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I’m able to do a limited range of exercises indoors (rowing machine, dumb turbo, weights, core stuff). It’s the outdoors coupled with the innate joy of running dynamics. I went for a 13k walk that included some greenery, and my spirits soared up until the point where my Achilles started hurting.

I used to like dad o’ clock solo rides when not doing the crepuscular group thing on a Tuesday, but then I just gave up completely about six years ago, flogged some bikes, remembered I like running better. My son’s pretty handy too.

Now the athletics season’s so fucked I can forget about the National Masters’ in Aug/Sep, I’m taking the opportunity to rest and hopefully fix my tendinopathy, and this has meant dusting off the 2002 Kinesis winter trainer (my one remaining geared bike) and my 2003 Cycleops turbo to try and keep my heart and lungs ticking over. I may even end up on Zwift if I get the requisite tech…

Next thing you know I’ll be trolling the fuck out of this forum again.

I had to complete my annual appraisal form for work, and I just submitted a paragraph stating I reject their meaningless metrics and tick-box frameworks.

I do enjoy acting on impulse, it must be said.

I’m doing six weeks without running or similar plyometric activity. Hoping my Achilles will return the favour by regenerating completely. It’s been about 10 days, and I’m enjoying being able to walk normally from my bed to the toilet in the morning. It’s a fucking miracle. But as of today I’m starting to think the psychological impact of not going out to run is becoming apparent, because (in a quiet and internalised way) I’ve felt like smashing objects and faces all day.

Probably. This paper’s a good summary: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Henning_Langberg/publication/42389969_The_pathogenesis_of_tendinopathy_Balancing_the_response_to_loading/links/0c96053182614e753b000000/The-pathogenesis-of-tendinopathy-Balancing-the-response-to-loading.pdf?origin=publication_detail

And the magic graph:

Hmm, where to start…

There’s a lot of literature out there. Current clinical protocols could be summarised as:

Complete rest: no
Stretching: no
Managed load: yes
Eccentrics: yes
Isometrics: yes
Inflexible shoe: no
Stiff heel counter: no
Plyo: not until a long way into rehab
Heavy slow resistance: yes
Direct massage: no
Release of calf muscles: yes

I’ve not been consistently pain-free for nearly 2 years now, always succumbing to my urge to compete (everything from 60m, to XC, to half marathon). So I’m now thinking I’ll forget my goals for this fucked-up season, take a prolonged break from running (an essentially plyometric activity), keep working rehab, reintroduce running VERY carefully a few months down the line.

Best case scenario, I’m able to compete next year; middle case scenario, I’ll be competitive for the National Masters’ stuff in a few years when I enter the 50-59 category; worst case scenario, I’ve left it too long without resting from hard running/sprinting, and sections of my Achilles are irreparably dysfunctional and/or necrotised.

I’m finding it hard to be upbeat about it today.

One salient fact, if your injury is less chronic than mine, and something I’ll be adhering to on my return to running: tissue degradation is a normal response to training, and occurs in concert with tissue synthesis immediately afterwards. But the rate of degradation is higher than the rate of synthesis until 30 to 36 hours have elapsed (more time the older you get). Therefore high frequency training runs a real risk of exacerbating injuries.

I also prefer the morning, but have to be up on my feet for about an hour first until my Achilles eases up and I can stop hobbling.

On the warm-up issue discussed a few pages back, post-hobble I always do a few joint loosening movements (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, ankles), and sometimes some glute activation things, but this is mainly because I’m old and knackered.

Everyday running: first km >5min/k pace, then ease into my steady pace.

parkrun, etc.: progressive ~3k up to ~4min/k pace, then 3 or 4 sets of strides (and maybe a bit of arm/leg swinging if I still feel creaky).

Winter Track: 3-5km steady jog, few sets of strides.

Summer Track: as above, plus about 20min of drills.

Racing 60 to 1500m: as above, plus more dynamic stretching, push outs (if using blocks), few more progressive strides – basically takes an hour to get ready for a 7 or 8 second race.

