It's all about the back (Hannah)

Last year I had a significant period out from training due to a sharp ankle pain – after lots of work with my osteo (John and Paddy at Montserrat Clinic in Putney), my acupuncturist (Charles Bourne – www.bourneacupuncture.com) and Martin Felix (super-sports-masseur who’s been keeping Brett and me on the road for the last six years – www.martinfelix.co.uk) it became clear that the original cause of the problem was tightness in my back.  This was translating into a skewed pelvis and the problems that filtered out of that all the way down to my feet.

So the solution was lots of back stretches and work on spinal flexibility.  I realised that if I have 30 mins to stretch then at least 20 mins of this should be spent working on my back and hips.  And if I only have 10 mins to stretch then I’m best to spend all of this working on my back and hips.  This is complemented by a pilates session with Nathan on Monday evenings which forces me to do stretches, mobilisation work and core exercises that I might otherwise avoid.

As I’ve mentioned before, I was struggling with a tight left glute / hip back in February this year which put me out of training for a bit and caused me to DNF in a marathon.  After lots of treatment my back came out as the root cause again.  This time the main problem is the side of my back – and since I discovered that I’ve been able to do something about it and am running happily again.  I now do mobilisation work before I run (several reaches over to each side and great big circles with my arms and hips), side stretches after I run (sometimes on the power plate to increase the intensity) and spend a lot of time with a microwaveable heat pack (aka a “huggy”) tied to my waist – I know I’ve been training hard when I manage to sleep the whole night through with this strapped to me!

Whilst it’s frustrating to have learned the same lesson as last year it’s helped to hammer home the importance of core strength and spinal flexibility.  And it’s helped me to run again which is the most important thing.  My mileages now are considerably higher than they’ve ever been before, regularly exceeding 100km per week.  So it’s not surprising that I’m getting a few niggles or that my body is reacting differently to how it has before.  The key thing is that I learn how to recognise these niggles, deal with them and keep them at bay.  I’m now happily running 100km weeks again and I recently did my first ultra – the Endurance Life Sussex Coastal Trail Series.  I loved it and will definitely be back for more.

So to summarise, what are the main things I do to keep myself running...

• I stretch for at least 20 mins after I run with lots of focus on back and hips stretches – the plough is a must, spinal rotation, side stretches, hip flexors, psoas stretch.
• Pilates once a week with Nathan at Virgin Active Strand – he runs a tough session which forces me outside my comfort zone in terms of both stretching and core.
• At least two more core / gym sessions during the week, incorporating a lot of time on the TRX.  And also calf raises, single leg squats etc.
• Regularly strapping a huggy to any tight bits of my body – when I’m working from home or before I go to bed.
• Leaving a tennis ball on the sitting room floor so I can massage my feet regularly and release any tension – I do this first thing in the morning and while watching TV in the evening.
• Seeing Martin for massage every couple of weeks.
• Osteo every three months or so to realign everything and in between if I have any particular problems.
• Acupuncture sessions from Charles Bourne, especially when it comes to dealing with any acute problems.

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A couple of cafe recommendations (Hannah)

Brett and I are now back in the big smoke after enjoying a very relaxing honeymoon in Dorset.  What really came across was how laid back the area is – a perfect place for relaxing and getting off the usual treadmill.  It’s a beautiful area and we enjoyed some great walks along the coast – these definitely gave the legs a good work out whilst also making for some stunning views.

Before we went we had heard that the area is great for food and we weren’t disappointed.  Southwest Dorset is still very rural and there’s a big focus on supporting local produce.  We enjoyed some really fresh seafood but also “discovered” a couple of cafes that we want to recommend.  They were both very much in keeping with our thoughts on “enjoying the basics”.

Our first “discovery” was Downhouse Farm and Garden Cafe (www.downhousefarm.org).  The first we knew of this was a sign next to the coastal footpath which made reference to “cream teas, home-cooked specials and home-baked cakes”.  That definitely sounded like our sort of cafe!  So we walked up and down a few more hills to work up an appetite and then went to find the cafe on our way home. 

