16km, Vienna and the Donau Insel

Vienna from the Kaisermühlenbrücke (Donai Insel left)

Howdy

Just coming back from Vienna, where we spent a few days at my brother-in-run Mihh. Two days of sun along the Danube, exploring the narrow hilly streets of Bratislava and the majestic city of Vienna.

With a nice surprise on Sunday: Mihh organised a group run on the Donau Insel, this long narrow island in the middle of the river. 6 km to run there and 10 km on the island, under a heavy sun and 30 degrees. After stretching, I couldn't resist jumping all dressed in the river. Amazing cooling effect. 

Following with a little breakfast and finishing bathing with the family. Barbecue on the afternoon and beer tasting on the evening!

The kind of weekend you'd like every week =)

26km, a penny for your thoughts?

26km in 3h!

It's been a week since I ran the Potsdam half and I'm a bit afraid to run long again, so early. I barely went out for a 10km this week and I could feel that my foot was still recovering. Shall I stick to my training plan? The show must go on? Let's see...

I'm out on a sunny Sunday morning. It's hot but it's still bearable. I follow my favourite route, juice and food in the backpack. I just baked flapjacks on Saturday, yummy! As a test, I added a magnesium tablet to my water/juice/salt mixture. Indeed, I got some muscle pain following my last long runs, it could be a lack of electrolytes, especially magnesium, which is working on the muscle and nervous system. We shall see if it makes any difference.

What makes today unusual and probably enhances my overall performance is that I have an important interview on Monday when I'll need to talk about my job (in German) and I am a bit nervous about it. So, during the 3h im running, I'm rehearsing in my head. This keeps my brain busy and my attention away from my foot.

Also my pace is steadier, I don't stop as often as usual. I'm hitting 10km already, I eat a banana and I keep going. I feel less the urge to drink, maybe because the day is not that hot (23°C). When I hit 20km, my foot starts complaining. I feel it a bit more, it's getting more sensible to the pounding. I devour a flapjack and continue. The last six kilometres are quick and easy. My heart-rate is a bit high though. As I'm still lost in my thoughts, it went over to 160bpm. I slow down the pace and finish the 26km in about 3h, therefore 20 min less than the 25km I ran a month ago!

To conclude, I am even more convinced that part of the pain you feel when recovering from PF is psychological. Focus on something else and you will notice that the pain is slipping away. Still be careful, when it's coming back!

I am also convinced that the magnesium pill helped, while running as well as recovering. I barely have muscle pain on the next day and I feel great! I just had my blood tested this month and everything is ok, all levels are in the green. But I imagine that different levels should be considered for long-distance runners. My body seems to like a little magnesium treat... 

...Or maybe I'm just becoming better and better ;)

Potsdam half marathon 2017

Veni, vidi, vici!

Here we are, back at the starting line of the exact same race where  I broke my half marathon PR two years ago, just before injuring my foot. It's also my first official race of the year... It's about time!

I feel much more prepared than last year, as I just ran 25 km last month. However, since I'll be running on paved roads and asphalt this time, in new shoes I barely had time to work out, I don't know how my foot is going to react towards the end of the race. We shall see and be reasonable as usual :)

On the plus side, I'm running with the wife, which is really rare and enjoyable. On the down side, we have to wake up at 6 o'clock and by the time we start it'll be 30°C! :(

The Potsdam half is one of my favourite race, especially since it goes through the beautiful city-center, the woods, around the lakes and along the castle. It's mostly roads but a good part is dirt trail like I'm used to. It has a bit of a "trail run" vibe at some points.

After 1h of driving, we barely have time to park the car, get our starting bags and here we are, on the road for 21km. We stay at the back of the pack, not looking to score any PR time this year, just enjoying the race.

The city is beautiful, people are really nice and encourage us. It's very hot already and we know that the heat is going to be the main obstacle today. For the first time, I'm running with my flask, filled up with juice, water and salt. It's really convenient, as I can replenish it at every station on the way and take little slips more often.

Fortunately for us, the route features many wooded areas and shadows along the way. Nice autochthons spray us with water hose and we cool off eating apple slices.

On the foot side, it's not heaven but not concerning either. My new Asics Nimbus are very cushioning and my knees complain more about the pavement than my feet. A few times on the way, I noticed some tension in my plantar fascia. It's not painful but it recalls some bad memories. 

"The body remembers the pain", I once read. I stop at every station to stretch my calves and relax my legs. Overall they put up with the kilometres without grumbling. The heat makes every step difficult. We try to cool off by drinking a lot and running under the water jets. 

Around 15 km, hunger strikes. A cliff bar devoured in two bites and I feel better already. That's what happens when you breakfast on carbohydrates only. I am used to eating cereals and milk on race days, because they are quickly digested and I don't run with a heavy stomach. 

