Fighting Over the Foam Roller

Well I never thought I'd see the day, my husband and I actually arguing about who gets the ice pack or foam roller!  Things we both don't like using but at the moment, unfortunately we both need them.  Stuart unfortunately and disappointingly pulled out of the Crinan Puffer race at the weekend with under 1 mile to go, after being in the lead all the way.  He's been running fantastic and is at his peak of fitness right now so we are hoping it is just a little strain....  I was gutted for him.  At least my obsessive internet searching about injuries and rehab has came in useful and the win went to fellow team mate and friend Dan Sheldrick who also ran brilliantly.

Regardless of his injury, he still didn't mump or moan about it (not compared to me anyway) and still cheered everyone on in what was another great race from Crinan to Ardrishaig on Sunday.  I was very thankful to be able to take part, not racing, but enjoying the company of my little sister Mairi as we blethered our way from the start to the finish line in time for flapjacks and goody bags - isn't that why people race?  OK so it was 20 minutes slower than last year but I was just grateful to take part and enjoy it.  The rest of the Campbeltown bunch did us all proud yet again - great times and prizes to inspire us all including IM training buddy Jen who came 3rd, who is getting faster and stronger every week.

Sun is in our eyes!  Me and sis.  We are happy.  Honest.  (Thanks for photo Marj!)

Training didn't stop there, afterwards myself, Katie, Ironwoman Jen and Drew hopped on our bikes and cycled home.  The tailwind was a blessing and we managed to get to Campbeltown in around 3 hours.  And for even more punishment I added on another 10 miles as I felt good and wanted to get past the 56 mile barrier of the half-iron point.  With not much pain, sun shining and good company - chatting about how our friends were getting on in the London marathon (turns out flipping fantastic!) made the ride fun.  Of course, we had prosecco and some good food to look forward to when home too.

This week's other training highlights were getting to cycle with Rebecca Helliwell from Mid Argyll who was fab company, an awesome cyclist and an IM!  I managed to swim the furthest I've ever done - 3.5k in one go, 140 lengths of the pool!  #starving   I also enjoyed another brick session involving a 1.5 turbo session and a 1 hour pool run.  As I mentioned last week, this can get boring so I mixed it up with following a YouTube video for 1 hour cycling around Sydney, Austrailia doing intervals in the comfort of my back bedroom (2 sets of 12 x 1 min sprints with 1 min recoveries).  That's a more economical way of me getting to see the world - my husband is glad to hear about this!

A photo from Sydney a few years ago. But I was there last night via YouTube!

If anyone is injured or wants to try a pool run try the following session to keep your mind occupied, I felt following a plan helped me rather than watch the clock:

• 5-10 mins warm up (deep end only)
• 10 x 25m fast
• Recover 5 mins
• 5 x 25m high knees
• 5 x 25m long strides
• 5 x legs only
• 5-10 mins cool down (full length of pool)

After putting on a good few pounds since my injury, devouring a 3 course meal on Sunday and bingeing on chocolate on Monday I've been trying to be careful with my nutrition for the rest of the week and tried out a few different recipes.  One of my vegetarian favourites was a chickpea curry - 

Ingredients:

Teaspoon of coconut oil

1 tin chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 large onion choppped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 pepper chopped

1 tin passata

2 cloves garlic

1/2 green chilli

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Wholewheat or your choice of rice

Wholewheat pitta bread (I like to spray with coconut oil spray, garlic salt & coriander leaves and bake in oven for 10 mins)

Coriander leaves and natural yoghurt to serve

Method:

Fry off the onion and peppers in coconut oil.  Add in the garlic and ginger.  Add the chickpeas, pepper, passatta and tomatoes.  

Add all of the spices plus some salt/pepper to season.  Simmer for 15 mins or longer to absorb the flavours.  Serve with your favourite rice and pitta.  Enjoy!

Chickpea curry

Getting Nowhere

OK so the title of this week's blog has a double meaning, as yes I seem to be getting nowhere in progress with my injury (some good days, some bad) BUT don't worry, my post isn't all doom and gloom with self misery.  It's about my new focus - pool running.  The love of running for me lets me embrace the adventure of the outdoors - getting to see lots of different parts of Scotland and beyond.  Pool running, is well, going nowhere apart from one end of the pool to the other.  Nevertheless, as it is pain free, I am to replace some of my normal scheduled road running efforts with pool sessions to keep up my running fitness until I am healed.  One of my ultimate icons, Paula Radcliffe, did daily pool running after she was told to take complete rest after suffering a stress fracture in 2008.  This helped keep up her cardiovascular fitness as well as providing a running alternative as it mimics the natural motion of running.  It helped her recover back to full fitness so hopefully it will help me.

I don't look this elegant pool running.  I just look weird.  

I have taken advice from so many different people regarding my sciataca (piriformis syndrome) and I have taken a lot of rest, honest.  But so far, resting completely seems to make it worse and is making me climb the walls, so I'm adopting a plan to get out cycling, swimming and pool running.  I will adapt my schedule to suit and if the pain is above a 4/10 whilst doing an activity - I stop.  This is my new rule I'm going to live by and see how it goes over the next few weeks.

