Running and stuff

[FoxesAreBlue]

Oh crap I forgot to reply to this! My PBs:

1600m (treadmill) - 5:40

5km (road) - 20:17

10km (road) - 42:29

Half Marathon (Silverstone) - 1:38:03

Marathon (London) - 3:57:45

Nothing that's ever going to set the world alight - however I am just training myself. I think when I leave my sales job (again!) to concentrate on the PT side of things I will have a bit more spare time and will join a running club to get a bit more specialist advice. I would also like to take a UK Athletics course in running (the Plan B to the Sports Science degree I was on about in the questions thread) so that A) I have a deeper understanding of the sport and B) I can have a good angle for the PT business rather than just a general PT.

GOOD NEWS!! I have been talked into doing the Braunstone parkrun on Saturday! (first time in aaaages) usually Saturday is my day off from training but there's money on it and well, money talks.

(PT = Personal Trainer, we ain't all meatheads y'know!)

[reynard]

**** a duck. 3h 30m! im looking at 4h 30m but will take 5h!

Don't get hungup on time. If it takes you 5hrs it takes you 5hrs. You'll find that those people who run several marathons have just as much respect for those who take 5 hours as those who take 3. It is all about finishing and enjoying it unless you really have a realistic chance of winning.

[reynard]

Will do! I'll have my personal training t-shirt on can't hurt when your company is called Leicestershire Personal Training!

I don't know if 3:30 is optimistic but London was VERY busy and was hard to get into a rhythm. I'm hoping the smaller field a Leicester will reduce that problem. Usually when I run I a 5/10k I can get ahead of the pack and am fast enough to finish in quite a bit of free space - that said I still don't threaten the front runners.

Did 8 and a bit miles this morning in 1h05 but don't know how that would translate to the length of a marathon

Andy that would translate to approximately a 3hr 50 marathon. But that is a very loose calculation based on doing 12kms per hour and you may be going quicker than this.

3.30 is a very good time but I think you can do it. Remember the leicester course is tougher than London. It isn't as flat and the last mile is up hill. There is also a nasty little climb around the 14 mile mark followed by a sharpish downhill which can get to your legs a bit but I guess you will have enough miles in them by then, You may need to take your own water etc with you as personally I don't think the drink stations are close enough together especially if it is warm. They also do water in cups so it spills everywhere when you run.

It is a good course though the support is a bit lacking in places. Good luck

[FoxesAreBlue]

Don't get hungup on time. If it takes you 5hrs it takes you 5hrs. You'll find that those people who run several marathons have just as much respect for those who take 5 hours as those who take 3. It is all about finishing and enjoying it unless you really have a realistic chance of winning.

Well said Reynard, absolutely true.

I have heard about the last mile up New Walk - the advantage of this being a home marathon is that I can train on the very hill that catches people out.

I actually prefer an incline to decline running, going down hills sends huge shock waves through my core which are uncomfortable for me. Uphill I try to power in and maintain my pace from the flat.

[danny.]

I did the HM last year, new walk was horrrrrrrible!

Let me know how your training is going Andy, your times are all pretty close to mine so hopefully we should both be cool for a 3:30!

[SystonFox]

This morning I ran my furthest ever. 13.8miles in 1hr 56 and 55 seconds.

I went from Rothley,through the golf course to thurmaston down to Anstey then past cropston ressie to bradgate through there and then back through to the bradgate arms returning to Rothley.

Really enjoyed it and it didn't feel too bad considering how warm it was. Definitely stepping up the training now. Around 9 weeks to go untill the LM.

[Rincewind]

Bumped into my nephew today. He's into t he fitn fitness stuff. He runs boxacise and spin classes. He also sells heath products if anyone wants his web site for the products let me know.

His partner is a fitness trainer and I posted on his Facebook page about someone on here doing personal training. Maybe that was a mistake (nothing wrong with the one on here) but he said he wondered why O was poaching potential customers of his. I did not realise that his partner was in the training game or he did classes privately.

When I said I was too old for the exercise lark he said his partner had one client aged 84. I bet he would beat me in a race also.

[Guest Col city fan]

I try to run twice a week

Problem at the moment is my lower back. Slipped a disc when I was mid twenties and every so often my lumbar area flares up.

This time, despite swimming, diclofenac, physio etc it won't sort itself out again.

I'm afraid of running in case it makes it worse.