But the downside is that my body is craving for some more solid food. I should focus on proteins and healthy fats next time, they would sustain me much longer.

When my foot stars complaining again, we are almost at the end. One kilometer to go! We speed up the pace, just for fun. I'm​ hoping to finish in less than 2h30. 

Eventually we cross the finish line hand in hand, with an official time of 2h31. This is one minute less than my finish time at the Berlin half marathon last year, when I hurt my foot on the way and I finished walking on the pain. 

Therefore, I can say that although not fully recovered yet, my PF is resorbing and my foot is feeling much better this year. I just need to keep running regularly, accustom my legs to longer distances, and always give my body enough time, sleep and healthy food to recover. Piece of cake!

All in all a very nice race, I'm glad to be back on the starting line. Next stop: the marathon in two months... And still a long way to go up to my first 50k!

25km and a few things out of my trailer's bucket list

Yeeeeehaaaah !

I DID IT! It took me 8 months to reach the level I had and run the distance I covered at Berlin's marathon last September (24 km). I even broke my record of the longest distance I achieved since I injured my foot and I had the pleasure to upgrade my counter to 25km. Belissimo :)

Wonderful sunny run yesterday, with new things out of my bucket list to become a true trail runner:

☑  Attach t-shirt on backpack to dry and run topless. What an amazing feeling, although not everyone seems to enjoy the view of a sweaty smelly shirtless runner!

☑  Share crackers with ducks and chicks. Well, I do like salt on my eggs.

☑  Ask complete strangers gardening to fill-up hydratation pack. People are always so nice to runners, even if they look at you like if you were completely nuts, when it's 30°C and you say you still got 10 km to go.

☑  Poop in the wild. I heard this one's a big step you have to go through for a full trail running's experience! I guess you can't avoid it forever, especially when you are 3 or 4h on the way. Still, it feels like the whole planet is looking at you and I even checked YouTube this morning, in fear to be in the trending news!

Anyway, all that on a 25km run! Looks like you don't need an ultra to live great adventures!

Spring running

Howdy!

Spring has come and the first sunny days are finally here. Who said Berlin had a terrible weather? I've seen the sun shining at least twice in the past month, so please...

This is my favourite time of the year, as I know I have at least 6 months of sunny training ahead of me. Catching up with my it, I managed until now to run twice at lunch break during the week and push the long runs up to 22km on weekends. I'm really impressed my body is recovering so quickly the fitness I had 4 years ago. I'm still running slow, pace around 6'30 and I keep an eye on my foot.

Wonderful runs lately, I'm rediscovering my favourite paths and exploring new ones. Spring is a promise and I intend to get ready for a summer marathon as soon as I finish my training plan!

Here a few pictures of the nicest areas :)

Let's get serious (again!)

Finally feeling better, I'm getting back to training this week. I cannot resume where I left after the marathon, I need to build some mileage again.

After a few unsuccessful trials at running at 6h in the morning (ouch), I had the amazing idea to run at lunch time. I discovered a little parc close to work and I organised myself to get an hour free twice a week. Cold but sunny weather, really enjoyable ! I ran 13km this week and a long run of 12km yesterday. Not bad, no pain in my foot or in my back, let's see if I can hold the pace!

MAF - The 2 week test

New year, new motivation, new resolutions... I decided to start this year 2017 with the 2-week test from Dr. Phil Maffetone, whose work I discovered while reading Christopher MacDougall's last bestseller "Natural Born Heroes".

Sources:
https://philmaffetone.com/2-week-test/
http://www.chrismcdougall.com/buy-natural-born-heroes-from-these-sellers/

This simple test consists of getting rid of all carbohydrates (slow and fast sugars) in your alimentation during two weeks and replace them with proteins (lean meats), fibres (vegetables, legumes) and healthy fats (fish, nuts, vegetable oils).

The purpose of this test is to determine if you are carbohydrate intolerant and get rid of the resulting effects (fatigue, intestinal bloating, loss of concentration, poor quality of life, etc.) While cutting carbs of your diet, you should notice some changes on your body and maybe some improvements on your health by the end of the test.

I won't develop here the work of Dr. Maffetone, I invite you to consult his website for this. I just want to gather here my notes, on a daily basis, of this strange and fun adventure.

If you are in a hurry, you can jump directly to my conclusions.

---

My 2 week journal on the MAF test:

Monday 23rd of January: 
Nothing to notice, slight irritation, mostly psychological, not being able to consume my favourite carbo-rich food: orange juice, oatmeal, bread, milk and cookies.
Breakfast: Omelett.
Lunch: Salmon and broccoli.
Dinner: Chicken soup.
Snacks: Nuts, avocado, raw cheese.

