It is two weeks to go before the London Marathon and I have developed
a few unhealthy obsessions. In an attempt to better my Personal Best
(PB) time by more than eleven minutes and run a sub 3 hour marathon I have
pushed my body harder than I have ever trained before.
I have been doing sprint intervals, hill training, three hour long trail runs, weight training and even cut caffeine out of my diet. My muscles and body are tired after all this work and I am now on the “taper” reducing the amount of exercise running up to the big day so my muscles are as fit but rested as possible.
The fact of the matter is I have done all the hard work and now I am simply cruising for the next two weeks. The problem is that this gives me far too much time to worry and obsess over things I would have literally taken in my stride before (pun very much intended).
To paraphrase: The devil makes work for idle feet.
So here is some of the work I’ve created for myself while I have been running less:
I have a slight ache in my lower abdominal muscles - my muscles are sore I’ve been running hundreds of miles in the last four months – this is quite normal I should not be surprised. The whole point of the taper is to rest the sore muscles. Instead of feeling relaxed however I am going online and googling “sore lower abdominal muscles in runners”. I am now convinced I have a sports hernia and may never be able to run again without undergoing extreme surgery!
Here is the next symptom of my idleness: Despite running two previous marathons, a half marathon, a 16 mile race just a month ago and a 10k race (all in the last year) I do not have the right shorts to run the London marathon. I am absolutely convinced that what I need is a pair of shorts that have a cycle shorts type inner lining with side pockets for my jelly babies. I have shorts with a cycle shorts inner lining but without side pockets, I have shorts with side pockets but with mesh lining. So yesterday I went on a wasted shopping journey looking for these elusive perfect marathon shorts.
I have no doubt I will be able to run the London marathon with or without these shorts (just as I have run all my other races) and I am also sure that a bit of rest will “cure” my supposed “sports hernia”. However I am also sure that there will be a raft of other “problems” that will come up as my exercise is reduced even further and I rest my legs before I line up at the start of the marathon.
(The picture today is of the only remedy for my “idle running condition” and that’s of legs running.)
I have been doing sprint intervals, hill training, three hour long trail runs, weight training and even cut caffeine out of my diet. My muscles and body are tired after all this work and I am now on the “taper” reducing the amount of exercise running up to the big day so my muscles are as fit but rested as possible.
The fact of the matter is I have done all the hard work and now I am simply cruising for the next two weeks. The problem is that this gives me far too much time to worry and obsess over things I would have literally taken in my stride before (pun very much intended).
To paraphrase: The devil makes work for idle feet.
So here is some of the work I’ve created for myself while I have been running less:
I have a slight ache in my lower abdominal muscles - my muscles are sore I’ve been running hundreds of miles in the last four months – this is quite normal I should not be surprised. The whole point of the taper is to rest the sore muscles. Instead of feeling relaxed however I am going online and googling “sore lower abdominal muscles in runners”. I am now convinced I have a sports hernia and may never be able to run again without undergoing extreme surgery!
Here is the next symptom of my idleness: Despite running two previous marathons, a half marathon, a 16 mile race just a month ago and a 10k race (all in the last year) I do not have the right shorts to run the London marathon. I am absolutely convinced that what I need is a pair of shorts that have a cycle shorts type inner lining with side pockets for my jelly babies. I have shorts with a cycle shorts inner lining but without side pockets, I have shorts with side pockets but with mesh lining. So yesterday I went on a wasted shopping journey looking for these elusive perfect marathon shorts.
I have no doubt I will be able to run the London marathon with or without these shorts (just as I have run all my other races) and I am also sure that a bit of rest will “cure” my supposed “sports hernia”. However I am also sure that there will be a raft of other “problems” that will come up as my exercise is reduced even further and I rest my legs before I line up at the start of the marathon.
(The picture today is of the only remedy for my “idle running condition” and that’s of legs running.)
No comments:
Post a Comment