Fitness for Glasto 2021

[John the Moth]

Tomorrow is my first of 5 half marathons over the next 8 weeks.

I am far from ready as training has been severely interrupted by matters out of my control, plus an injury I’m not fully recovered from. So fitness down, weight up, brain absconded.

Also this one is the most hilly of the 5. Been nice knowing ya 😵

 

[The Dawg]

1 hour ago, John the Moth said:

Tomorrow is my first of 5 half marathons over the next 8 weeks.

I am far from ready as training has been severely interrupted by matters out of my control, plus an injury I’m not fully recovered from. So fitness down, weight up, brain absconded.

Also this one is the most hilly of the 5. Been nice knowing ya 😵

 

Easy now, don't me making the injury any worse! Remember, it's only just over 18 weeks until the big one 🙂

Good luck though.

 

[steviewevie]

7 hours ago, John the Moth said:

Tomorrow is my first of 5 half marathons over the next 8 weeks.

I am far from ready as training has been severely interrupted by matters out of my control, plus an injury I’m not fully recovered from. So fitness down, weight up, brain absconded.

Also this one is the most hilly of the 5. Been nice knowing ya 😵

 

Good luck!

[Hugh Jass]

I’ve gotten back into distance running recently, doing my first half marathon in about two and a half years in Brighton in a couple of weeks. Training has been an absolute bastard due to a mixture of age and massively reduced fitness levels after the last couple of years.

Booked to do Hackney as well in May, figured I would keep it going afterwards.

[Hugh Jass]

10 hours ago, John the Moth said:

Tomorrow is my first of 5 half marathons over the next 8 weeks.

I am far from ready as training has been severely interrupted by matters out of my control, plus an injury I’m not fully recovered from. So fitness down, weight up, brain absconded.

Also this one is the most hilly of the 5. Been nice knowing ya 😵

 

Good luck pal.

[John the Moth]

3 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Good luck pal.

Thanks. I’m at the start now, there’s the arse end of a tropical cyclone coming through. 20+ degrees, 90% humidity, gale force winds. But hey, at least it’s not raining 🤣

[Smeble]

3x45min a week personal trainer sessions starting to have an effect, plan to keep them up until early June. Not cheap but really starting to enjoy them, especially boxing, and I can notice my overall fitness is better, my resting heartbeat is lower and all those little aches and pains you get in your mid 40s have gone.

[Quark]

On 2/12/2022 at 2:57 PM, Hugh Jass said:

I’ve gotten back into distance running recently, doing my first half marathon in about two and a half years in Brighton in a couple of weeks. Training has been an absolute bastard due to a mixture of age and massively reduced fitness levels after the last couple of years.

Booked to do Hackney as well in May, figured I would keep it going afterwards.

Ooh, I'm running Brighton Half with my brother! Lemme know if logistics allow and you fancy a meet before/ during / after 👍

[Hugh Jass]

15 minutes ago, Quark said:

Ooh, I'm running Brighton Half with my brother! Lemme know if logistics allow and you fancy a meet before/ during / after 👍

Sweet, let me know your race number and I’ll keep an eye out for you. Was originally in yellow but thinking of dropping back a colour.

[The Dawg]

Completed my 117th parkrun on Saturday and now beginning to wonder about the logistics of doing a tourist run while at the festival, I'll be arriving in my mates campervan so have no chance of getting on and off site in that. 

Might have to run to the A37 and run/walk/thumb a lift to Shepton Mallet.

[Superscally]

5 minutes ago, The Dawg said:

Completed my 117th parkrun on Saturday and now beginning to wonder about the logistics of doing a tourist run while at the festival, I'll be arriving in my mates campervan so have no chance of getting on and off site in that. 

Might have to run to the A37 and run/walk/thumb a lift to Shepton Mallet.

Sack that off dude. If you have to run at the fest, run around site. Proper waste of your festival time going to Shepton

[Divein]

Got myself a charity place for the London Marathon. Really got into running during the pandemic and did a 10k race and half marathon last year. So I’m buzzing for the training. 
 

Im three stone down in a year (and a bit) plus the time on my feet from running should Put me in a good place for glastonbury. 

[Quark]

12 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Sweet, let me know your race number and I’ll keep an eye out for you. Was originally in yellow but thinking of dropping back a colour.

