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Tuesday 22 March 2011

Inevitibility

I wrote this a few days ago now but instead of editing it all I'm just gonna tell you all it's old writing!

After all my recent fab runs it was inevitible that I would at some point have a bad one.. That bad one came today! I planned to do 5 miles at mid tempo pace which was a terrifying 7.59 per mile.. My plan was to use the first mile as a warm up and average 8.30 for that mile.. Started off as per plan. The second mile I could not get my legs to pick up. They just weren't listening to my brain! My breathing was laboured and it just didn't feel good. Then my right shin started hurting.. ironically my left leg was causing me bother on Monday, maybe I overcompensated and put too much on my right leg... I dunno.. I ran another half mile and decided I should probably stop. It just felt bad and I was limping a bit so I thought even if it isn't an injury I might cause one by having odd running form... I stopped at just after 2.5 miles walked about half a mile and then decided to try jogging again.. I jogged to top it up to 3 miles and then decided it was best to call it a day... I iced it when I got home.. I hope I haven't done any real damage!

Ok, back in the present.. I haven't run since but I think I will be ok to run again tomorrow. I think I might have been showing the beginning signs of being overtrained too. I was getting really overtired and rundown. Of course I could just be being a drama queen! Who knows?

Question for runners: I have my eye on two half marathons I want to do, one on June 5th and one on June 26th... Are they too close together? Will I have time to recover? Am I crazy?... I believe Mike thinks the answer to that last question is yes which is why I'd like some more opinions! Also doing the half on the 5th would mean my training plan would be cut short... bad idea? Overthinking it? I feel like such an inexperienced runner sometimes!

Right, I'm keeping it short and sweet, I'm off to watch Supersize vs Superskinny kids... I'm not sure whether I think this show is a good idea, I loved the adult version but is it a good idea to do it on children? I guess I'll have a better opinion after the show! Anyone else watching?

13 comments:

  1. Definitely no problem with doing both!

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  2. Ugh, sorry about the crappy run. I just hate it when those happen. I think that's enough time in between. I sort of think it works out better (not that I've done it) because you're already in shape for that distance.

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  3. I think you can fit both in -- the time in between will just be recovery, a fine tune, and a mini-taper. If you are feeling the effects of an intense training programme though then maybe you should revert to your old paces, at least for now? You weren't running regularly for quite a while before this, and that, plus the new faster paces might be pushing it a bit. If you're getting on well in 4 weeks you could consider upping it again then? This is all just speculation though. I think the way you really learn these things is by trying them and crashing and burning - or not, we hope!

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  4. I think that is enough time to recover between the two. See how you feel after the first - you may have to go easy so that you stay healthy for the second. Just listen to your body!

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  5. Thanks for the advice so far, Alison I think that might be a good idea, but I'm thinking going somewhere in between both paces, a little faster but not right at my absolute limit.. I think I am faster over shorter distances than I am relatively on longer distances if that makes any sense..

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  6. You could do both- if you run the first one hard then you would take 2 weeks max to recover. I would think that the proper advice would be to choose one to be your "a " race and train hard for that, and have the other one to run at a slower pace, either to prepare for the next one, or to just enjoy the day out after the first one. Does that make sense?
    :)

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  7. I think you could do both, I ran half marathon distances a couple of weeks apart in the run up to the great north run, I think it also depends on what your doing between them, and of course how your training is progressing in the lead up, although saying all that I'm a way less experienced runner than you - go with your gut feeling! Hope your leg is ok and you can put that run behind you :-)

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  8. Many marathon training plans have distances over the half built into them that close together. Presuming you're able to be in a good enough place to take care of your body with regard to fuelling and you feel that you have the energy, I definitely believe you have the ability to do both.

    Alison's advice is, as always, spot on. Just take care of that shin: I've been overcompensating with one shin over the other and it's causing all sorts of problems at the moment due to bad form...and I have orthotics!

    xxx

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  9. i think if you're trying to race them both all out then it's probably too close together but doing both of them, one target one not, is okay in my book!

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  10. You can definitely do both, just consider one of them your target race and go easier on the other one. Take care and rest up!

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  11. You can run both, but don't 'race' both of them. If the first one is too soon in your training plan, adjust your plan so it fits the second race, and treat the first one as a training run!

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  12. You can definitely do both - I did a half on March 6th and another on the 20th, totally doable! As long as you don't push yourself too hard. I'd say do the 5th as your "practice" and make the later one your "target", as others have suggested. That has worked for me!!

    And don't worry about the bad run - I'm always kind of relieved when I have a bad one, because it resets the cycle of good runs!

    Take care of that leg x

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  13. Just catching up on loads of blogs - haven't read one in weeks between work & the trip to Florida. Some people would say you are crazy I see it as determined. I think you CAN do it but ultimately you have to do what feels right for you. You could treat the first one as your weekly long run rather than a race that's what I did with my last half - I really wanted to break 2 hours but knew that I had to be back out & running within 2 days to keep up with the marathon training regime

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