Paul Walters runs the London Marathon



Report from Saturday 8th February 2003

I have a cunning plan

In the last month, I've done about four or five runs in total, and I've suffered from a tight hip, tight ankles and a pain at the back of my right knee - problems which have been recurrant over the last year.

I'm still trying to attend my yoga class, although I have not been for two weeks in a theory that the stretching would not help my right knee recover, but I hope to start it again soon.

In the last three weeks I've run for 5 and 6 miles, so my marathon training starts here - 7 miles tomorrow (Sunday), and the plan is to increase this Sunday run by a mile a week until I'm ready for the Gatwick half marathon in mid-March, followed by hopefully a sixteen mile run in the following week or so, and then into the London Marathon.

I'm going to be running at my own pace, and run well within myself, just to stop myself straining anything. I think that something like eight and a half minute mileing should do the trick.

I've decided to try to follow this schedule, and if my legs give out due to injury, then at that time I'll probably back out of the marathon for this year. Having run the last three marathons injured, and still having last years injuries to some extent, I really don't like the thought of even more damage!

The strategy this year, if I can manage to train myself up for it, is to try to run the marathon the whole way, but not to do it at any fast pace. I'd love to break 4 hours, but in reality I think that a 4 hours 30 minutes time is probably more realistic given the state of my legs.

I'm seeing a physiotherapist each week, and this together with the stretching, icing and yoga will hopefully keep my body from injury. That's the hope, but I still feel tight in all sorts of ways in my legs, and all of this strategy can I feel only help so much. I tell you what - a sports massage of the piriformis muscle is very painful, and having it done once a week is something not really to look forward to!

I have received a small amount of sponsorship in the last month, so I'm glad that it's still coming in. I'm hoping to get going with the sponsorship when I'm feeling more confident about actually running.

A big thank you for reading this far and considering to sponsor me.

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