Thanks for the comments you two, they are positive and constructive.

I have officially withdrawn from Draycote and have spent today reading back over the last 4 years in my training diaries and have decided that when I did FLM2002 I trained steadily, with some x training, my legs were stronger - we had our horse then and I was riding at least 2 days every week - and I didn't increase mileage on the long runs by more than 10% ever. After that I had a good rest of the year, entering and completing a couple of half marathons and a 10 mile race, all of which I gained PB's in which I have never come near repeating. I also noticed that if I got a niggle I backed off the mileage for a couple of days, even rested if need be, before it got too bad.
After that year I had a year when things were not good for me, other life events and illness intervened and I ran sporadically during 2003 until the spring of March 2004 when I took myself in hand and started doing some proper training again. Unfortunately I have had just about every injury since coming back and these can mainly be put down to over training, training when niggled, setting my goals too high for the fitness I have, entering events when injured and not healing properly before I start training for them again. The need to run no matter what else is happening has taken over and the depression when that doesn't go to plan is getting worse.
I need to learn from this as I am not moving forwards. I WILL do the marathons and ultras, I just need to approach them in the right way. The way I have been training is destructive, both physically and mentally. I have used running to be happy, as an anti-depressant, to run away from problems, to sort out my life, as I suppose most people do from time to time, but lately its become a stress. I've been trying to ignore the injuries (not just this recent one but all the others last year) and keep to targets which I will not waver from.
Its time to change.
Back to basics.

Strength, as you have pointed out, is the key.
No mileage increases greater than 10% per week.
A step back week every 3 weeks.
No entering events unless I am fit and able to train for them.
X training every week.
Be happy!!
It will all work out ok, keep smiling.

I like the idea of a couple of smaller triathlons. It could be fun and the other excercises will be good for me.

Thanks again. hearing your comments really does make me think about what I am doing and where its all going.

Thanks Sue, for your positive comment. I posted my dismal entry then read yours and it made me feel better.

Thinking now that I may not do Draycote. Its going to be a very tough decision but I think I would be silly if I risked permanent damage to my knees by carrying on increasing the training with an injury still present. Maybe its the long-distance mental attitude that makes me want to carry on no matter what and ignore the pains, but realistically I will be better off getting stronger and trying again when its all healed well.

I can still carry on running in the meantime, just not for such long times.

I really need a few more weeks to train for this event and I just haven't got it. My long runs are nowhere long enough and my knees actually kept me from sleeping last night, not pain but sort of tingling.

And I am entered for the Neolithic Marathon on May :0))

I have a dilemma. Do I accept that my knees are not going to get better quickly enough for me to Draycote or do I keep trying to increase my mileage gradually and hope for the best? Trev has had a talk with me this morning and now I feel despondent. He says I should realise that I always get injured when training for the marathons and maybe its time I settled for running shorter distances (which I don't want to do), that maybe my body just isn't biomechanically right for long distance running because for the last couple of years I do all this training then miss out on the actual event.I feel sad thinking that I may have to stop running so far but in the back of my mind I have a feeling that maybe he is right? Am I just being unrealistic in my goals? I really don't enjoy the shorter runs as much as the longer ones and I need to have something to aim for, something to achieve that I enjoy. I have my heart set on more marathons and an ultra. I just don't know if I will ever make it.I really don't know what to do :0(

Another very windy day. After the calm foggy days of the pre-Christmas period its good to have some decent sunshine again but I really wish the wind would drop for a while.
My knees seem to hurt when I am running head into the wind, not when goes around the other way. I must stretch them in a while as they are feeling tight and a little sore. After the first mile I felt no soreness/stiffness in them today but don't know why I did at all as for the last few runs they have been fine.

4 miles
Average pace 11.38
Average HR 141
Peak HR 165
45.53 minutes

Tuesday 2nd January

A short recovery run, really done to see how the knees will hold up to running on consecutive days. Still wearing the support on alternating knees and everything felt ok.
Did lots of stretching later in the day.

3 miles
33.20 minutes
Average pace 11.06 (including a couple of minutes walk to warm up)
Average HR 135
Peak HR 153

Its the start of a new year and time to write down my hopes and ambitions for this one.

1. Not to put so much pressure on myself to get to certain mileages that I become very disappointed if I don't achieve them.

