It's quite unfortunate that ever since I started writing this blog for RunnersLife I have had very little to talk about on the running front, and it will therefore come with little surprise, but much sadness on my part that I have to announce that I have been forced to withdraw from this year's Virgin London Marathon.

Injuries are a frustrating part of this sport, which the majority of athletes have to experience at some point or other in their running life. Throughout the first 4 or 5 years of me taking up running seriously I was fortunate to avoid any kind of serious injury. I had the occasional muscle strain or tweak here and there but nothing serious and certainly nothing that kept me on the sidelines for anything over a week at most. I guess in large part injuries can be attributed to bad luck and are a likely consequence that comes as a result of pushing the body to it's limits. However, whilst injuries are almost impossible at some point or other I do believe that there are plenty of things that can be done to reduce the likelihood of spending more time thinking about running than actually pounding the streets.

It's best illustrated by considering the human body as a machine, which needs all the love, care, attention and general maintenance of any other, in order to function most efficiently without breaking down. Inevitably over time, parts get worn down, break and start to function incorrectly, but as the old saying goes 'Prevention is better than cure' and it's easy with the benefit of hindsight to wish that you had taken better care of yourself when training was going well when you're stuck indoors unable to go out and pound the streets.

It's simple really - regular stretching and core exercise along with a healthy lifestyle of the right food and plenty of good sleep are just as important as the training you do on the track. I know it's easy to preach and much harder to put into practice, but unfortunately it's the time off with an injury that you realise that you've been pushing your body to breaking point without looking after it properly.

World-class athletes invariably achieve what they do because of a mix of their natural talent, hard work in training and because of their dedication to the pursuit of their goals. It's no coincidence that 99% of sports autobiographies make you realise that such world-class performers adopt a 'no stone left unturned' approach to their sporting outlook. 

Individual sports such as athletics are as simple as they come - they involve human beings pushing themselves to their limit in the pursuit of reaching the top and being the best. Dedication to the cause is paramount in achieving such an aim and in order to be successful at being dedicated it means you have to train harder, faster and stronger than the next man but all the while staying fit and healthy too.

My own injury predicament continues... I am due to see the UKA endurance doctor early next week for his opinion and I'm hopeful that I will soon be in a position to have treatment that will clear up the problem for good. I know that this enforced rest will make me more determined to be successful when I start back running, but it has also taught me some important lessons that will hopefully ensure that my next period of injury is far off in the distance.

Until next time...

Wicksy