Well that’s probably a fast and last – I did a 20 mile run yesterday and actually feel better this morning than I did beforehand. I would probably still struggle to run for a bus this morning, mind, but it’s nice to be able to walk down the stairs forwards. I’ve been suffering from cramp at night recently – something I’ve had my whole life, but which dehydration clearly doesn’t help – and on Friday and Saturday my calves were substituted for balls of rock. Valentine’s Day in compression socks? I know how to live, me …
Because I also got cramps towards the end of both London and New York marathons last year, I’ve been looking into causes – beyond the obvious. Many people suggest magnesium – either as a supplement or as a spray. The evidence on this is, well, non-existent, because there are no studies on its use to help exercise-induced cramps. If anyone would like a cramp-prone human guinea pig, I’m game. Until then, do you have any tips? Obviously drinking enough water is key, but that’s not always as easy as it sounds. Oddly I found that in New York marathon, drinking water made me feel nauseous afterwards – though ingesting sticky gels was fine, which seems very illogical to me.
I also cannot carry water on my long runs – I hate those water bottles with handles and am fairly sure carrying anything is a bad idea if it makes you lopsided. The belts you can put little bottles in drive me nuts, and the “hide a bottle of water en route” strategy doesn’t really work if, like me, your long run routes are all out-and-backs. Yesterday I just stopped briefly at about 17 miles and bought a bottle in a shop. But if anyone has any sensible solutions – or even just a water belt thing that won’t bounce around and drive me nuts – please let me know.
And of course, let me know about what you got up to this weekend. A race, parkrun PB or frustrated with an injury on the sofa – share your stories below the line as always.
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