Welcome to the "How not to" guide!
In this edition we are going to look at the Tooting 24 hour Self Transcendence track race and how not to run for 24 hours! In this brief guide I will show you a few top tips to help you on your way to spectacularly crash out of any long distance endurance race!
That`s right my running friends, you too can experience that gut wrenching feeling when you call it a day in just a few easy steps!
Step 1
Now this one takes a little bit of commitment but with my help I`m sure we can get you on your way to that DNF you've always wanted!
Food poisoning - You really need to aim for about 2-3 days of this about 2-3 days before your big race. I went for 2 solid days of food poisoning 3 days before. It worked pretty well.
Now I have found what works for me but I`m sure with a bit of experimentation you will be able to find many, many more ways to get food poisoning. Lets not linger on this too long as I don't want to influence your choices to much. Congratulations you now have significantly reduced the fuel left in your system! Great job! Now the best news is by using this top tip you get the added bonus of not sleeping well which leads us smoothly onto step 2!
Step 2
Sleep deprivation - Not sleeping well is a fantastic way to really drain the body to make sure you have very little left in the tank for the race. Its a great way to help slow recovery and gives you that all over "Done in" feeling before even running a step! Yes! The great thing about this tip is it is so easy to do even for a first time DNF`er, all it takes it to go out the night before and get in at 1am and then pretend to sleep for the next 6 hours before getting up....simples! You can even practice this one in advance to make sure you really get it down before the big day.
Step 3
This tip, my final one in this edition is a great one for grinding yourself right into the ground! I have split it into two separate sections to sit correctly with how to mess up both halves of your race -
Stuff your face - For the first half I would highly recommend stuffing your face with as much as you can cram in, leaving you feeling listless, bloated and for the fully committed, sick.
When someone hands you that DNF on a plate, eat it!
The only disadvantage to this technique is that if the food stays in it will keep you going for longer, no DNF`er worth their lack of salt wants that!
Stay weak buddy, I`ve got your back!
Starvation - After all that stuffing you should really go the other way. Now unfortunately for you as the bloating, listlessness and sickness disperse you are going to have a "good" few hours of "great" running due to the side effect of eating. Don`t panic! This hell will only last a few hours if you stick with me!
Simply, stop eating!
Now comes the moment you have trained for young Grasshopper. Run, walk, sprint, do whatever you can to completely screw yourself into the floor as quickly as you can. Make sure you also keep reminding yourself just how much time you would have to keep going. I`ve found this really helps to speed things along!
Before you know it you will be crawling into that cold, damp tent, snuggled under your towel blanket....heaven!!
So there you have it! 3 simple steps to help you pick up that much coveted DNF!
Well that was fun wasn't it?!
All joking aside I discovered that running on a track for 24 hours is a lot harder than people give it credit for! The relentless, monotony (I`m really selling it aren't I) of running around in 400m circles is tough. You can see everything. The start, the finish, the aid station, the tents, the good, the bad, the ugly.
I guess if I`m honest about the whole situation it was my mind that gave up.
After doing so much more walking than I expected I just couldn't see myself hobbling for the next 10 hours just to rack up some extra numbers and further my injuries.
It wasn't all doom and gloom though and I still gave in with a smile.
Rich Cranswick was there to lap me many, many times and shout encouragement/abuse (delete as appropriate) as he rocked is way to over 100 miles! Almost every hour he did a "Bonus Chicken lap" where he was joined by Ultra Chicken for a squeaky 400 meters. I even had the honor of escorting Ultra Chicken for a lap myself.....Good times!
I underestimated just how hard it was going to be mentally, 200 laps around an athletics track really took its toll. Ill get you next time Tooting, we have unfinished business.
Thats right......Next time!
Huge thank you as always to all the nutters who follow me and keep me going in the dark times, you guys rock! Thanks to the organizers, volunteers and other runners for such a great experience. Thank you to my Lady for trekking across London to sit in the cold and watch this fool run around in circles.
Lastly a massive, massive thank you to Mummysaurus - My driver, my crew, my support, my ass kicker, my comforter, my food and water distributor but most of all...my Mum.
Crewing for this kind of thing is tough and please don't ever let me forget it! :D You did a fantastic job, just let me know when its your turn! ;P
For now its time to rest and get ready for Fowlmead in 3 weeks time........No rest for the stoooopid eh?!
Peace, tea and biscuits
Cardiosaurus
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
When life gets in the way
As the title suggests my blogging has taken a bit of a back seat of late due to life getting in the way.
Work has been crazy, training has been time consuming and then just for laughs my lady and I have been working on the house, trying to save space and clear the clutter.
What was I doing last time?
Oh yes! It was the story of the NDW100. Lets have a quick catch up......
The weekend of the 9th August saw a bunch of folks line up at 6 in the morning to run 102 miles over extremely challenging terrain with a possible hurricane approaching.....nice!
The North Downs Way is tough.....really tough. I have covered 50 miles of it myself as my first ultra and it remains one of my favorite challenges so far. It is as hilly as it is beautiful and I remember thinking during my perfect spring day how tough it would be to do this in the rain.
I had been asked by Dennis "The Machine" if I would pace him from halfway to the finish. 52 miles of giggles? How could I resist?!
Mummysaurus had volunteered to be at the 82 mile aid station to get a feel for the "Ultra life" so it all worked out really well.
I text Dennis at 11am, 5 hours into the race knowing that he should be fine and giving him chance to settle in a bit. The text back however had me worried. He was barely at mile 24 and was already feeling sick. Not good. After my recent....shall we call it "miscalculation" at my last 50k where I over drank, this became my first question. He said he had been drinking loads but still felt thirsty. WARNING!
I told him to stay off the water for a bit and try and eat something. Its going to feel really wrong but trust me, stay off the water!
We kept up the texting for a bit but he wasn't sounding great.
Meanwhile in Gotham City.....
Mummysaurus and myself set off for Knockholt Pound (mile 50) at 2pm and arrived at 4pm right on schedule, giving Mummysaurus an hour to get to Detling (mile 82) 32 miles away to start her shift.
I was happy milling about chatting to folks I had met before at other ultras. It felt like more of a social gathering than a 102 mile race! I met up with Faye, the wife of Dennis, and we had a good natter.
We both continued to coax Dennis along with text messages as the time slowly moved on.
We clapped and cheered runners in until we got the text we were hoping to not get.
After putting up a brave fight, Dennis was done. He was a couple of miles away but was in a lot of pain and just couldn't see himself limping for the next 12+ hours to try and pick up a finish.
Fair enough!!
Plan B is it then.....
So what now? Mummysaurus was going to be at Detling till about 7:30am, its now 7:30pm.
Very kindly Faye offered to drop me off at Detling after taking the stinking carcass of Dennis back to the hotel for a hose down.
He was moving slowly but was still in good spirits despite the DNF. Sometimes you just have to chalk it up to experience and move on with a smile.
Dennis now smelling human again, we made our way to Detling, arriving at about 8:30pm. We all had a good chat and then they left to go and crash out in the hotel.
Right only 11 hours to kill then!
Mummysaurus had the duty of timekeeper....scary stuff! I mingled around with the other crew and tried to make myself useful by cheering folks in as they came over the bridge into the aid station.
There was a little road right at the bottom of the bridge which we would walk into to make sure the traffic stopped. Once people came out of the aid station we would give them instructions to the next turning...."Down the road, slight right to the pub then sharp left and you will see the tape, good luck!" I must have said that, or variations of it maybe 400 times! aaaaaaand that pretty much sums up what I did until 7:30am.
