Hello,

It’s Katie’s husband, Simon, again with a story about how one of ThriveNinety’s simple three steps helped me overcome issues I’d been having when exercising. I’m a frequent proof-reader of the blogs, newsletters and social media content that Andrea and Katie produce, and so I’m very familiar with the principles of the program and how it can be helpful for everyone who engages with it, regardless of their background. 

A few months ago, in one of those moments of athletic optimism we all get now and then, I signed up for a local half marathon. I had run a couple before, and I’d been struggling a little to get any focus or consistency in exercising. The end of the school year is always a slightly chaotic time for teachers, and I was finding it hard to get into a good routine for any kind of activity. I knew that these kinds of targets help me plan my time a little better. A friend also signed up, which also helped with motivation. I had about a month to get myself in some sort of shape. At this point, it seems appropriate to clarify that I do not suffer from Long COVID or any other chronic condition. I was just going through a fairly normal phase of being too busy, and not motivated enough, to focus on my physical fitness.

Despite having played a lot of sports my whole life, I am not a natural running enthusiast. It always seemed the best way to get fitter more quickly; it doesn’t take much organizing and is convenient (and free!). But I always found it a bit of chore – I don’t get into a ‘zone’ for example, or find it massively relaxing. I understand its benefits for me and enjoy it when I’m doing it – but it isn’t a passion like team sports are. Nevertheless, I dutifully began to put some miles in.

What I immediately noticed, almost from the first run, was how sore I was at the end. Despite the tried and tested warm up, stretching and cool down, my knees and lower back were really struggling with the impact on the concrete (it was a road race). I steadily increased my mileage at small increments as per the plan, but each time I was in a lot of discomfort in the 24 hours or so after running. This all came to a head with about a week to go before the race. I went out for a run of about 8 miles. I felt good till about halfway, then the soreness started on the run itself – a first for me – and I had to stop about 5 miles in. I walked back the last three miles, pretty dispirited and annoyed. The next day was worse – my back had stiffened up completely and my left knee was telling me that this was not a good idea. I had one last run planned but made the decision to shelve that and just rest up. In the past, I think I may have just tried to ‘power through’ and finished the session and then run again – that had always been okay in the past. But this felt different now and, maybe with ThriveNinety’s message about Pacing echoing in my ears, I decided to stop and just see how I could recover effectively.

On the morning of the race, I woke up about 7am, giving me plenty of time to get ready to go. I picked up my phone and quickly scrolled down my e mails and, being a Sunday, I had my ThriveNinety weekly blog message. And it was about ankle tilts. Now, I knew about them but to be honest, I had not really given them a go with any real consistency. I read through the blog, half thinking about whether I’d be able to get around the course, and decided that this might be a good morning to use them in any loosening up I was planning to do. I watched the quick video from Andrea and then did a couple of sets. I quickly ate some breakfast and got myself to the start line in town.

I’m not here to say that the ankle tilts helped me to my fastest ever half marathon time – they didn’t. However, I was able to finish the race without stopping at all and, most importantly, I didn’t have any back pain or knee soreness all the way around the course. I ran at a steady pace, but the discomfort that had plagued my training disappeared. I’m sure that my decision to take the week off of running also helped me in terms of Pacing my body, but I really did feel much looser and aligned in my running. It’s amazing that such a simple tool could have such a profound and relatively instant impact on my ability to complete the race without pain. They have become a firm favorite with me now and I use them a few times a day, especially if I am going to exercise in any way. My back and knee issues have not returned.

To reiterate, I do not have Long COVID and I have not suffered from any of the other chronic conditions that I know Katie and Andrea have been working to alleviate. What I am, in quite stark terms, is getting older. I turned 49 this year and, for the first time, have begun to feel that sport and exercise has become much harder for me to just jump back into if I neglect it for a while. That was an issue I never had, and I am beginning to understand how fortunate, and unusual, that was. I felt every one of those 49 years, and a few more, on that final training run and really did wonder what was going on. On reflection, being more intentional – whether about Pacing, the amount of exercise or the preparation needed to complete the race – made all the difference in the world. Inevitably, the days of just going out for a long run to blow out the cobwebs seem to be much more difficult now. With a few simple exercises, and an acceptance of where I am, I can still enjoy sport in a way I always have done. 

With warm wishes,

Simon

Related Blog Posts:

Living With Someone Who Has Long COVID   

Pacing for Long Covid and Post-Viral Conditions

The Power of Simple Solutions  

Rethinking Exercise for Long COVID Recovery