The seating was fairly rustic, set within the garden of an old stone cottage.  And the day’s newspapers were available – most of the visitors were taking advantage of these and there was the atmosphere of a shared relaxed Sunday morning rather than individual groups sitting at tables in their own little bubbles. 

We both went for the tea and cake option but the cafe serves various yummy looking light meals too.  It’s all locally sourced and organic wherever possible.  The cream tea scored top marks – freshly baked scones (still warm), a big dollop of clotted cream (crunchy top included) and homemade strawberry jam.  The portions were generous, the food was fresh and tasty.  And if we lived any nearer I think we’d both put on several extra inches around our waists!

Our second find was Town Mill Bakery in Lyme Regis (www.townmillbakery.com).  By chance we turned up at 12.30 as lunch was about to be served.  We found ourselves some space on one of the long communal tables – 10 minutes later there was a queue out the door as couples and families “in the know” turned up for the daily serving of lunch.

Eating at the bakery feels much more like going for dinner with friends – the tables are communal and you help yourself to what you want in the way of food – they trust you to let them know what you’ve eaten when it comes to paying on the way out.  Unfortunately, I don’t think that system would work everywhere these days.

I had the soup and bread – it was warm and hearty, very fresh and seriously yummy.  I spooned it into a big cup which had been made in the pottery next door.  The soup came with a chunk of bread and I helped myself to butter from the shared dish on the table.  The dishes of jam looked very appealing too but unfortunately I didn’t have space for one of the big scones after my lunch!

Brett had a flat bread with a big Portobello mushroom, garlicky sauce and melted parmesan on top.  Not quite so healthy but equally fresh and it tasted fantastic.

The bakery felt like somewhere with a strong local following – and somewhere where we definitely needed there to be a few regulars to show us the ropes! 

Having a break from training (Brett)

Having had some time off running for a few days due to various commitments and having the infamous manflu – trust me that it is life threatening even though Hannah and other women may disagree. The only thing which I could do is moan and use the remote control.

It did highlight something which Guy used to go on about, and that was that we all do things at a 100m/hr and never stop to just smell the roses. The other thing being that we also keep comparing ourselves to others during this process. I personally think that the Keartland clan is at a loss without him as he was the only one in the clan who provided the deep thinking. My task is, light banter and teach the nephews bad habits – well habits which their mom might not approve of.

Having not run for a while I have been like a bear with a sore head and eventually I managed to do some very light running e.g walk/run for 25-30minutes. Thankfully it has not been to cold, so did not need any of those man up chats which Hannah has a knack of giving. However once I got out there, just cruising around the park in the evening after work it really highlighted how fortunate we are that we can just get outside and go for a run and do something which I love doing.

During my time off running I have been noticing that the blokes and other such characters have been putting in solid training sessions in the hills and they are definitely looking very impressive. Thus I start over analysing my performances vs theirs etc and start doubting my own training for Hardmoors 110 and Transalpine. However I bet that if you ask these guys how their training is going they might say rubbish and that I am flying. Or at work when you are only a junior bricklayer while the guys you went to bricklaying college with are now senior bricklayers – you do not know if they are happy being senior bricklayers and whether they are pleased that they have sacrificed so much for only that much more.

Thus what I am trying to say is that sometimes you need to just enjoy the journey no matter what gets thrown your way – yes it does get frustrating and you want to go into hibernation but that is when you need to look around you and be grateful for what is around no matter how small it is and just enjoy it. Furthermore during these periods and others do not compare yourself to others as you do not know what is going on behind the scenes.

Being unusually sensible (Hannah)

Last weekend was a lesson in both of us having to be sensible with a view to the longer term bigger goal.

It was a beautiful sunny day with very little wind, clear blue skies and a peak temperature of around 13 degrees – a perfect day for running. Not least when that running was on the trails of the New Forest, one of our favourite parts of the world.

Brett and I had both entered the Heartbreaker marathon organised by Race New Forest. We’ve done lots of their events over the years and really like them – they’re well organised and the atmosphere is always relaxed and friendly.

