Wednesday 30 May 2012

Letting my body recover


A couple of days ago, the awesome Jerry Smallwood (who's running the 145mi GUCR this weekend and who knows what he's talking about) commented on my last blog post which I'd written about whether I was going to pull out of my next scheduled marathon - this is what he said:
  • "I think that I can read between the lines and your heart is not fully into this one. It is a nice idea but you have done a lot in the past 2 months and I honestly think your body needs a rest. They say that a marathon will stay in the legs of a runner for at least 6 weeks after and event and you have done so terribly well of recent."

It seems that Jerry knew how my body would be coping with my 3 marathons in 6 weeks better than me.  Turns out he was entirely right and after last night's run, I definitely need some rest.  I was about 15 minutes into a lovely 6 mile run home from the train station, when my leg essentially disintegrated below me...lots of pain in my hamstring, glutes, calf and shin. After a bit of stretching and massaging my leg by the side of the road (which prompted lots of odd looks and a few beeps from passing cars) I ran on for a bit, but after a few minutes the pain and weakness throughout my leg came back.  I took to twitter to vent my frustration, and got lots of encouraging support back (as always, thank-you everyone!) but then jogged slowly home, having to stop often, so took some photos on the way with my phone, which unfortunately isn't advanced enough to capture just how beautiful the light was last night but I thought I'd share anyway.

The trip back home took forever, and although when I got there I changed into my compression tights, and spent a long time with a pack of frozen peas, waking up this morning I have a kind of dull permanent ache in my hamstring and glute. 

Needless to say I'll rest for the next couple of days, and try and get a sports massage tomorrow which will hopefully help, and, although I had already decided not to run it, this is the nail in the coffin for my participation in the Roadrunner Marathon on Monday.


A few other photos from last night:








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