80k last week and started to feel a bit better towards the end of the week. No long run, just ran every day and sometimes twice a day. I am really wishing I hadn't done any speed work the other week as I seemed to be recovering well until I did that session. 40 miler is now definitely out of the question.
Went for a 15k run today and quads were sore by 9k and slowly became worse even though I slowed to what felt like 6min/k. This is really getting beyond a joke now! with barely 300k in March and still not back to any decent training I have starting to think that my 24hr prep is going to be affected. I mean I haven't run over 3hrs in 5 weeks since the 12hr so strength and fitness will be suffering. I can't believe this might be happening 2 years in a row.
Not happy right now!
I am a 27yr old ultra runner from Rockingham WA, married to Kate and we have a son called Noah. I run because I have a passion for it and I find freedom in pushing the limits of my ability.
2 comments:
sometimes 2-3 weeks off is the way to go. when there is injury or significant soreness, the best way to go is crosstrain a little, perhaps go hiking in the mountains, or surfing, play some tennis, cricket...etc and take a total rest from running with an aggressive taper style approach, Then ramp things up again, maybe see if you can find other ultra runner blogs, or talk to some of the best ultra runner people you know, people like Mick, Susannah Hj, Tim Erickson, maybe evn try Dean Karnazes blog...see link on my blog...or Stephen Courtney...Bernadette would have taken an extended break while she recovered from her knee surgery, and maybe in the lead up to it...maybe get some medical opinions, sports med etc ...
all the best with finding the right road to recovery...I honestly think serious ultra running 12 hours and longer (not the dabbling I do with 6 hour type stuff, although with my metering work I dont get a lot of rest except for the 2-4 weeks break I take in June and December with water meters...when I was reading Power meters, all year round I got a sense that my body needed a rest after 2 years of 5 days a week of 6-8 hours fast walking) is something best left to runners in the 50+ age group...but maybe thats a blanket statement too much...but family time is important, although I guess it can be combined with the running adventures...
Even Cerutty (one of the best ever Australian Ultra runners as well as a coach at Portsea for Herb Elliot etc, advocated 2-3 days hibernation where his runners took a complete rest from running, and sat around in the beachhous at Portsea, eating god veges, listening to classical music, and sleeping for large amounts...
Also Ive seen it recommended in serious training for serious athletes book by Rob Sleamaker that has influenced my training a lot since 1996 that 2-3 weeks a year minimum be standard for a lot of athletes where they took a complete break from their main sport be it crosscountry skiing, ironman triathlon or ultra running...
During the weeks off the athlete typically does one long run a week, or one 1-2 hour crosstraining session a week, or even takes a complete break from anything... Raf Baughs duathlon approach is interesting too, he has distinct periods in the year we he rest, and trys to sleep for 12 hours a night while trying to taper aggressively, freshen up...or takes a complete break to focus on his business interests, and ramp up his family time with his wife and son...
When injury or extended general or specific soreness is involved it maybe good to try 2 week break blocks, maybe a few of them until it clears up. When I was at Uni doing sports science there was a lot of talk about overtraining and burnout, along with the importance of periodising having very easy weeks once every 4 weeks, could be that you especially need to structure that into your training, especially as with ultras you are taking the body to its endurance limits a lot more than the elite marathoner...Monaghetti although he seems to have maintained a 20k a day (in 2 sessions) regime for much of the year, with the fartlek being done once a week as one of those sessions, seems to have had some easy weeks where he drops the mileage a lot, even the Kenyans dont go hard at it all year round...they have their big weeks, and there easy weeks. I think the problem is if you are going to recover properly from the 12hour you need to have 2-3 weeks, where you do nothing, and are disciplined about that, dont run at all for at least 6-7 days (i.e. no run for a few weeks, or a minimum of a 1-3 hour run once a week for a few weeks. Until you have that total rest period for 2-3 weeks, the body may not recover properly. sleep and good food is important too. Family time can be a very important thing to focus on, as is extended time reading the bible, praying with God...maybe not fasting, but then again...If after that 2-3 week period the body is not fully recovered, then maybe you need another 2 weeks, or maybe there is an injury there that needs medical attention...all the best with it, and hope you can ramp things up in time for the 24 hour race, but if not there is always another race to aim for. All the best with getting the quads right, and getting back to your running best...
anyway I guess I have repeated myself in a tautologous manner enough. All the best with the road to recovery, and future God-given success...if that is His will.
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