Well, I just got back from my follow-up physio appointment. Alex, my physio (aren't they all called Alex?! It seems so!) had a good old fiddle around, and declared me stronger than when he first saw me 2 weeks ago, particularly in the bum cheek area. This is the result of the side leg raises and the hip drop exercises he gave me. Woo hoo. Also tested my IT band, and he said it was "normal" i.e. not tight. My knees have been a bit achy of late, which is weird as I have only run twice in the last two weeks, so I reckon they are just missing running. But overall he was very pleased with me and my bum.
I think I needed this, emotionally as much as anything. There is a small part of me that thinks it will probably rear its ugly head again during my HM on Sunday, but I do feel a bit better about giving it a go. I still plan to stop if I get the same knee pain again, so still being Sadie The Sensible.
Thank you so much to ALL of you for listening to me wittering on, obsessing, moaning these last two weeks. Your support and kind words have meant so much and it has been so helped so much to talk to people who understand. ♥️
Sadie-runs xxx
P.S. Can I start carb loading now please? 😂
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Sadie-runs
Half Marathon
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Thanks David. Just one wee run tomorrow of around 3k and then, race day! Eeeek. The good thing about this injury is that it has taken my mind off whether I am even fit enough to finish the course – been too busy worrying about "when" the pain will set in again. It still might, but I at least will start with optimism. x
Thanks Mitch. And get a physio/sports masseause to stick his/her bony elbow in your butt cheeks, that works a treat. But makes your eyes water something rotten. Hope you are back to full strength soon, buddy. x
Hi Sadie-runs , what a coincidence, my physio is an Alex too! Maybe it's an entry requirement of physio training college or something 😂
Just a brief reply as I'm at work, but I'm so so pleased to hear you sounding more positive about Sunday. I think you're ready and you'll be fine. I suspect the knee thing is just a little bit of tightness from not running, and you'll probably run it out in the first k, or during the warmup. I think you'll do brilliantly, have faith in yourself. 👍👍👍
LOL! And my previous physio from another clinic was also called Alex! (And they were both Aussies). Thank you dear Neil. This appointment definitely lifted my spirits. And, you may be right about the knee tightness thing..I do hope so! xxx
Thanks so much, Colin! It is set to be a nice sunny day, I just want to enjoy the experience and get as far as I can. Setting off very slowly is my plan. x
So pleased to hear some good news on this, Sadie. Absolutely rooting for you. I hope you will post a super-detailed report afterwards. Take care and enjoy the run.
Watch your pace at the start. Half the field will set off at a pace they cannot sustain. Seriously, it's like the ultimate triumph of hope over common sense. (Or is that second marriages? I'll ask Madam Loris).
LOL! Good advice. I am a big fan of negative splitting, so have to start super slow to have that power to finish well at the end. If I finish, that is! LOL! I am more than happy to let the speed freaks wear themselves out in the first 5k.
I love this poem and these are the bits that always come to me when the running gets hard. Can't beat a bit of Kipling even if his cakes are a bit sickly.
The night before carb up on some premium meat pasta bolognese. No wine. Race day: don't talk to strangers, focus on yourself, start slow, maintain slow, keep arrogant (dark shades, bored looks), sip Tailwind throughout, absolutely resist any temptation to walk or stop for whatever reason - and finish in whatever time. You can do this, Sadie. I'll use my mental powers to be with you throughout! 👍👊
Thanks for the top tips, mrrun! I can do dark shades, bored looks with aplomb. Years of practice. Green tea buzz with caffeine Tailwind will be my friend, I think. Worked nicely in training. I don't eat meat, but will be pasta-ing up with tuna pesto pasta (is that a weird combo?!). No wine from tonight (sob!) Thank you for your support and your mental powers. appreciate it!
Thanking you kindly, Dexy. ❤️ And I bet your Jon's middle name is Alex. I BET. Hope all goes well with your appointment. I could have kissed my Alex when we said goodbye. But that would have been weird, right? xxx
I think I made his day just by how happy I was. I was so happy that I actually walked out without paying, and had to leg it back to rectify my mistake! LOL!
Your IT band is normal, your bum cheeks are exemplary...you're good to go!👌
I'm so pleased that you can give it your best shot, feeling that little bit more confident. You have trained and already run a couple of very long distance runs, you know you are capable, and now well rested.
We will all be with you on Sunday, rooting for you and waving our pom poms....Sadie runs a HM!
Aw, thank you lovely Jan! Yes, just a little bit more confident, which is such a relief. I think my negativity might have got in the way of a fighting chance, so I am so pleased my physio gave me the thumbs up. If he is confident, then I should be, right?
Thank you for always rooting for me Bluebirdrunner xxx
LOL! Alex was pleased with my bum, I am pleased with my bum! I grimaced my way through all the squats, monster walks and leg raises, but they really do work it seems! Thanks Sask! xxx
That is great to hear. I was bad and didn't do my glute strengthening exercises while training but have a plan to scale back my distance after my race, run for fun for the next 6 months and really focus on strengthening exercises.
That sounds like a very good plan, Sask. I am really looking forward to running through the winter months just for fun. I enjoyed training, but this rollercoaster of injury really took some of the joy away...Summer running has been lovely, but I do like wrapping up and that lovely sensation of getting warmer and warmer as the run progresses, and the red-cheek glow you get when back in the warm, and into a warm bath...