Tuesday 24th: 
First complaints of my body, lack of energy of the evening, dizziness, unpleasant impression to eat a lot without getting any energy from it. I feel my sugar addiction. I'm getting more irritated.
Breakfast: omelett.
Lunch: beef and ratatouille.
Dinner: chicken soup, cream and Greek yogurt.
Snacks: avocado, nuts, cheese, smocked salmon, veggy juice.

Wednesday 25th: 
First run, 5 km before breakfast. I monitored my heart rate, staying in my slow running zone, below 150 bpm for an average pace of 6:20. I feel better than I would imagine. Empty of carbohydrates, my body still manage to get energy from fats. I feel tired but not dizzy. Evening note: Some back ache due to my run this morning, no connection with the diet. Same dizziness around 20h, low blood sugar.
Breakfast: omelett and salad, tomato juice.
Lunch: beef, broccoli and cauliflower gratin.
Dinner: Chicken soup, Greek yogurt, avocado.
Snacks: nuts, cheese, soja.

Thursday 26th: 
I had a very deep sleep last night, like when you go to bed after an exhausting day (which I didn't have!). I woke up during the night with some belly ache and headache this morning, not sure what to think of that. The wife is currently sick, maybe I caught it too.
Breakfast: omelett and salad, tomato juice.
Lunch: meatballs and cauliflower gratin.
Dinner: Chicken soup, Greek yogurt, avocado.
Snacks: nuts, cheese, soja.

Friday 27th: 
I'm feeling better today, no more headache. I even manage to run at lunch break, 5k easy, I feel great, no dizziness.
Breakfast: eggs, tomatoes, avocado.
Lunch: eggplant, salmon and cheese.
Dinner: same as breakfast.
Snacks: nuts, cheese, soja.

Sat. & Sunday 28th-29th: 
Quiet weekend at home, resisting the temptation of sugar. I run 5km on Sunday, monitoring my heart rate.I feel quite good running on fat, even at a sustained pace of 150 to 160 bpm, but I feel unwell and sick when I reach the 170 bpm. So the MAF calculation of my ideal pace seems correct: 180 - 32 = 148 bpm. As long as I stay below 150, I will run on fat and I should feel well.
Breakfast / lunch / dinner: same as usual, introducing green smoothies and composed salads on the evening. I ate late on Sunday, after my run, and I felt strong dizzyness when crouching and standing up again, like if my blood pressure was dropping. I felt better after lunch. No carbs, no reserve supply

Monday 30th: 
It's been a week! I managed to stay clean and away from carbs until now, which is no pick nick, when you are baking cookies for the kids and you cannot even lick the spoon. Last night I dreamt that I ate a chocolate and I was forced to spit it out... I'm getting really crazy here! I decided to keep on until Friday night and allow myself a real carb-full weekend! It won't be exactly two weeks but I don't think it matters. I already know more or less the results of the test.
Breakfast: Egg and salad.
Lunch: salmon and spinach.
Dinner: Veggie soup, yogurt.
Snacks: nuts, cheese, saucisson.

Tuesday 31st: 
All white today, snow everywhere. I can't wait to jump in my trail shoes and get out for a run! Unfortunately, I got a bit of a cold (again!). I hope it won't last. Overall I feel way better than last week, less addicted, less frustrated. I sleep well, wake up fit.
Breakfast: egg, tomato, sausage.
Lunch: lamb meat and carrots.
Dinner: veggie soup and yogurt.
Snacks: nuts, cheese.

Wednesday 1st of February: 
Almost done! As I said, I caught a cold and I've been feeling unwell in the past two days. But I hardly think this is due to the two weeks test and the lack of carbs. Anyway, it's already slipping away. Apart from that I feel well, only a bit dizzy when I stand up after crouching.
Breakfast: eggs, tomatoes, yogurt, paprikas.
Lunch: ratatouille with meat.
Dinner: Veggie soup, paprika, cream.
Snacks: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, raw almonds.

Thursday 2nd: 
Nothing to notice today, my cold is almost over, but I prefer to wait the weekend to run. My plan is to finish this test with a 10km run on Saturday morning and then resume my old diet, according myself a nice Sunday without restrictions.
Breakfast: eggs, avocado, salmon, yogurt.
Lunch: ratatouille.
Dinner: Veggie soup, cream.
Snacks: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, raw almonds.

Friday 3rd: 
End of the second week and much better results than the first one. I feel great, apart from my cold. No more frustration, no more unpleasant feeling of starving, even after eating. I feel less irritated by the lack of sugar and I can look at a bit of chocolate without crying
Breakfast: eggs, avocado, salmon, yogurt.
Lunch: red cabbage.
Dinner: red cabbage, yogurt and nuts.
Snacks: cherry tomatoes, raw almonds.

