning sign is pain when I do my hamstring bridge - that's my number one test to make sure everything is still OK. If I get pain I have to back off the training until the pain goes away.

I am also about to start riding around on a scooter. You know, one of those push scooters that kids use. I thought my physio was joking when he told me to use one - he wasn't. It makes sense because it strengthens all the areas I need to work on. This weekend I'm going to go to my parents' place and dig out the (awesome) scooter my younger sister used. And yes, it will probably look like I'm a crazy lady trying to reclaim my youth. I don't care. I'll do anything if it helps my running!

Today I hit the track, as per my program. I've done some track work over the last month or so but they've been short sessions with decent recovery between reps (very basic - two mins fast, two min recovery, just so I felt I was doing something). Today that recovery time was cut in half (two mins fast, one min recovery) and we added some one minute reps (with 45 sec recovery) at the end.

Yes, it was tough for me - it's been at least six months since I've done this. Yes, some of the reps were a bit off the pace, but some were faster than the set pace. In all, I feel so positive and happy that I'm finally back to it.

Life is good.

J

Some days

Some days it all just seems so hard.

I feel like I'm trying to climb backwards up a waterfall.

Ironically, now I am almost on top of this injury I am feeling completely hopeless. It's like the past five months (yes FIVE awful months) it's taken to get me to this point were only the preliminaries. The real hard stuff starts now, when I have to come to terms with just how slow I have become; when the end goal is now so far away I can't even see it anymore.

Last year I was finally starting to feel confident in myself as a runner. Now I am struggling to see anything beyond these terribly slow runs that appear to be taking me nowhere.

Ironman Australia was yesterday. Ouch. Twelve months ago I had such different plans - I had entered to race Ironman and I was excitedly freaking out about it. Then, when my running started to make progress again, I made the decision to withdraw from Ironman so I could focus on some key road races in the first part of this year and really do well in them. To be honest, the decision wasn't really that difficult - running will always be my first love and I truly believed if I worked hard I could do well.

As it turned out - I didn't do any of it. Nada, nothing, zip. Instead, I've spent five months trying to rehabilitate two stupid hamstring tendons, always knowing there would be a chance they were blown for good.

Can you tell it was a bit of a tough weekend? Not only was Ironman yesterday, the state road 10k championships were on Saturday too. And I was... nowhere near either of them.

I have really tried to keep up the positive rhetoric as I've been treating this tendinopathy, but some days it just all seems too hard to believe. When I'm out running and only hitting a pace that's slower than my previous recovery-run pace, it's difficult to see how on earth a sub-2:50 marathon is on the way.

Things are looking up!

The past week has been really promising and I'm starting to feel I truly am on the way to beating this injury.

I saw my physio nine days ago and he said it was time to start building up my kilometres to about 75-85% of my normal training load. He also said I could do one 'light' speedwork session a week. This was the best news I've had in ages.

I had some dry needling (which is apparently great for high hamstring tendinopathy) and we also talked about how important it is for me to consistently do strength exercises - glutes, hamstrings, hip extension. I've got a whole lot of different ones to do, some using body weight, some using weights and some using resistance bands.

I had two new 'toys' delivered early last week - a 'power band' to use for resistance work (rather than the makeshift things I've been using) and a 'pocket physio' that I can use to release some of the pain and tightness I get (especially after sitting and driving - I actually sit on it in the car).

Super band.

Pocket physio.

I got these online from Sport & Physio Supplies - I have absolutely no relationship with this business at all and I want to say how fantastic the service was. I ordered on Friday night and the parcel arrived on Tuesday. The price of the band was cheaper (in some cases much cheaper) than other places I looked and the quality seems good. (See the end of this post for a video of an exercise using the super band).

I'm really pleased to say my body has handled the increase in kilometres really well. Greta (Garmin) has come out of retirement once again and is back recording distances. Over four days last week (Sat-Wed) I clocked up 70.13km, including one small set of 6x2 min reps (with 2 min rest) at the track - my first time doing anything 'fast' since November last year. I had no idea what to expect in terms of pace when I was at the track. Part of me was really afraid I wouldn't even be able to get to 4min/k pace. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as I feared. My fastest rep was at 3:16k pace and my slowest was 3:32k pace. I felt strong through my glutes and I played it a little cautiously. I was prepared to call it quits if my hamstrings/glutes started to feel 'wrong' but it all went OK (even though the daylight suddenly disappeared and I found myself running in near darkness and guessing where the lane was. I was worried I was going to trip over because the grass track I go to is in crap condition and there were also water bottles and rubbish all over it).

