Session 51/2014 – Recovery test – 8.5 km – 06.04.2014

I ran into some of the 21,000 participants of “Spar Womens Run 10/5k”

I had other plans for this week…

I wanted to have a last intense training week with one 30 km fast run and a final long 40 km run with 15 km at race pace.

It came differently…

The slight injury I mentioned 4 days ago did force me to skip both runs. I know, mentally this is much harder than from a training perspective. The race pace runs would have been good to improve my speed and also give me the mental strength for race day.

But injuries need to get their attention. I used lots of Voltaren and some ice during this 3 day running break.

Isn’t that funny? 3 days of not running called a “running break” 🙂

The recovery of this slight pain in my left food/shin went pretty well. I did not have any pain since I ran the last time, but there was a little swelling.

I was thinking back and forth if I should try a very easy run this morning with my dog or not. And I opted for “run”.

I really took it easy and it was good. Mentally in particular.

I did not have any pain at all. The swelling still is there. I feel it while I ran. During these 8 km neither the swelling grew nor did I experience pain. When I ran on a grass field I did not even feel the swelling.

Now, 5 hours after the run, I almost feel nothing unusual any more. I believe that the running might even have helped. I applied again some Voltaren and ice and will continue with that treatment.

I had a similar (but more serious) injury when I prepared for my first Two Oceans in 2009. There I went to a doctor and a physiotherapist, and they said that slight running would even be better than not running at all. It was simply an overload issue.

Prior to the injury now I did my intense long 50.4 km run. The weeks before I did not run too many hills, and during the 50 km I had a 5 km hill after 38 km and some downhill at the very end. No wonder my body reacted this way…

So, the mood is good and if I am lucky and the swelling goes away during the week, I’ll have a 20 – 25km run with race pace elements later this week.

It’s 13 days to go to 2014 Two Oceans Marathon.