It was great to see all the familiar faces arrive at Detling still looking strong despite the rather nasty weather that was starting to creep up on us. You guys are very inspiring and well done to each of you!
We started to pack up around 7:15am but knew we had one guy left out there who had left the last aid station but hadn't made it to us yet. Time wise he was done, he would be stopped here as he wouldn't make the next cut off. I went up onto the bridge to get a better view down the road in the hope that we could spot him.
A little while later I could see him staggering badly down the road so I made my way across the bridge to walk him in. The moment I saw him I knew he was in a bad way. I tried to get him to chat but what I got back was a garbled mess. We slowly swayed over the bridge and I text Mummysaurus that I was with the last guy and we needed to get a chair ready.
Everyone clapped him into the aid station and quickly sat him down and made sure he was OK.
The paramedic arrived shortly after, give him a look over and then bundled him inside the ambulance.
Job done!
We had intended on trying to make it to watch people finish but we were both pretty shattered and Mummysaurus was getting worried about driving on that much sleep deprivation......I wasn't going to argue it was a good call!
We drove around and got lost a bit due to some flippin cycle race but eventually got home for some much needed shut eye.
Fast forward to the present day...
With Tooting 24 looming ever so close now with just 2 little weeks to go, I had some deep tissue massage on my hamstring on Saturday in the hope of working out the kinks.
The nerves haven't really started to kick in just yet but I`m sure they are in there somewhere!
I don't really have many plans in mind right now other than just give it everything I have and try and keep smiling!
Its strange how much I am actually looking forward to running around in circles for 24 mind numbing hours.
Time to get my head in the game.....I WILL last 24 hours, I will NOT be last......hopefully
Till next time, don't forget to smile! :)
Cardiosaurus
Work has been crazy, training has been time consuming and then just for laughs my lady and I have been working on the house, trying to save space and clear the clutter.
What was I doing last time?
Oh yes! It was the story of the NDW100. Lets have a quick catch up......
The weekend of the 9th August saw a bunch of folks line up at 6 in the morning to run 102 miles over extremely challenging terrain with a possible hurricane approaching.....nice!
The North Downs Way is tough.....really tough. I have covered 50 miles of it myself as my first ultra and it remains one of my favorite challenges so far. It is as hilly as it is beautiful and I remember thinking during my perfect spring day how tough it would be to do this in the rain.
I had been asked by Dennis "The Machine" if I would pace him from halfway to the finish. 52 miles of giggles? How could I resist?!
Mummysaurus had volunteered to be at the 82 mile aid station to get a feel for the "Ultra life" so it all worked out really well.
I text Dennis at 11am, 5 hours into the race knowing that he should be fine and giving him chance to settle in a bit. The text back however had me worried. He was barely at mile 24 and was already feeling sick. Not good. After my recent....shall we call it "miscalculation" at my last 50k where I over drank, this became my first question. He said he had been drinking loads but still felt thirsty. WARNING!
I told him to stay off the water for a bit and try and eat something. Its going to feel really wrong but trust me, stay off the water!
We kept up the texting for a bit but he wasn't sounding great.
Meanwhile in Gotham City.....
Mummysaurus and myself set off for Knockholt Pound (mile 50) at 2pm and arrived at 4pm right on schedule, giving Mummysaurus an hour to get to Detling (mile 82) 32 miles away to start her shift.
I was happy milling about chatting to folks I had met before at other ultras. It felt like more of a social gathering than a 102 mile race! I met up with Faye, the wife of Dennis, and we had a good natter.
We both continued to coax Dennis along with text messages as the time slowly moved on.
We clapped and cheered runners in until we got the text we were hoping to not get.
After putting up a brave fight, Dennis was done. He was a couple of miles away but was in a lot of pain and just couldn't see himself limping for the next 12+ hours to try and pick up a finish.
Fair enough!!
Plan B is it then.....
So what now? Mummysaurus was going to be at Detling till about 7:30am, its now 7:30pm.
Very kindly Faye offered to drop me off at Detling after taking the stinking carcass of Dennis back to the hotel for a hose down.
He was moving slowly but was still in good spirits despite the DNF. Sometimes you just have to chalk it up to experience and move on with a smile.
Dennis now smelling human again, we made our way to Detling, arriving at about 8:30pm. We all had a good chat and then they left to go and crash out in the hotel.
Right only 11 hours to kill then!
Mummysaurus had the duty of timekeeper....scary stuff! I mingled around with the other crew and tried to make myself useful by cheering folks in as they came over the bridge into the aid station.
There was a little road right at the bottom of the bridge which we would walk into to make sure the traffic stopped. Once people came out of the aid station we would give them instructions to the next turning...."Down the road, slight right to the pub then sharp left and you will see the tape, good luck!" I must have said that, or variations of it maybe 400 times! aaaaaaand that pretty much sums up what I did until 7:30am.
It was great to see all the familiar faces arrive at Detling still looking strong despite the rather nasty weather that was starting to creep up on us. You guys are very inspiring and well done to each of you!
We started to pack up around 7:15am but knew we had one guy left out there who had left the last aid station but hadn't made it to us yet. Time wise he was done, he would be stopped here as he wouldn't make the next cut off. I went up onto the bridge to get a better view down the road in the hope that we could spot him.
A little while later I could see him staggering badly down the road so I made my way across the bridge to walk him in. The moment I saw him I knew he was in a bad way. I tried to get him to chat but what I got back was a garbled mess. We slowly swayed over the bridge and I text Mummysaurus that I was with the last guy and we needed to get a chair ready.
Everyone clapped him into the aid station and quickly sat him down and made sure he was OK.
The paramedic arrived shortly after, give him a look over and then bundled him inside the ambulance.
Job done!
We had intended on trying to make it to watch people finish but we were both pretty shattered and Mummysaurus was getting worried about driving on that much sleep deprivation......I wasn't going to argue it was a good call!
We drove around and got lost a bit due to some flippin cycle race but eventually got home for some much needed shut eye.
Fast forward to the present day...
With Tooting 24 looming ever so close now with just 2 little weeks to go, I had some deep tissue massage on my hamstring on Saturday in the hope of working out the kinks.
The nerves haven't really started to kick in just yet but I`m sure they are in there somewhere!
I don't really have many plans in mind right now other than just give it everything I have and try and keep smiling!
Its strange how much I am actually looking forward to running around in circles for 24 mind numbing hours.
Time to get my head in the game.....I WILL last 24 hours, I will NOT be last......hopefully
Till next time, don't forget to smile! :)
Cardiosaurus
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Buckle hunting we will go......
Hey folks the weekend is fast approaching and its starting to get exciting!
My good friend Dennis "The Machine" Cartwright is taking on the NDW100 and has asked me to pace him from halfway(ish) to the finish! :D
I say halfway-ish as the NDW100 isn't actually 100 miles, its 102.6....but whats a few extra miles eh?!
Ill ask Dennis at a hundred ;)
Its funny how much I`m looking forward to an event that I`m not officially in. I have no number, I get no medal and I couldn't care less! I am just so excited to try and help him get that buckle!
Bring on the weekend and a massive good luck to everyone running it!!
Lets do this!!!
Cardiosaurus
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Fairlands Valley Challenge
This post unfortunately has been a little delayed due to scrambled brains.
