This week was the first proper week of training after tearing my calf at the National 6 Stage four weeks ago. Since starting with some light jogging last week I have gradually built up the volume, whilst adding slightly more intensity towards the end of the week.
My calf is fine. I know this, not just because I managed to run 127km this week, something I am told is not possible with a calf tear, but because the scan last week showed that what once resembled a large hole was now a smooth meaty chunk of well formed muscle tissue. However, this doesn’t stop me worrying that it is suddenly going to go again. I find this amusing. As runners we train ourselves to be able to ignore pain; it is an incovenience that needs to be overcome at all costs, a sign of weakness and I’m not weak, thank you very much. But when you return from injury the opposite happens. You become aware of every little tightness or sensation of discomfort, convinced that it is a sign that the injury is returning. The kind of small niggle that would barely raise an eyebrow under normal circumstances now becomes a clear indication that the injury is back again, and probably worse than it was before.
This may well be down to the fact that in order to succeed in this sport you need to be all-or-nothing with it. You will not manage to put in all the hard, difficult training if you aren’t convinced that what you are doing is the most important thing in the world. Sadly the flipside of this belief in the importance of what you are doing is the sense of loss when you cannot do it. The fear of this triggers irrational reactions to pain and a heightened feeling of worry.
I was flying. After, to borrow a phrase from my old team manager Richard, ‘treating the first hill with some respect’ I was moving nicely through the field on leg one of the National 6 Stage. One by one I picked my opponents off, running alongside before lining up my next target and chasing it down. Everything was going perfectly. Until it wasn’t.
I got a small clip from behind from another athlete as we headed out on the out-and-back section of the course. As I stumbled and tried to regain my balance my right foot struck my left calf. Although the initial feeling was one of discomfort it wasn’t hurting and wasn’t stopping me move through the field. This all changed, though, when we started descending. The extra load suddenly caused a cramping in the calf which reduced my fluid stride to a hobble. Unable to stop as this was a relay, I limped the final mile, getting passed by all but four other runners. The finish line couldn’t come quickly enough and when it did I promptly collapsed over it, my left calf in agony.
Today it is sore and it remains to be seen how bad the injury is, but this was a timely reminder that it only takes one small incident to turn you from a fully fit athlete to someone struggling to walk down stairs. Injury can happen to anyone at any time. Hopefully I will be back on two feet again soon.
My week:
​Monday: 16km easy, drills and hurdles (16)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM 3:00 on grass, 6*(400,300,200) on track off 60,45,30, 3:00 on grass (25)
Wednesday: 16km easy (16)
Thursday: AM 8km easy / PM 10km moderate (18)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM National 6 Stage, 80th on leg 1 in 20:18 (18)
Yesterday I was asked why I had improved so much over the summer after changing club. My response was that I am now training at a much greater intensity than before and am achieving a greater density of sessions, sometimes 3 in a week, something I would never have done before. This year I have learned that I can get more out of myself than I previously thought. This week was no exception. On Thursday evening, still tired and sore from Tuesday’s tempo run, I got dropped on the first rep and struggled to get my legs moving. I stuck it out and with each effort the session became easier once I pushed through the initial discomfort. Not too long ago I would have stopped at that point and saved myself for another day. Of course, there are times when you need to say no and listen to your body, but I am now learning when to say yes. This fine balancing act between overdoing it and underdoing it is hugely important in running.
My week:
Monday: AM 8km easy / PM 13km easy, drills and hurdles (21)
Tuesday: AM 8km easy / PM 15km progression run – 3:37 average, circuits (25)
I took a medal home at the weekend as a member of the Birchfield team who came 3rd at the Midland 6 Stage. Just as pleasing was the fact that I was only a few seconds outside my best time on legs that really didn’t feel great at any point. Hopefully this is a sign that there is plenty more to come. This week coming I plan to increase the mileage and get at least two good sessions in. Next week is the National and there’s a good chance I don’t even make the A team! That’s just the kind of competition I was hoping for when I moved club!
My week:
Monday: 15 km easy, drills + hurdles (15)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM road session mile, 2 miles, 2 miles, mile off 2:00/3:00 (27)
Wednesday: 12km easy (12)
Thursday: 8km easy, strides (8)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: Midland 6 Stage, 10th on leg 1 in 18:38 (15)