Making Progress

It’s now been 3 weeks since my ankle packed up on me at the MK20. After the first 2 weeks of relative immobility and generally feeling a bit meh, things have been progressing this week.

I am still waiting to get my appointment with the ankle consultant and a full diagnosis which is a bit of a pain but hopefully I’ll get this sorted out for next week!

The main highlight from last week was finally getting back on my feet fully and walking normally again. I’d been walking a bit funny due to having less control in my ankle but this has now started to improve.

I’m still very careful with how far I walk and try to avoid long periods of time on my feet. This is hard when you’re so used to walking/running everywhere but I know it’s for the best!

In other news I got back in the gym on Tuesday to begin focussing my weaknesses- like most runners these are my hips and glutes!

As I hadn’t lifted much weight in anger for a good few months I took it fairly easy especially as the main focus on deadlifts. These are a great move for your entire posterior chain (back, glutes, hips & hamstrings) while also working your core and some upper body too. They are also low impact so had no affect on my ankle.

I also got back on the bike on Thursday which has helped a lot. I didn’t do loads as I didn’t know how it would impact my ankle but getting a sweat on again sure felt good!!

I plan on doing a good hour or so again tomorrow, this will most likely be in the gym however as it’s due to piss down all day!

In terms of nutrition I’ve been pretty good all week. Last night and today were a bit of a car crash with it being Easter weekend but these things happen.

All my meals have been pretty low carb and I’ve cut back on how much I’ve been eating. However I did weigh myself for the first time in donkeys years today and came in at 91kg!

This is a lot more than I was expecting and is likely due to limited activity over the last 3 weeks. I know this will drop off when I lace up my running shoes again and this can be a focus of mine going forward!

In terms of next week, as I said I hope to see the consultant about my ankle and I’ll be back in the gym again.

I soooo wish I was writing about my last week before Manchester Marathon but these things happen. I’ll be rooting for all my club mates and fellow IG runners- especially the rocket Gemma Hockett next weekend and will keep an eye on the results!

I know I’ll come back stronger and have a place in the London Marathon 2019 secured to focus on. I’m not going to rush anything and may look at working with someone on a tailored training programme leading up to this to avoid the disappointment I’ve experienced this year leading up to Manchester!

If anyone is in this field or has any recommendations it’d be great to hear from you!!

Have a good week everyone, until next time..

Happy running!!

The Diary of an Injured Runner

I can’t believe I’ve not posted since I ran Valencia Marathon in 2016- yes nearly a year and a half ago! Thank god I hear you say!

A lot has happened in this time! I’ve swapped jobs, brought a house, been on numerous adventures with my better half and run a lot of miles (inc a few PB’s here and there) in the process.

To be exact, I’ve run the best part of 2,000 miles since my last blog post!! I’ve been lucky with how consistent I’ve been with my running even with trips to India, America and the like thrown in.

A lot of this consistency has come down to dodging injuries- long term ones anyway. There’s been the odd ITB drama here and there but on the whole I’ve been pretty fit and healthy.

That was until a couple of weeks ago. As part of my final long training run for Manchester Marathon I was tottering along nicely when about 10 miles in I felt a niggle in my right ankle. I thought nothing of it and put it to the back of my mind.

I carried on to the end of the run (it was the MK20 so a well organised event) and finished when straight away I could barely move my ankle and knew something wasn’t right!

The cursed 20 miler- 2 runs, 2 injuries!

Upon getting home I iced it however the next morning my ankle looked like a giant cricket ball! I tried to get through it but about 2pm I admitted defeat and went off to hospital for a scan!

Luckily nothing was broken but there was significant tendon & muscle damage! I am currently in the process of seeing a specialist and getting physio and hope to be back in about 4-6 weeks!

Not what your leg should look like!

The last 2 weeks have been a bit of a struggle. It may sound odd as it’s only been a fortnight but when you’re used to getting up at the crack of dawn 6 days a week to train you feel a bit lost not doing that!

One of the main issues is I’ve just not felt myself! For the first week I was tired non-stop and struggled to even get out of bed in the morning. When I did I’d just hobble around the house on crutches moaning and sit on my arse being a bum not feeling good about myself!

