Injury, Context and the London Marathon 2012

Marathon training week 14 followed the longest run of the programme (38k) and in truth I was tired - if excited - with how things had gone. It was over 100k of running last week (clue 1). The highlight of this week was a tempo run of 13.5k completed at marathon pace i.e. 4m16s per km. That went great. Delighted. So Sunday's long run rolled around and long was now redefined as 16miles - not 23 ! I loved this new definition of long. Rather than "Long and Slow" I thought I'd try and keep the 5k "sets" of the 26k run around marathon pace - and, as you never do anything for the 1st time on race day, I swapped my supportive Brooks Addictions out and brought in the lighter Brooks Adrenaline shoes I usually race in. I've had these shoes for over 3 years now (clue 2) and used them in Paris and Barcelona - as well as various triathlon runs. The idea here is to train in heavy, protective but clumpy shoes and then feel all "light and airy" on race day with shoes a few 100g lighter. I guess the other looming factor here is my arrogant attitude to strength, conditioning and flexibility. I might be 46, have far less cross training than in previous years but I'm invincible - didn't you know ? It happened right here ....

The Loch Creran 10k Loop - the scene for 70% of my training

  ... after  3 sets of 5k splits close to 4.20 pace - with hydration, electrolyte and gel consumption going perfectly. At 15k of this run there was nothing but a sense of wellbeing by 15.75k there was a sudden growling deep fatigue in the right lower leg and while not the "gun shot" of a calf tear it had almost the same sense of "doom". My leg had 6 weeks written all over it. I limped back to the car.

Legs are complicated things when you look into it. But the things you can do when you have a problem are limited : Ice it, Warm it, Ibuprofen dose it, Rest it, Massage it, Ultrasound it. Not getting the injury in the first place seems by far the best option. My GP suggested I call the physiotherapy dept of the local hospital. They thought the 1st 3 of my list would be enough & "No" they didn't want to see the leg in question. I began to look into how to postpone the marathon place until 2013 and London let you move your spot to next year right up to the day before the race - which I thought was generous. It meant the final decision could be days away. I waited until Thursday before running again. It was 2k before the pain came back and now I'm almost certain I can't run London.

Out with the Old ...

You have to remember what we all invest in this process - 1100k run since 1 Nov 2011 - to get to that exact spot on Loch Creran where unsupportive & maybe too old shoes, combine with high mileage fatigue and way too tight calf muscles to say - enough ! But the accommodation's booked, flight's are booked, there's loads of people coming - it's taken 5 years and 6 attempts to get this entry and - most frustrating I think I'm in the running form of my life. If I had run just 4 more km the previous weekend it would have been a marathon PB ! The layers of disappointment are heavy and the mood that week was gloomy and appallingly self-absorbed. I'm sorry to Dearly Beloved and work colleagues. The sense of loss seemed dreadful. So much for it being about the journey then.

On Saturday I note the ad for Achilles Heel sports physiotherapy (here), on the web - they have a cancellation and on Sunday I meet Jenny. Jenny got me through the London Marathon. Jenny firmly points out the tightness of the hamstrings and calves, she confirms that the strain is internal (somewhere around 5 or 9 in the diagram), it's probably been an overpronation caused by the less supportive shoes - but in combination with mileage and lack of flexibility. She makes me do some of the stretches I should have been doing for weeks & we're both encouraged by the "intrinsic" strength of the calf. I met Jenny in anticipation of her confirming I should withdraw from the race but she re-lit the flame of possibility. Do no running until the race (that means no real running in the 2 weeks before), redefine your goals, undergo a loosening sports massage, expect it to hurt in the latter miles and have a plan for that. Game on. Note to self : if you have a sports injury see a sports physio. Pay what it takes and do that as soon as you can. A hospital physio is interested in stopping your pain - a sports physio is interested in getting you back to your sport.