Saturday 4th: 
Today is the end of this 2 weeks journey. I feel it's time for a last carbs-free run before the feast. I go out for a 7k run, about 50 min on wet roads and slippery trails. Despite of my bit of a cold, I feel great. Not tired, not dizzy, not even frustrated. I stay below 150 bpm, my fat vs. carbs burning limit, and I don't feel tired at all once done, maybe even better. It's the first time in my life I'm so proud of my body fat!
Breakfast: eggs, avocado, yogurt.
Lunch: red cabbage.
Dinner: sushis celebration!!

My conclusions on the MAF test:

For the past 2 weeks (13 days to be completely honest), I've been following the MAF test and I stayed clear of all sources of carbohydrates. I did eat some food containing a very small amount of it (it's almost impossible to avoid them, as they are everywhere) but I read the nutrition's labels and stayed under 5℅. Following are my conclusions on the test:

• I am not carbohydrate intolerant. Over the past two weeks, I did not notice any improvement on my health, apart from the quality of my sleep.

• However, I do have a bit of a sugar addiction (like everyone, I imagine). I feel irritated, not being able to munch on cookies or eat honey. But not really for slow sugars (pasta, potatoes, etc.) that I did not really miss, except maybe bread at breakfast.

• Eating carbs on the evening disturbs my sleep. That's probably the most noticeable improvement. Once carbs depleted, I fell asleep in no time and my sleep was deep and undisturbed. I woke up every morning well-rested, although starving. This is probably a digestion matter too.

• Carbs, especially the slow-release ones, are essential reserves my body can draw instant energy from. I experienced unpleasant drops of energy during the two weeks, up to dizzyness, when I was rushing into action, moving fastly or standing up too quickly. I am now convinced that, although I should reduce my carbs intake, a completely carbs-free diet would be unhealthy.

• Fat is a fuel! The main reason of this test was to drain my body of most carbs and try to run at slow pace. While maintaining a pace around 150 bpm (180 minus my age, as advised) I've been able to complete 5k and 7k runs on a carbs-empty tank. Which means that my body is able to transform fat and proteins into energy to fuel my muscles and my brain. Well done Mr. body :)

• Last but not least, a note on my diet: Cutting carbs drastically reduced my calories intake. I compensated by getting them from proteins (lean meat, eggs, fish, smocked salmon), vegetables and healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil, fresh fish, cheese, yogurt). I was surprised how easy it is to cut carbs, especially on the evening ( veggie soups, salads), and how many meals don't need them to be delicious (Ratatouille, red cabbage, cream spinach).

To conclude, I would say that this MAF test has been a success. Although no drastic improvement happened to my body, I learned a lot about my constitution. For the near future, I am planning to reduce my intake of fast sugars, eat more unrefined carbs to build energy reserves, at breakfast but mostly at lunch, and cut all forms of sugars on the evening to improve my sleep. I will compensate with proteins and healthy fats. About my running, I am planning to increase the distances gradually while staying within my heart rate range.

That's it ! I hope you will find my notes useful. I invite everyone to do the test, at least a few days, to feel its benefits. Many thanks to Dr. Phil Maffetone for his help and see you soon for new adventures!

Happy New Year

Howdy!

I can't believe it's been a year already... I remember starting 2016 full of enthusiasm and energy, with the firm objective of running a half  in March, the Berlin Marathon in September and a 50k by the end of the year. It turned out that the path of recovery is long and full of obstacles.

After injuring my foot again while trying to finish the half, I had to take 2 months rest. I managed to run 24k on marathon day, this time stopping before it's too late. I finished the year with random short runs now and then, when the weather and my health allowed it.

What have I learned from 2016? How could I make this year better?

Well, most important certainly is that you cannot rush the recovering process, at least in my case. A single mistake and you are up for 2 months rest, with the fear of never running again.

Second is undeniably that health should always come first before training. I ran a few times while being sick and it only made things worse.

And last but not least, being motivated is good but being reasonable is better and will bring me much further away, injury-free.

My new motto for this year of training is therefore "Happy, Healthy and Reasonable". Let's see where it brings me :)

I still consider 2016 as a very good training year. I started barely able to run 2 km and finished on a 24k injury-free. I shall continue on this path, even if I have to make sacrifices, like postponing the Eco-Trail de Paris to next year.

The winter is long and cold, forcing me to run early in the morning, before breakfast, hence getting to bed early. I recently bought a pair of Salomon trail shoes and discovered the pleasure of running on wet ground, snow and rocks. But probably the most important being my recent discovery of Phil Maffetone's work and the branch of slow running: Run slow to run long, and run on fat. I started this week his 2 weeks carbs-free test. I'll tell you more in another article.