Amazing how lifting slabs wrongly so many years ago can affect you for the rest of your days.

And I teach back injury prevention!

[Vacamion]

I'm 41, have always been fairly overweight, and have worked up from a zero start last year to running 3 times a week including the local parkrun weekly. I do 2 x 7 miles and 1 x 5 miles including the 5k parkrun.

It's been a life changing thing and I have lost a bit of weight and gained a bit of condition...I stopped the cigs in January this year as well.

So far so good.

Unfortunately, I appear to have the achilles tendons of a 90 year old and I struggle a bit with tendonitis - I tend to descend stairs sideways the morning after a long run.

All the old stagers who have been in running clubs and marathon runners etc tell me that I will have to rest, possibly for months and go for physio. I don't really want to do that as I will lose any fitness I have gained and probably balloon in weight (the stuff they say about apppetite when you stop smoking is all true) and never get back running.

As such, I am "managing" it by taking my time (my parkrun 5k best is just under 28 mins and I am metronomic in doing 30 mins these days), doing RICE after my runs, whilst also trying to exercise in other ways.

As you can see from my 5k PB, I don't want to break any records and I don't want to do any marathons or half marathons. I think I am managing the problem fairly well and doesn't appear to be getting any worse than it was.

My question is therefore - is achilles tendon damage cumulative (and as such I WILL snap my achilles at some point) or can it be managed in the way I am doing just now?

Any opinions very welcome...

[FoxesAreBlue]

I'm 41, have always been fairly overweight, and have worked up from a zero start last year to running 3 times a week including the local parkrun weekly. I do 2 x 7 miles and 1 x 5 miles including the 5k parkrun.

It's been a life changing thing and I have lost a bit of weight and gained a bit of condition...I stopped the cigs in January this year as well.

So far so good.

Unfortunately, I appear to have the achilles tendons of a 90 year old and I struggle a bit with tendonitis - I tend to descend stairs sideways the morning after a long run.

All the old stagers who have been in running clubs and marathon runners etc tell me that I will have to rest, possibly for months and go for physio. I don't really want to do that as I will lose any fitness I have gained and probably balloon in weight (the stuff they say about apppetite when you stop smoking is all true) and never get back running.

As such, I am "managing" it by taking my time (my parkrun 5k best is just under 28 mins and I am metronomic in doing 30 mins these days), doing RICE after my runs, whilst also trying to exercise in other ways.

As you can see from my 5k PB, I don't want to break any records and I don't want to do any marathons or half marathons. I think I am managing the problem fairly well and doesn't appear to be getting any worse than it was.

My question is therefore - is achilles tendon damage cumulative (and as such I WILL snap my achilles at some point) or can it be managed in the way I am doing just now?

Any opinions very welcome...

Tendons are very strong things, basically your muscles are covered in a sheath which comes together to form a tendon (think of a wrapped sweet where the sweet is the muscle, the wrapper is the sheath and the end bits of the wrapper are the tendons)

However for all their strength they only have a finite amount of elasticity. Once you over-stretch them they never go back to being as strong as they once were so try to be carefull as if you do snap one you will be out for a VERY long time and will need surgery.

[FoxesAreBlue]

Bumped into my nephew today. He's into t he fitn fitness stuff. He runs boxacise and spin classes. He also sells heath products if anyone wants his web site for the products let me know.

His partner is a fitness trainer and I posted on his Facebook page about someone on here doing personal training. Maybe that was a mistake (nothing wrong with the one on here) but he said he wondered why O was poaching potential customers of his. I did not realise that his partner was in the training game or he did classes privately.

When I said I was too old for the exercise lark he said his partner had one client aged 84. I bet he would beat me in a race also.

Ha this made me laugh a bit - a half decent personal trainer will never need to worry about losing clients to a competitor! I have never and will never tried to 'tap-up' a client from somebody else, mainly because psonal training is just that, Personal. You will never know how the client was with their old PT and You will rarely be as good (in the clients eyes) as the old one. The only difference is when the first PT was really crap and the client comes to you because they realise that you are better! Tapping up doesn't work really.

It's is, after all, the clients choice. And as for the class I was meerly offering the general public another option and something different than the same tired old formats!

[danny.]

Unfortunately, I appear to have the achilles tendons of a 90 year old and I struggle a bit with tendonitis - I tend to descend stairs sideways the morning after a long run.