‘A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu

The 2 weeks from injury to race was an opportunity to reflect just how much this campaign meant to me & why. There's a form of addiction to exercize that is covered in an article by Active. Com here. I don't think this fully applies here but triathletes are often classically Type A personalities and probably don't deal too well with disappointments. It was supposed to be about the journey, keeping fitness through the dark Argyll winter, the family gathering, sharing some memorable time across 4 generations. For sure I got the balance wrong for a while. To be honest f I run 3.02.59 or 4.45.59 the sun is rising in the east tomorrow regardless. Learn John, Learn. The issue here was probably 90% flexibility. Tim Noakes writing in "Lore of Running" sums this up nicely ...

"Stretching is not something that most runners do willingly. Runners who somehow manage to squeeze in 1 or 2 hours running a day never seem quite able to find the additional 5 to 10 minutes for adequate stretching. There are a variety of reasons for this. First, most inflexible runners are unconvinced that stretching is beneficial. Secondly we are ignorant of what is involved. Third, experience has taught us that stretching hurts ; and finally, we are haunted by the suspicion that we may be doing it wrong anyway."    

London Water Tower - amazing self-catering accommodation close to race start.

Our accommodation was a little special. The London WaterTower (here) was chosen by my son & I way back last year - designed to be a venue that we'd remember. It certainly was. 5 bedrooms with an observatory at the top of the tower from which the London skyline at night was simply astonishing.

Dusk from the Tower

Looking towards Canary Wharf from the Tower

Canary Wharf, the neon blue of the London Eye, the Shard, the Dome - aircraft landing in 3 directions. The Tower is close to Woolwich and on Shooter's Hill Rd, which is the route for the marathon Blue and Green starts. It was an easy 2 mile downhill walk to Blackheath on race morning.

Mum & Rachel - in "The Tower"

First though there was registration and that took place at London's EXCEL - the scale of the event became clear the moment you walked in.



The place was enormous with all the major apparel, nutrition, equipment and charities represented. That 2012 is Olympic year gave 2 themes to most suppliers. The Expo was world-class and on Saturday my Mum and I ate the pasta and watched Scott Overall (UK's only male to reach an Olympic qualifying time) give a presentation then watched in awe as the staff from Virgin Active Clubs gave a fantastic workout demonstration. Other demonstrations included Runner's World and Martin Yelling.

Guide Dog Puppy in Training - a lot like Tilly

This really set the tone. Loads of freebees, samples and every stand had a deal - Stephen (or Hazel) resisted the 10% off the 910XT ! The Buzz was amazing as 37.5k runners registered from Weds-Sat. Jenny's taping was somewhat the worse for wear by Friday so the guys at KT tape have me a man-shave and re-taped the offending leg. So one re-taped leg of unknown condition. I think it was a little weird to be part of this amazing event and not actually know if I was physically able to run the thing - but at least I was trying to control all the stuff in my gift to control. Also the news from Chrissie Wellington was not good. Chrissie had .... a sore toe !

It was a highlight to be in the same race as "the Chrissanater" - but sadly she had no opportunity to take her toe to Jenny in Achilles Heel, Glasgow so Chrissie DNS. John's Leg : 1 Chrissie's Toe : 0.



The London marathon is the single largest fundraising event in the world and people go to extreme lengths for their chosen charity.....

I actually saw this on the course .... but was it ahead or behind ?

.... what I was not aware of was the support on the course from the charity to the runner. A single charity would have a group of 8/9 people watching for runners wearing their raceday tops and callout their names wildly - invariably causing the supporters around to roar in agreement. That would have been so encouraging. Also some charities laid on post-race receptions for their athletes. See what I mean about world class ? If you run - you should make this race an ambition. On Saturday I took the leg out on a short run through Woolwich Common. This was a running break of 10 days and 6 days since Jenny's massage. It was fine after the full 5k and that was very encouraging. That was the final moment to decide - withdraw today or run tomorrow come what may. Ok I felt "fat", stale and heavy but the leg worked and was not painful. Green for Go.

Race day. Need to leave the Tower for about 07:15. The London transport system is largely free if you flash your race number - but I can walk (to the start at least).  Forecast very good - cold but sunny ; elect to wear just the Team Dylan  "Running for Sarah" singlet and shorts. Have chip on shoes and gels in the race belt ready to go. Breakfast was salmon, avocado and sweet potato ...

