Anyone ever run a 10K or half-marathon?

[CircleChange11]

Congrats Pirate. :wtg:

Training is going...well, I have to admit, not the greatest. My calves have been playing up and are taking 3 or 4 days to recover from anything over a mile run, so while they're fine while I'm running, and I'm in pretty good physical condition as far as weight and stamina, I'm not actually doing much running. I did just over 2 last week and 5 minutes after stopping, when I was walking home, my leg cramped up terribly in the street and I had to sit there for what seemed like hours for it to calm down.

The event is in 6 days, and I've not broken 2 and a half miles yet. In all honesty, I'm considering pulling out, mainly because of the short distance I've covered so far and for the fact that at this point, I don't trust my calves to be able to cover the distance. I just got back from holiday an hour or so ago, so I'm planning a 3 miles run tomorrow to see if I can make a last ditch effort to hit the distance, but if that doesn't work out, I probably won't take part.

"Gutted" doesn't quite cover it.

Sorry, I just saw this after I posted my other response.

My advice would be to incorporate some walking into the race, since you haven't reached 3 miles yet. Run a mile (10mins or so if you going easy), then walk 1-2 minutes, repeat.

Or

You could just gof or broke and enjoy the sufferfest. It's only 6 miles. Red line it, then back off, repeat ... or just take it easy, finish the race, and get the first one over with.

[MarkB]

Yeah, the plan's cancelled for this year. Tried a 1.5 mile run on Tuesday and the calves started with the cramps around a mile in, then after I had stopped at 2 miles, warmed down and stretched etc., 5 minutes later it seized up again, had to sit in the street for 10 minutes just to be able to walk home, and I barely made that.

So, screw it. I'm taking a few weeks off, going to stick to light skipping and regular walking to and from work as well as my regular cardio and weights, then, probably by early/mid-October, start fresh again, and hope they're recovered enough to get to normal training in. That way, if all goes well, I'll be in good shape for the start of the new year and can just work on distance alone between January and September with anything else being an added bonus.

Very disappointed that it didn't work out, though. I was really looking forward to it, but it's just another example of my body being as resilient as a chocolate fireplace. My only other worry is that, because my right knee has given me lots of trouble in the past, and the most severe cramps are always in my right calf, that there's something else underlying - knee causing problems with the calf, maybe. Might get that checked out sometime in the new year, if I'm still getting cramps.

Guys, thanks for all the feedback, especially Homer and Pirate. Although it obviously didn't work out for this year, I'll be using your advice for next year, so it's much appreciated. :)

[Homer]

sorry to hear that mark. but in all honesty, instead of listening to all these quick fixes, maybe trying seeing your doctor first. from the sounds of it, there are many possibilities that could be causing your legs to cramp. it's not all nutrition, hell it could be mechanical for all we know. but i suggest starting there. you can modify all the bananas and salt intake you want, but if you don't know for sure what's causing the cramps, you're just bobbing for apples. nutritionally, lots of things could cause cramping, including salt, potassium, calcium, water...but there are tons of mechanical issues that could do the same thing, such as improper biomechanics, flat feet...

when i was younger, i used to be a sprinter. so keep in mind, that long distance to me was anything more than 200 meters. well as i developed, my feet started getting really flat. got to the point that i quit track altogether cuz of the pain. long story short, i went on for the next 6 years without running at all cuz of it. finally told my doctor about it, who sent me to the podiatrist. he tried the orthotics, and it didn't help much. so he referred me to a chiropractor. well the guy put in different orthotics and after a few weeks of treatment, i was running again. by the end of the year, i ran a half marathon (remember i was a sprinter). i ran the marathon a year later. now i'm not giving medical advice here since i have no idea about the entire picture, but it sounds to me that at least some of your problem might be mechanical. if it were me, i'd see all of them to figure it out. but hell, i missed running so much that i'd go forrest gump if given the opportunity.

[MarkB]

Thanks Homer, good to hear you got your problem sorted out. Loving the Forrest Gump reference! Previously, I didn't run much at all (attracts a lot of attention, if you know what I mean) but after getting a taste for it, I've actually enjoyed it and find myself just wanting to go for a run for no real reason, at varying times of day. Even last week, I was up late one night at about 3am and found myself actually wanting to go for a run before bed - at 3 in the morning! It's addictive, I'll give it that much.