Any opinions very welcome...

I know I always harp on about this, but good running form is so important.

It's scary how people don't even consider how they run, just how far and how fast, and then most of those people sooner or later get injured. Running with poor form can cause injuries and good form can stop you getting injured. So if you don't already, spent time learning efficient, and low impact, running and take some time every week to work on improving form.

Improving core strength and flexibility can also help massively, even if it's not in the injured area, as everything is connected (i.e. a tight calf or weak glute can make your knee hurt).

[FoxesAreBlue]

I know it's not the thread for it but.....

COME ON MO!!!!!!!!

[AoWW]

I'm 41, have always been fairly overweight, and have worked up from a zero start last year to running 3 times a week including the local parkrun weekly. I do 2 x 7 miles and 1 x 5 miles including the 5k parkrun.

It's been a life changing thing and I have lost a bit of weight and gained a bit of condition...I stopped the cigs in January this year as well.

So far so good.

Unfortunately, I appear to have the achilles tendons of a 90 year old and I struggle a bit with tendonitis - I tend to descend stairs sideways the morning after a long run.

All the old stagers who have been in running clubs and marathon runners etc tell me that I will have to rest, possibly for months and go for physio. I don't really want to do that as I will lose any fitness I have gained and probably balloon in weight (the stuff they say about apppetite when you stop smoking is all true) and never get back running.

As such, I am "managing" it by taking my time (my parkrun 5k best is just under 28 mins and I am metronomic in doing 30 mins these days), doing RICE after my runs, whilst also trying to exercise in other ways.

As you can see from my 5k PB, I don't want to break any records and I don't want to do any marathons or half marathons. I think I am managing the problem fairly well and doesn't appear to be getting any worse than it was.

My question is therefore - is achilles tendon damage cumulative (and as such I WILL snap my achilles at some point) or can it be managed in the way I am doing just now?

Any opinions very welcome...

I suffer from seriously dodgy tendons (years of competitive horse riding when I was younger over-stretched them - they're now super-stretchy but have little strength) so I spend much of my time hobbling around. High heels help me but I'm guessing that's not an option for you! (Heel cups might help, though, just use them sparingly so you don't 'shrink' your tendons further - or get advice from an expert.)

I've found RICE, though frustrating, works best and I sit with my legs up as much as I can (make sure they're resting on a cushion or something soft, though - I did even more damage to mine by resting them on a hard stool and not realising my achilles were actually pushing down against the hard edge!). I've tried all manner of cold treatment sprays, etc but nothing beats spraying them with a cold shower as frequently as is practical, and I've also found a foam roller helps to 'unknot' them when they're particularly troublesome. I've recently discovered biofreeze spray though and have to say it seems to have helped (but who knows, if could be coincidence that they seem better than they have for a while) but it certainly seems far better than other 'cold' products I've tried.

Hope your achilles improve over time - it's not much fun.

[Rincewind]

Ha this made me laugh a bit - a half decent personal trainer will never need to worry about losing clients to a competitor! I have never and will never tried to 'tap-up' a client from somebody else, mainly because psonal training is just that, Personal. You will never know how the client was with their old PT and You will rarely be as good (in the clients eyes) as the old one. The only difference is when the first PT was really crap and the client comes to you because they realise that you are better! Tapping up doesn't work really.

It's is, after all, the clients choice. And as for the class I was meerly offering the general public another option and something different than the same tired old formats!

I dudn't say he was worried. I never knew that his partner was a professionL trainer. It is her job so I assume she is not too bad.

It is just I was posting on his page and put your link on. I thought he just had the fun type training. He does different types of keep fit. I think he does a bit one on one too. I don't see him much so do not know what he has been doing for the past ten years.

He also works in anestate agents on Granby Street as well as having a business selling health products related to keep fit. So he has a busy life. All I said was I knew somebody that did personal training. If you need health products I can post the link.

http://www.keithduddle.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/keith.duddle

He said because of the carival going by his office he couldn't hear the telephone ring. I said is that a bad thing? He replied No.

[Ozwin]

Anyone have any idea what's up with me.

I'm 22 and I don't think my knees should be giving up on me already but I've had this achey pain under and around my right knee when I push off of my right foot for a while now. I can't pinpoint it exactly but it's on the front, to the right and kind of around the side. It's been a couple of months at least and it's getting me down now I haven't been able to run or play football properly for a while either and I'm joining a football team soon. My right leg just doesn't feel right, but it's not anything I can easily describe to a doctor, it's just always there and I don't know what to do.

