2014

[marathondan]

1.5 miles last night on pavement - my favourite conditions; late night, rain, street lamps and occasional car lights lighting up the dirty puddles. I'm proudly heel-striking now, feeling the twin airbags of the bulbous Asics Gel heels soaking up every kilonewton impact, the foot rolling forward through every step to protect those tendons. Out of interest I timed my cadence - back down to 160, which is much more natural for me than the forced 180 I was running last year.

The tendon is most definitely not fully healed, and doesn't seem to be progressing. But if I can do a gentle 10 miles a week without affecting it, that will at least keep my low-level fitness at tickover. Podiatrist in a couple of weeks, then probably back to the GP to look at other options. Even if one of those options is to do nothing more for a while.

Anyway, I've only done a couple of tiny runs, so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. The runs were pretty damn great though.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm proudly heel-striking now, feeling the twin airbags of the bulbous Asics Gel heels soaking up every kilonewton impact, the foot rolling forward through every step to protect those tendons. Out of interest I timed my cadence - back down to 160, which is much more natural for me than the forced 180 I was running last year.

At the Sydney Half Marathon expo I tried on a pair of Hoka Ones which look monstrous but felt absolutely a-bloody-mazing. Sort of the opposite of minimalism, they go the extreme with cushioning and feel like you are running on marshamallows. An astonishing shoe. I might even try a pair myself. Perhaps worth discussing something like this as an option with your podiatrist?

[Sweder]

Trying to stay open-minded on the shoe front, there must come a time when excessive drag is a factor? And no, I'm not referencing SP's appearance in panto.

You seem to have a properly cautious approach, Dan. It must be an incredibly frustrating for you. Good luck at the Foot Docs ...

[glaconman]

Yes, there's so much conflicting advise out there. Orthotics, running style, shoes. It's almost impossible to unpick it all. But no doubt your patient, pragmatic and thoughtful approach will prevail and you'll be back to running at some point. Sooner rather than later, hopefully.

I tried some Hoka Ones on in a shop some months ago. They do seem like the antidote to minimalism. As I get older and more sensitive to hard terrain I'm tempted to give them a go.

[marathondan]

Thanks for the thoughts. I'll mention the Ones to the podiatrist and see what they think, and also in my local running shop (which we need to visit this summer to purchase Luke's sports kit for secondary school, eek).

Do remember that it was a patient, methodical approach that systematically buggered up my tendons over a carefully planned 12 month programme of abuse. I sometimes over-plan, and throw common sense out at the same time.

I'm a little bemused that I don't feel a huge sense of regret for embarking on the mid-foot style of running, given the damage it's done. It seemed like the right decision at the time. It's just I didn't understand the difference between tendons and muscles, and therefore how to respond to the feedback. Hopefully some good will come of it in the end.

[marathondan]

3 miles round the field at 11pm last night - a lovely night to be out, under a slim waxing moon. Just able to pick out the dog-walker tracks among the waist-high grasses. Damp underfoot, balmy air. No watch, natch. And no after-effects so far.

That's my longest run for 6 months. I've skipped the strengthening exercises for a few days, and I have to say the tendon feels better. I'll just stick to a good stretch every day and see how that goes for a bit.

[glaconman]

Nice. Stick with those for a while I reckon. You must be ready to get a couple of miles under your belt.

[marathondan]

Nice. Stick with those for a while I reckon. You must be ready to get a couple of miles under your belt.

Indeed. There's not much room under my belt though...

[Sweder]

I just wanted to tell you, good luck.
We're all counting on you.

[marathondan]

Surely you don't mean that?

[marathondan]

Three little evening plods in the bank this week; the offendin' tendon seems to be at equilibrium - not getting worse or better. Last night's was a bit of a struggle as the unfit lungs battled the remains of a hot day. I've been through the "return to action" runs many times, but this time it was quite comforting to know that this isn't part of some bigger ramp-up.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Fingers remain crossed, Dan.

