2007/2008 Update

Well it was nigh on time i did an update. Its been really cool over the last year, hearing how many folk have actually read my blog and thankfully, its achieved what i wanted it to, which was give everyone who is interested in this kind of event, a really good insight into it at a personal level, to “feel” that they are there and what it is like.

So after the MDS, i had quite strongly decided that that was it. No more. Nada. Kaput. But hey, you know how it goes....

Once i got home, i was in a world of pain. I had shin splints in my right leg and had seriously strained the muscle at the front of my ankle, between the foot and shin. This was caused by movement at awkward angles travelling over sand-dunes. I had some blisters on my right and left feet and one big one on my left heel. Barring some other cuts and bruises, that was it.
It took me roughly two weeks to get rid of most of the above. The heel took about 6 weeks and the shins took about 2 months to clear up.

I rested a month and did very little, which was the rest of April pretty much. At the beginning of May, i went out and did some light running. What i found, was that after a mile or two, i was getting a lot of pain right across my quads. Believe me, it really hurt! So i was having to stop and walk after the pain got too much. Having had a word with a good mate of mine, Andrew Murray, we agreed that it was likely that it was still my body feeling the after-effects of the MDS. It would make sense after all, having pushed my body way further than i ever had before, specially far beyond my fitness level for sure.

So i took his advice and tried to run through it as much as possible. It wasn’t easy at first and was very uncomfortable, but eventually, things started to ease off and then i was suddenly fine. Once the shin problem also went, then i felt ok to run once more and settled into some steady running over the next months.

I had booked to do the Dublin Marathon in October, so my target for my training was that for the time being. During this time, i had spoken to my good friend Shaun once more (over in Australia) and he had reiterated about going back and doing the Marathon des Sables once more. I had already paid a deposit to do 2008, but was indecisive, not really wanting to go through that hell again, but the more we talked, he knew i would go and he was right. So i agreed to go again on the 23rd edition of the MDS, but that was at the back of my mind, as i was just doing to spend the summer doing training for the Dublin Marathon. Believe it or not, this was to be my very first road marathon!

Training was going well. I was running on average 5 times a week, doing roughly 6-10 miles each time, with occasional 10-13 mile runs thrown in. I peaked them at 15 miles, which i felt was ok and had a plan to do one 26 miler, a few weeks before the marathon.
Anyway, around the middle of September, while out training, i was running through a wood, stumbled and collided with a tree and proceeded to bash myself pretty hard. I finished my run, but the next morning, i woke up in a lot of pain. I tried to run once more, but couldn’t due to the pain. So i went to A&E, got myself checked out and found that i had a fractured rib! The nurse told me that i needed to rest for 6 weeks and THEN i could maybe think about starting slowly back on a running program again. Trouble was, the marathon was in 7 weeks!!

I felt pretty gutted, but the folk that know me, know that i hate quitting and not being able to do stuff, so i sat there, getting more and more annoyed by the day, chomping at the bit to go. 6 weeks huh....well after 3.5, i thought thats enough. The pain was down to MDS level ie. Bearable. Its amazing how your tolerance levels to these things changes when you constantly liaise with it *grin*. I was able to run again, slowly for sure, but the rib didn’t hurt too much, so i was able to at least train all week. I settled into a slow stride which i was happy with. Come what may, i was at least training.

Each week after, the pain went and i was able to speed things up some. Sure, there still wasn’t a lot of time, but i felt a lot better for having at least trained a little. The last week before the marathon, i managed to run a 12 miler and a 13 miler, so i knew at least, i could run one-half of it, which i would be happy with.

So my plan was simply that. I knew my fitness was ok, not great, but my durability, due to the MDS, was very high. My plan was to basically run slowly and as far as i possibly could and then power-walk the remainder. It would be a good exercise, to see where i was at!
So the weekend came of the marathon (which was held on Monday 29th October). I flew over to Dublin, checked into my hotel, which was superb. Dropped my stuff off, and then off i went to look for the registration hall, which was about 3-4 miles away! Typical Irish! Anyway i got there, there was a huge queue as expected, but within 30 minutes i was inside. I got registered, got my free goodie bag and then went to mill around downstairs and check out all the cool running stuff, none of which i purchased, bar for a fridge magnet for my mum (who would nag me to death if i didn’t get her one!). On the way back to the hotel, i stopped in a souvenir shop and got the kids a few bits each and then headed back to the hotel, picking up some food on the way (all carb heavy). Almost back, it started to absolutely pour down! I Thought “oh great, what the hell is tomorrow going to be like!”.