For my knee problems, I've been to 3 of my G.P.'s (one said it looked like cartilage inflammation, another said I could have a torn ACL and another said there was nothing wrong :roll: ), was then referred to a physiotherapist and wasted 2 months there, then had MRIs and X-Rays done, neither of which found any problems, other than a benign cyst in the back of my knee, which I didn't know about, but apparently wasn't causing any problems, so didn't require any treatment. No structural damage, no wear and tear, no worn cartilage - nothing. Now, this was around 2 years ago and I haven't had any problems over the last 8-12 months, but it's probably worth getting checked out anyway.

[Homer]

have they done a nutritional analysis? looked at your blood work? taken a urine sample? have they looked at your feet? or hips? or back? how about the muscular balances? have they looked at how your muscles fire in balance when you walk or run? mri's and x-rays don't always find something. the thing about them is that we can take an mri of everyone walking down the street, and the majority of them will have something wrong on the mri, yet have no symptoms. point being, there's obviously something going on that they're not detecting, otherwise you wouldn't be in such pain. and i love physiotherapy, but i question the need for it before finding the actual problem. why stretch and strengthen the tissues around something that is injured? i'd personally want to know what the problem is first and then fix it before going through rehab for it. i would personally suggest to be persistent and find out more definitively what the problem is first. if i was over there, i'd be able to recommend you to a sports specialist. alas, i'm way over here :(

[MarkB]

Nope, not had any testing done on these cramps yet, it was just my knee problems a couple of years ago. I agree on the physio, seemed pointless at the time when I could tell there's a problem somewhere, but the imaging wasn't picking it up, whatever it is. If anything, if there's an injury, physio would make it worse and delay healing because you're trying to strengthen a muscle or tendon that's damaged - how far can a rope stretch before it snaps?

I've got another week off in September, so I'll see how it goes and probably take a trip to the doctor to find out what's going on and see if I can get it checked again. Can't see anything technologically advanced being used through - U.K's NHS system, per patient costs rise dramatically when you start getting MRI scans and X-rays etc., so they try to go on manual diagnosis as much as possible and you only get referred if it's really necessary.

Also, just done a little quick and nasty research on cysts and I may have found something...hmm. From the Wikipedia page on cysts;

Locations

* Arachnoid cyst (between the surface of the brain and the cranial base or on the arachnoid membrane)

* Baker's Cyst (behind the knee joint)

From the page on Baker's Cysts;

A Baker's cyst, otherwise known as a popliteal cyst, is a benign swelling found behind the knee joint.

In adults, Baker's cysts usually arise from almost any form of knee arthritis and cartilage (particularly the meniscus) tear.

The synovial sack of the knee joint can, under certain circumstances, produce a posterior bulge, into the popliteal space, the space behind the knee. When this bulge becomes large enough, it becomes palpable and cystic. Most Baker's cysts maintain this direct communication with the synovial cavity of the knee, but sometimes, the new cyst pinches off. A Baker's cyst can rupture and produce acute pain behind the knee and in the calf and swelling of the calf muscles.

A burst cyst can cause calf pain, swelling and redness that may mimic thrombophlebitis or a potentially life-threatening deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which may need to be excluded by urgent blood tests and ultrasonography. Although an infrequent occurrence, a Baker's cyst can compress vascular structures and cause leg edema and a true DVT.

Many activities can put strain on the knee, and cause pain in the case of Baker's cyst. Avoiding activities such as squatting, kneeling, heavy lifting, climbing, and even running can help prevent pain.

:|

[RaptorQuiz]

A cyst in a joint like a knee is a nasty thing, and can simulate the pain of moderate arthritis.

I've had my knee put back together twice now (thanks to high school sports, and the United States Army) - and I have had never-ending problems ever since.

It's so hit-and-miss as to be highly frustrating.

One day I can literally run 5 miles with little or no problem.

Then another day I might simply spend too much time walking around a shopping mall or something, and my knee swells up and hurts like hades.

It's infuriating.

At one point I had complete tears of the ACL and PCL and a 70% tear of the MCL. According to my last doctor's visit, there is apparently trouble brewing with the MCL again, which is allowing lateral movement, which is over-stressing the ACL and PCL.

Sigh.

EDITED to remove exaggeration of my athletic prowess. :wink:

[MarkB]

Knowing the pain that an injured knee can cause, your post made me squint, RQ. Reading about torn ACLs is like scratching nails on a chalkboard these days.

Hope the MCL turns out OK...but I get the feeling it won't. :(

[Homer]

yep, knee injuries absolutely suck. they're never easy to fix, and patients hate hearing that a change of lifestyle is in store.