It has taken me nearly a week to get my head together as I made an unexpected hydration error at last Sundays Fairlands Valley Challenge. More about that in a bit, first lets get to the challenge itself....
Sunday the 20th July was a pretty hot and humid day already by the time we pulled into the car park for registration at 7:30am. The first part of the challenge for the day was to actually locate the reception of this massive school we found ourselves walking around. Luckily my Mum (Mummysaurus) and I were helped out by some folks who had clearly done it last year.
I walked in to find no queue at the registration table. Great! Within a minute I was in and out with my number and 5 pages of instructions which left me loads of time to locate a toilet and then just wait for the start.
This type of starting line was not really something I was used too. The thing that made it unusual for me is that each length race option had a different starting time, making my starting group relatively small.
That`s right, you can pick your distance and still pay the same price! The options were 12 mile, 18 mile, marathon and 50k ultra. It seemed rude not to pick the 50k! ;)
As an added bonus we got a free burger at the end and they even had a bar at the finish all for the princely sum of £17!! Bargain!
94 of us who picked the 50k option lined up for the 8:45am start, the 50k walkers had started 15 minutes earlier. With not really any kind of fuss or fanfare we had a short countdown and then we were off!
I took off at a steady pace with my trusty Luna "Mono" Sandals with some socks stashed in my bag for later. Within about a mile we came to a steep grass bank and for the first time in about 2 years I slipped and slid down the bank on my ass. Stylish.
I picked myself up, brushed off some of my pride and caught back up with a small group. After a little while I was finding myself between groups needing to take a look at the instructions.
Running and reading as it turns out is actually pretty hard. Every turning I had to slow to a walk to try and work out where I was as the instructions were all abbreviated and the coarse was not marked. Quite a few times very early on as I got used to the instructions, I would start to dash down one path to thankfully be called back by someone just behind me. It was a little frustrating to be so stop start as I felt really good and wanted to push a little today.
Check point one came about pretty quick. I grabbed a small piece of bread pudding from the table and headed back out, happy with the way things were going so far.
A few more miles in and it got a bit more hilly. Fine, I love hills. I sipped at my Chia seed and coconut water mix and was really enjoying my surroundings. While hiking up a steep hill I caught up with a lady who I figured was either training for something bigger or moving house. She was hauling a LOT of gear, enough in fact that I just had to ask what she was up too.
We chatted away and she let on that she was using this event to test out her 8kg pack for T184!!! For those of you who may not have heard of the T184 its a little trip along the river. The Thames to be more precise, oh and did I mention, its ALL of it?! 184 miles from the Thames Barrier in London to the source of the Thames in the Cotswolds!!! Not impressed yet? Ok its also, with the exception of water, completely self sufficient and you have just 80 hours to complete it........yeah, PHEW!
Back to the story...
It was around 10:45am, Nina and myself were just coming into check point 2 which happened to be check point 1 as well as the 50k started with a loop. We had a quick stop to grab some water and I took this opportunity to add my socks and shove some more bread pudding in my face.
At this point I looked over to see a couple of fellow Monkey Tag Runners, (a group I set up at the start of the year on Facebook) we shared a few quick hellos and waves before heading off our separate ways as we were all doing different distances. Hope to catch up with you guys soon! ;)
We headed back out the way we had just come and started up yet another hill keeping at a good pace, now around 11 miles in.
The sun got hotter, the air was like breathing soup, the terrain got a bit more challenging and so did the instructions. On a few occasions we had to stop and really try hard to work out where we were. This was eating into our time a lot but we had no choice, also deciding very early on that we would both rather take an extra minute to double check rather than double back.
This process went on and on over some very pretty scenery which to be honest I wasn't expecting to see today. In a way I really wish the course was marked so I could have spent more time enjoying the view rather than translating a piece of paper.
Nina was great company and we chatted about all the things we love and hate about running and the types of people you get over different distances. You know the ones. The ones obsessed with time and position, they are easy to spot, they normally look grumpy. I think we may have established a rule... it appears the size of the smile and attitude of the person is directly proportional to the intended distance of travel....short version? The people running further seem to have more fun!
We pushed on, chatting and checking on people on the way round like most folk do in ultras. This was the other observation we made about the people not doing the same distance. They looked a little confused that we were talking to them! I guess only having done the one official marathon then just doing ultras, I have got used to the attitudes of the ultra world. A friendly bunch with a mutual understanding that we are all quite possibly one GU short of an aid station! We laugh, we cry, we understand each other, we now what is on the other side of that mental barrier and I think that is what makes us look out for others.
At times it felt like we were the sweepers with no one behind us and people struggling a little up ahead. We stopped to check on a guy sitting under a tree who had sprained his ankle. He was fine and had already called for help. We hung around for a couple of minutes and he assured us he was fine. Just as we left him to chill under his shady tree the ambulance passed us to pick him up.
We were aware now that any hope of a "good" time was out of the window now due to double checking the instructions so much and the humidity. It was relentless. You could feel it pick up every time you got to the bottom of a hill. The breeze would drop off and the air would get so thick it would almost choke you.
All part of the challenge I guess!
A funny moment around 20 or so miles came in the form of a little cow. The rest of his mates were either laying under a tree or having some grass next to a very shallow stream. Not this clever little dude. Nope! He was IN the stream, up to his shins, by the other bank in the shade munching on the hedge row! Genius! :)
He looked like the most content being on the planet at that moment.
Once again we were back at the instructions trying to work out if we were going the right way. We were but it was a little hard to tell. We were both a little fuzzy headed at this point so reading the already slightly challenging instructions became, well, a bit more challenging.
One section that took forever was due to our instructions being different! Nina had printed her copy from the internet, shrunk them down and laminated them (brilliant idea!) and my copy was the one I was given at registration. We were in a field that didn't really read quite right and both sets of instructions were somewhat vague. Eventually we decided to ignore them and just head for the sound of the road as we were looking for a bridge to cross. We found the gap in the hedge that was mentioned but then come out onto a busy road.
Hmm?
Having both done ultras before we didn't think a race organiser would want anyone crossing something quite this busy so started looking around, it was then that I spotted the bridge. We figured by this point that if it wasn't the right one at least we would have a good reference point for a quick satnav check on the phone!
Nina did a quick satnav check then we backtracked along the little trail and met up with the road where now the instructions made sense again!! PHEW! Onward!
On and on with the aid of hills and more hills the time slowly slipped away from us. We didnt really care, it was about getting the job done. We both commented on feeling a little fuzzy and sometimes a little sick and this turned into a chat about when this normally happens. Nina said she has a bit of a wobble around 20-23 miles in and again at maybe 40, we both put that down to maybe Glycogen stores running low and the body switching over to fat. I said I tend to get a very low point around 30-33 miles where I feel like I have gone down a rabbit hole, probably for the same reason. Today however I felt a little different. We were around marathon ish distance and I was sometimes feeling a little dizzy but put it down to heat. Every now and then I felt a little sick but put it down to too much cake. My throat was sometimes dry, I thought maybe im drinking a little too much so backed off for a while. A few miles later Nina noticed I didnt seem to be sweating so I started to sip again and within 10 minutes I was sweating again. "Brilliant" I thought but still felt a little fuzzy.
I put it to the back of my mind for now as we were now so close to the finish.
It had been a long, long day but we finally came up the road and could see the entrance back to the school to the left of us!