Can an infection cause this? Basically a few months back, playing indoor football on that sanpaper-like surface I got some proper nastly gashes (giggity) on my knees and they went all manky and pussy for a few weeks. I was basically in a collision with a goalkeeper and landed on my knee pretty badly. There's still some nasty scars there but it doesn't seem to hurt at the exact points but I don't know how the human body works. I was able to play afterwards but it'd make sense if that was the point I knackered it.

Anyway, cheers for any help.

[reynard]

I'm 41, have always been fairly overweight, and have worked up from a zero start last year to running 3 times a week including the local parkrun weekly. I do 2 x 7 miles and 1 x 5 miles including the 5k parkrun.

It's been a life changing thing and I have lost a bit of weight and gained a bit of condition...I stopped the cigs in January this year as well.

So far so good.

Unfortunately, I appear to have the achilles tendons of a 90 year old and I struggle a bit with tendonitis - I tend to descend stairs sideways the morning after a long run.

All the old stagers who have been in running clubs and marathon runners etc tell me that I will have to rest, possibly for months and go for physio. I don't really want to do that as I will lose any fitness I have gained and probably balloon in weight (the stuff they say about apppetite when you stop smoking is all true) and never get back running.

As such, I am "managing" it by taking my time (my parkrun 5k best is just under 28 mins and I am metronomic in doing 30 mins these days), doing RICE after my runs, whilst also trying to exercise in other ways.

As you can see from my 5k PB, I don't want to break any records and I don't want to do any marathons or half marathons. I think I am managing the problem fairly well and doesn't appear to be getting any worse than it was.

My question is therefore - is achilles tendon damage cumulative (and as such I WILL snap my achilles at some point) or can it be managed in the way I am doing just now?

Any opinions very welcome...

Can you answer yes to these questions?

Do you do two sets of calf stretches regularly both stretching upper and lower calf muscles?

Do you do heel drops through the week?

Do you do heel drops after you run?

If the answer to any of these is no then start there.

It is quite possible to manage a minor Achilles tendonopathy but you need to be careful. It is a condition which can worsen quite easily if you don't stretch and strenghthen properly.

Personally I'd check that I have the correct running shoes for my running gait. If you have shoes that are not right for the way you run then you are asking for trouble.

You are running a decent amount of miles a week. Do you have rest weeks or do you continuously do this week in week out? If you do I would incorportate a complete rest from running for 1 week every 8 weeks. You could swim instead and you won't lose any fitness. You might need to slow down a bit as well until the condition clears up or settles down. Also avoid running up any hills for the time being.

You will need to be patient. The walking down stairs sideways is a common early warning sign. Achilles tendons are notoriously tricky to repair and you don't want to to tear it.

You might find this link useful.

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/ankle-achilles-shin-pain/achilles-tendonitis/achilles-tendinitis-rehabilitation

[Guest Col city fan]

Anyone have any idea what's up with me.

I'm 22 and I don't think my knees should be giving up on me already but I've had this achey pain under and around my right knee when I push off of my right foot for a while now. I can't pinpoint it exactly but it's on the front, to the right and kind of around the side. It's been a couple of months at least and it's getting me down now I haven't been able to run or play football properly for a while either and I'm joining a football team soon. My right leg just doesn't feel right, but it's not anything I can easily describe to a doctor, it's just always there and I don't know what to do.

Can an infection cause this? Basically a few months back, playing indoor football on that sanpaper-like surface I got some proper nastly gashes (giggity) on my knees and they went all manky and pussy for a few weeks. I was basically in a collision with a goalkeeper and landed on my knee pretty badly. There's still some nasty scars there but it doesn't seem to hurt at the exact points but I don't know how the human body works. I was able to play afterwards but it'd make sense if that was the point I knackered it.

Anyway, cheers for any help.

About 5 years ago my g/f ( when she was then 25) started to get problems with her left knee. At that time she was playing rounders a lot for a local team. Her knee kept inflaming and got really 'clickey'. This continued even after she's stopped playing rounders. Ultimately, it was giving her so much aggro that she had to take many months off work.