After a great start to the week, getting sick wasn't the greatest thing to happen. Every second person seems to have a head cold or flu at the moment, including me. I didn't run Thursday, Friday or Saturday and today I did a slow 22k. My legs felt good (which is why I kept going to 22k) but I had a cracker of a headache and a bit of a cough. Nonetheless, it was very heartening to be out running without pain.

I know I have to be careful not to do too much too soon, but I have gradually been building up the running (on physio approval) over the last few weeks. I am paying close attention to how my body feels - I'm not going to jeopardise the last few months and set myself back again. If everything goes well over the next fortnight I'm hoping to be able to start proper training with Sean again (modified proper training, but at least following a program and starting to work towards goals other than 'fix injury) in about the second or third week of May.

Finally, here's an example (from YouTube) of another strength exercise my physio has me doing with the super band. The guy in the video talks too much but put up with it and you'll see the hip extension work I'm doing. The only difference with me is that I start with my knee bent (not straight like him) so it mimics the running motion.

Keep on keeping on.

J

Risk = Reward?

I can't believe Canberra Marathon is just over a week away and I'm not going to be racing. I've run the last nine of them - this was going to be my 'Griffin' tenth. It was also supposed to be the first time I ran under 2:50. Based on Melbourne last October, if I hadn't been injured and I'd kept up the training with Sean, I'm pretty sure I could have done it.

Instead, I'm frustrated as all hell. Looking down the barrel of months and months of modified training in the hope of getting back to where I was four to five months ago. And that's assuming I can actually start following a program soon and incorporating some track/fast running without breaking.

Without breaking. As Hamlet would say, "ay, there's the rub." I'm concerned that after all this I'm going to be overly cautious and not work as hard as I should because I'll be nursing my tendons. However, if I'm NOT overly cautious and I do end up breaking again I'll be left with nothing.

Is a modified program in which you remain cautious in the name of self-preservation better than risking it all to be the best you can possibly be?

I don't want unanswered questions. I want to know I gave it everything. I just hope over the coming months I discover that I do have more to give.

Mizuno blog

Being a Mizuno Brand Ambassador is, for me, a complete privilege. I have access to really great gear, I can get advice on different types of shoes from people who know their stuff, and I have the honour of being associated with a brand that's known for excellence.

Now, with the launch of Mizuno's new blog, I'm also able to share some of my experience, thoughts and knowledge with other runners. Hopefully some of what I say will interest or help others - but if not, I'm sure something one of the other athletes posts will.

Over the coming weeks and months Mizuno will add more posts to the blog with the aim of making it a comprehensive resource for runners of all levels. There are a few posts up there now, including this one I wrote on being a runner.

For so many years I felt like a fraud - someone who somehow managed to make people think I was a decent runner. I thought it was only a matter of time before people discovered I wasn't really a runner at all. Slowly, it dawned on me that I was a real runner - not because of the times I posted or the medals I won, but because I was dedicated to the sport and I loved it.

With this high hamstring tendinopathy slowly starting to work itself out, I'm able to run more often and I'm telling you, my mood has improved dramatically. I'm not running fast, I'm not training properly and I'm not racing but I am outside doing what I love to do.

You can read the Mizuno blog here: http://www.mizuno.com.au/running/blog/

Everyone's looking for an answer

The amount of people who have stumbled across this blog because they've been Googling "high hamstring tendinopathy" really surprises me. For an injury that's supposedly uncommon there are lots of us searching for a successful way to treat it and get back to our running. 

With that in mind, I thought I'd post another one of the rehab/strengthening exercises I've been doing. I found this example on YouTube. One thing you've got to be aware of (and something I've been doing wrong up until starting physio with Brent) is that you're not supposed to squeeze your butt cheeks together. Instead, you've got to focus more on the outer part of the glute. If you're suffering from HHT (and yours is anything like mine), the area you're supposed to be working is the same area you get relief from when you poke it/massage it, if that makes sense. 

