Feeling the Heat

With less than two weeks to go to the marathon, I am starting to feel the pressure.

As the clock ticks down to the big day, I have been decreasing my mileage and will stop running completely a few days before the event.

It seems strange to be tapering down the runs, particularly when you have been working on the basis that more is better, but it is necessary to make sure I don't overtrain or cause injury.

I am nervous to say the least.

With the weather improving rapidly, I set off for my first run in shorts on Saturday, glad to be training in the sunshine.

It was a hot day, and by ten miles I was parched and sweating like crazy. Although initially pleased by the hot weather I realised how detrimental this can be to a run, particularly when you haven't taken on enough water.

At least i have covered all eventualities now, and feel prepared for whatever the weather on the big day.

Power Balance Bands, is it just hype?

Getting out of bed this morning was trying, my legs are heavy and tired.

We ran just over 21 miles yesterday, however despite the aches and pains and general stiffness post training run, I am amazed I don’t feel that bad.

Could it be down to the beach training, I undertook in Spain last week, the Lucozade gel that we used mid run, or could it be down to a rubber band I wore around my wrist?

I was given a Power Balance band to try out, and I am wondering if there really is something in it. The innocuous looking band, is very thin and has two holograms on the sides, to be honest it looks a bit like a charity awareness bracelet, like the yellow Livestrong ones.

One the website the makers claim:

POWER BALANCE’S Mylar Holographic Disk (the same substance used to keep static electricity from damaging electrical components) has been imbedded with an electrical frequency that restores your body’s electrical balance, promoting a free exchange of positive and negative ions and align your body’s energy pathways.


The high density disk acts much like a switch, resonating within your system and turning on your energy field while it clears the pathways so the electro-chemical exchange functions like the well-tuned generator it was designed to be.

When the static Power Balance Hologram comes in contact with your body’s energy field, it begins to resonate in accordance with each individual’s biological, creating a harmonic loop that optimizes your energy field and maintains maximum energy flow while clearing the pathways so the electro-chemical exchange functions like the well-tuned generator it was meant to be.

It claims to improve strength, flexibility and balance, but to be honest looking at it and its price tag of £24.99, I was extremely skeptical.

My previous long run, 18 miles was tough and ended in shoulder pain preventing me from running any further. Yesterday’s run was very different, even up to the final few metres we were still able to talk well and on a respiratory level, I felt quite fit. On a muscular level, my legs felt like dead weights but after the run, I did not feel the need to lie down for hours unable to function, I felt ok.

It is really hard to tell if the band had any impact or if the placebo effect gets you through it is a tough one to call.

I will most definitely be using the band again, and will compare it against a long run without it.

Power Balance have many celebrity endorsers including London Wasps and Shaquille O’Neal to name just two.

Rachel, a strength conditioning coach, PT and physio said : “I really dont know too much about the science behind it although I do know that I am heaps strong when I use it!”

It could be all in the mind but if it helps me get across the finish line, any faster or feeling stronger then I am definitely going to buy into it for now and wear the band on all training runs.

Getting it in the neck

It appears my body is not as resilient as I thought. First my knee, and now my shoulder and neck. After a week off after my 19 miles and feeling some tension and pain in my shoulder, it was disappointing to feel pain returning almost at the start of my subsequent long run yesterday.

My running partner Elen kindly offered to take my lucozade bottle but despite this act of kindness it did not abate the pain.

What started off as a dull ache built in to a sharp stabbing pain. I moved my hand around in different positions, lengthened my neck, pushed my shoulders down, but nothing seemed to stop the twinge.

I began to accept that this would be another painful and trying run, and started to wonder if I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was. Elen hasn’t had any problems apart from the general aches and pains of a long run, why is my body any different? Am i a complete hypochondriac?

During our third lap of Hyde park, the throbbing increased in intensity and despite the two of us still being able to maintain a conversation I knew my game was nearly up.

Almost four laps round and I had to give in to the pain, I wondered if it was physcological, but I don’t give up easily. I researched shoulder problems when running on the internet upon my return home and it amazing what rubbish it

A visit to the sports therapist and a very painful deep tissue massage later, and it appears that all my muscles, tendons and ligaments in my shoulders, arms and neck have been so tight that to be honest it isn’t so surprising I didn’t experience injuries sooner.

So fingers crossed with more stretching, ice, ibruprofen, and strength training, my shoulders and the rest of me should hold up.

If training was easy it wouldn’t be worth doing, and at least I am saving money and my liver, by not going out so much. So its not all bad is it.

Total Wipeout

My absence from blogging has been down to the simple fact, that post run I am completely wiped out.

Since my disappointing run two weeks ago, I have spent time talking to a physio as well as researching ITB injuries and other common knee problems, to get my running back on track.

Firstly I realised the effects of having tight hamstrings prior to a run and the impact upon the inside of the knee. No more leg weight training any less than three days before a long run, and plenty of hammie stretches thereafter.

Secondly, after believing that running on hard surfaces were partly to blame for my knee injuries I have learnt, (through reading Lore of Running by Timothy D. Noakes) the importance of the angle, or camber of the pavement.