Enjoying an easy cycle during the great weather

I'm continuing to stretch and strengthen my glutes and core, crucial muscles in supporting the pelvis as we walk, run or be active in any way.  Some of my muscles have become overtrained (and strained from sitting on an already overtrained muscles!) and other muscles have stepped in to do the work for them, making them weak and eventually irritate my sciatic nerve.  I would urge any runner to get on top of strength work before it's too late and you end up in pain.  I did a lot of strength and core, but never really thought about my glutes - surely they work with squats and lunges?  Yes,a little, but it's the abduction and adduction movement that is the key and plays a critical role in aligning your hips and propelling you forward.

Therefore, my new daily exercises are (and you can do too to avoid this from happening to you) are:

CLAMSHELLS X 100

SIDE LEG RAISES X 100

BRIDGES X 50

V SIT UPS X 20

PLANK 3 X 1 MIN (ADD ARM OR LEG LIFTS)

Pigeon pose 2 x 30 secs

Seated or lying glute stretch 3 x 30 secs

"Injury is a hard learner and a hard teacher" - a quote by Lizzy Hawker in her book Runner, 'A short story about a long run'.  This rings true to me and makes me think about how I can learn from this and come back stronger.  I was given this book by fellow injured runner James Murdoch (thank you) and is truly inspirational.  A woman who still holds the World Record for running the most in 24 hours as well as winning the Ultra-Trail de Mont Blanc 4 times - she also came 5th in this race after suffering 6 stress fractures within 2 years doing minimal running.  Her approach and mindfulness towards injury has helped me come to terms with turning something negative into a positive experience.  Like Lizzy, I have turned to yoga during my injury and have been motivated to practice more.

I've also tried to utilise this 'break' from running to do some fun things - a day trip to Portavadie with my best friends and a lovely meal at Starfish, Tarbert just 2 of the highlights I've enjoyed this week!

Seabass tagliatelle at Starfish

Fresh queenies at Starfish

Jules and I at the spa at Portavadie

It's also 2 years since I last did the London Marathon.  What great memories!  It was actually one of the best weekend's of my life, I just loved it and spent it with some of my favourite people.  A few of my friends and running colleagues are taking part this year, this Sunday!  GOOD LUCK GUYS!  We will be thinking about you - the hard work of months of training is done, go and enjoy a very special race experience!

Touching a Nerve!

Have I told you that I'm injured?!  I don't think there's anyone left in the world that doesn't know!  Sorry.  Apologies.  For my moody behaviour and my tears and tantrums.  I'm just so sore and frustrated.  And desperate to get out training!

My pain - from the bottom of my back to my knee, now spreading to my foot - ouch!

I've been lucky to have very supportive family, friends and physios/sports physios that have been amazing.  But along with Dr Google and my own imagination I've thought on all sorts of diagnosis of my problems - strains, tendinitis, hamstring pulls, stress fractures, all sorts of syndromes and now sciataca.  From attending the physio today they confirmed it is sciataca.  Unfortunately at the moment I don't know what the root cause of the sciataca is - most probably an inflamed muscle of some sort (piriformis? hamstring? who knows?) but for the time being I've to rest.  Argh!  Sitting and resting seems to make it painful too so that doesn't help!  I don't do rest easy as you probably well know.  I've done a lot of cycling and swimming over the last few months which I don't think aggravated the symptoms but now, just in case, I've to take complete rest to try and let it settle.  Fingers crossed.  The good news is that sciataca can sometimes clear within a few months of it's own accord and you can train through it.  But for now, I have to rest.

Some of the beautiful cliffs and trails that Stuart had some great runs on

Last week I did some resting and a little bit of training abroad in the Algarve.  And it was fantastic!!  I would recommend it to anyone and would love to return with a big squad of us.  I was hoping for a full on week of training but with my pain in the butt, I had to cut it back but it was still very enjoyable.  Especially with icecream and cocktails in the afternoon sunshine - surely that's what all the athletes do? 

Brick session with Swift Momentum Sports (ex pro GB cyclist Tomas Metcalf Swift) led me for a morning's OW swim and 30m cycle inc drills and technique.  Thoroughly recommend.  I deserved that pina colada.....

Beautiful Carveiro during a wee morning cycle

Cycling in Portimao on my own

Stuart watches on as I do an open water swim at the beach

I thought training for this Ironman triathlon (Arranman) would test me.  But not like this.  I've been desperate to get out there and pound the pavements, to cycle for hours and to swim but I've had to cut it right back.  I'm missing my friends at the running club and missing the endorphins and sense of achievement that I get from a good, hard session.  Along with my training partner in crime, Jen, we've been essentially training for this for a LONG time - years maybe.  Building up a base of steady miles in all 3 disciplines as well as cross training, strength, yoga and core work.  To throw in the towel now would be quite devastating.  More so because I never want to do this again AND knowing me, I won't let this ironman distance go.  But seriously I'm going to need to make a decision soon whether I will be able to take part in it or not.  Let's see how the next few weeks go.

Cocktails at the hotel - bliss!

A wee algarve coffee (espresso, almond biscotti and almond liqueur) to finish off a lovely holiday