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I have officially withdrawn from Draycote and have spent today reading back over the last 4 years in my training diaries and have decided that when I did FLM2002 I trained steadily, with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