Soooo... Bring on 2017, I'm ready! Let's run and live exciting new adventures, slow and easy, one step at a time :)

Berlin Marathon 2016

Here we are, finally. Two years after my first marathon, I'm back on the starting line, this time with my sweetheart. 40 000 runners, the waiting, the countdown, the human wave pushing us forward. An amazing feeling and well-earned reward after weeks of hard training :)

The wife and I stay together, progressing with caution, enjoying the last sunny day of the year. Brother-in-run started in a better block and is probably far away. I keep an eye on my foot, carefully monitoring the signals its sending me. The first steps on the asphalt are not really pleasant, but after a few kilometers, it's feeling ok.

The sightseeing of Berlin are popping around us, the mood is great, the music along the road awesome. Thanks to my assiduous training, I get to the half marathon in no time, my foot barely complaining. It's not a PR, not even a PB, but it's a victory, compared to the last half I ran!

Around 22km, very my for start feeling numb and complaining. The Asphalt feel harder and hitting my sole without merci. Know your limits, it's time to stop. I give up after the 23rd km and let the wife disappear at the horizon. No regret, I'm so proud of me! I walk a few km more but the crowd keeps urging me not to give up. I smile, for me the race ends here.

That's when a crazy idea pops in. At a nearby station I jumped in a metro, which takes me 15 km forwards, right before the last one. No barriers separating crowd and runners yet, I jump back in the race and wait for my favourite running girl... Well, one and a half hour later, here she is! Not looking good, but that's another story. We share the last straight line and cross the finish one together, hand in hand. I get a medal, I get a good bag, people congratulate me, hell my name will even be in the paper tomorrow! Not bad for a "24k marathon" :)

I really enjoyed running this event, even if I couldn't finish it. But that I did 2 years ago so I don't have anything to prove anymore! It's another step on my path of recovery and another run on my way to the ultra. Yeah me!

Weeks 6 and 7/18, getting ready for the M-Day

Two more weeks of training, slowly but surely building kilometrage. Trying to run everytime I can, between late work deliveries, daddy duties and giving the wife some training time too.

After two runs of 16km (including one with some creepy under-the-bridge action, check my last post), I did a giant step forwards and ran 20km yesterday, plus one with my little cheese cube. I feel therefore ready for a proper half marathon, not like the last one that broke my foot even more!

Which is perfect, since next Sunday is the big Berlin Marathon. This year, I'll be running with the wife and brother-in-run :) When I subscribed last year, I was sure to run and finish it. But recovery is a long road with many traps. I will be happy if I run at least half of it. But I'll stop at the first complaint of my foot. This is indeed just a long run on my road to the ultra!

Week 5/18, water under the bridge

Another one bites the dust!

Finishing this 5th week of training. I ran 34km times over 4 runs. Oma was still home so I could run with the wife, damn she's really getting better at this than me. I can't believe she will run her second marathon in 3 weeks and I am struggling to finish a half without hurting myself... But I have some nice plans in the tank for next year ;)

Finishing with a long 16k yesterday. I wanted some adventures and I got it! The weather was threatening but I went out anyway. Heavy rain caught me halfway and thunder were beating. I had to stop running and seek refuge under a bridge where I stayed 45min until the storm passed! Little to eat or drink, no warm clothes... and my mobile only had 10℅ of batterie left! Best plot ever for a (bad) Hollywood movie!

When the rain stopped, I found my way home. Eventually I noticed that with all this fuss going on, I did not think once about my injured foot. I was running the last kilometres at a very good pace (5'20) and I could barely feel it. It has therefore become a more psychological issue. My foot may well have completely recovered now but my head keep messing around about it!

Weeks 3-4/18, back me up !

Almost a month without posting any news... But a lot going on in my life, as usual!

I finished on schedule weeks 3 and 4 of my training plan, respectively with 24 and 30km a week. But I had to take a 2-week break, after hurting my lower back pretty badly while trying to put my bike in the trunk of the car. Aouch! I am used to lumbar pain but usually not that intense. I tried to run a bit but it seemed to make things worse after that, so I decided to take a break and avoid any risk. My plantar fascia being connected to my leg and my back, I should be really careful not to make them both worse than they already are.

I used this time off to have my back checked through a MRI. Nothing serious, but my encouraging doctor advised me as usual to stop running and switch to swimming or I might get more back problems in the future. We'll see about that, in the meantime I intend to stay on the trail! However, I do belive I should limit city runs on hard pavement and stick to dusty roads, which was already my plan!

I finished these two weeks by enjoying three days of vacation in the mountains: sunshine, fresh air, healthy food, pool, sauna and an amazing back massage. As it turned out, I have a very stressful life, according to my back, and I accumulates a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders, which might be a cause for my lower back issues. I am reading more about it right now and the proper way to get all that stresses out.

I celebrated my recovery by enjoying a nice little 5k with my honeybunny in the hills, soooo good!