Local roads closed at 06:00h and already marshalls are in place. Knew I was in the right direction not just by the blimps signaling Red, Green and Blue starts but by 2 guys in a bobsleigh looking like a sporty episode of the Flintstones.

The balloons at Blackheath

 

Everything was easy, everything was clear and obvious, there were an infinity of staff and the organization perfect. Once "let into" the Blue zone the huge screen kept us amused, there were changing tents, portaloo's, free tea and coffee, free sports drink, water - even urinals to speed things up. This is what I saw opposite me in the urinal ....

... which is an image you are not likely to forget. At that moment you knew you were in the London Marathon. I kept warm with tea, lots of layers and was actually quite philosophic about the old leg. Who knows what will happen - best hope is to run 30k "within oneself" and take it from there. I had no idea at what point I would know I could complete the distance by walking - certainly not 10k, probably not 20k, 25k ? I got some sports drink and black tea and set about "hydrating" in front of the huge video screen.

This kept us informed of the woman's elite start & interviews with several athletes within the Blue Start group passed the time quickly. Before long it was time to disrobe, take our belongings to the fleet of trucks which would transport them to the finish. It was almost time. I assembled with the other runners and we packed our way towards the start line. Elite men were ahead of us but we started at the same time (cheering) and it took just under a minute to cross the timing mat.

Want to pickup on some raceday atmosphere ? Then click on the button below as you read on ... Note that I'm wearing my Team Dylan "Running for Sarah" Singet - so see how many times you can catch a call of "go Running for Sarah" from the crowd ... that was quite emotional.

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Blue Start - Image from Guardian Website

There were a lot of people and not much space so the early km were congested and necessarily slow. I wasn't personally worried as I felt this was a good "break" on an early stress to the injury. In fact the first 5k took 23m.32s  - which was getting on for 2m less than my ideal. The route took the Shooter's Hill road back towards our Tower for the 1st mile then turned towards Woolwich. we passed the venue for the Olympic shooting competition - which we had seen on our many no 178 bus journeys over the few days.

Elite Men run outside the Olympic Shooting Village - Guardian website.

Leg going well and the 2nd 5km feels more "normal" - the "WOW" being the turn into Cutty Sark as we approach Grenwich. The ship comes quite unexpectedly and is utterly beautiful - but the Crowd are what make it just amazing. The noise and intimacy are something you will never forget. It genuinely made me gasp & you smile a smile wider than you could imagine.

Some parts of the course are through borough high streets, some through more residential areas but everywhere there are people cheering and encouraging. I had no idea it would be like this. Almost the whole 26miles was one high-octane, emotionally-positive wave of super-charged goodwill - from perfect strangers I will never see again. For me the star of the day was overwhelmingly the London crowd - they were inspiring and uplifting. They are the reason you need to do this race. Usain Bolt or Wayne Rooney probably pull this crowd every athletic day of their lives - I tasted their experience on 22nd April 2012.

2 Time London Champion Irina Mititenko on Tower Bridge

The first glimpse of Tower Bridge (12miles) has double meaning - it's astonishing in it's own right and it somehow proves you're doing this for real. But it's not quite half way and once you cross the bridge you turn away from the Tower of London & start to run AWAY from the finish line towards Canary Wharf and the Isles of Dogs. With 14 miles to go the reality is that the distance is only just about to express itself.

The splits table shows that my pace to the half way mark was only just off where I needed to be for my original goal - maybe just 5-10s per km. But this was nice conservative running and I thought I was keeping options open for later. Also the water, gel, sports drink sequence was working fine so nutritionally I was in good shape.

The race changed for me from 25k - both legs seemed to feel gradually heavier - actually "thicker" more than heavy - if that makes any sense. It wasn't all that perceptable to start - just the pace didn't feel "right" and it seemed to be taking more effort. I notice that it took 20s more per km for more or less the same heart rate in the 25-30k split compared to the 15-25k splits. Not a good sign. I have a sensation that my muscles were becoming somehow less flexible - but can't be sure. The route into the Isle of Dogs is partly "out and back" so I had a glimpse of elite ladies as they passed back towards Parliment Square. But the mood was getting gloomy and the crowd was thinning. Something seemed wrong.