I’ve also noticed I’ve been a lot ‘snappier’ than usual. When you run you (usually) feel awesome afterwards. Since I’ve not been running my mood has been on and off and a few days have left me pretty grumpy!

It’s strange how something as simple as exercise can help with controlling your mood and mindset. I’m very lucky I have an awesome girlfriend in Jodie, group of mates and family to keep me from climbing the walls but I definitely notice the difference in my moods when I’ve not got endorphins whizzing round my body!

I’ve tried to watch what I eat since I’ve not been running so I don’t pile on the pounds. In the most part it’s been okay but I’ve definitely noticed I’ve felt a lot ‘softer’ than usual.

This will disappear once I lace up my running shoes again but I’m definitely conscious that I’ve maybe eaten one too many Reese’s peanut butter cups in the last 2 weeks!

It will be disappointing not to have a crack at a good time in Manchester after 4 months of solid training but some things just aren’t meant to be! Good luck to everyone who’ll be on the start line in 2 weeks time and every other start line this spring!!

I’m hoping to get back in the gym next week all being well and hope to continue physio once I’ve seen the specialist.

I’d love to hear from you guys out there and how you’ve dealt with injuries and time out from running in the past whether it’s another passion or something completely new you’ve tried!

I’m not always one to talk about how I deal with stuff but it’s nice to open up for once. What I’ve learnt is to listen to your body and if it’s telling you to stop..then stop!!

Until next time….

Happy running (hobbling)!

Vamos Valencia!!

After 5 months of training, hundreds of miles and a fully blown marathon meltdown, the weekend of Valencia Marathon arrived!

I arrived in Valencia nice and early on Friday morning with Jodie. After a tremendously easy trip from disembarking the plane to arriving in our hotel, we went out for a stroll around the city and to the beach. 

We had lunch and an ice cream and then spent the rest of the day pottering around, calling it a day at 8:00pm as we were so tired from a 3:30am get up! 

On Saturday morning we went out for a nice easy 3 mile run through the park by our hotel to loosen our legs from the flight. After this we headed to the expo which was also the finish line for the marathon and accompanying 10k which Jodie, Fi and Alex (Team Paella) were running. The expo was extremely well organised and in such an awesome location- possibly the best I’ve ever been to! 

Making friends at the expo!!

Having been in the expo for about a minute I’d brought a pair of Valencia themed running socks and had a group photo with the Valencia C.F mascot- a bat! We then collected our race numbers, shirts and goodie bags and headed back to the beach for lunch. 

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and eating plenty of carbs, seeing as we were in Spain rice in the form of paella was deemed necessary! We then headed off to bed nice and early ahead of race day! 

We got up at 6:45am ahead of an 8:30 start time which gave us plenty of time for breakfast and last minute kit checks! We arrived at the start nice and early and went our separate ways to our respective start lines.

In the start pen I came across a few fellow Brits, even another Springfield Strider- it’s a small world!! We set off bang on 8:30am with the elite Kenyans disappearing in to the distance in a matter of seconds. 

The route throughout was insanely flat- by far the flattest road race I’ve ever run! The miles ticked by nicely and trips past the port, beach and Valencia C.F stadium kept us entertained as well as plenty of music and support from spectators! 

I went through half way at 1hr37, about a minute ahead of where I wanted to be. At the time this was okay but a few miles down the road I began to regret the excessive pace!! I reached mile 22 still just about on pace however here is where things got tough! 

I knocked back my pace to a comfortable one so I didn’t smash the wall head first like I have done in the past. I knew my original aim of sub 3.15 was slipping away but always knew I’d be happy to run 3.20. 

The last 6 miles were hard work but not unmanageable so I stuck it out and had 2 energy gels in the space of 2 miles (this came back to bite me in the arse, literally, later in the day!!!

Going through mile 25 gave me a boost so I summoned all the energy I had for a good last mile. The support from Team Paella when I came by was awesome, giving my that last kick to get to the finish line. I came over the line in an official 3hrs20.25 with my Garmin saying I finished 26.2 miles in 3hrs19.46. 