We rounded the corner to see people clapping and could see the finish line!! It was nearly done. We picked up the pace (as you do) and bounded down the road like we were finishing a 10k, my legs briefly forgetting the last 30 odd miles. My intention as a way of saying "thank you for dragging my sorry butt around" and to show utter respect for the fact that she had just done that with an 8kg pack was to stop before the finish line and let Nina finish before me. So I put the brakes on with about 30 feet to go. So did she!!! I waved to say GO! GO! but she wanted to cross together. Respect! :)
We collected our bling and had a sweaty hug then stood around for a bit chatting with my mum and some folks she had befriended before heading for the free burger! Wooo!
As it turns out we finished joint last for the 50k ultra with 6 runners behind finishing up the marathon. The time? 8:19 something, but who cares about the time right? ;)
My mum led me inside to also grab a pint at the bar, best day ever right?! So there I am outside on the grass trying to clap home the final runners with a burger in one hand and a pint in the other. I polished them off while chatting to my mum about the days events and felt pretty good, a little fuzzy but good. Fuzzy was to be expected I thought as I had just spent the last 8 odd hours out in the sun.
We headed back to the car. A quick half hour drive and I was home. We said our goodbyes and I headed inside for a nice shower.
Shower done, it was time to kick back with a couple more "recovery" beers then off to bed ready for work in the morning.
Walking to work I couldn't seem to shake the feeling of being a bit disconnected, like I was daydreaming. I put it down to maybe smashing my calories but it felt different.
Work was hard, I found myself staring blankly through the screen. I didn't feel like I was really there. I felt blank and confused, even trying to talk to people was an effort. It was at this point that I realised the fact that not only was I concentrating very hard on communicating but I was messing up my words (more than usual) and sometimes even skipping a word!
Something isnt right.
Here is where we get to the bit I was going to explain at the start.
I contacted some very experienced ultra runners on Facebook to see if anyone had any ideas of what was going on. The response suggested that it sounded very much like very mild Hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia is a reduction in the salt level in the blood normally caused by over hydration. So my absentminded sipping while looking at instructions was the start. The big problem is that most of the signs for over hydration are the same as dehydration so on a hot day it can be very easy to mistake a dry throat for a thirsty one. The foggy head, the feeling sick, the dry throat were all subtle signs I had actually drunk too much water. I had caused an electrolyte imbalance which in turn had signaled my body to release and anti diuretic hormone to try and retain my salt by stopping me peeing therefore retaining the water. With the water having nowhere to go it can swell the organs and brain and can cause all sorts of problems. For me it was the clarity of thought. I guess thankfully the race wasn't any longer or this may have been a very different story. I stopped drinking anything else by around 9:30am and by about 11am I needed the loo, signalling that maybe my body now thought it was safe enough and could start shifting some of the water. This also confirmed to me that the thoughts about it being Hyponatremia were on the right track. (Thanks guys!)
I decided to take a trip to the GP just to be on the safe side that afternoon. She listened and agreed that it sounded about right and suggested some blood work just to make sure. She did a urine test as well and I explained that I had actively dehydrated myself so that explains the concentrated levels.
She seemed happy enough and said I could just return to normal eating and drinking.
I have continued to feel a little disconnected, even while I am typing this over a week afterwards, I am finding I am making more errors than usual but on the whole I feel fine.
It was a very large reminder to me that I still have a lot to learn about my bodies responses but it still leaves me fascinated to find out more. With that in mind I have started reading Waterlogged by Tim Noakes and so far it is a real eye opener. Anyone who is even semi serious about any kind of endurance sport should have a read. I shall be doing a review of this once I have finished it for sure!
Pretty sure the blood test results will be fine but better safe than sorry eh?! I ignored my body once, never again!
So there we have it folks, listen to your bodies regardless of what you think you "should" do!
Thank you once again to my mum for all the support and driving. To Nina for the company and a great day out, see you at NDW100! ;) A massive thank you to the guy who shared his story with me and quite possibly saved me from further damage (you know who you are)
Phew that was a long one eh?! Still with me? Good, good!
Time to get back to those miles ready to pace Dennis (you remember him right?) for the second half of the NDW100 on the 9th!! 50 something miles over crazy trail, sounds like my kind of night out! Lets get you that buckle buddy! ;)
Last but not least thank you dear reader for taking the time to read to my ramblings!
Love and coffee
Cardiosaurus
P.S I think you could probably forgive some mistakes in this post!! :D
It has taken me nearly a week to get my head together as I made an unexpected hydration error at last Sundays Fairlands Valley Challenge. More about that in a bit, first lets get to the challenge itself....
Sunday the 20th July was a pretty hot and humid day already by the time we pulled into the car park for registration at 7:30am. The first part of the challenge for the day was to actually locate the reception of this massive school we found ourselves walking around. Luckily my Mum (Mummysaurus) and I were helped out by some folks who had clearly done it last year.
I walked in to find no queue at the registration table. Great! Within a minute I was in and out with my number and 5 pages of instructions which left me loads of time to locate a toilet and then just wait for the start.
This type of starting line was not really something I was used too. The thing that made it unusual for me is that each length race option had a different starting time, making my starting group relatively small.
That`s right, you can pick your distance and still pay the same price! The options were 12 mile, 18 mile, marathon and 50k ultra. It seemed rude not to pick the 50k! ;)
As an added bonus we got a free burger at the end and they even had a bar at the finish all for the princely sum of £17!! Bargain!
94 of us who picked the 50k option lined up for the 8:45am start, the 50k walkers had started 15 minutes earlier. With not really any kind of fuss or fanfare we had a short countdown and then we were off!
I took off at a steady pace with my trusty Luna "Mono" Sandals with some socks stashed in my bag for later. Within about a mile we came to a steep grass bank and for the first time in about 2 years I slipped and slid down the bank on my ass. Stylish.
I picked myself up, brushed off some of my pride and caught back up with a small group. After a little while I was finding myself between groups needing to take a look at the instructions.
Running and reading as it turns out is actually pretty hard. Every turning I had to slow to a walk to try and work out where I was as the instructions were all abbreviated and the coarse was not marked. Quite a few times very early on as I got used to the instructions, I would start to dash down one path to thankfully be called back by someone just behind me. It was a little frustrating to be so stop start as I felt really good and wanted to push a little today.
Check point one came about pretty quick. I grabbed a small piece of bread pudding from the table and headed back out, happy with the way things were going so far.
A few more miles in and it got a bit more hilly. Fine, I love hills. I sipped at my Chia seed and coconut water mix and was really enjoying my surroundings. While hiking up a steep hill I caught up with a lady who I figured was either training for something bigger or moving house. She was hauling a LOT of gear, enough in fact that I just had to ask what she was up too.
We chatted away and she let on that she was using this event to test out her 8kg pack for T184!!! For those of you who may not have heard of the T184 its a little trip along the river. The Thames to be more precise, oh and did I mention, its ALL of it?! 184 miles from the Thames Barrier in London to the source of the Thames in the Cotswolds!!! Not impressed yet? Ok its also, with the exception of water, completely self sufficient and you have just 80 hours to complete it........yeah, PHEW!
Back to the story...
It was around 10:45am, Nina and myself were just coming into check point 2 which happened to be check point 1 as well as the 50k started with a loop. We had a quick stop to grab some water and I took this opportunity to add my socks and shove some more bread pudding in my face.
At this point I looked over to see a couple of fellow Monkey Tag Runners, (a group I set up at the start of the year on Facebook) we shared a few quick hellos and waves before heading off our separate ways as we were all doing different distances. Hope to catch up with you guys soon! ;)
We headed back out the way we had just come and started up yet another hill keeping at a good pace, now around 11 miles in.