Anyway i settled down, ate, relaxed, watched tv and went to bed.
Morning, i got up changed and ready and went down early for breakfast. Again, i ate well and covered most of the carb heavy stuff. Spoke to a husband and wife, who were well into marathons, this of course passed the time. Time was getting on, so i got upstairs, got my stuff and headed out of the hotel to the marathon start, which was about 20 mins walk away, so not too far really and easy to find, as i had passed there the day before. The weather was dry, cloudy, but not too bad at all. There was the odd break in the clouds and you could see a patch of blue here and there, so maybe a little sun. It was cold, but that was ok. As long as it wasn’t raining!

I got to the start and handed my bag in and was ready in a few minutes and good to go, so i meandered over to the masses who were at the start line. I went and stood right at the back and when i say at the back, i mean like there was not one soul behind me! That was fun! Anyway while waiting, i spoke to some of the folk there, waiting for the starting announcement. Before i knew it, away we went!

The race itself went without any problems bar for one thing. My shorts, which had seen 2 tours of the MDS, the stitching split all down one leg. This was at around 12-13 miles and i felt some real discomfort. When i looked, my leg was bleeding, having chaffed for about a fair while in a large appx 8 inch line! So i stopped at the medics and they gave me some safety pins and Vaseline. I rubbed the vas in, so it felt slick over the cut and then pinned the material together and once again i was good to go!

I got to half way and i felt great. I originally thought i would run out of steam at this point and walk, yet mile after mile passed and i felt fine, so i kept on running, steadily passing folk. It wasn’t a race at all for me, not in any sense. My only target, was to finish within 5 hours.
When i got to about 22 miles, my legs started to hurt. Slowly at first and then it began to build, so buy 24 miles i was rather uncomfortable, but i figured i had ran all this way, i may as well hang in there and finish this way, which is what i did. I managed to run the whole marathon! Something i always felt i would be unable to do so.

Ok...my time was a little pedestrian, in comparison to some of my friends, but i didn’t care. I had done it and thats all that mattered to me.

My finishing time was 4 hrs 36 mins, which was superb.

My times throughout the race were:
10km 1hrs 11mins
13miles 2hrs 22mins
20miles 3hrs 35mins

Nice and steady. I was very happy! Job done!

Afterwards, i was very sore and for some days after, but what an effort and i was very proud of myself.

The end of that week, i headed off to Australia for a nice, well deserved break and to go see some of my great friends over there.

While there, i managed to do a little running, but picked up another calf injury that never did quite go away. It niggled at me all through November and December. January saw that clear up to a degree and i then decided to get on some long-distance walking events with my mate James. This would be good 22-25 mile solid walks, with plenty of ascent, so perfect training for the Marathon Des Sables. I was back to training with my backpack on, at that time, i was carrying approx 6kg of weight. Throughout the month, i increased that to 10-11kg.
On the 2nd LDWA event, i injured myself really badly in a somewhat freakish accident, which left me with a twisted knee, damaged outer cartilage, tendons, hamstring and calf. I was gutted and really worried as i could hardly walk. In the end, i got hold of a strong knee support. Once i tried it on, i felt i could exercise to a degee, although uncomfortable, it held my knee together and enabled me to carry on! So thats what i did. I cancelled all the remaining LDWA events that i had planned and went back to my own training routes, although not as difficult or as testy as the events, it would enable my to train and know that my knee could have time to recuperate as much as possible. Getting to the start, while injured, but in as best a condition as i could, was my main priority.

So here i am. Not maybe in as tip-top shape as i would have wanted, but willing to give things a real crack!
Alan