Crash and Burn - 2010

A lot has changed since I last posted on here.

2010 goals - I only managed three. 1) Pass Med I and Med II. 2) Work too many hours per week. 3) Sub 1.28 half marathon.

I had a fairly good first half of the year in terms of running. I lost the first couple of months to overwhelming fatigue - again. But by mid-April I could train a bit again and I was running quite well in May. Despite not much training I was putting out good results - 10.36 for 3km, 18.36 for 5km, 22.50 at Jells Park - 6km. I was really happy with those results.

At the start of May I had my peak - two weeks in Traralgon for uni which were two of the best weeks of my life. We had a fun group staying there and did some interesting things. But I also did some fantastic running, particularly with Kathryn and the Traralgon Harriers. This culminated in a 27k long run, by myself around Traralgon.
The week after I came back to Melbourne I hurt my Achilles at Tuesday training. Sandown was 1.5 weeks away and Christchurch was 2.5 weeks away, more importantly. I nursed the Achilles to get through Sandown and it seemed to get better. However, when I warmed up for Sandown I had the most excruciating pain in my ribs. Usually my ribs are a bit sore while training but this pain was BAD. There was no way I could run for 38 or so minutes with that pain. So I watched Sandown to get ready for the more important Christchurch half marathon.

I had put a lot into Sandown - paying for my Dad and I to go there for 3 nights just so I could run a half marathon. Dad had never been overseas so it was a big trip. There was no way I could go there and not do the race. During the week between Sandown and Christchurch I was doing everything I could to make sure I got through the race. I did a run at uni on Wednesday and the rib pain was still there - argh! But we flew to Christchurch on the Friday night anyway. Dad and I spent Saturday sightseeing and I didn't really rest my legs because I wanted to make the most of the trip if the race didn't work out. However I ended up having a great race running 1h 27m 48s. I was very happy with that! I came 2nd in my age group and enjoyed the prize giving ceremony again.

After Christchurch I kept training hard and didn't have a rest. I did a session 2 days after a race and continued the long runs. Two weeks after the race I did a Sunday morning long run but was unhappy with only running - I think it was 20km. I just felt fatigued. So after babysitting during the day I did another 7k, but I felt a sharp pain in both my right foot and left knee. This knee pain ended up keeping me out for 6 weeks which felt like the end of the world.

At this time I also changed training groups which was a very hard thing to do. I thought I would never be able to replace my old group but my new group seems fantastic. If only I could do some training.

At the end of July I started back run/walk and by September managed a full week of training. But at the start of October I was pushing myself too much again and my right leg started to get injured. First it was a sore ITB. I also felt like I'd overstretched my hamstring at Bikram but the pain there didn't go away. I managed a 1 sec 1500m PB out of nowhere - 4.57. I was so happy to have my new coach and training group there to support me. But then my glute became very painful. I went to an unfamiliar sports doctor who thought a cortisone injection in the hip bursa would fix it. I got this done which didn't help and then went away to India for the rest of the year...