9183, in the pink start pen for 2:15 - 2:29 estimate.  Put in for a slower ETA than usual as we're just out to enjoy it rather than push a time, but will see how it feels once we start moving!

[Hugh Jass]

13 minutes ago, Quark said:

9183, in the pink start pen for 2:15 - 2:29 estimate.  Put in for a slower ETA than usual as we're just out to enjoy it rather than push a time, but will see how it feels once we start moving!

I'll dig out my number later and let you know. I'm meant to be in the 1.45-1.59 pen, but that feels rather optimistic so will drop back a pen or two. Think Mrs J is in the same pen as you so might come back to that one.

[Quark]

14 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

I'll dig out my number later and let you know. I'm meant to be in the 1.45-1.59 pen, but that feels rather optimistic so will drop back a pen or two. Think Mrs J is in the same pen as you so might come back to that one.

If you give me the wrong number so I get slapped by a complete stranger for walking up to them and asking "Hugh Jass?" then, well, I'll find it very funny tbf.

[Hugh Jass]

1 minute ago, Quark said:

If you give me the wrong number so I get slapped by a complete stranger for walking up to them and asking "Hugh Jass?" then, well, I'll find it very funny tbf.

Just walk around with your phone...

[The Dawg]

2 hours ago, Superscally said:

Sack that off dude. If you have to run at the fest, run around site. Proper waste of your festival time going to Shepton

I have a parkrun addiction and I will be at Shepton unless, a. I can't get there or b. I'm too hammered to get out of bed (or i'm still not in bed :). 

I remember from last year that there were other pr's that were looking to do the same.

[Quark]

Planning on doing the Thursday morning 5km this year. Just one of those things at the fest I've never done and fancy ticking off 

[Superscally]

30 minutes ago, The Dawg said:

I have a parkrun addiction and I will be at Shepton unless, a. I can't get there or b. I'm too hammered to get out of bed (or i'm still not in bed :). 

I remember from last year that there were other pr's that were looking to do the same.

Yep. I get that. It's just weird. 

[Homer]

3 hours ago, The Dawg said:

Completed my 117th parkrun on Saturday and now beginning to wonder about the logistics of doing a tourist run while at the festival, I'll be arriving in my mates campervan so have no chance of getting on and off site in that. 

Might have to run to the A37 and run/walk/thumb a lift to Shepton Mallet.

Nearest parkrun to Glastonbury town is in Street. I did it a couple of years ago with a hangover while staying with my mates in Glasto before my knee packed up. Bit boring as you're basically running around a field in circles, but the vista with the Tor in the background is quite inspiring.

[Homer]

On 1/20/2022 at 4:55 PM, Riggins said:

Zwift was the close competitor when I was doing research! Looks really cool. Ultimately I also need a money tree, but Peloton is just a monthly payment. I do it instead of a gym contract. I know it has this w*nky, middle class image but I love it and the music selection they have is fantastic. They've just done a Bowie series and generally the playlists are tip top, makes it enjoyable

I can highly recommend going to the gym and spinning on your own with headphones on. I started doing it when the gyms reopened and classes weren't allowed (plus a dr told me to never jog again as my knee is screwed), but have kept it up as I would go as far to say that I almost enjoy it!

[blutarsky]

So I'm getting old.. 34 now and the end of my rugby playing days is hoving into view. 

tl;dr: my hip's fucked - I'm having to wait on it to heal - I'm finding it hard.

I've always struggled with muscular inflexibility and tightness, but have been blessed to have not missed a game through injury since around 2008 when I pulled a hamstring and was out for around 3 weeks. I've played c500 senior games since, roughly 400 of these being in the national leagues. 

But time is catching up, and in mid-October my hip flexor went while playing over on the South Coast in Sussex. I was in the defensive line and had to accelerate as the ball carrier attempted to take me on the outside. Normally no issue - I'm not the fastest but I'm pretty quick and have recorded a 100m time of 11s flat in the past. On this occasion, as I attempted to accelerate my left leg just went from under me, leaving me in a heap on the floor and the attacker in the clear. I got up and hobbled over to kick the ball into touch as we had won a penalty. As I stepped off my left to kick the leg again gave way and I shanked the kick horribly. 

