2008/09 - Winter

[El Gordo]

From Dec 21 onwards.

[Sweder]

Sorry to hear about the setback but agree whole-heartedly that it's better now than later. You seem to have a positive handle on it which is half the battle. The other half (the bit I'm useless at) is caution but I reckon you know that too.

So, this Tim Noakes book, Lore Of Running . . . you read the whole thing? Because I reckon it'd take me less time to run from here to Cape Town than to finish that collosal tome. I noted the foreward by a certain G Sheehan, too (that's as far as I've got). My hosts here in Highworth have a copy, as well as Dr Brian Halpern's The Knee Care Handbook. Looks like January's taken care of on the reading front.

Another positive that's just occurred to me is you now have Gym on your side. Gym will prove an invaluable friend at this difficult time, ensuring that any days or weeks of recovery aren't entirely lost.

[El Gordo]

The news just got bad again. Full of confidence that my troubles were behind me (ho ho), I went out for a short run this afternoon. I lasted about 50 yards, and it went again. Not as painful as last time, but a sudden seizure that stopped me in my tracks. I tried very slowly jogging for a bit to see if I could run through it, but as soon as I increased the pace even slightly, it became too painful to run. There's still no lump evident, so I'm reasonably confident that it isn't a tear or pull -- but there's something badly wrong that I need to get diagnosed. As soon as I got back home I called the doc and have an appt for the day after tomorrow.

Absolutely no chance of the 10K tomorrow; not even as a mild jog. I'm so disappointed to miss these two races -- they were an important part of my plans.

You're right -- the gym gives me hope. I have to try to keep improving my aerobic fitness, and with a bit of luck the running won't suffer too much. Obviously I need to make sure that I get this problem sorted now. Even the worst case scenario (I don't know -- a month of no running) gives me the chance to get to Boston as long as I try to continue losing weight and getting fitter. Almeria will be a bit of a fight now, but here's hoping. It's very, very disappointing because I've been making better progress than I have in years.

The only good thing is that I can guiltlessly go to the pub this evening to toast the new year. But honestly, I would be twice as happy to be going to bed sober and healthy, with a chilly 10K to look forward to in the morning.

Added: Oh yeah, the Noakes book is a biggun. Actually very readable though pretty technical in places. No, I've not read it from cover to cover. I dip into it to pluck information. Annoyingly, it has very little about calf strains or gym routines for runners, which were my two most recent forays. I love the book though. Noakes is a very experienced Comrades and Two Oceans runner, so you'll find plenty in there about ultras in general and the Comrades in particular.

[Sweder]

OK, well perhaps your calf is telling you not to do any more damage and get it sorted, which is wise council in the long term.

Noakes - I'm stoked (to use the current youthful venacular) about Noakes.
I too did some dipping last night - all the while Jaques Tati's Les Vacances de M. Hulot playing in the background, much to the cackled amusement of the Grannies. I flitted between the two, astonished that Tati had preceeded Mr Bean by some 40 years (and that no-one to my knowledge has ever pointed out Rowan Atkinsons' blatant act of plagerism in creating the lucrative if incredibly annoying Bean), and amazed at the content of Lore. There are fascinating chapters in there. I 'm keen to get into the meat of heat exhaustion (definitely something I'm well aqcainted with after TOM), carb loading on the hoof and fluid intake on distance runs.

The claim by Jackie Mekler, that during one 90 kilometre Comrades race he took his first drink of anything at 60 kms, left me slack-jawed. He won that race by the way. There appears to be a lot to be gained from picking Mr Noakes' brain, even if some of the scientific stuff may as well be written in the language of the Aztecs.

Good luck tomorrow. You're doing it right; I've no doubt your new-found fitness and resolve will get you through this challenge.

[Antonio247]

EG, it´s a pity you´ve got injured again but at least it isn´t the knee.

I´ve also got problems with my right calf. I find it difficult to run without problems for more than six kilometres.

I hope you get better soon so that you can go on training.

All the best for this year.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Hope the calf is coming good EG - bugger of a time for it to happen. :-(

Sweder, I'm a huge fan of Jacques Tati, and I'm pleased to see all the movies have been re-mastered for a new series of DVD releases. I still include Jour de Fete among my all-time favourites. Great stuff. You can keep Mr. Bean - the odd sketch made me smile, but it's all too cringey for my taste. Tati was was always charming, never a cringe-fest!