Back at my training plan this week, and still 14 weeks to go. This shift in my schedule set a 21k run on Berlin's marathon day, so I'll run at least half of it with my little wife. Then I'll take the subway up to km 40 and wait for her to finish :)

Week 2/18, cut me some snack !

I bravely finished my 2nd week of training. Since I only have time to run 3 times a week (the wife is running too) I need to wrap up 4 runs into 3 to keep up with the weekly mileage. Which means that I have to face 6km and 8km runs on working days, before the long run on Sunday.

My foot is carrying me pretty good. I sometimes feel that I'm at the edge of injuring it again, but then I rest a day or two and it's up and ready for a new run. However, I noticed that my body is not as effective and economic as it used to be when dealing with food reserves. I can have a consistent breakfast and lunch, I still feel very hungry when running after work. Tuesday I felt hypoglycaemia pretty hard and strived to finish my 6k. I decided to get a consistent snack (milk and chocolate cereals) around 18h. I then ran much better 1h later.

Third week is a resting one with less mileage. Let's enjoy it, it's not gonna last!

Week 1/18 marathon training

Helloooooo !

Yes, still alive and better than ever ! I apologise to all my fans (my fan?) (my mom!) for my unusual silence in the past month. I've been caught in an exhausting project, with 4 weeks of shooting in Paris. Running along the Seine? You wish... With my 16h of work a day, I barely had time for a short 5k. Which means that I can already get my hopes out of the Berlin Marathon in September, I won't have enough time to get ready. Nonetheless, I can still prepare for a later marathon. I aimed at 50km before the end of the hear. If I manage to tackle one, I won't be far away from my goal!

Sooo, the time has come to browse through training plans, nutrition advice and resting techniques again. Finally! Lately, I built up enough mileage (around 15km a week) and long runs (12km) to start a training plan. Once again, I'll put my trust in Hal Highdon's plans. His Novice 2 did brought me up to my first marathon! Let's downgrade to the Novice 1 and take it easy this time.

Great first week. I ran 3 times: 5, 7 and 10 for a total of 22km. I feel great, my foot doesn't complain too much. I ran the week runs on my way back from work, with backpack and all. Love it! So much memories. I'm already exploring new routes, with more trails and less roads. It's gonna be a top notch summer... I'll keep you in the loop :)

Getting in shape for a marathon training

Yoooooo back on the trail, this once hopefully for good and up to the Berlin Marathon in September! I ran 4 times last week, finishing with a 5k on Saturday.

I tried my new orthodics at the same time. Made in Romania from a scan of my feet, they match the surface of my whole perfectly. Contrary to the old ones, these are made for runners and consists of a very compact memory foam that doesn't deform and covered by a leather strip. I first tried them on a regular day and found them insanely hard, it felt like walking barefoot on concrete. But it's not so hurting while running, when I put less weight on my feet. According to the doc, it is supposed to be hard, thus sustaining the plantar fascia and preventing it to stretch too much. And I think it does its job. I noticed less tension and threatening thrills in my sole. I tackled the 5k within a week, whereas it took me way more time to reach it in January.

Aside from that, my recovery routine has become more aggressive than ever. I stretched my whole leg 2 or 3 times a day, apply intervals of hot and cold water on it everytime I shower, and I keep on icing and rubbing Voltaren on my sole. I still sleep with my orthodics and I never run outside of training sessions.

To finish, I am quite satisfied with my new Asics Nimbus 18, although I have the impression that the new materials are a little cheaper than the 17th version. But they are definitely lighter, which is a good thing. We'll see how they look like in 500km :)

Back on the trail

Finally, after more than one month of rest, I am back on the trail with brand new shoes! Taking it easy of course, I ran 2,5km on Sunday and again this morning. I warm up my calves and stretch my whole leg before and after. No pain, just some unpleasant tension in my sole. I need to build mileage from scratch again, like I did in January. I hate myself for getting injured again, I need to grow up and start taking care of myself!

I felt some numbing and scratching in my foot today, meaning the blood flow is good and my foot healing. After reading a lot on PF, it seems that recovery is faster when you stay active: exercising with caution and stretching. I will try to run every two days on my way back to work. I still have no idea if I can run a marathon in four months. I should start a training plan this week, but I cannot commit to the mileage. We'll see how things goes, I'll skip the event if I have too. I won't do the same mistake twice!

1 month of rest and first therapy

You won't feel a thing!

Howdy! It's been a long time, more than one month since the half-marathon that has left me injured again. As I was telling you in my last post, I was planing to get at least one month of rest, and so I did.

