So as 2016 draws to a close
it’s time to reflect on another year’s running and racing – my 30th
year of competitive running. To be
honest 2016 was rather frustrating as I seemed to spend the whole year taking
one step forward and two steps back. The
year got off to a particularly bad start when, just two weeks in, I developed a
recurrence of the high hamstring tendinopathy that I’ve had on and off for the
last couple of years. An MRI scan
revealed that this had caused a third stress reaction in my pelvis (ischial
tuberosity). So there I was yet again –
absolutely NO exercise whatsoever, as anything that used my hamstring would delay
or prevent healing. Obviously I was
gutted at not being able to run and totally fed up that this had happened for a third time. All the races I’d planned on
doing gradually came and went, including the British Championship 100k in
Perth, Scotland, which I’d set my sights on running in March. I did go to Perth with my coach, Les, as he
had another athlete running and we went as her support crew. At first I was very dubious about watching a
race that I was desperate to run in, but in actual fact I really enjoyed
crewing for Mel and found it was a really positive experience to be on “the
other side” at a race. It made me
appreciate even more just how much Les does for me when he’s supporting me.
As mentally tough as the
injury was, I just had to try and accept it and make sure I was disciplined
about resting it and doing everything I could to help it heal. Luckily I’m the sort of person who is never
at a loose end, so I had plenty of other things to fill my time, which is so
important during times like this. Eventually,
after three months of complete inactivity, I took my first tentative steps back
“running” again. Of course I’d lost a
huge amount of fitness, and had put on several kilograms of weight, but I was
overjoyed to be able to run even just a short way, however slow it was. I very gradually built up the distance over
the next few weeks and by the middle of June was up to an hour of easy
running. It wasn’t all plain sailing and
I was still feeling my hamstring and getting pain in my hip, but with the
advice of my brilliant physio Mark Buckingham I was able to manage it enough to
be able to run.
Then, in the middle of June,
disaster struck again! I was out for an
easy run on the canal towpath when my foot caught a piece of stone and sent me
flying. Badly grazed and bruised knees
and elbows meant another few days rest / easy runs. Luckily things weren’t quite as bad as they
could have been and at the beginning of July I managed my first race of the
year – a 3000m track race for my club in the Midland League! 3000m is far too short and fast for me anyway
these days, but with my lack of fitness this one was even worse and I struggled
round finishing last but one! But just
by turning up and running I picked up some valuable points for my club, Leamington
C&AC, which is what League meetings are all about.
After this things started to
pick up – the length of my runs moved into double figures and I began to introduce
some slightly faster paced sessions. At
the beginning of August, on my 45th birthday (and in a new Masters
age group!), I ran the 18 mile option of the Railway Ultra near
Ironbridge. I felt really good at first,
but by 11 miles I really started to struggle – my legs were like lead weights
and I had to find every ounce of mental strength to keep going. I thought this was just down to my lack of
fitness, but over the next few days I developed a cold, which then transpired
to be a chest infection, resulting in a course of antibiotics and more time off
running! I didn’t know it at the time,
but this run would end up being my longest run of the year!
At the beginning of September
I gradually eased myself back into training again and ran the Kenilworth Half-Marathon
purely as a training run. I knew I was
nowhere near fit and deliberately started somewhere buried in the middle of the
pack, rather than at the front, which was in itself a novel experience! A couple of weeks later things started to
fall into place again. I had my first
attempt at a one-hour track race (round and round a 400m athletics track) and managed
to set a new British W45 Age Record of 14172 metres. A week later I was helping my club out again,
this time in the Midland Road Relays, although at just 4.3km the race was over
before I’d even got going!
A month after Kenilworth I
accepted an elite place in the BUPA Great Birmingham Run and found myself
appearing on Channel 5 TV as I lined up on the start alongside the likes of
Sonia Samuels, Elizeba Cherono, Andy Vernon and Chris Thompson. I ran 5 minutes quicker than I’d run at
Kenilworth, which was really encouraging and I felt things were going in the
right direction at last. The following
month, in November, I ran another half-marathon at Dorney Lake near Eton and
exceeded all my expectations finishing as first female and recording my fastest
half-marathon time for three years. I
was feeling really motivated and positive after this. I thought that I was finally getting
somewhere and my training was starting to pay off, and I was really
enthusiastic to get stuck into even harder training.