I was very pleased to see Team Paella & the finish straight!!

I was very happy with my time and headed back to the hotel to freshen up and eat. My excessive energy gel consumption left me feeling a bit shit but by dinner time hunger kicked in and I demolished a ton of food!! 

Loved the medal & post run beers!!

I’m now sat on the plane home writing this safely in the knowledge that I have the next 2-3 weeks off to recover before kicking off training for Manchester Marathon on April 2nd 2017- look out for #colinrunsmanchester on Instagram soon!! 

I’ve always been one to train over Christmas so I’m kind of looking forward to it starting the week before! I feel less guilty eating a million calories a day over the festive period if I’ve been out for a run in the morning.

I’ll set out my target for Manchester in the coming weeks and already have the Essex 20 & Colchester Half Marathons lined up in the weeks before. I’ll find another half marathon in February but other than that I’m not going crazy on race entries this time! 

I hope I’ve not bored you all to death with my essay review of Valencia, I couldn’t recommend it enough as an event and as a race (although the bag drop signage was crap before the race!). 

I’ll update my blog as and when I deem necessary, until next time..

Happy running!!  

Chelmsford Marathon Number 3

Today saw me embark on my final long run before Valencia Marathon in 4 weeks time. Seeing as it is my hometown marathon, I felt as though I should aim to complete every event that there is.

Some may say running a marathon 4 weeks before your goal race is a bit silly, but it was nice to get my fuelling strategy both pre and during the race tested as well as getting the feel for those last few tough miles again!

I set off from home at about 8:15 for the 9am start, this made a pleasant change being able to leave from my house at a sensible time and even got a bit of a lay in which was a treat. 

After some last minute words of encouragement from my girlfriend, I set off with another 600 or so runners for a cool but sunny Sunday morning jaunt around Chelmsford! 

The route headed off out of Chelmsford then back in to the town where Jodie and Pip were there to give me a big cheer as I passed them. I also pinched a bottle of water from Jodie as I was scared I wouldn’t get on with drinking water from cups provided on the course- it turned out I didn’t and every water stop involved me watering my face!! 

Looking fresh at mile 4!!

Having run the route before, I knew the first 18 miles were fairly flat so targeted these as the best miles to get a good pace in. When we got out in to the countryside the route was very undulating so I held myself back on the inclines to avoid the same fate of hitting the wall at mile 20 like I did last year!!

Also as I approached 18 miles, I noticed that I was starting to suffer from every male runners issue- runners nipple. I had double plastered up before I started but these had come off through sweat. So there was only 1 thing for it, off came my shirt. 

I got a few funny looks from spectators but as most were runners too I’m sure they fully understood… I’m hoping someone got a snap of me running topless and I even got a few wolf whistles as I passed people..how embarrassing!!

Unlike last year and for the first time ever, I managed to avoid the dreaded wall. I don’t know if this was down to my pre race nutrition in the days leading up to the run or my better management of pace and getting up inclines. 

Either way it worked and I came home averaging 7.43/mile and finished in 3:25.42. This however did contradict my Garmin which said I ran 26.6 miles in that time. I’m not sure what the general consensus is on these distance differences at races but I much prefer my 26.2 time of 3.22.25!!! 

Well done to these 2 for their efforts today!!

On top of the marathon, there was a 5k race for the first time. My girlfriend Jodie completed this in a new PB time so I’m super proud of her! It also saw my mum and dad complete their first ever 5k races, they did amazing and are both still wearing their medals!!

Approaching the finish line looking pretty happy!!

I’ve spent most of my time since getting home either in the bath, on my bed or eating (or a combination of the 3). I’m going to rest up tomorrow as long as my coach allows me to then see how I recover before setting a goal time for Valencia in 4 weeks time.

Well done to everyone else who raced today whether it was at Chelmsford or one of the other many races going on! Enjoy your weeks and I’ll update my blog again when anything exciting happens!! 

I’m now off to eat more food and probably go to bed before too long!! Until next time..

Happy running!! 