As I overpronate and have a problem with my ITB on my right leg I tried running on both sides of the road and found that I suffered no knee problems when I ran on a surface which slopes down from my right foot to the left foot. This means that when running on a road I am better when running on the left hand side.

Following on from this revelation, I attempted a long run last week, carbing up, popping some ibuprofen tablets as well as my applying my gel prior to starting. I managed 17 miles sticking to my designated side of the road where applicable and noticing the impact the difference in camber of the pavement had upon my knee. Whilst it ached towards the end of the run, there was certainly no pain.

This week I set followed the same pattern and stuck to what had worked last week and managed 19 miles, or 18.2 when imapmyrun, adjusted itself. I hate it when it does that. But still, go me!

My post run routine involves getting in, drinking water, a few biscuits or slices of bread, followed by a shower or bath. It is after these activities that the wall hits me, and it takes me hours to recover. Even getting my post run meal in is quite a task, and believe me eating is usually not a problem at all. My brain doesn’t work very well, my limbs feel heavy and everything is just quite a lot of effort.

In short, the rest of my day is a bit of a right off but it gives me an excuse to catch up on tv on 4 od, and so I can’t really complain now can I?

The Only Way Is Up

Today my blog title has hit the nail on the head, I am in trainers and having a tantrum.

After running 13.5 miles last week and aiming for 16 today, after 8 miles my knees no longer allowed me to carry on.

I stopped, I cried… I tried to call my mum. Frustration does not describe what I felt.

My running partners didn’t know what to do but I persuaded them to carry on, I didn’t want witnesses to my mini breakdown.

I walked for a while then tried to jog again, my knee was having none of it. I knew I was defeated and headed home.

It seems my third pair of trainers, copious foam rollering, ice, and yoga twice a week have not solved my knee problem.

It is time to call in the experts, and I am going to book a session with a physio and sports therapist to see if they can identify the problem. I have already visited my GP who has referred me for a scan but that was in November and have heard nothing since.

I am still trying to maintain PMA (positive mental attitude) but today has really definitely been a low point. On the upside, hitting the bottom must mean that it can only get better from here? Fingers crossed.

Rhythm Is A Runner

Following my new found addiction to Glee I was delighted to find the original version of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ on my IPod. As I bounded along the pavement I became increasingly grateful to my good friend Nat, for purchasing the 101 Running Songs album for me. There are some absolute classics on there.

A good music selection can motivate and inspire you during the most challenging runs and the importance of choosing music that inspires you has been well documented by various sports psychologists.

Dr Karageorghis of Brunel University has done extensive research on the ability of music to increase sports performance. He has also worked on the music half marathon Run To The Beat, which has been held in London, but which could be rolled out across Europe in the near future. The idea of coordinating live music with group sporting participation is a clever one, a little bit of music can make such a difference and boost to your run.

But what happens when you iPod has run out of battery?

Dr Karageorgshis advocates training to music but with including music free work-outs to ensure desensitization does not occur. Which means on the days you have forgotten your iPod you have no excuse to get out there.

For the days when you do indulge in the music it is important to get the tempo right. Whilst you might love a bit of a Buble style ballad, it is good to choose music similar to the speed you run. You can increase the tempo for more intense workouts or if you are lucky enough to have Nike + trainers and a chip you can let it do the track selection for you.

My more recent runs have definitely been improved by the music and I have found it enables an opportunity to indulge in a guilty pleasure. It allows you to listen to music you may have been a tad embarrassed about anyone overhearing at the gym. S Club 7 or 5ive anyone?

Motivation.....it's all in your head.

Thirty minutes into my run, which due to the bad weather has forced me indoors again, and my ipod dies.

After clocking up only 5km when I had planned to run 16km, I am stumped. What to do now?

Having taken time to put new music on my ipod to give me a motivational boost it is a blow, and in an extremely quiet gym with a bad selection of music, my determination is wavering.

There are so many things that can contribute to a successful run. Planning, a great night's sleep, good nutrition, comfortable clothing, trainers and a fully charged ipod. We do however in many cases, overlook the importance of a strong mental attitude.

It is so easy when things go wrong to throw in the towel early, give up and quit. And there have been many times when I have done just that. But this time was different.

As I mulled over my choice to continue running without music and persevere or to admit defeat, I carried on running. I focused on my running technique and the effect the change in gradient and speed had on my breath. The voice in my head telling me that I could complete the run anyway, kicked in and overpowered my doubts.

Feeling unmotivated is a natural part of training and something I need to accept. Training on your own is extra hard when you are less than determined, without a training partner or a Mr Motivator- style coach by your side to help channel a PMA (positive mental attitude).

What occurred to me today on the treadmill, was the importance of mental training as well as the physical training, to find ways in which you can motivate yourself when things do go wrong.

Not admitting defeat makes you stronger, allowing you to overcome obstacles that could have derailed you in the past. Focussing on the positive instead of the negative is such an important part of training and something I need to remember and incorporate on longer runs to come in the future.

Set backs are a part of life, it is how we deal with them and handle them that will give you the edge. As William Shakespeare so correctly observed: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." So go on, choose a positive thought.