The problem we had was with getting the problem diagnosed. One consultant said that some people, from whatever age, unfortunately just have knees that are weak and prone to problems. Another consultant said she had a 'bursitis'... A sort of swelling and filling up of fluid of the knee tissue. She had to go to pain clinic and was prescribed sundry pills for pain relief.

Anyway, she's now 30 and is still prone to problems with the knee. It's much better generally though than it was when it flared up. The people she saw effectively told her that there wasn't an awful lot that she could do about the problem, long term, other than be careful with it, physio, analgesia when necessary etc.

Just my advice, and your circumstances might be very different mate, but I would get your knee looked out sooner rather than later. Reason being, if you're going through the NHS route you could have a really long wait for appointments to see the various specialists you might have to see.

Your problem might be simple to sort out, it might just be an acute thing. But if it's a bit more complicated it might be wise to see your Gp and get the ball rolling in terms if getting it checked out.

[Ozwin]

I had a quick google earlier and found this topic someone had made: http://www.runnerswo...de-yall-diagram

It sounds exactly like that, the diagram depicts what I mean perfectly.

It's not in a set area, it's like an achey pain that's around the outside of the knee/upper calf. I want to go to the doctors but I just know he'll tell me to rest it like they always do and in 2 months when it's the same I'll just be annoyed that I've missed out on the start of the season.

I think it's down to crappy work shoes and running loads/playing football loads. I'm not giving my legs time to heal properly maybe.

I don't know how PTs work but I know we have some on here? Worth looking into them?

[SOCCERROO FOX]

I had a quick google earlier and found this topic someone had made: http://www.runnerswo...de-yall-diagram

It sounds exactly like that, the diagram depicts what I mean perfectly.

It's not in a set area, it's like an achey pain that's around the outside of the knee/upper calf. I want to go to the doctors but I just know he'll tell me to rest it like they always do and in 2 months when it's the same I'll just be annoyed that I've missed out on the start of the season.

I think it's down to crappy work shoes and running loads/playing football loads. I'm not giving my legs time to heal properly maybe.

I don't know how PTs work but I know we have some on here? Worth looking into them?

If you have injuries go see a physio PT's aren't qualified.

I've started seeing a PT once a week, his a mate of mine and works at a gym that closers early each night so we have the whole gym to our selves. It's really good as not only does he push me harder than i ever would myself but he teachs you proper weight techniques and outlines proper plans. Whilst there not as good as an excersise physologist but cos his a mate he charges me bugger all. Expect to be bloody stiff and sore after each session. I've been away and sick so doing 2 sessions this week so going to be a tough week of feeling like an old man at work.

Went for my first run in about 3 weeks and i've been sick. Nice easy 5k but pushed myself for the last 1km tho so pretty happy. My groins are really sore tho this morning but nothing another decent gym session wont fix.

Just over 2 months until my 10km so everything is back on track need to start getting more consistency in my training tho

[Ozwin]

Yeah that's what I meant, physios.

They usually pretty decent then? Better than a doc for this sort of thing?

[SOCCERROO FOX]

Yeah that's what I meant, physios.

They usually pretty decent then? Better than a doc for this sort of thing?

Yep everyday of the week for muscular sporting injuries. They will be able to tell you what the issue is, i hurt my knee once and the physio refered me to a podiatrist who fixed every thing.

[danny.]

I agree, got to a physio. Looks like ITBS though from where you say the pain is, which is really common for runners.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I can endorse the physio route, for sure.

I had a problem with pain just below the knee that would go away if I rested it, sometimes for months, and flare up again as soon as I did any meaningful activity like running. I convinced myself my knee was ****ed but itt was just a muscular thing (apparently common in runners, which made me feel like a proper athlete at the time) and after a bit of deep massage from the physio it loosened up nicely and has never troubled me since. Obviously not all injuries have such happy endings but for relatively minor stuff like this I just go straight to the physio now

[FoxesAreBlue]

Absolutely this is an issue for a physio I would never diagnose an injury as it is way above my station and I am still learning a lot about running as a sport, IF it is ITBS it is something that I have suffered with and recovered from with an excellent physio based in Leicester. If you would like his details drop me a PM and I'll give you his number. He worked on me with his magic hands and gave me some knee strengthening exercises to do too I only had to have the one session with him too.

Also, if you are doing a lot of running get a gait analysis done. Leicester Running Shop on Clarenden Park Road or The Running Fox can help you out with this.