December 2011 Newsletter - West Australian Marathon Club

Resurfacing: An Elite Runner’s Journey
By Lauren Shelley
In 2003, when I won my first Perth City to Surf title, I
was 26 years old and just hitting my “best years” of
running. Covering 80-100km per week, I was injuryfree
and had the resilience of a more youthful body!
I was motivated, positive and on the rise – I had a
consistent base of training behind me, a unique,
slightly uncoordinated but effective running style,
and had just found myself the perfect coach to guide
me to the next level. My first win was an amazing
and memorable experience and my partner Greg
and I celebrated at the pub with friends and family
(somehow missing our flight home to Esperance the
next day!).
Between 2003 and 2008, with the help of my coach
Jackie Fairweather, I continued to improve my
performances, culminating in a 2:33:42 marathon
PB, and national representation including an 8th
placing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games women’s
marathon.
My training also progressed to the next level, with
weekly mileage of up to 160km, including three
quality sessions. My body thrived on the high mileage
and I continued to steadily improve.
Residing in Esperance from 2002 – 2008, there was
plenty of travel and wonderful running experiences
along the way … marathons and races throughout
Australia and internationally, friendships made and
memorable training runs.
Fast forward to 2011, it’s a different story … a five
year drought since my last PB in December 2006, just
weeks after my 30th birthday … whatever happened
to distance runners peaking in their mid-thirties?
There have been glimpses of form since, and times
when I’ve been close to my best … including a sprint
Lauren with second-placed woman Emma
Kraft at the 2011 City to Surf
Lauren at C2S finish
Photo: SuperSport images
finish to win the Gold Coast Marathon in 2009, and
a 2:38:44 marathon in Osaka in 2010. But for one
reason or another my performances have plateaued
in recent years.
Life has changed too, having spent a couple of years
working and travelling, along with returning to study
my Masters in Sports Physiotherapy, and juggling
last-minute assignments and late nights around work
and training. Running has remained a big part of my
life, but there’s more to life than just running.
And eight years, 42045km, nine marathons, 282
massages and two knee surgeries later … this
34-year-old body has been through a lot! Some days
I’ve felt every one of those 34 years. The little niggles
that used to settle down with minimal attention aren’t
so responsive now. I’m managing an older engine,
and it requires a bit more maintenance!
Being a physiotherapist certainly helps – monitoring
and diagnosing those niggles and minor aches that
are part of a distance runner’s life; knowing which
ones deserve a bit more respect versus those I can
train through; recognising when I need to crosstrain
or take the day off; knowing how to stretch or
strengthen or loosen a particular muscle; getting the
balance right between the typically over-motivated
athlete and the slightly conservative approach of a
physiotherapist.
After three months off followed by knee surgery in
March 2011, this year has been a slow, steady, but
very rewarding progression. You can’t rush back from
0 to 160km per week in a month or two – it takes time
and patience. But every time I return from an injury
or lay-off it gets easier – I know what to expect, and
have a better appreciation for how long it will take!
I have to train differently now I’m “old” – my
philosophy is to “train smarter, not harder”. A
maximum of two quality running sessions per week
is all I can manage, allowing increased recovery time
between hard sessions. High mileage and addressing
my strengths needs to be balanced delicately with
addressing my weakness, speed (also hard to come
by with increasing age!). Recovery, stretching and
self-massage are essential ingredients; my foam
roller is almost my best friend!
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