2. To do an Ultra.

3. To do a Marathon.

4. To stay as injury free as possible. In 2006 I spent 2 months with almost nil mileage whilst recovering and have only had 6 months where the mileage has been over 70 miles per month.
The total mileage for the year was 745 which is not enough for what I want to do but not too bad considering the injury time I had.

5. To keep my weight quite constant. I would like to lost about 6lbs, bring my to 10st 2lbs which is a more realistic target than that of last year. This should be achievable without too much effort. The increase in training should deal with most of that.

6. To cycle and swim more than last year. The cross training should help reduce the injuries whilst making my body stronger for running.


I think that's enough things to be aiming for. This morning I had my first run on the year. I rally enjoyed it, despite the wind being so strong I had to walk at one point, running being impossible. The sun was shining and it was a lovely start to the year.

8 miles
1 hour 31
Average pace 11.37
Average HR 147
Peak HR 166

Saturday 30th December.

4 easy miles





Thursday 28th December

2 runs today totalling 8 miles.
All ok, knees felt good. Still wearing support on alternate knees.




Monday 25 CHRISTMAS DAY

A short 3 miler, lovely to be out when no-one else was about. Knees fine.




Saturday 23rd December

4 miles brisk




thursday 21st

3 miles tempo

First time for ages I've run quicker and it felt really good. Knees ok during and after.




Tuesday 19th December

11.5 miles
run/walk




Friday 15th December

3 easy miles




Tuesday 12

4 easy miles




Saturday 9th December

8 miles run/walk
nice easy pace





Wednesday 6th December

3 easy miles



Monday 4th December

Went for a little run, nice and easy and knees protested a little, mixed it with a bit of walking.

3 miles




Wednesday 6th

Another short run, running the whole way this time but knees ached a lot after. Getting a bit dispondent.

3 miles



Saturday 9th December

I've done a lot of stretching over the last couple of days but have cut out the excercises that the new fizz gave me as they are making my knees sore again, just when they were getting to feel better. This has made me feel very fed up but I am determined I will get the better of this injury. I have gone back to the more basic excercises (which don't hurt) and have bought a knee support, which the original fizz had suggested I use while the excercises are making the muscles stronger.
Anyway, I am more heartened after my run today. I stretched before, during and after and even several hours later the knees are ok. I am feeling more positive and if the knees are ok in a day or two then I know that my own rehabilitation programme is probably better than the one I had been following.
I mixed running and walking again, more running than walk today. It was a lovely sunning morning, the wind brisk to start with but that dropped off after a while. Chilly but good.


8 miles (approx 2 miles walk/6 miles run)
Average HR 135
1 hour 45 minutes approx
Average pace 13.25

Sunday 3rd December

My knees are feeling a little wobbly inside and creaky but no pain at all after yesterday's effort so I am still wearing a big smile today.






Saturday 2nd December

Today looked the best day for running according to the weather forcast, wind and gales due on Sunday and I woke to calm skies and warmish weather. So I went out for a longish run/walk and for the most part kept to 10 mins of alternating each. In total I ran 7 miles and walked 4 miles which I am very pleased with. I had no pain at all in the knees, only the left one feeling a little niggly on the outside near the end of the run. The ankle a little sore, but getting a lot better - today was the first time since injuring it 4 weeks ago that I have ventured off road for a short bit of the run - and the calf was fine.
So I am very pleased with that. I will continue to do the long runs with the walking breaks for a while so that everything continues to get stronger but things are looking good now. Yahay!!!!!!!!

11 miles (7run/4walk)
Average pace 13.6
Average HR 136
2 hours 30 minutes




Wednesday

I ran 4 miles (including the first 1/4 mile as a warm up) and the knees, ankle and calf were all ok.
The knees are a little painful - especially the right one - when walking upstairs, getting up from sitting, bending forwards with weight on knee etc but there is definately an improvement.

I went to the physio in the evening. He has given me several strengthening excercises to do as well as carrying on with the stretches. He also massaged my ITB and quads, which he said were very tight. Ouch!!! Probably the worse things I have had massaged, so painfull, so why did I laugh all the way through it?? Weird.
I am supposed to go back next week again but its expensive and I think I will have to leave it until after Christmas. I will just carry on with what he has been doing and hope that I continue to see improvements, which I am sure I will.