Wed already!

I woke up this morning and again I can feel that bloody hammy/glute. It's not too bad but annoying more than anything. Decided to just do 2x10k runs both on the treadmill at about my pace I plan on going at the start in the 24hr race in a few weeks time. First run was at 6am and done in 59min. One of the slowest 10k I think I've done

Second 10k was done at 5pm and again really slow. In fact I kinda went off into my own little world! 57min for that one

I've really felt like taking some time off to let it heal but I've entered the Macleay river marathon in just over 1 weeks time and 2 weeks later I've got the 24hr.
My plan was to run a good marathon but not race it and do about 3hrs then taper for 2wks then get some big km's in the 24hr.
Plan now is to train to just keep the legs kicking over without putting any strain on the hammy and who knows...it might heal if I just run slow. Then to run the marathon with Denise which should be just slightly faster or about my 24hr pace in about 4hrs.
Then I still plan on doing some big km's in the 24hr as my hamstring doesn't seem to be affected by running slow and not striding out.

After the 24hr my next major race will be GNW100m so I can afford to have 8-12wks rest if need be. I'm not too bothered about that as last yr I was off with a pinched nerve causing sciatica from July to mid Sept and still had a good GNW race

Tues

Just ran easy 10.5k from Terrigal to Wamberal and back. Was going to try some intervals of 3min hard 1min easy but hammy/glute just doesn't like it. Not too bothered about it. Instead just ran a nice pace on the borderline of feeling good and feeling average. 50.45 or about 4:47k pace.
After made my way to the gym for some glute strength work.

Almost healed after a PAINFUL massage!

One week on and I'm starting to feel like my nerve pain in my left hamstring is comming good.
Since I ran last Wed I took a couple of days off and on Friday I went and got a massage. Bloody hell! Trigger points loaded in my glute medius and minimus. 30min of one of the most painful massages I've ever had and I walked out of there feeling like my hip and hamstring had freed up. Still having pain but has got a lot better over the last couple of days.

Sat I ran trotters 10k staying with Denise and doing a nice easy 51min. That was a PB for her.
Sun (today)I went to the gym and did a cycle class then ran 10k on the tradmill in 49min. Leg was good. Could feel it but much better. Also been feeling better as the day's gone on

Post TNF

Wednesday has come and that's 4 days since the big event. Legs starting to come back to normal but still getting nerve pain in that left hamstring. Something I've had on and off for the last 10yrs so I'm kinda use to it now. More annoying than anything. Could be weeks or could be months but it will go away. Then once it's gone I'll give it 9-12 months and it will come back again.

Anyway I decided to have a run and all felt ok. Just got on the t'mill at the gym and got 10km done in 52min. Steamroom after that then home to do some self massage. Happy to say leg was ok running but could feel it after but nothing too bad.

A couple of more days off running now then Trotters 10k on Sat. It's their time trial but I ain't racing

TNF100 2012

Another 100km race ticked off. Some races go to plan other races you need to change your plan as the race develops.

All was going great in the training for this until 2 weeks ago when I develped some nerve pain in my left hammy. I was fine running but it did slow me down. I just stopped all the speed work.

In the week leading into this I just did 4x10km runs on the Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri.

The morning of the race I got up at about 4am. Breakfast was toast, coffee, powerade and a V and at 6:55am the gun goes off and off we go!

The course pretty much goes like this
Hilly road, trails/steps, road, steps, climbing rocks, trails, steep steps, trails, first checkpoint, firetrails, ladders, technical downhill trails, fire trails with lots of climbing hills, steep descends, checkpoint 2, uphill firetrails, uphill steep steep (yes steep) technical trails, technical rocks, steep technical downhill, crossing rivers, up and down fire trails, checkpoint 3, fire trails, Nellies Glenn (a crazy climb of about 2km of steps straight up!) technical trails/steps road, checkpoint 4, road, grass, road, ovals, steps, steps, steps, steps, steps, dodging asian tourists down the giant stairway (over 800 steps) boardwalks, fire trails, steep downhill fire trails, uphill fire trails, downhill fire trails then 7km climb straight up on fire trails, checkpoint 5, uphill road (2km?) downhill road, technical single trails in the dark with a mixture of trails, steps, a few more steps, a couple of more steps, the some more, up one last more of a steep set of stairs, on the property of the Fairmont resort.....FINISH!

For me I was running a great race feeling strong and fit until going up Nellies Glen when I noticed my left knee getting quite sore. Once up the top it came good.
Down Kedumba hill still feeling strong then as soon as the 7km hill started the pain in the knee was too intence to keep running. I got to the last checkpoint and got Denise to spray some cold spray on it and that seemed to settle it. Last 11km and I'm feeling great again. Saw the sign 5km to go and starting to think I'll get a sub 12hr in. 4km to go and still cruising along, 3km to go and my watch says 11hrs35min, still on track then about 1min later I trip, go flying mid air land on my quad/ITB first on a wooden step then my shoulder then I slide down the set of stairs feeling my legs pounding each step. I yell out F**K!!!!! Get up took 1 step and nearly fell over again. Tried to run but after about 300m I was forced into a walk. I get to the 2km to go sign and my watch now says 11hrs47min. All I could do was let about 6 other runners pass me and walk into the finish.

I finished in 32nd place in 12hrs16min32sec (1000 runners started about 600 finished. About 400 people DNF'd!)

Denise was once again there to make sure I kept going, didn't sook, kick my butt into gear, buy me coke, have everything at my ready. Pretty much the best crew one could ask for!

Time to let the wounds heal