Running the Royal Parks

So, it’s been a quiet couple of weeks again. The highlight of it before today was last weekends 18 miler! This itself went pretty well, as well as running 18 miles can be I guess!!

However, this weekend saw me head off to London for the Royal Parks Half Marathon. I headed up to the big smoke yesterday and in true running style spent the evening pigging out on all the yummy carbs I could get my hand on! 

My first ever wooden finishers medal

I woke up this morning feeling spritely at about 6:45. I headed off with Jodie and co at about 7:30 after we had found some hot water for our porridge (the hotel had no kettles and the hot water machine was broken)! 

Me being me, half way on the walk to Hyde Park I decided to check my watch while forgetting I had my porridge in the same hand! This resulted in half of my breakfast ending up on the pavement- not the best start to the day!! 

A beautiful London morning!

Luckily, things got better after that. We got to a lovely, chilly and sunny Hyde Park in plenty of time, took a few snaps and had a warm up! I then headed off to the start, my wave being the first one right at the front of the pack with the quick guys- HELP!!!

We set off and within a mile I found my pace and took in the first of the many sights, Buckingham Palace. It truly looks beautiful this morning, as did Big Ben and Trafalgar Square! 

The support was amazing all the way round, especially at mile 6 when we re-entered Hyde Park. I had my name on my Stroke Association vest so hundreds of people cheered me on, this was such an amazing feeling and definitely kept me going! 

The miles around the park were pretty and eventually we got to the Royal Albert Hall just 800m from the finish!! I came across the line in 1:31.39 which I was ecstatic about! For those that follow my running, you’ll know I’ve got Valencia Marathon in 6 weeks, this has given me a barrel of confidence to run a decent time there now. 

My Royal Parks squad- Jodie & Nik

I collected my medal- a wooden one for the first time ever then we headed off to Ask Italian for lunch and a huge pizza and chips! We then headed home and I’ve just had a bath to soak my aching limbs.

Today was a special day for me as it was the final part of the hatrick of big London races taking in The Mall & Buckingham Palace this year (after London Marathon and the Vitality 10,000). I’ll definitely be returning to the Royal Parks Half next year and hopefully London Marathon too,  I’m now nervous for the ballot results coming out this week. 

It’s now only 2 weeks to my final long run at the Chelmsford Marathon, I may post before then but if not I’ll report back on progress after that! 

Until next time, 

Happy running!! 

Pacing Myself

I’ve been a bit quiet the last couple of weeks as previously my training hasn’t contained a lot of excitement!

I had a weekend away in Bath last weekend so thought it would be rude not to find a run while down there! Luckily the Bath marathon weekend was on the time I was there- no I didn’t do the marathon but did the 10k to keep my legs going while I was away.

However, this week contained a bit more excitement! For the first time ever I was entrusted with pacing a half marathon. Not just any half marathon, the Windsor Half Marathon which is one of the most popular and well known in the U.K.! 

Walking around like a wally with a flag on my back!

I paced 1hr45 and loved every second of it. I had the pleasure of wearing a giant orange flag on my back for the entirety of the race which at times was entertaining! 

It was so rewarding to know that many runners were running with me and I was helping them achieve their goals! One that stands out was a guy who was running his first ever half marathon for personal reasons which I politely didn’t ask about but absolutely smashed his target of 1hr45 and finished in 1.43! 

It was also so touching when I had about 20 runners come up to me after the finish and say thanks for helping them achieve the times they had trained so far for! Big shout out to every single one of you, you did amazingly!!

One slight issue though was that one of the straps on my backpack broke at the 11 mile mark. This meant I had to hang on to it for 2 miles and basically run up steep hills with 1 arm- not fun!

Thankfully I made it to the end in 1hr44.32 and even got a shoutout from the race commentator for doing such a fab job!!

All in all, a good day at the office! I’ve got another tough week of running next week and will most likely be running 17/18 miles next weekend..yay!!

I hope you all have another great week and thanks for reading! Until next time..

Happy running 🙂 

Going further..

After last weeks Wigan 10k, I knew that this week was going to be a bigger week mileage wise. In the week leading up to Wigan I ran just 24 miles which in terms of marathon training isn’t a great deal.