Our physio advised rest, some stretching, and provided soft tissue massage . I dosed myself up the following week and somehow shuffled around the pitch, and did likewise up until Christmas, performing at about 70% of my normal performance while only being able to run at about 60% of my full speed. 

"I've got Christmas to rest up and heal I thought" and didn't play from December 18th to January 15th. I had Covid on boxing day and our game on Jan 8th was postponed because of Covid. By the time I played again it felt pretty good and the warm up went fine. Still not perfect but closer to 80% than 60. However,, 5 minutes in I had to over-accelerate and then quickly slam on the breaks and tackle on the wrong shoulder due to a defensive mis-read and mis-communication from a team mate and the hip-flexor went again. I dragged myself round the pitch for the remaining 75 minutes and again dosed up to fly out to the channel Islands for our game the following week. However, I was more noticeably struggling and the benefit of my experience (which had kept me out of trouble while playing injured up until now) wasn't enough to prevent that showing. As a result I've missed our recent trips to Kent and Essex. I can't help feel playing 11 games with a torn hip flexor wasn't the best way to manage the injury...

Around this time we got a new physio at the club and she has diagnosed a labral tear meaning, in layman's terms, the soft tissue and muscle around my hip joint has torn off the bone. I've received a letter booking in my MRI scan to confirm this next month. I'm also waiting on a cortisone injection into the hip to enable me to play on with the injury if I wish. 

It's a 4-6 week healing job, and another 4-6 weeks after that to strengthen the tissue to prevent it happening again. This is why I felt good after a 4 week break at Christmas, only for the injury to recur when I tried playing straight away. Long story short, I'm ruled out until roughly the end of March. Having almost entirely avoided significant injury (there's been plenty of stitches and glue in eyebrows, bruises, broken fingers and other niggles I can play on with) for the past 23 years I'm finding it difficult to manage not playing. I've missed three games so far, and on two of the weekends I've found myself thinking on Saturday morning, "is this really what people do with their Saturdays?" Retirement is going to be tough. 

/self-indulgent post

Edited February 14, 2022 by blutarsky

[The Dawg]

4 hours ago, Homer said:

Nearest parkrun to Glastonbury town is in Street. I did it a couple of years ago with a hangover while staying with my mates in Glasto before my knee packed up. Bit boring as you're basically running around a field in circles, but the vista with the Tor in the background is quite inspiring.

I will be in the campervan field though so Shepton is nearer. I can't describe why I feel compelled to do a pr whenever I am in an area on a Saturday, must a an addiction or summat.  

[SpencerF]

Really need to get back into the health kick ahead of the festival this year. Lost 13st over the whole lockdown period in preparation for the festival coming back this year but have really been flagging recently - who wants to go to the gym after work or wake up before work to go? No one, shit's rough.

[Quark]

7 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

So I'm getting old.. 34 now and the end of my rugby playing days is hoving into view. 

tl;dr: my hip's fucked - I'm having to wait on it to heal - I'm finding it hard.

I've always struggled with muscular inflexibility and tightness, but have been blessed to have not missed a game through injury since around 2008 when I pulled a hamstring and was out for around 3 weeks. I've played c500 senior games since, roughly 400 of these being in the national leagues. 

But time is catching up, and in mid-October my hip flexor went while playing over on the South Coast in Sussex. I was in the defensive line and had to accelerate as the ball carrier attempted to take me on the outside. Normally no issue - I'm not the fastest but I'm pretty quick and have recorded a 100m time of 11s flat in the past. On this occasion, as I attempted to accelerate my left leg just went from under me, leaving me in a heap on the floor and the attacker in the clear. I got up and hobbled over to kick the ball into touch as we had won a penalty. As I stepped off my left to kick the leg again gave way and I shanked the kick horribly. 

Our physio advised rest, some stretching, and provided soft tissue massage . I dosed myself up the following week and somehow shuffled around the pitch, and did likewise up until Christmas, performing at about 70% of my normal performance while only being able to run at about 60% of my full speed. 