The sun got hotter, the air was like breathing soup, the terrain got a bit more challenging and so did the instructions. On a few occasions we had to stop and really try hard to work out where we were. This was eating into our time a lot but we had no choice, also deciding very early on that we would both rather take an extra minute to double check rather than double back.
This process went on and on over some very pretty scenery which to be honest I wasn't expecting to see today. In a way I really wish the course was marked so I could have spent more time enjoying the view rather than translating a piece of paper.
Nina was great company and we chatted about all the things we love and hate about running and the types of people you get over different distances. You know the ones. The ones obsessed with time and position, they are easy to spot, they normally look grumpy. I think we may have established a rule... it appears the size of the smile and attitude of the person is directly proportional to the intended distance of travel....short version? The people running further seem to have more fun!
We pushed on, chatting and checking on people on the way round like most folk do in ultras. This was the other observation we made about the people not doing the same distance. They looked a little confused that we were talking to them! I guess only having done the one official marathon then just doing ultras, I have got used to the attitudes of the ultra world. A friendly bunch with a mutual understanding that we are all quite possibly one GU short of an aid station! We laugh, we cry, we understand each other, we now what is on the other side of that mental barrier and I think that is what makes us look out for others.
At times it felt like we were the sweepers with no one behind us and people struggling a little up ahead. We stopped to check on a guy sitting under a tree who had sprained his ankle. He was fine and had already called for help. We hung around for a couple of minutes and he assured us he was fine. Just as we left him to chill under his shady tree the ambulance passed us to pick him up.
We were aware now that any hope of a "good" time was out of the window now due to double checking the instructions so much and the humidity. It was relentless. You could feel it pick up every time you got to the bottom of a hill. The breeze would drop off and the air would get so thick it would almost choke you.
All part of the challenge I guess!
A funny moment around 20 or so miles came in the form of a little cow. The rest of his mates were either laying under a tree or having some grass next to a very shallow stream. Not this clever little dude. Nope! He was IN the stream, up to his shins, by the other bank in the shade munching on the hedge row! Genius! :)
He looked like the most content being on the planet at that moment.
Once again we were back at the instructions trying to work out if we were going the right way. We were but it was a little hard to tell. We were both a little fuzzy headed at this point so reading the already slightly challenging instructions became, well, a bit more challenging.
One section that took forever was due to our instructions being different! Nina had printed her copy from the internet, shrunk them down and laminated them (brilliant idea!) and my copy was the one I was given at registration. We were in a field that didn't really read quite right and both sets of instructions were somewhat vague. Eventually we decided to ignore them and just head for the sound of the road as we were looking for a bridge to cross. We found the gap in the hedge that was mentioned but then come out onto a busy road.
Hmm?
Having both done ultras before we didn't think a race organiser would want anyone crossing something quite this busy so started looking around, it was then that I spotted the bridge. We figured by this point that if it wasn't the right one at least we would have a good reference point for a quick satnav check on the phone!
Nina did a quick satnav check then we backtracked along the little trail and met up with the road where now the instructions made sense again!! PHEW! Onward!
On and on with the aid of hills and more hills the time slowly slipped away from us. We didnt really care, it was about getting the job done. We both commented on feeling a little fuzzy and sometimes a little sick and this turned into a chat about when this normally happens. Nina said she has a bit of a wobble around 20-23 miles in and again at maybe 40, we both put that down to maybe Glycogen stores running low and the body switching over to fat. I said I tend to get a very low point around 30-33 miles where I feel like I have gone down a rabbit hole, probably for the same reason. Today however I felt a little different. We were around marathon ish distance and I was sometimes feeling a little dizzy but put it down to heat. Every now and then I felt a little sick but put it down to too much cake. My throat was sometimes dry, I thought maybe im drinking a little too much so backed off for a while. A few miles later Nina noticed I didnt seem to be sweating so I started to sip again and within 10 minutes I was sweating again. "Brilliant" I thought but still felt a little fuzzy.
I put it to the back of my mind for now as we were now so close to the finish.
It had been a long, long day but we finally came up the road and could see the entrance back to the school to the left of us!
We rounded the corner to see people clapping and could see the finish line!! It was nearly done. We picked up the pace (as you do) and bounded down the road like we were finishing a 10k, my legs briefly forgetting the last 30 odd miles. My intention as a way of saying "thank you for dragging my sorry butt around" and to show utter respect for the fact that she had just done that with an 8kg pack was to stop before the finish line and let Nina finish before me. So I put the brakes on with about 30 feet to go. So did she!!! I waved to say GO! GO! but she wanted to cross together. Respect! :)
We collected our bling and had a sweaty hug then stood around for a bit chatting with my mum and some folks she had befriended before heading for the free burger! Wooo!
As it turns out we finished joint last for the 50k ultra with 6 runners behind finishing up the marathon. The time? 8:19 something, but who cares about the time right? ;)
My mum led me inside to also grab a pint at the bar, best day ever right?! So there I am outside on the grass trying to clap home the final runners with a burger in one hand and a pint in the other. I polished them off while chatting to my mum about the days events and felt pretty good, a little fuzzy but good. Fuzzy was to be expected I thought as I had just spent the last 8 odd hours out in the sun.
We headed back to the car. A quick half hour drive and I was home. We said our goodbyes and I headed inside for a nice shower.
Shower done, it was time to kick back with a couple more "recovery" beers then off to bed ready for work in the morning.
Walking to work I couldn't seem to shake the feeling of being a bit disconnected, like I was daydreaming. I put it down to maybe smashing my calories but it felt different.
Work was hard, I found myself staring blankly through the screen. I didn't feel like I was really there. I felt blank and confused, even trying to talk to people was an effort. It was at this point that I realised the fact that not only was I concentrating very hard on communicating but I was messing up my words (more than usual) and sometimes even skipping a word!
Something isnt right.
Here is where we get to the bit I was going to explain at the start.
I contacted some very experienced ultra runners on Facebook to see if anyone had any ideas of what was going on. The response suggested that it sounded very much like very mild Hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia is a reduction in the salt level in the blood normally caused by over hydration. So my absentminded sipping while looking at instructions was the start. The big problem is that most of the signs for over hydration are the same as dehydration so on a hot day it can be very easy to mistake a dry throat for a thirsty one. The foggy head, the feeling sick, the dry throat were all subtle signs I had actually drunk too much water. I had caused an electrolyte imbalance which in turn had signaled my body to release and anti diuretic hormone to try and retain my salt by stopping me peeing therefore retaining the water. With the water having nowhere to go it can swell the organs and brain and can cause all sorts of problems. For me it was the clarity of thought. I guess thankfully the race wasn't any longer or this may have been a very different story. I stopped drinking anything else by around 9:30am and by about 11am I needed the loo, signalling that maybe my body now thought it was safe enough and could start shifting some of the water. This also confirmed to me that the thoughts about it being Hyponatremia were on the right track. (Thanks guys!)
I decided to take a trip to the GP just to be on the safe side that afternoon. She listened and agreed that it sounded about right and suggested some blood work just to make sure. She did a urine test as well and I explained that I had actively dehydrated myself so that explains the concentrated levels.
She seemed happy enough and said I could just return to normal eating and drinking.
I have continued to feel a little disconnected, even while I am typing this over a week afterwards, I am finding I am making more errors than usual but on the whole I feel fine.