I’m not saying for a moment doing just the 10k as my long run was a bad thing, it got me well above my goal marathon pace and doing this will only make me faster. I like having weeks like this as it lets my body recover from the battering it takes running high miles and a bit of speed work is always erm..fun!! 

Last week included my usual runs throughout the week however looking back I went a bit OTT on the strength work on Tuesday. For the first time I introduced pistol squats in to my routine as an alternative to split single leg squats. At the time these felt fine however the next day I was waddling like a penguin! I hadn’t had leg DOMS this bad for ages!! 

This made Wednesday’s 6 miler very tough and the knock on effect to Thursday was fairly huge! I was due to have a club session Thursday evening but after yoga at lunch time I did the right thing and elected not to run so I could recover properly! 

On Friday I went to see my coach/sports masseuse who gave me a rub down before this weekends runs! On Saturday I did Parkrun which also included 2 miles to and from as a warm up/down. I ran fairly well but I’m still fighting to get back the same speed I had before my marathons in April.

Big finish at Parkrun on Saturday

I know this will come back but it’s just frustrating as I know what I’m capable of and want to continually improve! Today I ran 15 miles without monitoring my pace and gauging pace by how my body felt. I enjoyed this thoroughly as I didn’t over work myself on any inclines (I use the word hills sparingly in Essex) and ran a fairly even pace.

Tomorrow brings another easy 4 miles and Tuesday I’ll be off to my running clubs speed session. I’ll let you all know how this goes next weekend but as its been about 8 months since I last attended it may be hard work!!

I’m going to enjoy an afternoon in the sun letting my body recover from this morning’s miles- I’ve totted up 22 for the weekend which I’m pretty happy with. 

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, until next time..

Happy running!! 

Race season begins again

With a solid 12 weeks of training behind me, last weekend was the start of my schedule of planned races in the lead up to the Valencia Marathon. 

Sadly it’s not all sunshine and sub continent trips, this weekend took me to sunny Wigan for their annual 10k event! 

This was the first time I’d competed at the Wigan 10k and for someone who lives in Essex people may think this is a long way to go for a 10k race! It was however combined with a trip to Manchester and Preston to see family so it’s more logical than it sounds!!

After my seemingly shocking Parkrun time the previous weekend, I was aiming for anything under 44 minutes! On the morning of the race the weather was damp, overcast and cool- perfect weather for running some would say! 

As we headed for the start line, the weather started to brighten but it stayed fairly cool. The start was a bit of a mess to begin with as the line up area was fenced off but after they opened it up all was well.

At bang on 10 we were under way and the first mile and a half was down hill! I tried to hold myself back but the excitement of the start made me shoot off at about 6.25/mile pace. I restrained myself for miles 2 and 3, going through them at steadier pace. 
After the halfway mark, we went for a loop around Wigan football ground and started heading back to the finish. Mile 4 was similar due to a steady incline and headwind but after getting around the corner I got my pace back down again. 

At mile 5 things got tough due to us heading back up the incline we started on. I went through mile 5 at 7.01/mile pace but once the worst of the inclines were over I powered through to the finish. 

I came over the line in 42 minutes exactly, a time I was very pleased with due to the lack of speed work I’ve done over the past 12 weeks. Overall I came in 145th out of roughly 4,000 runners, not a bad mornings work!

Afterwards I met up with my girlfriend and her step dad who also ran and we headed off to explore the many street food stands and bars on offer at the event. 

Post run rehydration

The social aspect of the run was awesome and we sat in a bar with a pint talking to fellow runners from ‘Team Pie’ for an hour or 2. Overall the event was fantastic and anyone up in that neck of the woods I would highly recommend it to!

Next week sees me back to training and a long run of X amount of miles (I like my coach to keep it a secret)!!

I’ll keep you all updated on my progress via Instagram at @colinwoods_ so head over there and give me a follow if you don’t already and I’ll update my blog next week!

Until then,

Happy running!! 

The struggle is real

I’ve not posted for a couple of weeks and to be honest there’s been 1 good reason for that- nothing exciting has been going on! I’ve been building up the miles slowly over the last 3 weeks and completed my longest run of my Valencia Marathon training so far on Sunday.