Throughout all these months of
trying to return to fitness I’ve been working closely with my physio, Mark
Buckingham, to try and address all the possible causes of the hamstring
tendinopathy. I’ve looked at Vitamin D
and bone density and I’ve been working really hard in the gym doing the
hamstring strengthening exercises that Mark has given me. In the last two or three months, once I’d
built my hamstring strength up, we’ve been looking at tweaking my gait to try
and recruit the ‘lazy’ muscles in my glutes and take some of the load off my
hamstrings. Basically, I’m re-learning
how to run! I’ve known for many years
that my glutes don’t fire as they should and I’ve tried to address this at
various times, seemingly without much success.
However, I’ve made a really concerted effort this time and I feel that I
might just possibly be making some progress.
It takes a lot of concentration while running, and a little bit of help
from Kinesio tape, but I’m determined to keep working at it. At the end of the day I’m not looking to
completely change the way I run as I don’t think that will ever happen, but if
I can make just a small percentage of difference to my gait I’m hoping it will
help. My hamstring tendinopathy still
isn’t 100% better and I’m still experiencing some discomfort in the area, but I’m
hoping that we can manage it enough to allow me to run and to prevent another
stress reaction.
The risk of trying to change
my running style was always going to be injury elsewhere as a result of other
muscles and tendons being asked to work differently. Sure enough this proved to be the case when I
developed very sore calves, with a small tear in the right one, after the
Dorney Lake race. So guess what, more
time off running! The positive high I’d
felt straight after the race soon turned to despair as I realised that my
hard-earned fitness was slipping away again.
I had three weeks of rest / minimal training and a visit to Mark who
confirmed the tear had healed and the soreness I was still feeling was scar
tissue. We both agreed, however, that
the risk of picking up other injuries was one worth taking in my quest to try and get my
glutes working.
My final race of 2016 was the
Christmas Cracker 20k at Moreton Morrell.
I’d been really looking forward to it – the same race last year had been
my 100th road race win and I was hoping to retain my ‘title’ and at
least run somewhere close to my 2015 time.
Sadly, with all the missed training from the calf tear I managed
neither, although in the circumstances 3rd lady wasn’t bad!
Another disappointment during
2016 was not being selected for the GB team for the World 100k Champs. in Spain. I was one of only two GB female athletes to
have achieved the qualifying standard, but I wasn’t selected, presumably
because the selectors decided I wouldn’t be fit enough after my hamstring
injury. Often selections are made based
on an athlete ‘proving their fitness’, but sadly I wasn’t given this
opportunity on this occasion. However,
in hindsight I think it was probably a blessing in disguise. With all the setbacks throughout the year I
would have struggled to be at full fitness and would not have done myself
justice in the race. I would have had my
work cut out trying to get enough long runs in and cramming them in would have
been asking for trouble in itself. As it
happens I’ve been able to take my return to fitness slowly and steadily and
have been able to give plenty of time to addressing my hamstring strength and
changing my gait.
Whilst 2016 has been
frustrating I’m trying to take the positives and look forward to building on
them in 2017. My total mileage for this
year is only 1,616 miles, which is a long way short of usual, but it could have
been worse and I’m grateful that I have at least been able to do some
running. I did manage my fastest
half-marathon for three years, set a British Age One-Hour Track Record and I
feel I’m making progress with my hamstring and glute strength. I experienced a race as a ‘support crew’ (which
was hopefully of assistance to Mel, and Les too!) and I have some fabulous
training partners at Leamington where I’m really enjoying our weekly track
sessions, overseen by Les of course. I’d
like to thank all of “Team Les” for their support and encouragement, both for
my successes and when things aren’t going so well – it really means a lot to me.
Also a massive thank you to Les for putting
up with me for 30 years and still setting my training schedules, overseeing
my sessions, supporting me at races, massaging, coming to physio appointments
and generally looking after me. He is my
star and I couldn’t do it without him.
I’m also indebted to Mizuno for their continued support with fantastic
shoes and kit and to The Warwickshire for the use of their gym. Strength and conditioning is an integral part
of my training, but the gym has been particularly invaluable for my specific
hamstring strengthening work. A huge
thank you must go to my brilliant physio Mark (even though his treatments can
be torture!) and particularly for his patience when I’m struggling to explain
exactly which bits hurt. And finally a
big thank you to my friends and family for being so understanding when my
training and racing has to come first.
Athletes need a good team around them and I’m extremely lucky and
grateful to have all these wonderful people supporting me. Whilst the latest setbacks this year have
already scuppered my plans for the early part of 2017 I’m sure that there will
be more races, fun and enjoyment to come.
One thing is for sure, my commitment and desire for training and racing
is still as strong as ever.
Here’s to 2017 – I hope it’s a
happy, healthy and successful one for you all.
