Week 8: Training for the Manchester Marathon

From a Sharp Pain in My Hip to Prioritizing Rest and Recovery: a Mix of Highs and Lows.

Published March 20, 2023

Last week was challenging for my Manchester Marathon training journey, with a mix of highs, lows, hip pain and a cold.

After running 20 miles on Sunday, I planned to have a recovery day on Monday, which was much needed after such a long run. I unfortunately also started developing what felt like a cold on Monday too.

On Tuesday, I had a supervised cardio session, and the goal was to keep my heart rate above 80%. I managed to maintain it mostly, which was great considering how tired I had felt on Monday. The cold didn’t seem to continue, and I thought it was a false alarm.

Wednesday evening was the final Exmouth 5-mile race in the City Run’s winter series. I wasn’t entirely ready for another race, but I decided to give it a shot since it was part of the series. Unfortunately, I was running late and arrived with less than two minutes to go. I had to sprint to the start line and pin my number on as the countdown started, so I didn’t have time for a warm-up.

Despite this, I reached the 5 km mark around 23:17 and was on track for a good time. However, soon after, I started experiencing sharp pain in my left hip, which forced me to walk. But walking was also hurting, so I ran through the pain. Unfortunately, my time slipped by about three minutes, but I was glad I persevered and finished the race. And I completed the series in 30th position.

Racing on Wednesday also brought my cold back.

As I had an arranged 1-hour tennis hitting session on Thursday at 6 am, I turned up and did my best, but I wasn’t in the best shape due to my new hip pain and cold.

With my knee (as noted in the last two weeks’ posts), new hip pain, and cold, I decided to take a break for the rest of the week. I don’t want to risk injuring myself before the Manchester Marathon.

Next week, I plan to continue exercising to keep my fitness up, but I’ll limit my running to allow my knee and hip to recover appropriately.

In conclusion, last week was challenging for me, with some highs and lows compounded by a cold. I am excited to see what the next few weeks will bring and hope to be in top form for the Manchester Marathon. So, I will be listening to my body and adjusting accordingly.