[marathondan]

I saw the podiatrist this week, another fine and dedicated member of NHS staff, this time by the name of Dee. Some bending, some wiggling, some gait recording on the iPad - the basic conclusion is that I'm a basket case. Flat feet, significant toe-out on one side only, loose hips, weak quads, weak glutes, knees don't straighten... the list goes on. She's given me some heel inserts which I'm currently breaking in - these should reduce the load on the achilles - and may recommend upgrading to a more cushioned running shoe. My calves are also very stiff - the problematic right one more so - and she's prescribed an unpleasant calf stretch that I could barely get into the starting position for, let alone execute properly. I was admonished for not stretching on non-running days, and I suspect I'll get short shrift if I haven't loosened up in six weeks time when I return. Having said that, I don't feel an urgency to do these stretches. I'm not a high performance athlete and I'm not desperate to get back to peak fitness. My gut feeling is just to relax and let nature take its course. But common sense says that I should at least put in a bit of effort.

I'm still mostly getting three easy 3-milers in a week, with no side effects (as far as I can tell - it's hard to grade a low level background pain). Last night I took a slightly different route around the edges of Maidenhead Thicket, taking in a spot of wooded glade. The nocturnophobe in me might not appreciate that in the winter months, but at this time of year it's perfect.

[Sweder]

That gut instinct sounds like a smart cookie to me, Dan. You've summed things up rather nicely for me there.
We're not top athletes, we run (mostly) for pleasure. Having to jump, awkwardly, on slightly too-tight, non-aligned legs, through a series of twisted, burning hoops takes all the fun out of it. There's a chap runs with Ladyrunner and Co, also pops up at Parkrun, name of Tom. He has a hunch that makes mine resemble Michael Johnson coming off the bend in the 200 metres, runs as if he's been shot in one buttock and carries what looks like (but isn't) a withered arm slung across his chest. I can't get near him on that 5K circuit.

[marathondan]

The full-length mirror showed that my right foot splays out like an England midfielder trying to control a pass first-time.

I completely agree about the fun aspect - I need motivation to do anything, and most of that comes from feeling rather than reason.

The most likely source of motivation in this case - and I should stress that I haven't done any of these stretches yet - is that I would have to admit to someone who works daily to help the likes of me, for considerably less pay than me, that I didn't much care for her advice.



Better get started.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well that's an insightful comment, Dan. I think the likes of "us", i.e. largely middle-aged, mainly male average sorts of runners, question whether sports medicine professionals (who are generally young, fit Gen "Y" types) really understand what makes us older types actually "tick". A hard ask at the best of times, I must concede.

Motivation? Yeah, I'd like some of that alongside my mp3 collection of Led Zeppelin albums.

It says a lot about civilisation that I can buy three different types of duck fat from two different stores on the way from my home to the sports equipment store near here; and if I do actually make it to the sports store (which requires overcoming the Sirenic distractions of the sushi train bistro and wine bar), the carrier bag of charcuterie I invariably have with me is largely meaningless to the pimply sports store attendant, who none-the-less recognises not a middle-aged bloke in need, but an alien from planet BabbiBoom who needs not a 24-pack box of energy gels in assorted flavours, but a truss, some equine-strength muscle gel and a MedicAlert account, none of which they can of course provide and have no intention of ever offering.

Which is why, my friend, I keep hanging out here. You guys rock, and not just in a "Brighton stick of rock marathon costume" sort of way, either.

Where's my vodka?

[marathondan]

Well that's an insightful comment, Dan.

Yay, I made one!

I should point out that this is a general podiatry clinic, not a sports clinic. So I'm probably towards the upper end of the activity level scale that Dee sees on a regular basis. It's fair to say that I'm not as obsessive as most runners, and she's not to know that. So, not a criticism of the professionals. I just need to get my head in the right place. And my hips, feet, ankles, calves...

(PS: (who are generally young, fit Gen "Y" types) - check. Actually I should mention: when I told her I'd finally crocked my tendon in the Henley half in November, she correctly pointed out that it's actually in October - I really couldn't be in better hands.)

[Charliecat5]

Well that's an insightful comment, Dan.

when I told her I'd finally crocked my tendon in the Henley half in November, she correctly pointed out that it's actually in October

No wonder you crocked your tendon if you ran the Henley half in the wrong month...

[marathondan]

Agility isn't something you normally associate with crows. I took another late evening trip around the field tonight, sun low, daytime heat fading rapidly. A big black aviator settled in my path three times before it took the hint, and then gave me a display of low level aerobatics, twisting and banking like a heavyweight jet fighter, before (I think) snapping an insect in mid-flight and alighting in a tree for a rest. You don't get that down the gym.

Ah well, it makes a change from posts about rooks.

Tendon report: status quo maintained.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Q: What do crows drink to stay awake?

A: Cawfee.