A new challenge or warped logic?

You know how it is. You run a good time in your most recent half marathon (83 minutes). You harbour great ambitions to really push for an age-group GB cap and then disaster strikes. You are doing an innocuous exercise to develop your core stability and a sudden stabbing pain attacks your right hip.

Driving on despite a hip injury

First thoughts - 'Ah well, I was due a rest for a couple of days' and 'what a pratt for trying to do an exercise without warming up first!'

Thoughts after a week and no sign of improvement - 'This is not looking good, I had better see a physio.'

Two weeks later - 'Definitely need to see a physio.' Book physio, discover you used to teach him, so feel very old and past it, especially when he says that at my age (44) injuries take longer to heal.

Four, expensive weeks later, no improvement. Youth does not equate to knowledge, but then looking at my inability to rest the injury, or ice it properly, age doesn't always equate to wisdom either.

Now I am having acupuncture and it is very refreshing to meet a therapist who sees the whole picture. Not only is the acupuncturist looking at more than simply the site of pain – she is treating the whole body for its stresses – she also realises that telling me to rest is useless, and she is positively encouraging an active recovery.

So, I have decided to take a novel approach to a long-term injury; I am going to train for an ultra marathon, and perhaps even do one.

Why? Well, this might be warped logic but I think it is going to work. My injury seems to be stable, ie it is not getting any worse. The affected area gets better with movement but I cannot do anything that involves high impact - jumping, hopping, skipping or...running fast. But I can plod for ever, and the further I plod, the better the hip feels.

Ultra marathons involve lots of plodding. In fact some of the most successful ultra marathoners plod, and in doing so overtake the faster runners (think parable of hare and tortoise).

So today I did my first training session. My poor little dog joined me and, after two ibruprofen, we set off on a 20 mile walk/jog. I took a rucksack filled with dried apricots, dates and doggie treats, along with some water and sports drink. We had a great time and I didn't miss running fast at all.

Fresh as daisy! Beano a few miles in

It was odd transitioning from a jog to a walk, and for the first few times I was very reluctant, but I am committed to two things: 1. Getting over this injury and 2. Doing the training properly.

It took me just under four hours, which is much slower than I would run if I was going to run a marathon, but in the back of my mind was the thought that, at this pace I really could keep going for many more miles.


As it was, three months away from running has taken its toll slightly and by the end my legs were tired but not unpleasantly so. I took a cold (can't quite do ice) bath and then kept moving around the house. Little dog has taken a different approach to recovery - sleeping for the rest of the day, except when he hears a potential food-begging opportunity.

This first day is the start of a base-building section of preparation, so tomorrow I shall be putting more mileage in my legs, but via a three-hour bike ride this time.

Warped logic it may be, enjoyable experience it certainly was.