Orthodox Easter brings me once again to Romania and at the heart of the Carpathian mountains for some sun and fresh air. In Bucharest, I have the opportunity to finally visit a podiatrist and get an advice on my foot. After a short ultrasound session, he confirms the diagnostic : Plantar fasciitis it is! Thanks doc, now I am relieved :)

What's more concerning is that he notices some oedema below the plantar fascia, which means some swelling or fluids trapped and causing the acute pain I felt the day after the half-marathon. This could get nasty! Fortunately I stay a week and he books me for three sessions of naked voodoo dancing rituals (actually I asked and it's called cryoultrasound). Basically they start by running some electrical current in my leg to create a burning heat in my sole, thus dilating the veins and improving blood flow. After that, they use an ultrasound machine to stimulate the healing response. In order to increase 3 times the intensity (hence the healing response I guess), they put some very cold balm on my foot first (-1°C). Very high tech material, as usual, I love Romania for that!

Overall about three times 15min on the table. Not really painful, but the burning sensation was hard to stand! According to him, this would reduce the swelling and I'd be back on trail the next week. Well, I prefer not to get my hopes too high too quickly! The 3 sessions go smoothly. I feel some pain after the first two, which is normal since the foot is healing. As long as I'm here, I get my feet scanned for new orthotics. Finally, he shares some ideas and tips on the subject, most important being:

• Healing starts from the tight, I should stretch my whole leg regularly and not just the foot

• Icing can help reduce swelling, but to increase blood flow, it's better to alternate cold and warm water (again on the whole leg), at least once a week

• An important one I hardly ever heard about: To trigger a healing response, the brain needs to work using low frequency waves, which it does when it's sleeping or when the body is at rest. He advised me to sleep well at night and get some time to rest everyday. That might be the simplest yet hardest thing to do in my everyday life!

• Voltaren, night splint? Why not, if it helps. I should listen to my body signals

• Orthodics help rest the feet, I should wear them when I run

And that's it. Overall a wise decision to consult and finally get some professional advice, other than my German physician top notch solution: "well, just stop running... NEXT!"

See you on the trail in two weeks!

1st week of rest

It's been a week after running the half-marathon of Berlin and I think I should keep track of my recovery and my mistakes, to avoid doing them again!

Let's recall the facts shortly: after a gentle training of 10 weeks, reaching a distance max of 16km, running mostly on trail and smooth surfaces, I attempted to run the 21km half-marathon last Sunday. Overall everything went well, despite the big step in distance and changing for a hard concrete route. I finished in a reasonable 2h30, not bad for a crippled runner like me :)

The after race went well too. Except for some stiffness in my muscle and sole, I had no pain or discomfort and I could walk normally back home. The next morning, nothing more to notice, apart from light muscle pain in the legs. I was delighted, already planing to resume my training on the next weekend!

You would think I should be wiser and really careful, and you would be right! That's the thing: I was so focused on pain during the event that I forgot to pay close attention during recovery too. Although not feeling anything, my plantar fascia was undoubtedly weakened after running 21km on concrete, and I should keep it at rest fore some time.

However, the next day was one of these Mondays when nothing goes right and I had to run to catch the subway... 3 times! Wait for the next one? Nah, that's for losers. I had just tackled the half-marathon, I could do a few sprint sessions... Well, as it turned out I couldn't!

A massive pain stroke me on Monday evening after running for the 3rd time. The kind of pain I haven't felt since the day of my injury. Fortunately I was almost at home but I could barely walked the last hundreds metres. I was furious at myself - I still am - and decided I really should take better care of myself if I ever want to run long again.

As a start, no running until next month! My foot needs a lot of rest. I resumed and intensified icing and stretching sessions of my calves and plantar fascia, rubbing Voltaren on it three times a day. I also got my tennis ball and foam roller back to work. Finally, I am wearing my Asics all day long and my orthotics in my slippers at home, to get the best cushioning possible and give my foot some well-deserved rest.

It's been a week now and my foot is already getting better, though I feel I am still more injured than two weeks ago. I hope I will be back on the trail for some short runs next month. In the meantime, my four favourite letters are R-E-S-T ;)

Half-marathon Berlin 2016

Here we are... 

The big day I have been waiting for 10 months, since I first injured my foot... The 3rd step of my recovery plan after a 5k and a 10k... The day I will strike and put 21km between me and this dreadful injury... The day I will be convinced that my foot will heal one day completely...

Today is the day and I will attempt to run a half-marathon!

It's funny how relaxed I feel, picking up my bib at the event, looking at all these marathon ads thinking which ones I should run next, preparing everything for race day without worrying a bit about it. That's because I'm terrified and I force myself to concentrate on sth else! My foot hurts just at the idea of running the event. It's not really the distance per say, 21km is not such a huge step after my 16k a few days ago. I can see myself covering the extra distance, slowly and carefully. What scares me the most is to run the whole distance on hard concrete ground. I ran mostly on trails and soft surfaces during my (easy) training and it felt right. How will my foot react, hitting a wall of pain every step of the way? I pray that my Asics are still in good condition (about 300km old) and will cushion my stride to minimise the damages.

