12 Days To Go - Back From The Brink

Date & Time : 24/03/12 06:45
Distance : 13 miles, 11 miles, 4 miles, 6 miles
Total Training Distance (since beginning Jan 12) : 292 miles
Route & Stats : Various & Trowse 10k

I've not blogged for a while, because I haven't been 100% certain that I would be able to participate in the marathon due to a variety of injuries. It's been over 5 weeks since the Wymondham 20 and quite frankly I have been in bits since then.  I've had ankle, lower back, hamstring and glute problems .... it's almost like all the injuries I should have had in the last 2 years have all come at once.   It's very frustrating because my overall fitness has never been better having set PB's in virtually every race that I have completed in the last few months; Yarmouth 10k - 47m, Norwich Half - 1h 46m, Reedham 10m - 78m and Wymondham 20m - 2h 52m.

I have eased back on the running in the last few weeks, focusing instead on cross training to keep my fitness levels up while giving my old bones a chance to recover.  I've have had three physio sessions, two local and one while on holiday last week - yes, I was getting so desperate that I even visited a physio while I was away.  During the last few weeks I have been a proper grumpy git and I have to publicly thank my family for putting up with me.  

The good news is that in the last week I have gone from bailing out of a long run at 11 miles with really bad ankle soreness to completing a brisk 4m and the Trowse 10k with no issues whatsoever, in fact my time for the Trowse 10k was only 14s off my PB, which considering the course is a pretty good outcome.  The physio I saw in Dorset worked wonders with my ankle tendons and really loosened them up which has prevented them from becomming inflamed during my runs.

I can only hope that the injuries are behind me and that I can get to the start line on the 22nd in as best a state of mind and body as possible. Mentally and physically I am much stronger this time around and even though I haven't been able to get the mileage in that I wanted to I think I will have half a chance of breaking 4 hours - I will certainly give it a go, afterall the title of this training diary is "4 hours or bust" and I intend to stick to that as a philosphy!

Go hard or go home.