In training I'd picked up a phrase from Brett at the "Zen and the Art of Triathlon" Podcast here - "mood is food". By which he's making a connection between your blood sugar level and your feeling of wellbeing. I think the idea is that muscle glycogen might be fine but "free" glycogen "burnt" by the brain (in the blood stream) might be in short supply & so you get mentally stressed and slow down while your actual legs have performance still to give - but sadly they don't get to use it. So keeping well fuelled is critical to the mental management of the race. I tried to stock up on the Lucozade sports drink on offer through the Canary Wharf aid stations. To be honest I find that drink way too sweet and much prefer Gatorade - but I had been practising with Lucozade so that should have been fine. A bit spluttery here and there and next time I want to be fast walking through these latter aid stations to make sure I get the benefit. It seemed a grind - I don't think I was losing position though.

Coming back towards the Embankment with 10k left there was a sense that this would now finish and while the time was not what I wanted - I would at least complete the course. You start to pass the other athletes running in the opposite direction on their way into Canary Wharf and there was the nurse ...

    

.... poor nurse. She was probably still 8k behind me. It happened at the Tower of London. The slower run rate suddenly became cramping. Not the light "fluttery" cramps of Ironman Canada but "you mess with me I'll take your leg out" cramps. A calf-cramp like that is not optional - it seizes you. Overwhelms you. Bit like this really ...

Alien in your tummy ? A lot like calf-cramp in a marathon.

So there I was ... London marathon and all. Looking for a PB, family out there somewhere - and yet I'm clinging to railing outside the Tower Of London. Honestly - this is not in the script. It's not even the same leg as was injured 2 weeks ago. It's the left leg. The OTHER leg. My "best friend" leg. I'm clinging to this railing in front of a million people (it seems like) - while the world runs by ... my position is fading like the equally cruel escalation of numbers dancing across your petrol pump !

Railings on the Tower of London - I'm not even a Sufferette !!

Now cramp is a big deal & I've had it before - just NEVER when running. There actually was a person being treated by the St John's folk right in front of where I was stretching - which was a nice bonding experience. The Mid Argyll Tri & Cycle group are suggesting that I was physiologically and sub-consciously sparing my "injured leg" and overly using the other. I have no idea. Maybe. They also suggest I could train a bit better - ouch ! Whichever (or both) there's a great review article on cramping (bike orientated) here. All I know now is that that John Hurt's little Pal from the movies is running up and down inside my lower left leg. You won't believe this bit but a Marshall walks towards me as I'm gently cornering the alien behind some bit of tendon and she says "That lady says try this ...". She points into the crowd. Try what ? I'm offered a small spray bottle by the Marshall - I look into the crowd and someone about 3 people deep back leans over and waves. Honesty she looked like Sopia Loren with a scarf & sunglasses.

I know this sounds like the start of an urban myth that ends in an ice bath with one less kidney - but, "Trusting of Argyll", without any hesitation, sprays the stuff under his tongue. And it works. The human sea behind me flows endlessly like wildebeest across the plain but gradually the alien in my leg seems to be shrinking. Much later, back home & much relieved, I find there really is a product that actually exists for this purpose : Cramp Stop (here). It's a NZ homoeopathic medicine and the reviews seem good. Certainly & almost right away I was able to walk & I would recommend a trial of this product to those with a history of cramping issues. But walking was all I was prepared to do - running seemed high risk and anyway by now the PB had packed it's bags, unhitched the mule and headed west into the setting sun. Just under 7k - left. If I can walk this I can still finish.