The weekend before, however, Brett had run 80km which was a vital training session in his build up to the Hardmoors 110 miler in June. His knee had been niggling since then and wasn’t happy after a gentle 10km run on the Saturday. He’s also been battling sinus problems for a month or so and just can’t shift the bug. So doing a marathon didn’t seem like a sensible idea – it could put him out of training completely for several weeks and we can’t afford that sort of disruption at the moment – the events we’re training for require consistency. So Brett woke on the Sunday morning and made the decision to be a DNS. Instead he had a lovely walk in the New Forest.

I’ve been battling with spasm in my left glute and lateral quad for a month or so. It’s been getting better and I’d managed to run 13 miles three times in the week running up to the marathon. So I was fairly confident I could get halfway. But I didn’t want to push myself to the point where my technique was off and I was doing myself damage. The course route was ideal for this – 3 loops with a turnaround point at each end and a central feed station. So every 1.5 miles I had the opportunity to reassess how I was feeling and the option to pull out.

It was a beautiful course and really scenic.  And a stunning day.  There was also a half marathon and a 10k going on but us marathoners headed off earlier than everyone else - and that meant we had the "loop" to ourself on the first time round.  It was really peaceful and I really enjoyed myself.  I was so keen to complete this race!

Loads of the marathoners were training for bigger things and had stories to tell.  There was one guy running 60 marathons in 60 weeks at the age of 60.  And another woman running 12 marathons in 12 months to raise money for Headway.  And a woman heading towards her 200th marathon!  Plus lots of  people training for ultras later in the year.

The second loop was busier cos we were being chased down my the people doing the half marathon.  But at that point I hooked up with woman training for the Marathon des Sables.  Talking to her helped take my mind off things and it was also really interesting to talk to her about her training.  That got me round the second lap and onto the third when things quietened down again - the half marathon only did one loop.

I got to the second turnaround with around 10k to go and decided I needed to stop and stretch my leg out.  By this stage I could feel stiffness all the way down from my glute into my lower leg.  I stopped and started to stretch and felt my whole leg seize up.  I walked for a bit and it was sore.  It didn't seem to be easing.  Brett happened to be there at that point.  So we agreed that I'd start running and if it looked like I was running awkwardly then I'd stop.  I started running and Brett was assertive with me.  10k was too far for me to run with an uncomfortable and uneven gait.  I'd have risked injuring myself badly and putting myself out of training for weeks. 

It was a hard decision to make not least cos the rest of me was feeling really good.  For example, my right leg didn't feel like it had been running at all.  But it was definitely the right decision.  I was running again by Tuesday morning and have covered some big mileage over the past week.  Consistency is so key at the moment that that is more important than completing a marathon and then having to take a break from training.

Getting connected

In an attempt to make sure we're fully connected, we've set up a Facebook page for Team Goot and also a Twitter feed - @teamgoot

The idea is that the Team Goot banner can be used as a banner for all sorts of fundraising in memory of Guy.

Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook if you're interested!  And please let us know of any ways in which you think we can improve what we're doing.  Or if there's anything in particular you'd like to hear about.

Thank you!

Exciting fundraising news!!!

We've had some really exciting fundraising news.  Falkner House School (www.falknerhouse.co.uk) have decided to donate all of the money that they fundraise next term towards our fundraising appeal - to help Cancer Research UK support research into Hodgkin's lymphoma.  This is really exciting and we are incredibly grateful to them for doing this.

Hopefully there might be other people or schools out there that decide to do something similar...  We'll keep you posted on how they do.

And a reminder of our fundraising page - www.justgiving.com/brettandhannah2012

We have a logo! (Hannah)

We have something exciting to share...  We are running the Transalpine as "Team Goot" in honour of Brett's brother - "Goot" was Brett's nickname for him at university.

Here it is, let us know what you think!

A huge thank you to Chandra Prince for helping with this - without his graphic design skills this wouldn't have looked anything near as professional!