Cooling down? Limping home, or a few times round the track, some foam rolling and stretching at some point. All very rigorous and diligent, and yet I still have issues. What can you do?

Well done to the Wollaton Park crew. I’ve opted out of XC since Xmas, but my son’s still trudging.

He’s had illness coinciding with Championship races this season which has knocked his motivation and fitness. Pity, as looking at the usual suspects from Met League etc. he could’ve got around 50th yesterday, rather than 100 places further down. Still, he enjoyed it and has the intraclub competition sewn up.

Fingers crossed he gets his mojo back for track season, but I won’t pressure him. We’ll be in the same middle distance training group from this Thursday. Gulp.

Nothing inferred, nothing gained.

It’s probably the best thing about parkrun, particularly once you’ve started racing proper elsewhere.

One last word on HiFi parkrun. The week after the pacing thing, i.e. March 7th, it’s our International Women’s Day event. The volunteer team will be 100% woman… and there are still gaps to fill. Check the roster page for the current state of play.

If this might apply to you, and you’re keen to help, please email highburyfields@parkrun.com

@Brum I’m going to deploy Occam’s Razor and suggest you try going up half a size on your established preference. As long as the shoe’s secure around the saddle, what’s to lose?

(Probably ~£100 🤷‍♂️)

PS. I’m not the event director. Just a current core team member.

I can’t take any credit for the idea. It’s something many parkruns have done from time to time. We got a new set of pacer bibs so are trying to make it a more frequent occurrence. And we’re always open to individuals volunteering as pacers on any given week (if arranged in advance).

For all you people considering an lfgss parkrun at Highbury Fields on Feb 29th, you might like to know it's a pacer week. I'm organising. Obviously none of us are pro-pacers, but we'll all do our best.

Currently there's someone for every time from 19 to 32 inclusive, plus 40. Might get some late volunteers for some of the 33 to 39 slots. MrsFix is doing 32, and I'm doing 20. Currently just about hanging on to that sort of 5k pace as I'm focused on much shorter stuff at present.

So if you're aiming for a particular time, you might have some help. But bear in mind we've been maintaining an attendance of ~500 on a 5-and-a-bit lap course with a few pinch points, so you may have to prioritise courtesy over glory. And if you try to snow-plough anyone with a buggy, I will fucking deck you.

I don’t have anything to contribute, but hello and I hope all is well with yourself and the rest of the online community (except @hippy, the fat fuck).

What? Oh nothing.

What's a 'red-walk'?

Having hovered briefly outside the national top 10 for my age group in 800 (after trying my first ever race at that distance - horrible), I'm aiming to crack the top 10 for the 400 and 800. Need some speed too, so based on stats, time goals are:

200 - 25 something
400 - 55 something
800 - 2.05

All the fives. I'm not far off, so hoping a much more focused winter and spring will hone the strengths and bolster the weaknesses. Trouble is the way my age increases. I've yet to find a way to slow or stop that process.

The residual urge to run a sub-17 parkrun persists, but 5ks are just a general fitness thing for me now rather than a target. My 13-year-old son is more of a diesel middle-distance-and-up runner than me, so I think next year might be the one where he bests me in an honest 5k duel. Hope so.

Join ussssssss…

Go for it, but don't be like the occasional psycho participant who's been annoying other parkrunners by using his kid's buggy like a snow plough. Grrr.

My XC game is weak this year :(

Never mind. Other priorities…

Hello. I'm still running, and have enjoyed catching up on the past few months of the thread (though I've been keeping abreast of some people's runs on Strava).

