In three weeks time, my running partner Ella and I are going to be running 100km.

That’s 62.1 miles. All in one go.

And although we’re both pretty fit, we haven’t been sticking to a rigid training plan by any means. We’ve been running here and there, chucking in the odd race as we go, but on the whole, it’s been a pretty random affair.

So it’s no wonder I’m now injured.


Yep, in the week when we should really be going as hard as possible in terms of training (ideally getting a 50k run in), I’m not running at all, thanks to a calf strain.



Absolute nightmare.

It began last week after we ran the Adidas One Mile Challenge (where you run a one-mile course as many times as you can in one hour), when I found that I was getting shooting pains up through my heel every time I tried to walk.

And that pain just hasn’t gone away.

So, I went to Move Clinics in Chiswick to see what the problem was.

(Picture: Ella Byworth)

Go to a physiotherapist for help

After explaining the pain in my calf and the fact that I was due to run 62 miles in three weeks time, Senior Physiotherapist Reece Noble asked about our training plan.

‘Yesterday I did Bikram yoga, the day before, reformer pilates, on Tuesday I had a weights session and Monday was pilates again – but before I got injured, I was running a few times a week,’ I said – to his obvious dismay.

‘So…there is no plan then,’ he concluded.

He then went on to ask about previous injuries, sleep and stress (all can make us more sensitive to pain) and said that basically, I ticked every box for fresh injury potential.

But you know what the main issue was? My flat feet.

As a teenager, I used to get chronic shin splints and as a result, developed a running style that involved running on the balls of my feet. But because my arches are so non-existent, that’s meant that everything has been overworking to get things moving – and that’s lead to a calf strain. It also probably explains why it takes so long to recover from previous races.

If your feet and ankles aren’t working properly (flat feet = unstable ankles = poor balance), everything else further up the chain starts to be affected. Your knees go, your hips hurt.

So after a few mobility tests, a massage and a bit of kinesiology tape on my calf (‘it’s like a hug for your muscles’ Reece says), Reece gave me a few exercises to start doing to encourage my feet to start working properly.

Exercises for flat feet Balance on one foot: whatever you’re doing – brushing your teeth, doing the washing up, waiting for a bus, stand on one foot. And after a couple of minutes of that, try to close your eyes and see if you can hold your balance with them closed. Push the penny: stick a penny under the arch of your foot and keeping the ball of your foot and your heel down, try to move the penny up and down the length of your foot. This is about mind-muscle connection; it’s incredibly hard but spend your first few times trying to concentrate on your muscle arch and then see if you can get any movement at all. 5-10 second holds, 2-3 x day. Isometric calf raises: go up on your tiptoes for two, hold for one. 5 x 20 seconds. Once you can do 10 x 20 seconds, move onto coming up for two and down for two.

Try to do something else

Not being able to run just before a race is incredibly awkward but there are other ways of maintaining fitness and building strength.



Reece told me to spend the next few days cross training and so both Ella and I have been doing a tonne of yoga, pilates and walking, and thanks to Sweatlife Fest, spinning. At this stage, you can’t forget the cardio.

(Picture: Ella Byworth)

Get some advice and support from people who have been there

Injury, understandably, can make you feel even more anxious about racing. So, I went on Instagram to ask some old hands what advice they had for us. Fortunately, this weekend was Race to the King – a very similar race – so it was the perfect opportunity to see what a 100k course actually looked like.

‘I ran the same ultra you’re running a couple of years ago…it’s a stunning route!’ Matthew Teague, who operates Runr, told me.

‘You’ll love it! Ultramarathons are all about preservation. Trying to keep your body going for the latter stages. I walk EVERY hill and run the flats and the downs. I find this is a great way of preserving the legs – and if you march up the hills you don’t lose that much time.

‘Also getting your nutrition and hydration is key, especially if it is a warm day like RTTS may be (it’s mid-July). Keep taking in bits little and often. They have flat Coke at pit stops and for me, drinking some of that really helps – maybe that’s in my head! But it’s high in sugar which is good to keep you going… And remember, every step you take forward is a step closer. So don’t worry about pace or time… just keep moving forward!’


And despite Matthew saying he’s no expert, that little bit of positivity from someone who’s done it already has been pretty massive.

Get some proper sleep

Of course, you can feel rubbish and aching without actually being injured.

For the past few weeks, neither of us have been getting much sleep. Like loads of people, work and social life have just been getting in the way of basic self-care – which is crucial when you’re trying to make your body achieve something massive.

Reece was quick to point out in our appointment that a lack of good quality sleep and stress can make injuries feel much worse than they actually are, and that reducing external stress is a great place to start rehabilitation.

And while I’m yet to address my lack of shut-eye, Ella, who also works for Metro.co.uk, has done something about hers.

(Picture: Erin Aniker for metro.co.uk)

‘The most valuable thing I’ve learned is about the power of sleep,’ she says.

‘I was so sore all week just aching everywhere and a good night sleep fixed me up better than a bath. I’ve never been so damn busy in my life.

‘I was existing on about five hours sleep a night.

‘It was so bad – nowhere near enough. Then I got eight hours and I felt better – having one day of not dreading the alarm was so important.’

Ella's tips on getting more sleep ‘I’ve been using meditation and yoga to wind down my brain at the end of the day. Also, that doubles up as a good stretching pre-bed. ‘I’ve downloaded a sleep cycle app too and my Fitbit registers my sleeping pattern so I can take note of how long it takes me to fall asleep after I’ve got into bed. ‘Oh, and no coffee in the PM.’

So for the next two weeks, we’re really going to be concentrating on getting as much sleep as possible (however hard that might be), and making the most of rest days. Two a week, really trying to just stick to foam rolling and nothing more strenuous.


It can be so hard to do nothing when you’re freaking out about an event but those rest days are when the body grows and recovers and are vitally important to any training regime.

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