It’s been two three weeks since I crossed the line of my first 100 mile race and I still feel down. Add an injury into the mix and it’s all pretty depressing.
I’ve had post race blues after other significant races but I’ve always been able to focus on the next race but this time the White Rose 100 was it. The big goal. The last race in a big chapter of my running.
With nothing major on the horizon I feel a little lost and a painful shin following my first recovery run the week after the race means that on top of the blues I’m also now walking around injured and need to see the physio again. My hope is that it’s a muscle issue of some sort and nothing too serious.
Knowing how much recovery is needed from a big race like a hundred is tough and unknown. I’ve taken it very easy and chilled out as I start to try and plan out the next 3-4 months where I want to totally switch focus from distance to speed and change up my training but I still don’t feel a true sense of satisfaction from the White Rose 100 result.
It’s the biggest achievement of my running life so I should be over the moon but I don’t feel it. The White Rose 100 went well for me, it was a long hard slog but I did it and was lucky to do it without any significant issues and when I reflect, it doesn’t feel like my best race of the year.
Not a stress fracture
As the weeks have rolled by since the race I still can’t run and my shin still hurts and my worry was that I’d weakened it during the race to the point that a stress fracture developed but thankfully after a visit to the doctor and x-ray department I can rule that out so it’s a trip to the physio next week and hopefully he can ease it.
Not running when it’s such a major part of your life is certainly frustrating and depressing.
It’s been 3 weeks, I’ve tried a couple of easy runs but it’s no good. The pain won’t shift or ease.
Shoe changes
I think a lot of my problems stem from the Salomon S-Lab Sense 4’s I’ve been running in. Sure all the shiny magazine covers show off the Salomon team in the mountains wearing them but I think they weren’t right for me and ultimately I needed to stop wearing them.
I’ve sold them on and replaced them with some Nike Terra Kiger for drier trails / day to day running. I’ve always got on pretty well with Nike’s and the couple of easy runs I’ve managed have been comfortable in them.
Forward planning
I guess when you’re injured the only thing you can do is look forward instead of back.
My plan after the White Rose 100 was always to switch focus from distance to speed so I’m glad to have something I can look forward to and I must admit the idea of less stressful planning and logistics required for short races is appealing.
Ally is going to use her coaching knowledge to develop a training plan for me now, I have some fairly aggressive goals for the next year but I think with the right training and some luck they’re all achievable.
Just need to get this shin fixed now and stop moping around!