In one way, I'm about to come full circle with running (ignoring childhood/teen efforts). It was about three years ago I was cajoled into trying a parkrun after a 30-year running hiatus. In time – after a few months of predictable mistakes and injuries – that led to volunteering, joining a parkrun event core team, encouraging both wife and son to get involved with running and volunteering, helping out at the juniors as well (there's quite a buzz to be had from scanning the barcodes of six-year-olds dressed as a banana and a pineapple who've just tried to outsprint each other in the funnel), first finishes, and an age group course record. Meanwhile parkrun led to me joining a club (one of the developments encouraged by the parkrun core values document), and that opened a whole universe of training, cross-country, camaraderie, track and field, vets' leagues, 5ks, 10ks, HMs, trail runs, and getting very cold standing around between mine and my son's races. Peak dad-life. I've also become quite the expert in tendinopathy rehab protocols and tissue degradation/synthesis research (but would rather not have needed to).

Now, after much arm-twisting by the more virtuous part of my brain, and having done pretty much every other role, I've finally agreed to be a run director at the end of the month, donning the new and not-very-visible RD's vest, and our crowdfunded defibrillator in its own mini rucksack. Obviously I'm shitting myself, but nothing ventured…

And prior to that I'll be doing the 20min pacing this weekend (unless I get a bad tendinopathy flare-up) if anyone's looking to cross that particular threshold doing five-and-a-bit laps at Highbury Fields in North London.

Are we doing goals for 2020 yet? I have mine, but fuck knows if I'll stick to them. Famously fickle.

My body is very confused by my brain’s sudden lack of patience for long running and resultant switch to sprint training. It’s amazing how quickly one mindset can usurp another. If only the physiological were as instantly malleable as the psychological.

I was satisfied with a big PB in the Vitality Half despite the wind (1:21), but by the time I ran the Vicky Park 5 miler about a month later, the only thing I enjoyed was the sprint finish for a 28:52.

Between those two camps, my son and I entered our respective first 800m races, though grading meant the inevitable inter-generational showdown will have to wait. 800m, then. What a fucking cruel race that is. I went through 400 in 61s thinking, ‘well this is all a bit comfortable’, but then 100m later whatever energy system I’d been using shutdown and I was left to endure 300 of the most spasmodic metres I’ve ever run in my life, positive splitting like no-one’s business to finish in 2:10. Never have I felt so much like a 400m runner. My son nailed his pacing like a boss, the U13 cunt. (proud dad)

He’s all set for the London Mini Marathon next week. I’ve got to get my shit together for the Middlesex Champs 200 & 400 and then a 10k that counts towards some intra-club competition. I need to stop entering races 3 months in advance.

Well done/good luck to all spring marathoners!

Well done to all the XC people at the Nationals. Tynan sort of enjoyed it, but twisted his ankle a bit on the downhill. Definitely didn't sound very XC-y conditions. Finished in the top half, and first London Heathsider. Plenty to build on for next year (if he wants) when he'll be top of the age group with a year's club training/competing in his legs.

I got another 7th place finish this week (1st V45) in the Thames Hare & Hounds 'Dash For The Splash' 10k. Really fun route with hills, twisty wooded singletrack, fallen trees to hurdle, a few boggy patches, and a brook to cross (ended up being about 10m wading, wet shorts 'n' all). Sticky toffee pudding instead of a medal. Delicious, but made my bag a bit heavy on the way home.

I'm not running the Nationals, but my son is in the U13s. Don't know what name he's under. He joined the club too late to enter, but has a reserve place due to 'person x' dropping out. Should be a great experience for him. I won't be there to cheer on him and any of you lot though. Handing him over to the club officials at aaaaaargh o' clock on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile I got a 7th place finish in the Harrow Hill 10k carrying a soleus sprain. Missed the V40 top spot – outpaced by a 42-yr-old whippersnapper. Had a few days off. Achilles happier, soleus still vulnerable to damage from any kind of stretching. I have the most random collection of events to do over the next few weeks (road/trail/5 mile up to 15) and then, ankles permitting, I want to revisit my youth and do some sprint training. Plummeting mileage ahoy!

PS. Anyone wondering about New Balance Beacons and their Ground Contact Fresh Foam innovation, the longevity's fine. I retired my first pair at 825k due to some midsole compression. Probably would've pushed them further if I hadn't already had a spare pair waiting. The first lot are now a walking/casual shoe. Plenty more life in them for that. Blah.