It was a very large reminder to me that I still have a lot to learn about my bodies responses but it still leaves me fascinated to find out more. With that in mind I have started reading Waterlogged by Tim Noakes and so far it is a real eye opener. Anyone who is even semi serious about any kind of endurance sport should have a read. I shall be doing a review of this once I have finished it for sure!
Pretty sure the blood test results will be fine but better safe than sorry eh?! I ignored my body once, never again!
So there we have it folks, listen to your bodies regardless of what you think you "should" do!
Thank you once again to my mum for all the support and driving. To Nina for the company and a great day out, see you at NDW100! ;) A massive thank you to the guy who shared his story with me and quite possibly saved me from further damage (you know who you are)
Phew that was a long one eh?! Still with me? Good, good!
Time to get back to those miles ready to pace Dennis (you remember him right?) for the second half of the NDW100 on the 9th!! 50 something miles over crazy trail, sounds like my kind of night out! Lets get you that buckle buddy! ;)
Last but not least thank you dear reader for taking the time to read to my ramblings!
Love and coffee
Cardiosaurus
P.S I think you could probably forgive some mistakes in this post!! :D
Friday, 20 June 2014
The countdown to the Fairlands Valley 50k
The Fairlands Valley Challenge was only bought to my attention at the start of June when it was posted on the Facebook wall of Monkey Tag Running.
It was only £17 if I got in now so rushed about to sign up as quick as I could.
When reading over the details I noticed a great concept about the race (other than it being about half an hour from my house!) you get to pick your distance.....for the same entry fee!
That`s right, its the same price for either a 12 mile, 18 mile, marathon or 50k ultra!!
Needless to say, I`m in!!
I figured it would also be a good way to kick my training into gear as I start to ramp up for Tooting 24hr in September.
I got my conformation email and joined the Facebook group so I could keep up with the latest news. This is also where they threw in another strange thing. You pick your own number!!!!!
They give you a bracket to choose from according to the distance you have picked as below...
ULTRA 50k - 1 to 300
MARATHON - 301 to 600
18 MILES - 601 to 800
12 MILES - 801 to 1000
Great idea huh?!
Naturally I picked number 13 stating that I like to live on the edge! ;)
Lets hope that one doesn't come back to bite me in the ass!
(click me) this takes you to the Runners World entry form, you know you want to! ;)
Back to training!!
Later folks!
Cardiosaurus
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Quick catch up
Hey folks!
Just a quick catch up as I haven't posted for a little while.
I had a nice break after my first DNF (did not finish) from the Thames Path 100 and went on holiday to catch up with some family.....good times!
Now I`m back and that can only mean one thing.....its training time!
"So has anything changed?"
Well I guess maybe my approach. Right now I am trying to concentrate on simply running more consistently than I have in a while. Little and often seems to be working for me at the moment as my hamstring gets stronger.
I am also going to look into hitting the track and working on getting a little quicker while also giving myself a chance to completely freak out about my first 24 hour track event in September. *feeling slightly sick reading back over that!*
I have a fairly local 50k coming up on the 20th July which I`m really looking forward to as I`ve not done a 50k before so interested to see how I do with a shorter ultra.
I think that's about it for the moment on the catch up front....oooo wait, no actually I do hopefully have some exciting news regarding some clothing that I have mentioned before but not sure if I can say it out loud yet! ;)
Keep `em peeled folks! :D
Cardiosaurus
Just a quick catch up as I haven't posted for a little while.
I had a nice break after my first DNF (did not finish) from the Thames Path 100 and went on holiday to catch up with some family.....good times!
Now I`m back and that can only mean one thing.....its training time!
"So has anything changed?"
Well I guess maybe my approach. Right now I am trying to concentrate on simply running more consistently than I have in a while. Little and often seems to be working for me at the moment as my hamstring gets stronger.
I am also going to look into hitting the track and working on getting a little quicker while also giving myself a chance to completely freak out about my first 24 hour track event in September. *feeling slightly sick reading back over that!*
I have a fairly local 50k coming up on the 20th July which I`m really looking forward to as I`ve not done a 50k before so interested to see how I do with a shorter ultra.
I think that's about it for the moment on the catch up front....oooo wait, no actually I do hopefully have some exciting news regarding some clothing that I have mentioned before but not sure if I can say it out loud yet! ;)
Keep `em peeled folks! :D
Cardiosaurus
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
The Thames Path 100
Ive tried to start this post a few different ways over the last few days and figured my best approach is to maybe take a slightly different one.
This report is not really about me as my story can be explained pretty quickly. In fact lets get that bit out of the way and get onto the good bit.
I set off with my brother in law a bit slower than I was expecting but it felt very comfy so we sat at it and just kept plodding.......
OK hold up, lets do the really short honest version.
I had a nagging hamstring and a fractured toe which meant that my training was, shall we say minimal?
No I am being honest here.
After the Thames Trot 50 in February I hadn't run more than 10 miles in training so I was massively under trained but I just wanted to see what I could do.
We basically shuffled ourselves from point to point until everything just became slower and slower and ground to a halt around 60 miles after missing the turning at Reading and running out of time.
Shortest race report ever? Maybe!
Lets get onto the real point of this post. If you want to read a race report im sure you can find a hundred of them.
As I said from the start this post isn't really about me. I wanted to use this post to highlight the proper hero's of this event. The volunteers, supporters and everyone in the Centurion family.
Nici Griffin - Thank for the time it took to not only sort out all the volunteers and countless others jobs, but the effort you put into doing this......
This report is not really about me as my story can be explained pretty quickly. In fact lets get that bit out of the way and get onto the good bit.
I set off with my brother in law a bit slower than I was expecting but it felt very comfy so we sat at it and just kept plodding.......
OK hold up, lets do the really short honest version.
I had a nagging hamstring and a fractured toe which meant that my training was, shall we say minimal?
No I am being honest here.
After the Thames Trot 50 in February I hadn't run more than 10 miles in training so I was massively under trained but I just wanted to see what I could do.
We basically shuffled ourselves from point to point until everything just became slower and slower and ground to a halt around 60 miles after missing the turning at Reading and running out of time.
Shortest race report ever? Maybe!
Lets get onto the real point of this post. If you want to read a race report im sure you can find a hundred of them.
As I said from the start this post isn't really about me. I wanted to use this post to highlight the proper hero's of this event. The volunteers, supporters and everyone in the Centurion family.
Nici Griffin - Thank for the time it took to not only sort out all the volunteers and countless others jobs, but the effort you put into doing this......
It did not go unnoticed and it showed an extra level of love that most other races just don't have. I know its maybe a silly thing to point out but it was the thought behind it! :)
Rich Cranswick - What can I say?! Made my day, im only sorry I couldn't claim that high 5 at 85 miles....next time buddy, next time! ;)
I would like to give a massive thank you to everyone for all of the support and everyone who follows me on Twitter and Facebook you guys are amazing. Its very humbling to have so many people behind me no matter the outcome.
The wonderful SAFTB crew, you guys have been there from the start, thank you all so much.
To all the wonderful "Funners" thank you all so much you are such a great bunch of folks!! Keep smiling!
 |
| Fellow BOSHers Luke Ashton, myself and Shawn Timmons |
To my new running family BOSH, thanks for having me guys and thank you for your support, I'll BOSH the next one! ;)
It was wonderful to meet up with so many people again/for the first time after chatting on the interwebs for so long.
 |
| Luna OSO and injinji trail 2.0 ready for the TP100 |
So many people to thank sorry if I missed anyone!!