"I've got Christmas to rest up and heal I thought" and didn't play from December 18th to January 15th. I had Covid on boxing day and our game on Jan 8th was postponed because of Covid. By the time I played again it felt pretty good and the warm up went fine. Still not perfect but closer to 80% than 60. However,, 5 minutes in I had to over-accelerate and then quickly slam on the breaks and tackle on the wrong shoulder due to a defensive mis-read and mis-communication from a team mate and the hip-flexor went again. I dragged myself round the pitch for the remaining 75 minutes and again dosed up to fly out to the channel Islands for our game the following week. However, I was more noticeably struggling and the benefit of my experience (which had kept me out of trouble while playing injured up until now) wasn't enough to prevent that showing. As a result I've missed our recent trips to Kent and Essex. I can't help feel playing 11 games with a torn hip flexor wasn't the best way to manage the injury...

Around this time we got a new physio at the club and she has diagnosed a labral tear meaning, in layman's terms, the soft tissue and muscle around my hip joint has torn off the bone. I've received a letter booking in my MRI scan to confirm this next month. I'm also waiting on a cortisone injection into the hip to enable me to play on with the injury if I wish. 

It's a 4-6 week healing job, and another 4-6 weeks after that to strengthen the tissue to prevent it happening again. This is why I felt good after a 4 week break at Christmas, only for the injury to recur when I tried playing straight away. Long story short, I'm ruled out until roughly the end of March. Having almost entirely avoided significant injury (there's been plenty of stitches and glue in eyebrows, bruises, broken fingers and other niggles I can play on with) for the past 23 years I'm finding it difficult to manage not playing. I've missed three games so far, and on two of the weekends I've found myself thinking on Saturday morning, "is this really what people do with their Saturdays?" Retirement is going to be tough. 

/self-indulgent post

If it helps to have the point of view of a slightly older and more damaged warhorse...

tl;dr: getting old and broken sucks but it's not as terrible as you first imagine.

I took  step back from first team rugby at about 32/33 after getting a run of injuries. Annoyingly it was during probably my best ever season in terms of performance, try scoring and all the rest of it. Came back from putting my back out in the gym, and my knee went in the first training session back. Not major, but enough to piss me off and close enough to the end of the season to call it for that year.

Decided to take a full season off as I'd been playing pretty much non-stop for 20 years at that point. Enjoyed the break tbh, gave me a chance to focus on healing a lot of the injuries that you just get used to playing through.

Came back after a season to second team rugby. At that point I'd decided that while I still wanted to play, the increased flexibility in my life (Friday nights, weekends away, that kind of thing) was more enjoyable to me than the 100& commitment of training and playing for 9 months of the year. Continued to enjoy playing at a reasonable intensity.

In the end I had to take a big step back as I was getting very odd symptoms with my sight every time I took a heavy hit or made a hefty tackle.  Involved MRI scans and all sorts, so a wee bit scary tbh. In the end they found nothing obviously wrong, but there was a reasonable amount of wear and tear in the optic nerves and the top of the spinal column from 25 years of abuse.

So the big thing for me was then deciding how to deal with it.  In the end I realised that I had to adjust my style of playing, as being a flanker turned centre I'd always played on the basis of zero regard for my own safety, and getting by on pure fitness and physicality (not being the most technically or tactically astute of players). So I started holding back on the tackles a bit, not sticking my head into as many rucks, and not trying to win every single contact at any cost. I've wound it back a bit further to playing 3rd team, and still enjoying it.

I'll be honest, that notion of how I used to play hasn't left me yet. I'm not as quick as I was and not as strong as I was.  I used to get picked for the 2s and initially 3s at 12 to lead the defensive line and generally smash (normally successfully) whatever big runner they figured they'd put down the channel (I've never been the biggest but always a LOT stronger than I looked). Can't do that so much any more.

So yeah, physically it sucks. Getting older sucks.  And I miss being what I used to be. But I also still enjoy playing. I enjoy not playing every game and being able to do stuff with Mrs Q or my mates at the weekends now. Or sometimes going out on a Friday, which I could never do as I never drank the night before a game. Turns out I quite like running and cycling, which I couldn't do as much before as Sundays were generally about recovery. And it's nice not using the summer just to try and fix all the things I broke last season before we started again.

Not playing every game at 100% isn't the same as retirement. Every club has its players who've gone through the mill of the 1st team and now play a bit less and a bit easier. I recognise that you probably define yourself a bit as "a rugby player". It's certainly what I did, and to a  point still do. But it's manageable. I enjoy the Saturdays when I'm not playing, and I really look forward to the weekends when I am