This morning Tam is back to share her training diary. It’s been a difficult month for the our little runner so please do share your support and advice below.
It’s a shame for me to start this post with some rather disappointing news but here goes. I have been suffering for quite some time with what I assumed were just shin splints. Nothing to worry about and something that I hoped would go away. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case…*sigh*
A friend recommended a physio so I thought it would be best to put my mind at rest and just go. It won’t be so bad I thought, in fact I was sure if anything it would be quite a treat to have my leg massaged. Very wrong. I have really never been in so much pain in my whole life. I screamed and cried as I hung on for dear life, at one point I’m pretty sure I yelled ‘stop talking, it hurts’ simply because I clearly wanted to focus my attention on the agonising pain.
In a nutshell, I was told that I have the worst case of shin splints ever seen, as well as tendinitis and a possible stress fracture. Gulp. What?! I couldn’t believe it could get any worse. Then I was told I wouldn’t be able to run the marathon.
Apparently my condition is ‘bloody terrible’. Double blow, but after the pain I was put through in that one session I kind of saw it coming. I was absolutely devastated.
If you’re running the London Marathon this year, good luck and stay focused. And if you suspect that you may be injured always go to get it checked out, especially if you find yourself incapable of using the stairs. Don’t forget to get your trainers professionally recommended early on as well as investing in bespoke insoles. Also, consider what you’re wearing when you go to be fitted for your footwear; don’t wear a dress and tights as you may end up tightless running around a shop.
Food wise, carb up and ensure you include plenty of lean meats/protein in your diet. VEG is important and natural yoghurt is great for recovery. A cup of coffee an hour before a run is great for performance and a good meal after will also speed up recovery – my go-to meal is steak with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Final word of advice, don’t forget to smash it!
So what now? Well the London marathon isn’t on the cards for me this year so I’m going to be refocusing my attention elsewhere. I have really enjoyed keeping fit and so I’m looking for a different form of exercise. I still feel like I have come a long way in terms of my fitness and goals and I have achieved things I didn’t think were possible. If I was to give anyone any advice it would be to take up the miles gradually, as I stormed ahead and caused myself a horrible injury. As I mentioned I’m keen to stay healthy and take up a new form of exercise when I’ve recovered. If you have any suggestions for new workouts then please do let me know.
T x
I was gutted for Tam when I found out her news but we both thought it would be a good idea to carry on with this feature. With her determination I’m pretty sure she’ll be running across the London finish line in the next couple of years. Lots of luck to you Tam x
Swimming would be good as it doesn’t put the stress on your joints, bones etc.
really bad luck and hope you recover soon.
Thank you! And huge thanks for the advice 🙂 xx
Totally gutted for you Tam. But your health is the most important thing. Hope you have a very speedy recovery xx
I know it has been so hard but leg is getting a little better now, thankfully! xx
you have my sympathies! I was a keen runner, ran through injury and can no longer run at all. It’s rotten when you work so hard to build up stamina. Good luck exploring other options to keep up your fitness!
Gutted for you Tam. As a 1st time marathon runner I towards the end of last year I was gradually building up my miles then Jan hit I followed a training app that pretty much told me to run 6 times a week and I too had horrendous shin pain luckily I took advice at that stage from a local running club who all told me to not to run so much and build it up slowly. After a few painful sports massages the shin pain is almost non existent, bit I find every week when I increase the mileage another pain crops up somewhere. No pain no gain as they say!
Wishing you all the best with the next challenge you choose to partake in and hope that one day you can complete your marathon.
What awful news 🙁
Excellent advice for runners though. I’d add build up slooooowly to give your body time to adjust and recover. The couch to 10k app is great for building up novice runners; I think they do longer distances but I’ve yet to try them!
As Victoria said, swimming is great cardio without putting strain on joints. Strength building work on your core is also helpful for stabilisation and helping with injury prevention.
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
K x
So gutted for you Tam. I have to say, reading your first post on here (as well as that awesome This Girl Can ad campaign) really inspired me and gave me the nudge I’ve been needing for ages to get more active. I’ve been wanting to get involved in a sport or just do something for ages but have been too scared at turning up somewhere new to try something and just procrastinating really… I’ve now just started playing netball (for the first time in 15 years!) every Monday night and am going along to a mixed beginners softball training session on Sunday morning with my husband. I really hope you recover quickly, it’s a shame we have to cope with setbacks but I’m sure you will have the determination to bounce back! Would love to read more about how you’re getting on!
xx
Oh Tam, I’m so gutted for you. It sounds so painful : ( Thank you for all your advice, and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Are you able to defer your place? It will make it all the more sweeter crossing the line next year, or the year after, knowing everything that you’ve been through. I had a bit of an injury last month and booked an emergency sports massage – she worked her magic and got me back running within 5 days. I found those few days off training really hard, so I can’t imagine how frustrated you feel right now. I’m trying to really up my protein intake at the moment to help with recovery and it seems to be working. I got recommended spinning classes as my cross training alternative when I started my training plan, and am really enjoying it – could be a good alternative as it’s relatively low impact? xx
That’s awful but at least hopefully the problems resolved! We did a half marathon last May and were really into running (my husband still is). I had lots and lots of niggles throughout and my husband (ortho physio luckily) helped me with tips and massages etc and I managed the race but since then have really struggled. I can barely do three miles due to an ongoing knee issue, he says it’s my way of running that does it it’s not an injury as such, it’s a biomechanical pain which means I either have to change how I run (easier said than done!) or not run! Rubbish! I have since being doing the insanity workouts as loading and jumping etc isn’t an issue for my knee it’s clearly true it’s just my running technique lol! They are great for building cardio fitness and strength and my legs feel much stronger, I am going to get my husband to tape my knee up to hold it straight and at the end of my sixty insanity days try a run! I’m hoping I’ll be quicker if nothing else! If you like a mix of high intensity cardio strength etc Shaun T’s workouts are great. T25 is Prob easier than the others and there is hip hop abs too which is meant to good! I like being able to do it indoors but they have insanity classes at gyms now too! Swimming is great and walking, and cycling maybe? Good luck! X
Ugh, I feel your pain (literally!). I had exactly the same issue when I’d signed up for a half marathon a few years ago. Tendonitis so bad I couldn’t walk properly. I ended up rowing the half marathon instead (in the gym I hasten to add, not on a river!!). Its not completely non-impact but its much lower than running (and actually better for your overall fitness than running I think!).
Now I have to be very careful about my running but hey, worse things happen at sea!