Run Free - Live Hard

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The Running

 So here is my Great South Run 2014 training update for the week so far.  This week has had its ups and downs.  I started the weeks first run on a real high.  5.5 miles of cross country, my kind of running and an excuse to get covered in mud, Epic!  I figure if i can handle a 10 Mile XC run then a 10 Mile road run is gunna be a breeze. Baring the final mile or so, when i went down on my left ankle (twisted 3 month previous... Ouch!), I had a pretty awesome run, probably the best XC of the year.  When i got back to the club meeting point, it was more than obvious that out of the four runner's who had chosen to do the off road session, i had taken the muddiest route.  I think I must have some deep down desire to get dirty when i exercise. After getting home and having a shower, it became apparent that my fall had caused a little more damage than i had first thought.  A sizable swelling developed combined with the usual aches and pains.  So i followed the usual R.I.C.E practice and everything seemed to calm down nicely.

The daily Commute to the Office

I have also been uping the tempo on my bike rides to work, consistently getting PB's.  I think this is having a dramatic affect on my running performance.  I have noticed a real increase in stamina more than anything.

This Evening

So for this evenings work out i am going mountain biking with a mate at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park.  We do this once or twice a week and its a real rush.  Great for stability and core training.  The only downside is the risk of falling off, but, in my opinion, if you cant take the knocks then you shouldn't be on the trail in the first place.

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My 2014 Campaign

It’s been a while since I last posted.  There is a good reason for this, that being I have not been running all year due to more injury.  I am starting to think I am the unluckiest runner on the planet.  

As I am now back from injury I have decided to sign up for the Great South Run.  This year’s race will be the 25th anniversary so I have high expectations and am hoping for great day out and possible even a PB.

I have run for Cancer Research for the past four races so I have decided that it is time for a change.  This year I will be running for Ickle Pickle's, a great charity that help support Neonatal Units throughout the country.  I have good reason for this as our first child spent a time under there care at the Queen Anne hospital and the do a stand up job.  Anything that helps these guys do their job can only be good.

So, on with the Training

Proper training started yesterday, I cycled back from work (about 6 miles) and ten did a club run of about 5 miles.  I have to say, I was on form and feeling epic.  Running at the front of the groups and getting in plenty of run backs.  I got home, feeling awesome, and had probably the best night’s sleep I have had for ages.

What’s next?

In my head I had this all planned out, however, in practice this has not gone as well as I had hoped.  My intention was to cycle to work on Wednesday, then run home, run into work on Thursday and then cycle home in the evening (I may do this tomorrow actually).

So, sore from my last run, but feeling all good and very happy to be up and running again.  I have already raised £80 for my charity which is great, only £170 left to hit my target.

Please help out if you can by making a small donation to my justgiving charity page:

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http://ift.tt/1d2DnSV It is the end of my first week of cycling to work.  To start with I must admit I did struggle a bit, and felt a little like these poor buggers (below), however, after getting used to it all, I statred to enjoy thing a little more.

It turns out that cycling has not changed to much in the past 10 years, you still get out of it what you put in, much the same as running.  The only thing that has really changed since my early years are the number of cars on the road and the fact that now I have to ride in the rain to get to the office.... Oh,and now it takes longer to recover.

How are things working out for me then?  Well so far so good.  I've had a few close shaves, although I am not to sure if this is down to my inexperience, or if its down to everyone else on the road... I chose to believe the later.  Other than the previouse, and feeling like my arse has been visited by a herd of horney rhinos, I am really enjoying the experince.

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Today, after waiting for a couple of weeks, my new bike finally arrived.  I figured, as I only live 4.5 miles from the office it was a little lazy to drive there every day.  I had considered running, but I fear if I were to do that then I would just end up wanting to sleep as soon as I got there.

So after much deliberation, I decided to go for a mountain bike, the 'Cube AIM Disc 29 2013'.  I got it for a mear £379 on sale. Got my lid, locks and reflective jacket, now all I need is my streachy (padded, dear god with the padding) pants.

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Rocktape (Kinesio Tape)

So Rocktape, also branded as KT Tape, otherwise known as Kinesio Tape.  I must admit that i had my reservations about this stuff, after all, when its warn, you can hardly feel it so how can it be doing any good? Well after doing a little bit of research, the science of it all seemed quite simple.  The basic idea is that the tape holds the skin off of the affected muscle, thus allowing for increased blood flow and aiding the body in removing any toxins that may have built up, a simple idea, but very effective. I was introduced to Rocktape by a sports therapist at my running club (The Stubbington Green Runners) after having issues with my calf muscles during running.  I was pleasently surprised when i found that for a resonably small amount of tape, the difference could be so great.  After 4-5 days of wearing the tape my aches and pains had subsided and i was back up and running again. Now this is only half the story. A few weeks later i was involved in a motorbike accident, involving...yes...you got it, just me.  I was lucky enough to have survived with only a few bumps and scrapes to both my body and my ego.  However as time went by i started to develop the MOTHER OF ALL BRUISES on my right hip, this extended from the top of my hip to my knee and sported an array of colours indicative of such an injury. Being a bloky bloke, the first thing i did was to start taking pictures and posting them on facebook for all to see (its a guy thing).  As you can see from this picture (right), i was not pulling your leg when i said it was rather large, and trust me when i say, it had only just got started. On posting this on facebook i was contacted by the sports therapist who first introduced me to Rocktape (you see how its all coming together now).  She suggested that i try Rocktape on my bruise to reduce the swelling and bruising.  This is somthing that i had not really considered, but in retrospect does make sense. After having a look around as to how to apply Rocktape for this kind of injury i managed to come up with this (left), looks cool right. After wearing this for about i week it started to fray and come away in places so i decided to remove it to see what a difference it had made.  I was pleasantly surprised when i was faced with this (right) what an improvement.  You can clearly see where the tape has been. So in conclusion, Rocktape does what it says on the box, the first picture in this post is where i am today (obviously without the Rocktape word down my leg).  This stuff is the business and really does make a difference in recovery time and the ability to train harder.

