8 Weeks to go
“We need to be challenged, and we need to be under the gun to respond”
Pete Carroll
8 Weeks To Go
Aim of the week
A few years ago, I was invited to attend a 10 mile training
run for a well-known charity, to help prepare runners for an
upcoming half marathon. Afterwards, I stayed behind to help
answer a few questions that runner had about training and
injuries.
When it came to questions about injuries and how long you
should rest if you had a niggle, it amazed me how many
runners tried to haggle with me over the length of time I
suggested they rest for if they were nursing a sore muscle or
joint.
You can’t negotiate with your ailments, so please, if you
are currently carrying an injury, however minor, and aren’t
comfortable running, do yourself a big favour and rest up.
You still have plenty time to get your fitness back on track and
continuing to run on a painful knee, ankle, hip or foot is highly
likely to only make it worse and very possibly ruin your chances of racing in 8 weeks’ time.
So, aim of the week this week is two-fold.
One – you should be able to comfortably run 5-6 miles by now, preferably more, so this is
a good chance to practise drinking whilst you run. Some find it difficult, so on you next big
run take a specialist running bottle with you and practise taking some slurps – you’ll have to
do it on race day, so get used to it now.
Two – if you have an injury DON’T MAKE IT WORSE. If it needs rest, then rest. Cross train
/swim / bike I don’t care, just don’t mess things up now – you’ve come too far into your
training now to make a stupid mistake and ruin your chances of enjoying your half marathon
by hobbling around the course.
Page 1 of 4
Copyright © 2015 Graeme Hilditch
8 Weeks To Go
Injury of the week - Illio-tibial band friction syndrome
The “ITB”is a non elastic cord originating from a muscle called
the TFL just below the pelvis, to below the outside of the knee.
If this band becomes excessively tight, it can cause friction on
the outside of the knee and even in the hip joint causing a
great deal of discomfort. Pain is usually experienced on the
outside of the knee when it is flexed and is sore to touch. (click
on image to the right for a short video)
Symptoms
• Discomfort on the outside of the knee or hip
• A “clicking” sensation on knee flexion on the outside of the
knee as the tendon rubs against bone.
• Pain in the knee or hip when attempting to walk downstairs and sometimes when sitting
down in a low chair.
• Sudden onset of pain after several miles into a run.
Causes
There are a number of causes for ITB syndrome and it can affect any runner regardless of sex,
age or fitness levels. The main causes include:
• Running on a cambered or uneven surface
• Upping your running mileage too quickly
• Increasing the intensity of your runs
• Incorrect running shoes for your gait
• Muscular imbalance in the leg muscles
Treatment
If you are unfortunate enough to experience the symptoms of ITB syndrome the first thing
you must do is follow the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol, especially with the
application of ice to help reduce inflammation.
Whilst you are living with the injury and running is not possible, you may find that other forms
of aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling and rowing may be possible to do without pain.
If this is the case, substitute your running for one of these to keep your fitness levels up.
Take a look at this video for more information on ITB syndrome. It’s clear, informative and one
of the better explanations out there.
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Copyright © 2015 Graeme Hilditch
8 Weeks To Go
Nutrition tip of the week
Go Nuts for nuts
Knowing what to snack on in-between meals
is always something that runners often get
confused about.
Should snacks be packed full of carbohydrates,
rich in protein, low in fat or all three?
There isn’t really a “one size fits all” answer
as everyone has different nutritional
requirements. Whereas some runners
may benefit from snacking on additional
carbohydrate rich snacks following a hard
training sessions, others may actually benefit
more from protein dense foods to help rebuild the body.
There is one snack however, which all runners could do with munching on in between meals
and it may surprise you.
Nuts, although fairly high in fat, are fantastic snacks packed full with nutrients such as protein,
beneficial unsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals and generally pack a nutritional punch way
above their weight.
So next time you go shopping, put Almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts to the top of your shopping
list and have small helping of them once or twice a day.
Nutritional highlights of nuts:
• High in Zinc - great for the immune system
• High in Calcium - essential for the health and function of your bones and muscles
• High in magnesium and potassium - can help to prevent muscle cramps
• High in unsaturated fat - helping to reduce inflammation and boost energy levels
Page 3 of 4
Copyright © 2015 Graeme Hilditch
8 Weeks To Go
Video of the week
When the weather gets bad, training inside on a treadmill often seems like a very good idea.
Although, you should not rely on the treadmill as a platform for all your training runs, I’m
actually a big fan of them every now and again when you’re training for an endurance
event.
The soft “runway” and the ease at which you can alter your training intensity can actually
be a very effective way of training - particularly for hill and interval training. Of course, it
can never replace the road where you should be doing the overwhelming majority of your
training, but every once in a while the treadmill serves a purpose.
They are not without their dangers though.
A belt speeding along at 7-8 mph might not sound particularly dangerous, but if you lose
your footing and end up falling over, it can be a pretty painful experience – and highly
embarrassing one if you’re training at the gym.
With that in mind, click on the video below and see just what can happen if you don’t take
care (or you mess about) on the treadmill.
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Copyright © 2015 Graeme Hilditch