I am not an injured runner

Hello! Dare I even whisper that things are starting to look a little spring-like around the place? Let’s not mention it…we might scare it away.

My life (and blog) for the past three months has been consumed by my running injury. My knee niggle that stopped me completing my December marathon last year. Stopped me running for the whole of December. And limited my running in January.

[A big thank you for hanging on with me during what was probably a boring and depressing time in terms of content]

But it’s now coming up to the end of February. I have completely a half marathon, ran 15 miles, and gained some of my speed back. And my legs still work.

Yes I ache after a long run. Yes I still get a bit of a niggle and tightness the day after a run. Yes things feel tough and hard and I wonder how the hell I ran that half marathon PB in September last year.

But the tightness disappears. The niggle isn’t there constantly and doesn’t cause me any pain or hinder my running. The speed is coming back, albeit gradually.

My problem these days are psychological. I can’t stop thinking that I’m an injured runner. I can’t stop over-analysing a tightness or a slight twinge. I try not to push too hard in case I do something else to myself. I read every article I see on injuries and injury prevention. I obsess constantly on how are my legs feeling. I poke my legs subconsciously (I kid you not).

I need to get over this. I need to let go and just go for it. I’m not saying I’ll go out and run a 20 miler. I will still be cautious in my mileage build-up. I will still listen to my body when it needs a rest. I will still do my leg strength routine twice a week and core once a week.

But I’m not going to hold myself back from running anymore. In my very gentle, very cautious self-made marathon plan (based loosely on the Bupa beginner one) I had a four mile recovery run planned for Tuesday night.

Ben came home on Monday and said he was going to running club on Tuesday night – the interval session one. The big scary ‘I’ word that my knees tremble at. Ben is completely the opposite to me in running. He is Mr Optimistic. Mr Throw Caution To the Wind. Mr If it Hurts Just Run Through It. So of course he’d be bashing out an interval session two days after a long run.

My legs felt tired on Monday but nothing major. A bit achy, to be expected. So I thought to hell with it. Let’s do this!

On Tuesday night we set off together (aww aren’t we cute?) and met up with the club. One group was going to do a mega hill session and the other group a less hilly interval session (more of a slight gradual incline). I’m not a complete idiot, I went with the less hilly option. I’m ready to get back out there, but I am still being sensible.

And I went for it. I kept up with the lead guys (granted, not the fastest in our club – they were at the really hilly session in a different location) but I was in the lead pack holding strong. 12x just over 300m with 2mins recovery. I reached pace peaks of 5min/miles (VERY briefly)!

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With a mile to the club, just under a mile to the interval spot, then over 3k in intervals, and then reverse of the first two miles.

It absolutely killed me. And I felt bloody brilliant.

Confidence in running

Have you done something that has made you proud lately?

What are you scared of at the moment? Can you overcome it?

Intervals/HIIT – love or hate?

16 Replies to “I am not an injured runner”

    1. Thanks! Goal race is Paris marathon (duh, duh duhhhh <-- dramatic music). Fingers crossed I'll get there!! Otherwise I've got Reading on Sunday as a mini pit stop for a speedier long run.

  1. That’s fantastic news! Well done on a great interval session. 🙂 I’m exactly the same with regards to being overly cautious still. I’m hoping after the marathon I’ll be able to begin to relax a little again. I can’t wait to read your marathon recap in a few weeks time. BEST thing you’ll ever do! 🙂

    1. I just hope I get there. Part of me still thinks I won’t….
      I think being cautious is both good and bad. It can make you overthink things and go mad, but at the same time taking that extra thought does stop you from being silly and taking risks. I’ll be so much more careful now running.

  2. Great news that you are out the other side now 🙂
    I have attempted invervals (well fartlek style more) on my own but it has never gone that well, so I tend to have a threshold style run with Sweatshop (or parkrun) for my speed work.

    1. Yeah I always go with the intention to do speed work on my own but it never really happens. It’s so much more organised to do it with the running club as they make you take the proper rest time and it’s a set distance. You also get the moral boost from the others who are also finding it tough.

  3. Wow that is speedy! I think anytime you are injured you are bound to be conscious of the injury for a while, it’ll just take time to trust in your body and forget about it completely. After most of the last 4 weeks out I know I’m probably going to be just as cautious when I eventually get back to running.

    1. I think whenever I get to cross road now of there being a conscious decision to do something sensible (but probably boring) or taking a risk, I’m more often than not going to be sensible. Like tonight I’m not going to do intervals but rather a recovery run post my half marathon on Sunday.

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