I set off at 6:20 am this morning for my final long training run for the Florence Marathon on 27th November. 20 miles was the aim, but after less than one mile I started to feel a disturbing soreness in my right groin area. It's often possible to run off this kind of discomfort and so I pressed on optimistically, but by the time I had covered three miles the pain had become so sharp and insistent that I was left with no choice but to stop running and endure a very uncomfortable two and a half mile limp home, feeling increasingly disconsolate.
A very similar thing happened to me at exactly the same point, three weeks, before my first London Marathon back in 2006. Back then it was my right knee that suddenly and very painfully gave way. After some treatment, treading gingerly in subsequent training and the use of a knee support, I was able to take part in the race and even finish with a respectable time, although not without pain. Ever since I have been wary of any knee twinges, and this year in particular I have been careful not to place too much strain on them. So far they have done me proud.
This is the first time I've ever experienced groin problems from running. I did need an operation to patch up a protruding hernia on the left over ten years ago, but this was in my pre-running days and apart from the occasional dull ache it hasn't bothered me since. I found out yesterday that, whereas with careful handling, it is often possible to continue with a dodgy knee, the groin area is so pivotal to the action of running that grinning and bearing the pain for this this type of injury is not an option.
What to do? Well after resting it up for a number of hours, it's feeling a lot better, so I'm going to take a complete rest from running for a few days, try a couple of gentle treadmill runs towards the end of the week and then attempt another final long training run next weekend, although probably a little shorter than 20 miles. I was planning to go for a sports massage next week anyway to revitalise the legs in time for Florence, so if the groin is still playing up at that point I can ask Stan to have a go at manipulating the old nether regions. I have also discovered a product, compression shorts for the prevention and treatment of groin injuries and I think I'll give them a try. Hopefully they will offer more support than the lycra I often wear under my shorts (and I was wearing lycra tights yesterday) without the compression element of their design adversely affecting other components of that particular body region, if you know what I mean.
The therapeutic effect of writing this blog has increased my confidence that I'll be OK. In addition I've been feeling very tired since returning from Japan, so a few days enforced rest from running may be no bad thing.
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| An injury free groyne at Worthing, West Sussex |
This is the first time I've ever experienced groin problems from running. I did need an operation to patch up a protruding hernia on the left over ten years ago, but this was in my pre-running days and apart from the occasional dull ache it hasn't bothered me since. I found out yesterday that, whereas with careful handling, it is often possible to continue with a dodgy knee, the groin area is so pivotal to the action of running that grinning and bearing the pain for this this type of injury is not an option.
What to do? Well after resting it up for a number of hours, it's feeling a lot better, so I'm going to take a complete rest from running for a few days, try a couple of gentle treadmill runs towards the end of the week and then attempt another final long training run next weekend, although probably a little shorter than 20 miles. I was planning to go for a sports massage next week anyway to revitalise the legs in time for Florence, so if the groin is still playing up at that point I can ask Stan to have a go at manipulating the old nether regions. I have also discovered a product, compression shorts for the prevention and treatment of groin injuries and I think I'll give them a try. Hopefully they will offer more support than the lycra I often wear under my shorts (and I was wearing lycra tights yesterday) without the compression element of their design adversely affecting other components of that particular body region, if you know what I mean.
The therapeutic effect of writing this blog has increased my confidence that I'll be OK. In addition I've been feeling very tired since returning from Japan, so a few days enforced rest from running may be no bad thing.
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