It may just be me (I highly doubt this), but the heat and humidity over the last 2 weeks have slowed my training miles down significantly. Yes I’ve not been focusing on speed work for the last 3 months however on some days I have felt like I’ve been running backwards!

I went for my first Parkrun since being home from India on Saturday and to be perfectly honest it was horrific!!! The weather wasn’t suited to fast running as it was hot, humid and there was a nasty headwind and I came home in 6th place in a time of 21 minutes. The times overall were slow but I would have liked to have run a bit quicker as I have the Wigan 10k coming up this coming weekend.

On lap 1 of Southend Parkrun last weekend!

Even holding 6.25/mile pace was a challenge so I used the sensible side of my brain for once and realized that the weather wasn’t on my side and backed off big time. In hindsight this was a good choice as my training plan had me down for running 12 miles the day after.

I dragged myself out of bed early on Sunday morning and hit the road at about 8:30am to avoid the warmest part of the day. I didn’t know how the weather was going to affect my paces so I went off easily at about 7.45/mile pace which looking back was a very good choice! I held between 7.45-8min/mile pace for the duration of my 12 mile run and came back a lot happier than I did from Parkrun the previous day.

It was nice to get the miles back in my legs at a reasonable pace nonetheless my target pace for Valencia Marathon in November is still up in the air. I feel like this will still be the case for the coming few weeks until the weather isn’t as warm and I can gauge where my performance actually is. I’m hoping to get some speed work back in my schedule in the next couple of weeks so this will help as well but there is a long way to go until I’m race ready.

I spent the rest of my weekend taking it easy and spent time with family, friends and my girlfriend. We even had the chance yesterday to go and pick our own fruit and vegetables from a local farm which will give me plenty of healthiness to last the rest of the week!! I got the pleasure of pushing a wheelbarrow around and getting my pitchfork out to farm some carrots which took me back to being a child again!

I also fitted in a nice, slow 4 mile shakeout run yesterday and today will include an element of strength work- how much I don’t know as work is busy. I may well just use my stretchy bands to do some glute and stability training after work in the sunshine.

That’s it for now, I will update you all on how the Wigan 10k goes at the weekend. I’m not expecting miracles and anywhere under 42 minutes I’ll see as a good result. I hope you all have a good week and the sun isn’t too harsh on you all!

Until next time,

Happy running!!

The Final Countdown

So, tomorrow is the beginning of the end of my time in India! As experiences go it’s been good but at times a big challenge! From people driving the wrong way up roads to having no pavements to run on, it’ll be nice to get back home again! 

Today was also my final long 10 mile run  on a treadmill in the gym, yay!! Training indoors for the last 10 weeks has been bloody hard work with being saturated in sweat after about 10 minutes of running being the worst part! 

Over the last 6 weeks especially since Valencia Marathon training properly started, my fitness has come back at a rate of knots! My first 10 mile run was completed at an average of 7.55/mile whereas today I managed to hit 7.30/mile. 

Rehydrating with a coconut after today’s 10 miles

This improvement has been on the back of limited speed work too. So once I get home and crank the wick up on my training I’ll hopefully be back to pre Paris Marathon pace and faster in no time! Hopefully being the key word!! 
I’ll be returning to the UK in such better shape than when I arrived in India too. I was very ‘carby’ after finishing my 4 marathons in April and a bit of over indulgence took its toll! 

Yes there has been a lot of curry and loads of carbs but training hard in a hot environment 6 days a week has allowed me to get back in to proper shape while maintaining my current weight! 

The rest of my week has involved 2 midweek runs & 2 strength sessions. It also had a savage 40 minute interval run with 3 lots of 5 minutes at 6.25/mile chucked in there! By the end I thought I’d run a marathon not 40 minutes!!

Next week is very similar, however Sunday could be a strange one as I arrive home late Saturday evening. Hopefully I’ll get out for some miles, especially if my girlfriend Jodie drags me out of bed for a plod around town! 

I hope you all have a good week, next time I post I will be back in sunny England! Until next time..

Happy Running!