Fortunately, I am running this year with my sweetheart, thanks to grandma keeping an eye on our little cheese cube. I feel so motivated, and the sunny weather makes it just perfect. I have to be careful, motivation makes me do stupid things!

The atmosphere at the event is awesome, as always. 35 000 runners lining up at the starting line (and at the legendary porta potty!), warming up, dancing, clapping. The gut-wrenching music right before the start and the rush of adrenaline when you are pushed forwards by the mass, with no turning back! A last blurry selfie, starting the watch and let's go!

The first and last kilometres are the hardest. You don't really control your pace when you start, you are caught by the mass during the first kilometres, and like swimming in a river, it is hard to speed up (overtaking a lot) or to slow down (blocking everyone). But since we start amongst the last wave (though I was allowed to start in group C thanks to my finish time at Potsdam last year), the pace is relaxed, we cover the first 3km at an easy 6'45.

Right after passing the Brandenburger Gate, we arrive on the large boulevard along the Tiergarten. Much more space here and the mass spreads. My lady aims at a new record today and she won't do that by staying at the back of the heard with the grandmas and the crippled like me! So we wish ourselves good luck and she disappears at the horizon. I am all alone now, my foot is grumbling and I still got 18km to go... More than the longest run of my recovery!

Caught by the excitement at the start, I forgot to warm up and stretch my calves. The first kilometres therefore feel a little stiff and my foot doesn't like this hard and inhospitable floor. I did run a few times on concrete in the last weeks of my training, but way not enough to be prepared. Hence, I keep a relaxed pace. My only goal today is to cross the finish line before the limit time (3h30). Due to my body size (1m92), I cannot really slow down more than a pace 7'00 or this is too hard on my knees. Which means that I should finish the race in about 2h30, providing that I don't walk too much or stop more than necessary at the supply points. Also, to give my foot regularly some time to rest, I am planing to walk a few hundreds metres at each point. Let's see how long I can hold that pace!

Around the 6th km I meet a firemen squad from Paris and start chatting with one of them about living in Berlin. This is perfect, since it drives my concentration away from my foot for a few km. After passing by the Charlottenburg Castel, he's pushing up the pace and I eventually let him keep on to slow down a bit. We are at km 10, almost half of the way, and I am still in the game!

After a well-deserved break at a supply point and a quick visit to a porta-potty (you wouldn't miss that for the world!), I am back on the road. Water, sweat tea and a power gel in my belly, I am enjoying the ride. The sun is shining, music bands and people cheering along the road, happy runners smiling all around me. The back of the pack is really nice, you don't feel this competitive way of running, people here are just happy to run and finishing the race is all that matters! Today I am one of them too :)

When I hit km 15, right after Kurfurstendamm, I know I am entering the danger zone. My average pace until now has been an easy 7'00, I did my walking breaks at every supply points, but my foot is having a hard time and complains a little more every time I resume running. I try to run on the dirt and grass, along the road. People look a me like I'm crazy!

When the 16th km bips at my watch, the first wave of pain and discomfort hit me, and I start thinking about quitting for the first time. I see the dome of the Sony Center and the towers of Potsdamerplatz so close to me! I decide to walk a bit and lower the pace until it feels better. Is it wise to continue? Well, let's find out. Life's kinda boring without risk!

With Potsdamer Platz behind me, I resume running slowly towards the Checkpoint Charly. My foot does not hurt anymore but I feel pain is not far away and might rush back any moment. I also feel some pain in my right knee. Unconsciously, I am putting more weight on my right leg to relieve my foot. I stop now and then to take some pictures, check Milady's performance on the event page and I'm happy to see that she just finished in 2h09, a new record for her, congrats! She calls me quickly after and ask me to take it easy.

I cover the last kilometres half walking half jogging. My average pace updates to 7'09. Excited supporters yell at me to keep on running, that I will make it. I'd like to explain to them that I am everything but tired, almost bored to go that slowly, but my foot just cannot keep the pace! All around me, runners are turning red, sweating and crying, fighting the inner voice imploring them to stop, while I am strolling around like a tourist!

I cross the finish line 2h32 after the starting one and raises my arms, not because I beat my previous time (47min more!), not because I am exhausted and this is my last drop of energy left, but simply because this is a new step on my recovery road and I trained hard to succeed. Three months ago I was incapable of running more than one or two kilometres pain free and today I just finished a half marathon! That's the beauty of this sport: we may have different goals but we are all winner in the end :)

Medal around the neck, plastic sheet on the shoulders, banana in one hand, a beer in the other (I love Berlin)... I find my way amongst the euphoria of finishers to join my darling who's been waiting for me and we head back home. This was a big day for both of us. Now it's time to take some rest, since the next step in September will be a whole other adventure!