[marathondan]

EG, I just caught up on the news of your injury - what a bugger. Clearly the universe thought that going from almost giving up running to knocking out 10 milers wasn't enough of an achievement, and has thrown you another curve ball to keep you challenged. As many have already said, if ever there was a time to get injured, it's early in the campaign and at a time when it seems to take wild horses* to keep you out of the gym. Keep up the cardio!

[SIZE="1"]-------------
* an early form of resistance machine, I believe[/SIZE]

[stillwaddler]

Really sorry to hear about your calf muscle EG, go easy on the stepper and the hills. You might like to try some warming type of muscle rub before you go out into the cold? the act of just rubbing the stuff in will help to loosen and warm the muscle and it's rather comforting to have wrm legs on cold days :-)

[marathondan]

EG, great to see that things are looking up calf-wise. I almost didn't dare check the front page, for fear of bad news.

Interesting to see your comment:

There's another reason I have a spring in my step today. I'm still warming the cockles of my heart on the afterglow of Chelsea's limp defeat at the Devil Bowl yesterday. Seeing those overpaid tarts so roundly humiliated really is among the most joyful of life's experiences these days.

This is pretty much why I've given up following top-flight football (other than internationals). When I started getting more pleasure from seeing rivals' defeats than my own team's success, and watching Match of the Day mainly to collate "we should have had a pen / he should have been sent off" indignations in time for Monday morning, it seemed that football was bringing out the worst in me.

This isn't a criticism; most residents of this parish seem to manage a fairly grown-up attitude to football, certainly more so than me.

[El Gordo]

Oh, I can think of a hundred reasons why I should give up following top-flight football, and schadenfreude guilt is cetainly one of them. Annoyingly, giving up football is like me giving up smoking. I knew it was bad for me, and I wanted to stop, but I just couldn't do it. Not for ages, anyhow.There's no doubt it brings out (or clings on to) the child in me, though I guess some might opine that this is no bad thing in a world capsizing under the weight of grown-up concerns. Healthy escapism? Or encouraging negative values? I really don't know, but for the moment, I find it hard to avoid big games like Sunday's affair.

[Sweder]

but for the moment, I find it hard to avoid big games like Sunday's affair.

Not to mention the post-Almeria half la Liga festival in Molly's

Disrespectful of those young Rowdies to taunt the pensioners of Chelski in front of the watching millions I thought. Tsk tsk.

[Nick]

You're right, football does seem to make us go all tribal.

Re: calf muscle problems - Had a similar problem in mid December. Solved it by a weeks rest, stretching lots and slapping loads of deep heat on the muscle just before going for a run. I'm sure you have tried this but it works for me!

[marathondan]

You're right, football does seem to make us go all tribal.

It's not just me then!

[Sweder]

Good news on the steps back to fitness EG; there's nowt so satisfying as deafening silence from a hitherto whinging body-part. Your latest missive throws up an opportunity for some brain-storming fun; titles for EG's book.

I offer a coupe of obvious starters for ten:

Running Down A Dream
Life in the Long Run
The Road Less Plod(ded)
Haile: My Part In His Downfall

Commence au festivale!

[Antonio247]

Congratulations, EG. You´ve managed to do a very long run and you seem to be all right from your calf injury. That´s great. Let´s hope we all can do Almería half in good conditions.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

With My 854s Through the Yorkshire Moors.
Out of Plodding Luck.
Running Commentary Running.
Marathon Man Child.

[Seafront Plodder]

But His Hips Move Beautifully

p.s. What's a "Deam" Sweder?

[marathondan]

Dark Satanic Treadmills
Shin-dler's Splints
Don't Fear the Sweeper
The Taming of the Shoe
The Pie-Eating Plodder of Hamstring
The 49,000 Steps
The Wealth of Pronations
LSD as an Aid to Weight Loss

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I like Don't Fear The Sweeper, Dan

[Seafront Plodder]

yeah that's my favourite too and reminds me of El G's superb report (was it Copenhagen?) where he had to break 5 hours.