After my injections on Wednesday I developed quite substantial bruising at the injection sites by Friday.  Big and purply/red. Yuk. I have a photo but it's not the greatest angle! The bruises have faded now and, although the injection sites are still a bit tender, everything is feeling much, much better.

I had my first run since the injections yesterday (Sunday), which was only 30 minutes. I ran again tonight for 40 minutes and I really felt great. Much stronger and moving a lot easier. I find it hard to believe that the injections have worked so quickly (they are a gradual thing, although I read somewhere they start doing 'stuff' about 10 minutes after having them), so I'm more inclined to think the rehab exercises are doing their job. I've biked every day since Friday (couldn't do a thing on Thursday). Aero position is great because there's less weight resting on the injection sites.

I miss training. I miss racing. I miss feeling strong. I miss the tired satisfaction of completing a difficult session.

I just want to get back into it.

Sweaty hugs from strangers (and Run4Fun)

One of the things I love about racing is the camaraderie that occurs between runners in the seconds after crossing the finish line. In my experience I've found the general rule is the more exhausted you are, the more inclined you are to throw your arms around the nearest person (and vice-versa).

If you think about this is a non-race situation, it's gross. I certainly wouldn't go near a panting, sweaty, often-sticky-with-gel-and-sports-drink stranger if they approached me in the street, mumbling incoherently about "thatlastkilometrekilledmeyoudidsowellIjustcouldn'thangon."But put me in a race situation and I'll welcome those hugs as if they were coming from Grandma herself.

What sparked these (oh so insightful) reflections you ask? I ran the Rebel Run4Fun on Sunday 4 November and the friendly atmosphere at the finish was magic. I was hugging strangers as if they were old friends and having conversations with people as if I'd known them for years. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed with my time but I felt so incredibly happy to be out amongst other like-minded runners. There is something so wonderful about feeling part of a community.

Run4Fun - Homebush - 10k
So, to the race. I was aiming to break 37 minutes. I thought I had a shot, but I've had so little experience racing 10k that I wasn't sure how things would pan out. My first half was quicker than my second half (I have to learn to pace myself) and I ended up finishing in 37.09, fifth woman. Happy enough because it's a PB (my third PB in as many races) but a bit miffed because I hadn't broken the 37 mark.

Interestingly enough, there has been a fair bit of discussion about the course being 200m long. The course was certified, but talk is that a turn point was put in the wrong spot. If true, this would mean I would have hit my target time, which is a bit disappointing. Having said that, the race has been run (and won by Lara Tamsett and Ben St Lawrence for those of you playing at home) and all I can do is look forward to the next 10k to try and achieve my goal.

I wore the Mizuno Ronin for the race and I can now say, without a doubt, they are definitely my favourite shoes to race in. They are light, responsive and really comfortable. I'm pretty confident they'll stand up to the marathon distance too.

Life has been incredibly hectic lately - work is taking precedence over everything and I am working incredibly long hours to get everything done. Working from home is a joy but it also means that if you need to stay up until 2am to get something done, you do it.

Naturally, this is making it hard to fit in quality training sessions, but I am trying hard to get it all done. I surprised myself on Tuesday - I had done an easy 7k in the morning because I thought that may have been my only chance to get a run in but the interval session was hanging over my head like a big, black cloud. At about 5.30pm I pushed myself out the door and headed to the oval. I felt flat and sluggish and I couldn't focus (I kept thinking about work), but I got through my session. What a change! A few months ago I would have looked for any excuse to avoid interval work.

I had a pretty solid weekend too, which has probably taken a bit of a toll on my legs. I did a three-hour ride on the M7 on Saturday, followed by a very short run (I am still considering doing Canberra half Ironman, but things are looking very doubtful right now). On Saturday I did a 30k run (I had 35k scheduled, but that was without taking the Saturday ride into consideration). This was on top of a lot of work, which is doing my head in and stressing me out.

This is always the busiest time of year for me and I am really looking forward to Christmas so I can take some time out. Still, I have a few more deadlines and a few more races before then.

Keep on running.