That 7k was amazing. You can hear it if you clicked the player button above. The crowd were amazing, simply amazing. So supportive and so encouraging. I will never think of London as unfriendly or impersonal ever again. Of course I was passed by an infinity of people and several tried to coax me into running. One lady was in a mentally gloomy place and we talked as we walked - at that moment she thought she wouldn't ever do another one .... but I bet she didn't feel that way as she finished. She wished me well has she jogged off.  Bands played, horns blared and the sun shone. All along the embankment the support was breathtaking. If you ever ever thought of running a marathon - please do not hesitate. Get a charity place, raise the funds, prepare and train. Just DO THIS RACE. I don't care what time you finish in 3,4,5 or 6 hours - just do it. It is a life memory you will never regret. The privilege of running along the embankment, by the Mother of Parliaments and towards Buckingham Palace is something I will treasure. My walks and occasional trots gave the crowd time to read the text on my running top : "Running for Sarah". This was a NIHCS fundraiser from last Sept's Great Scottish Run & the frequent shouts of Sarah's name from complete strangers were emotional and motivating. I'm sure she was looking down that morning and getting a real buzz from the overwhelming support.

If you run for a charity chances are that along the route they will have supporters looking out for you. When you run past they roar your name and the boost it gave runners was instantaneous. Several then had receptions for their athletes - which included massages - just off the finishing chutes. With about a mile to go and 25mile in I began to be passed by some of the faster folks in costume - a 5ft Bee, Cat Woman, a Monk. But the largest cheer (you can hear it on the audio) was for a guy in a Mankini ... 

... let me assure you - you don't ever want to be passed by a bloke in a mankini !! There is no good view of that. But the crowd loved it and he seemed to be having a terrific day. I ended up with sun-burnt shoulders - wonder how he was on Monday....

The turn into the Mall and the final 385 yards was a fabulous setting. If you've seen it on TV you'll already know it was wonderful just to be a part of it. I do have to say that it almost felt like cheating to walk/jog that final few meters. It should have felt awful, gut-wrenching, the burn of lactic acid, the ache of spent muscles, the absolute joy of knowing you left absolutely nothing back on the course - you gave the race simply everything. Reality was that in the last hour I'd essentially had a recovery walk while all around me were slogging their way to the line. So yes : a finish but really I have to do it "properly" some another time. The organization was as slick as you'd expect - chips off, medals on. A scientific study of cardiac fatigue. The immediate memory of finishing was a French chap crying his eyes out by the fence. I stayed with him for a few moments and he seemed to regain some composure - the emotional depth of why some people do marathons & what they have invested of themselves can be quite profound. I wonder what this person's story was ...

So what about this as an event ? OK I got through it & have the medal to prove it. But athletically it did not go to script & I don't feel I did the race justice. 3h48m & change was the 3rd fastest time for me over this distance and quite honestly was a disappointment. However if I was offered 3.48 right now given all the great stuff we did - I'll take your arm off. Definitely worth doing. I should mention Claire Squires tragic death and how she captured the imagination here and here. I bet most runners donated & how the news spread is a testimony to social media.

Dinner in "The Tower" - Thurs evening

Planet Hollywood - Piccadilly Circus : Post Race

Champagne & Caviar - Harrods - just don't buy any water !

"Sir Alan's Cafe" ... very good it was too !

Post Race "Top End Sports Nutrition" - a la Rachel !!!

Travel condenses experience and gives a new perspective. It inspires, bonds friendships and is deeply refreshing ..

 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

... on this trip I experienced .... a major F1 type sprint to drop off beloved Tilly, Beazley and Squill in a wonderful pets boarding-home full of peacocks (but no staff !!!), enjoyed a world class athletic event, stayed in a fantastic location, became all too aware of many of my own bio-mechanical shortcomings, took my Mum to a pasta party ar  Excel, know how to navigate from Shooter's Hill to Woolwich 3 different ways, got the best view of Cutty Sark ever, know that my brother-in-law gets lost easily on public transport, have become deeply appreciative of the London public, enjoyed a family night at the theatre, got sprayed under the tongue by Sophia Loren, now know that Champagne is better value for money than Scottish water in Harrods, was amazed to find how much Rachel loved the Imperial War Museum, had an amazing coffee in the Natural History Museum, know that I was right to apply for this event 6 times, am still amazed by the durability of my mother and am even now deeply impressed that Hanna running up the stairs can beat her mother in the lift !