Luna monkeys!! Cant forget the monkeys! Peter Smith, Graham Kelly thank you for chatting away on Twitter, it was great to finally meet you and all the other monkeys!
Speaking of monkeys, Monkey Tag Runners, thank you all so much as well for your kind words of support!
Finally to all my family, I wish I could express the love I have for you guys.....oh wait! I can with the gift I got from my mum!
Ive always been told to end with a song so without further delay.......Take it away monkey!!!
Till next time folks!
Cardiosaurus
Thursday, 24 April 2014
TP100 and Ultra Tales!
Oh yes! Its that time again! Its time to fill myself full of panic and self doubt! That's right folks, it`s nearly ultra time again! WOO!
The build up to this has felt like a lifetime. I first heard of the Thames Path 100 in 2012 when my brother in law first announced that it was to be his first ultra. At the time I had only just heard about ultra running and the thought of someone running 100 miles just seemed so superhuman.
In the back of my mind I thought it would be cool to one day give it a go myself.
So here I am 2 years later, 9 days away from my first attempt at doing just that.
I have no idea what to expect beyond 62 miles as this is the longest I have run to date but I am curious to find out. Ideally I would like to be going into this 100% fit, ideally I would have liked to have trained better, ideally....actually if I always waited for things to be "ideal" im pretty sure I would never do anything! You can keep "ideally".
So here I am with a grumpy hamstring, a grumpy hip and a fractured toe feeling pretty sure that I could be the most "rested" person on the start line. I could come up with plenty more excuses and stories as to why I may not finish but honestly, who wants to hear that? We hear them all the time right? The guy who shows up with a sack full of them in a bag labeled "just in case" so he can have something to fall back on rather than just saying "it beat me" or "I wasn't ready". I don't want to be that guy.
My approach instead is a positive one. I can and will only promise a few things. Firstly I WILL be on the start line, secondly, I shall just give it my best shot!
If you want to find me I will be at the back, smiling (hopefully) and plodding along making the most of it. After all its meant to be fun right? All be it long drawn out painful fun, but fun none the less!
In other news...
I am very excited to say that I have a runners profile in the latest issue of Ultra Tales!! (click here to go to the site) My profile is on page 158 :)
Happy reading folks!
Cardiosaurus
If you want to find me I will be at the back, smiling (hopefully) and plodding along making the most of it. After all its meant to be fun right? All be it long drawn out painful fun, but fun none the less!
In other news...
I am very excited to say that I have a runners profile in the latest issue of Ultra Tales!! (click here to go to the site) My profile is on page 158 :)
Happy reading folks!
Cardiosaurus
Monday, 21 April 2014
Review - Running and Stuff
Hey folks, whilst sitting on the injury bench I have had some time to catch up on my reading so we all know what that means....its review time!
Now if you have spent some time on that Face-tweet thing and are partial to a bit of running, the chances are you have heard of James Adams. If you have heard of him I really don't need to tell you that he has a book out. He has mentioned it. A lot.
As it turns out, as well as being pretty good at this running lark he is also great writer!
Anyone who has chatted to James for a while via the interweb will know that he is a funny guy and is passionate about his running. I knew some of the races he had done before as his name would crop up all over the place but didn't really know the true extent until I read the book.
Get the book!
No, really. Stop reading this and buy the book! You will not be disappointed, well that is unless you are easily offended with mild swearing and pretty much constant talk of poo. Then, well, maybe you will be a little disappointed. I bet it will still make you smile though, come on admit it! Who doesn't like a story about poo?! You know like that time that your mate got shat on by a seagull?! Bet you laughed eh?!
I digress, where was I?
Ah yes! The book! "Running and Stuff" is a very inspiring and amusing read that needs to be on every aspiring ultra runners book collection. His down to earth style makes for easy reading and I just couldn't put it down! Unfortunately this also meant that I finished it really quickly! DOH!
You may have picked up that so far I have not actually mentioned anything that happens in the book. I figured the title probably gave it away.
A little more perhaps?
James has done a few things that would make most runners jaws drop. Spartathlon, Badwater, GUCR to name but a few......oh and he ran across America. Yeah.
Hows that jaw?
Yes you read that correctly, America. Los Angeles to New York to be more precise.
Oh you want it in miles? 3200 of them! That`s an average of 45 miles a DAY for 70 days!! 70!
My last race was 45 miles and I just about hobbled a mile and a half to work the next day, the thought of doing that over and over again just makes my head spin!
So there you have it! If you like your stories to be pretty damn epic with a mountain of humour and a light dusting of poo.....wait, wait, wait....can I really end it like that?
Yes, yes I can.
Thanks for reading!
Cardiosaurus
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Needles, tape and a lot of nerves
I was pretty nervous that my physio going to say I had done something really stupid and maybe advise me not to run. Fortunately after my check up she assured me that I haven't done anything stupid. Then I told her I was about to do something really stupid.
Telling a physio that you are 4 weeks away from running 100 miles in sandals gets an interesting reaction but not the one I was expecting to be honest.
The reaction I have got used to over the last few months has been one of disbelief mixed with a look of "you are mad!!". Her reaction was slightly different. There was a short pause followed by "lets get you patched up then!" She still thinks im mad but with her being a Triathlete herself she understands the need to do this kind of stuff.
It my very first physio visit to top it off so as I already said, I was pretty nervous. Nervous that she might tell me I had some massive injury that would take months to heal. Instead she moved my legs around a bit and said I had short hamstrings....oh...thats not so bad. One test she did involved holding onto my heel and then gently pulling my leg straight while I pulled back. She seemed happy with this so told me to pull back as hard as I could. I promptly apologized as I yanked her towards my arse and bounced her off the table!! I don't think she was expecting my legs to be that strong, kind of surprised me too to be honest!
With everything looking good, well apart from short hamstrings, she did some ultrasound to check out my knee and again came back with the all clear. Bit of a massage then some Kinesio tape and it was time for the painful bit.....paying.
Kinesio tape or Kinesiology as its known is something that I've heard people debate about a lot. For those who have never heard of it before I shall give you a quick explanation. The basic idea behind it is to use tape to take the strain off of the effected muscle/tendon kind of like adding a support to give it a rest, aiding the healing process. I wasn't really to sure what it would do to be honest but was curious to find out. She got me to lay on my belly and slightly raise my leg then applied the tape. The tape is then rubbed to warm up the glue to help it stick. With my new hamstring in place I was told I was good to go till next week when we will start with acupuncture. GULP!
I have to say, straight away I noticed a difference. The small amount of extra tension on my hamstring was just enough to alleviate some of the pain. Bonus!
Its not some magic cure and my leg was certainly not fixed but I could already see the benefit as I walked home.
Once I got in I tried out some of the stretches I was given and felt surprisingly good. I continued to do these (as often as I remembered) until the following Tuesday when it was time for acupuncture.
Fast forward to last Tuesday - Acupuncture day
Acupuncture was another one that made me nervous. Stupid really as I have tattoos and piercings but there you go, fear is never rational.
I was given a form to sign to say that I wouldn't sue her if I turned into a pterodactyl or something due to the acupuncture. She explained that people have different reactions to the needles. Some folks get twitchy muscles, some feel a dull ache, sharp pain or a tingle. I was now more curious than nervous.
The first needle went in. There was a small pin like pain but nothing major. This calmed me down even more.