Rocktape Do's, Do Not's and Tips

Do's

Use Rocktape for minor sprains and strains

Use Rocktape to help reduce large bruising

Use Rocktape to help reduce swelling

Use Rocktape to help you exercise while recovering from injury

Do Not's

Do not eat Rocktape, its for external use only and may cause bloating :)

Do not use Rocktape on any open cuts or lesions, this may cause infection

Do not continue to use Rocktape if the injury gets worse, see a doctor

Tips

Try not to use Rock tape in hairy places, if you do need to do this then remove the hair first as the Rocktape will not stick as well, also i really hurts when you take it off.

When cutting the tape, trim the ends off into a curve (see pics)  this prevents the tape from lifting on the corners ans fraying to much.

There are loads of vids out there on how to apply Racktape, just have a look around on youtube or on the Rocktape site http://rocktape.net/

There are other brands of Kinesio Tape, although i can only vouch for Rocktape.  They all really do the same thing though, however Rocktape is significantly cheaper than some of the other tapes on the market.

Further Reading (make your own mind up)

At the end of the day, its up to you, you are the user.  If it works for you then great, if not then at least you gave it a go.  For me personally, it really has worked and i would recommend giving it a try. 

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That's me in the middle, i look happy now dont i, however for the past 2 hours 20 mins i have been taking on the Beast XC 1/2 Marathon. A very well named marathon indeed, this was, without a doubt THE most difficult race i have done to date, and i have done a few.  Not only that but i entered it carrying an ankle injury, which would, at mile 6 in the race, come back to haunt me in a big way.

About the Course

The first 6 or 7 miles seemed to go on forever, a real trudge, seemingly climbing forever over broken stone for about 600ft.  This drained everyone and made the rest of the race a real challenge requiring everyone to find a place deep within themselves to draw from.  Once at the top, the pace picked up as we were treated to undulation hills with truly aw inspiring vista's.

This is not far from the spot where i almost threw in the towel as my Achilles was not in a good place after 6 miles of relentless climbing, however, after being told that the next first aid point wasn't until the end of the race, i manned up and pushed on for glory (and the T-Shirt) After a brief period of lighter terrain, The Beast reared its head once more, throwing yet more hills at us.  This continued for another couple of miles or so until we were face with the largest set of steps i have ever seen, descending who knows how far down.  If this were not enough, looking across the Vally we could see what was to come, an unforgiving uphill climb to match the downhill we were currently negotiating.

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Usain Bolt - Static Stretching

So it has got to that time when i start to sign up for as many runs as possible before the end of the year.  So far on my calendar i have The Beast (10 Mile XC) in September, The Great South Run (10 Miles) in October,  and hopefully Hell Runner (10 Mile XC) in January.  For this reason i have decided that its a good time to double my training, not so much its frequency, but the effort i put into it. In doing this it was not long before my body, primarily my legs, had something to say about it.  I noticed this after the 2nd 10 mile training session.  While running with my club, during a session in which i would usually be in the middle of the pack, i found myself floundering at the back, well off the pace (Not my best session). It seemed as though my legs, in particular my Calf Muscles, had turned to wood, no spring, no give, they just seemed to be solid for the entire run. I decided to turn to some of the more experienced runners in my club who basically suggested i stretch more.  Now i am usually one to promote stretching both before and after a run, but since i have started to really push myself i find myself having to stretch more often.  With this in mind i figured that i would try to integrate, if not replace my usual morning fitness routine with a stretching routine.  I have started to do all the usual stretches that i would normally do before and after a training session at both the beginning and end of the day (as well as when i actually train too). So how has this worked out for me?  Well, its early days yet, this is something i have only been doing for the past week or so, but already i have started to notice a difference.  The stiffness that i have been experiencing has started to subside and my legs are really feeling the benefit, even though i still feel an element of fatigue. In addition to this there are other added bonuses to frequent stretching such as:

Improved flexibility, gate and range of movement while training can help with stability and balance providing a better, stronger and safer training platform.

Better circulation to the muscles allowing more nutrients to get to the muscles and cartilage and in tern promoting better and quicker recovery

Stress relief. Stress can cause your muscles to contract making you feel uncomfortable, stiff and grouchy. Frequent stretching can help relieve knotted and tight muscles and elevate stress.