Half Marathon Training | Week 4 | Diary of an injured runner

Half Marathon Training | Week 4 | Diary of an injured runner

I actually can’t believe I’m up to Week 4 already! I’m so far behind schedule due to injury and it feels like every time I run I end up with a new or an even worse injury!

Monday | Week 4 | Rest Day
You know one of those days where you’ve earned your rest days? Yep, that. While I didn’t particularly push myself in the same way I would usually at a race yesterday, I have this very painful bruise on my thigh. I’ve decided that this week I’m going to only do 1 run (a fairly easy paced 4 ish miler) and the rest of my cardio will be at home workout DVDs and time on the spin bike. I need to get my cardiovascular strength up if nothing else so at least I’m fit for the race (even if my injuries aren’t).

Hello Bath Skyline bruise

Tuesday | Week 4 | At Home Workout DVD
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of my red medals! ?

I’ve been doing this Ministry of Sound Pump It Up Ultimate workout DVD for nearly 15 years now and I love it just as much as when I first bought it! It’s around 1hr 15 mins from start to finish which includes a warm up, two cardio sections, strength training and a long cool down. Usually I’ll neglect the cool down because it’s pretty boring but I made sure I did the lot.

I did have some pain in both of my legs pretty much the whole time I was doing this. It’s very high impact so much like running really but it’s not the same constant pounding of the pavements.

Can never stop the Labrador joining in too, I must look like I’m having fun and she’s left out!

Calories burned: 435
Time in Zone 5: 10:42
Time in Zone 4: 23:02

Wednesday | Week 4 | Felt the Burn
Definitely feeling my workout from yesterday, trying to raise my arms in any kind of fashion was more difficult than usual! I can’t even remember the last time I did a push up so I’m not surprised.

Thursday | Week 4 | Rest Day
Had to take pupper to the vets today, she’s got a skin infection so I had to pop her into the bath and wash her tummy. Even though she’s a Labrador, she’s no fan of baths so that was almost a mini workout trying to do that!

Friday | Week 4 | Unplanned Rest Day
So today I was going to go on the spin bike, but silly over here didn’t eat enough throughout the day and I was so hungry when I got home from work there was no way I could have done any time on the bike. Instead I put my feet up and had a nice relaxing evening. It works out better if I do my cardio tomorrow anyway because that means it will time perfectly for my race on Sunday…. right….

Saturday | Week 4 | Easy 4 Mile Run
I know I call all of my runs ‘easy’ but that’s because I cannot push myself because of injury. In other news, I picked up my parcel from the Post Office which was my new unicorn running leggings hoorayyy! Although, I actually felt great while I was doing this, I planned for 4 and nearly went for 5 miles but the sensible person in me said that I should quit while everything’s good. I had no pain in my legs at all or anywhere else which was just amazing. I was wearing my old trusty Nikes though which aren’t the best trainers ever as they’re well overdue a throwing out!

I cooled down with a short pupper walk but I could feel straight away that I was going to suffer from this easy run. My foot pain was back and nothing I did was making it feel any better. I tried stretching out my entire leg, doing ankle exercises and then had a bath but nothing eased it at all. This just sucks! My half marathon is in around 6 weeks and there’s no way I’m going to be able to get the mileage up in training to be even half prepared for it.

Sunday | Week 4 | Recovery Day
Let’s not call today a rest day as, lets be honest, I am totally in recovery today! It’s no big surprise to me that today I am suffering from the week’s workouts (and I even skipped a day!!). This morning when I woke up, my old friend plantar greeted me as I stepped out of bed. This just can’t go on, I need to see a physio ASAP.

One good thing about the week, I ordered some new trail shoes! I can’t wait to try them out, although, I did commit the sins of 1) not testing them out first and 2) ordering them in my actual shoe size. My Brooks size 5s are a whole size bigger than my usual shoe size (which I was fitted for and I know that’s the way it’s supposed to be) but I have never had so many blisters from a running shoe ever and that’s including all of the cheaper ‘fashion’ trainers I’ve owned over the years. EVERY time I wear them, I have terrible blisters on the back of my heel and I just have to accept that when I wear them, I’ll be bleeding all over the show and in pain.

I’m always really inspired by other people who have overcome worse injuries than I have and are stronger and better runners for it. It gives me hope. If you’re one of these people I’d love to hear what injuries you’ve come back from.

Half Marathon Training Journal

1 Comment

  1. March 22, 2018 / 11:26 pm

    I always thought you should go only half a size up on your running shoes? Maybe the difference of one whole size is what’s causing your feet to rub at the back. I would also throw out your old trainers. It sounds like they’re what’s causing your plantar fasciitis. It’s exactly the same as what happened to me. I got new shoes and I’m all good again after suffering for nearly 2 years with the darn thing!

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