Saturday.... eek! I came down with a nasty cold this week so it will be just about survival. I'm light headed today and I haven't done anything other than take cold meds. And I haven't run since Friday but will run a short little 20 minute run tomorrow morning just to limber up the legs. It is what it is though.
Oh! And ah. Sorry to hear you have been poorly SaskAlliecat . Meh! Bad timing. But, you will have done the most important part of your training by now, so don't worry. Rest is key this week anyway. I hope you are feeling much, much better by Saturday. I am doing a limber up the legs run tomorrow, and will be thinking of you and wishing you all the very best for your race. Let's survive this weekend together! I haven't done anything over 8k for weeks now, because of my pesky ITB. But, survive we will, because we are women, and we are made of tough stuff. xxx
Cheers BC. My boyfriend has particularly been looking forward to the carb loading, and said he will be supporting me by eating everything I will be eating. Pasta heaven!
Woo hooooooooo! She’s got the model bum!! I need those exercises! That’s more than a glimmeroomie, you are pretty much good to go, what fab news!!! So pleased for you. Who knows what time you will do now, fuelled by arse power!
You thoroughly deserve this- never given up through thick and thin. Looking forward to the full race report (please, we want to know it all!!)and will be cheering you on from sunny Sussex (gonna be a warm one!). Good luck SR you bluddy amazing runner you! Xxx
"Fuelled by arse power." Now that needs to get printed up on a t-shirt Fishypieface ! LOL! I was always sceptical about doing strength exercises; thinking that they wouldn't work for me, like I was some kind of special alien immune to improvement in that area! However, having a physio say that he could see the difference after two weeks of doing the exercises has changed my mind somewhat! I now have a whole arse-nal (see what I did there?) of glute exercises that work, so let me know if you want them!
And thank you so much for your kind wishes and support, FPF. It is going to be a hot one, but I have been training in the heat, so hope that has set me up well.
(On a paranoid note, I really hope you will all still love me if I don't finish!)
You could never run another step and we'd all still be cheering you on . Let's hope that's not the case for your sake, all this training and exercising deserves to come to beautiful and long awaited fruition.
My glute is deffo up the shoot! It's a painful stubborn bugger and probably as weak as water. I should really find something else to talk about on here though it's all very boring now - maybe I should change my name to FishyArseFace instead? ...... Or maybe not!!! I will google hip drop exercises, I am intrigued.
You will run rings around that course on Sunday, I have no doubt. Go you! xxx
❤️ Thanks FAF. (I like the acronym, it works! But you are not an Arse Face, never call yourself that!)
Hip drops are great but more for hip strength. You want side leg raises for your glute medius. Or maybe not! Sorry, I shouldn’t push this stuff on you, but it is because I care. Don’t give up on your arse. No arse is beyond hope, trust me. You just need a nice fellow or fellow-ess called Alex to help you. I love physiotherapists now, despite all the money they fleece off me.
SR xxx
PS Admin: will I get kicked off HU for saying ar*e so much? 🙁
I don’t have a physio called Alex, but my personal trainer is called Alexa! Haven’t yet asked her whether she’s pleased with my bum cheeks, maybe I should? 🤔😉😂
Seriously, that sounds like fabulous news! I bet you’re over the moon that you’ll be able to give your HM a go - knowing that you’re giving yourself permission to take it easy if needs be. I can’t wait to hear how you get on! Soooo exciting! 👏👏👏👏
I have major FOMO as they have all the cones and signs up for the Bristol HM this Sunday too. I’ve got seriously itchy feet!! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
Thanks lovely Cheeky! As if I need encouragement. Had an enormous jacket potato for lunch (with salad, so I didn't feel so bad). Frittata for tea. Gawd I love food.
And yes, it did sound like good news, and I will still be taking it fairly easy I think, as I have not been running regularly for 2 weeks eeeeek! And…it could still bite me in the bum. But, I am looking forward to trying, to see what I can do. It will be fun, whatever.
Oh I didn't know Bristol was this weekend. My sister in law lives just outside Bristol; such a lovely city. If I could get a job there I would definitely relocate from London, in a heartbeat in fact!
Oh thanks Hidden . Not worried so much about my ITB now, more my aching knees! For some reason, they are very achy. I am wondering if this is all in my head now LOL! xxx
Lorks Flick, do you sometimes think if it is not one thing its another?!? I have never had knee probs in my whole running career of 2 years, why now?! Deep Heat is my friend. Hope your knees / thighs ease up soon. xxx
The knees are not too bad. It’s the tendons on my inner thighs at the top that are hurting a bit, plus tight calves. Out with the instrument of torture me thinks 😳 xxx
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But overall he was very pleased with me and my bum.
Meh! Bad timing. But, you will have done the most important part of your training by now, so don't worry. Rest is key this week anyway. I hope you are feeling much, much better by Saturday. I am doing a limber up the legs run tomorrow, and will be thinking of you and wishing you all the very best for your race. Let's survive this weekend together! I haven't done anything over 8k for weeks now, because of my pesky ITB. But, survive we will, because we are women, and we are made of tough stuff. xxx
10 miles done! Hope I can walk tomorrow! 
Another PB.. 🏃♀️💪 But hope I don't need a new Garmin 😣