Needle after needle I got more and more relaxed. The feelings I got back were a mixture of all of the above. I had one muscle twitch, one ache, one sharp pain in the middle of my calf. What interested me the most about that one was that she didnt have a needle in it!! It was being triggered from higher up in my hamstring.
After all the needles were in we chatted away they did their thing.
After about 5-10 minutes she removed them and did a bit of massage then it was tape time and once again the most painful part....paying.
I felt pretty good on the walk home and was looking forward to next week when I could get more done.
First I had to tackle 2 days of work which involved going up and down a ladder all day. hmmm this should be interesting! Like many I have got used to my office desk and comfy chair, so the idea of spending about 6 hours a day running up and down ladders with a hamstring issue was, well, not my idea of fun.
Always trying to look on the bright side I chose to see this as a perfect opportunity instead and regarded it as cross training and hill work! ;)
As it turns out it works bloody well! My legs felt great afterwards, well with the exception of my bruised shins from resting them on the next step! ERROR!
So there you have it! Top tip, if you want some cross training or have no hills near you, buy a ladder!
After the 2 days of "cross training" I was ready to go for a short run and see what I had.
I felt like a puppy that was busting to get outside! The moment I got out of the door I was off! Constantly telling myself to slowdown and take it easy.
I was massively overdressed for the occasion, not top hat and tails, too many layers. You see I had got used to it being really flipping cold so I dressed for how I ran 3 weeks a go.
Within minutes I was roasting but the "puppy" in me just wanted to play so I just kept running.
5k done, leg still attached, all seems good, not perfect but ill take what I can get!
Fast forward to yesterday
Last night was time for my next set of needles, massage, ultrasonic and tape. Its strange to say but I was kind of excited to get it done as over the last week my hamstring has felt progressively stronger and I was eager to get my legs back!
I was feeling very relaxed as I knew what was on the cards, we chatted while she poked and prodded my away at my legs. The acupuncture was very interesting this time as it was more of a buzzing sensation all over my legs, a bit like if you have sat on them for a while and then stood up. That feeling when the blood rushes back into them.
Once she was done and I was all taped up again it was time for the walk home.
My legs felt a little heavy but in a good way, like I could feel like something was working.
I am going to get a few more short runs in before cutting back (pfffffttt! ha ha ha cutting back!!!) ready for the Thames Path 100 on the 3rd May.....GULP!
The one thought echoing around my head at the moment is "I think I might be back in the game!"
Thanks for reading folks!
Cardiosaurus
Telling a physio that you are 4 weeks away from running 100 miles in sandals gets an interesting reaction but not the one I was expecting to be honest.
The reaction I have got used to over the last few months has been one of disbelief mixed with a look of "you are mad!!". Her reaction was slightly different. There was a short pause followed by "lets get you patched up then!" She still thinks im mad but with her being a Triathlete herself she understands the need to do this kind of stuff.
It my very first physio visit to top it off so as I already said, I was pretty nervous. Nervous that she might tell me I had some massive injury that would take months to heal. Instead she moved my legs around a bit and said I had short hamstrings....oh...thats not so bad. One test she did involved holding onto my heel and then gently pulling my leg straight while I pulled back. She seemed happy with this so told me to pull back as hard as I could. I promptly apologized as I yanked her towards my arse and bounced her off the table!! I don't think she was expecting my legs to be that strong, kind of surprised me too to be honest!
With everything looking good, well apart from short hamstrings, she did some ultrasound to check out my knee and again came back with the all clear. Bit of a massage then some Kinesio tape and it was time for the painful bit.....paying.
Kinesio tape or Kinesiology as its known is something that I've heard people debate about a lot. For those who have never heard of it before I shall give you a quick explanation. The basic idea behind it is to use tape to take the strain off of the effected muscle/tendon kind of like adding a support to give it a rest, aiding the healing process. I wasn't really to sure what it would do to be honest but was curious to find out. She got me to lay on my belly and slightly raise my leg then applied the tape. The tape is then rubbed to warm up the glue to help it stick. With my new hamstring in place I was told I was good to go till next week when we will start with acupuncture. GULP!
I have to say, straight away I noticed a difference. The small amount of extra tension on my hamstring was just enough to alleviate some of the pain. Bonus!
Its not some magic cure and my leg was certainly not fixed but I could already see the benefit as I walked home.
Once I got in I tried out some of the stretches I was given and felt surprisingly good. I continued to do these (as often as I remembered) until the following Tuesday when it was time for acupuncture.
Fast forward to last Tuesday - Acupuncture day
Acupuncture was another one that made me nervous. Stupid really as I have tattoos and piercings but there you go, fear is never rational.
I was given a form to sign to say that I wouldn't sue her if I turned into a pterodactyl or something due to the acupuncture. She explained that people have different reactions to the needles. Some folks get twitchy muscles, some feel a dull ache, sharp pain or a tingle. I was now more curious than nervous.
The first needle went in. There was a small pin like pain but nothing major. This calmed me down even more.
Needle after needle I got more and more relaxed. The feelings I got back were a mixture of all of the above. I had one muscle twitch, one ache, one sharp pain in the middle of my calf. What interested me the most about that one was that she didnt have a needle in it!! It was being triggered from higher up in my hamstring.
After all the needles were in we chatted away they did their thing.
After about 5-10 minutes she removed them and did a bit of massage then it was tape time and once again the most painful part....paying.
I felt pretty good on the walk home and was looking forward to next week when I could get more done.
First I had to tackle 2 days of work which involved going up and down a ladder all day. hmmm this should be interesting! Like many I have got used to my office desk and comfy chair, so the idea of spending about 6 hours a day running up and down ladders with a hamstring issue was, well, not my idea of fun.
Always trying to look on the bright side I chose to see this as a perfect opportunity instead and regarded it as cross training and hill work! ;)
As it turns out it works bloody well! My legs felt great afterwards, well with the exception of my bruised shins from resting them on the next step! ERROR!
So there you have it! Top tip, if you want some cross training or have no hills near you, buy a ladder!
After the 2 days of "cross training" I was ready to go for a short run and see what I had.
I felt like a puppy that was busting to get outside! The moment I got out of the door I was off! Constantly telling myself to slowdown and take it easy.
I was massively overdressed for the occasion, not top hat and tails, too many layers. You see I had got used to it being really flipping cold so I dressed for how I ran 3 weeks a go.
Within minutes I was roasting but the "puppy" in me just wanted to play so I just kept running.
5k done, leg still attached, all seems good, not perfect but ill take what I can get!
Fast forward to yesterday
Last night was time for my next set of needles, massage, ultrasonic and tape. Its strange to say but I was kind of excited to get it done as over the last week my hamstring has felt progressively stronger and I was eager to get my legs back!
I was feeling very relaxed as I knew what was on the cards, we chatted while she poked and prodded my away at my legs. The acupuncture was very interesting this time as it was more of a buzzing sensation all over my legs, a bit like if you have sat on them for a while and then stood up. That feeling when the blood rushes back into them.
Once she was done and I was all taped up again it was time for the walk home.
My legs felt a little heavy but in a good way, like I could feel like something was working.
I am going to get a few more short runs in before cutting back (pfffffttt! ha ha ha cutting back!!!) ready for the Thames Path 100 on the 3rd May.....GULP!
The one thought echoing around my head at the moment is "I think I might be back in the game!"
Thanks for reading folks!
Cardiosaurus
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