Hi Folks
In less than two weeks the Dublin Neurological team will run the Wexford Half Marathon on 22nd April in aid of the DNI. Thank you to all who have sponsored us . To date we have raised over €1000. Training is going fairly well. Last weekend was the longest run, 1hour 45mins, which although wasn’t accurately measured was probably over the 10mile mark.
Training Regime
The training regime has taken the format of running and gym workouts on alternate days with interval rest days. I complete short runs midweek and at weekends a long run ranging from 1hour and 10mins upwards. In the gym we target upper limbs and abdominals to improve core stability with explosive lower limb strengthening to help running efficiency. Living near the coast is an added bonus particularly for long runs and interval training on the glorious Gormanstown and Mornington beaches. The rocks also come in very handy as weights!
Resources
There are a number of good resources that have helped with training. A very useful book is How to Train by Hal Hydon which provides training schedules depending on the distance being run. He advises a timed 10k run to give an estimate of the likely time to complete a Half Marathon. My timed 10K was 57mins therefore the estimated Half Marathon time is 2hours 10mins. This was disappointing as the previous Half Marathon was 1hour 48mins (but then that was fifteen years ago, Ive a few grey hairs since then!). Still the desire is to complete this Half Marathon in less than 2 hours.
Another good read is Paula Radcliffe’s book How to Run. It’s a very attractive easy read, well laid out with information on stretching/strength training, complete with illustration. She discusses the importance of nutrition, appropriate clothing and injury prevention and provides guidance on training schedules.
Injury Management
Despite stretching and gradual progression in running distance I have developed an ankle injury which persists the longer I run. My Physiotherapy colleagues at Dublin Physiotherapy Clinic, www.dublinphysio.ie have diagnosed a joint and ligament injury. It is likely that running pattern has contributed to this problem with a tendency to excessively pronate on landing. Relatively old trainers have not helped either. Thankfully it has improved considerably with manual therapy and stretching although running pattern needed to be addressed.
Check out Amphibian King, www.amphibianking.ie a specialist running shop in Bray who assess running pattern using video analysis. Their assessment clearly illustrated my faulty running pattern. Following their analysis we trialled a number of trainers and the pair chosen have certainly had a positive impact on foot alignment, stride and gait pattern. It is well worth a visit.
In the next two weeks I hope to complete 12miles and perhaps I might get under the two-hour mark on the day with a little more effort (and an engine).
Thank you to everyone who have so generously sponsored our team and for those who would like to donate you can send a donation to the Dublin Neurological Institute 57 Eccles Street D1 or visit my charity page at:
www.mycharity.ie/event/grainne_mckeowns_event/
Grainne McKeown
Physiotherapist in Neurorehabilitation
Dublin Neurological Institute
