Physiotherapist Doireann Twomey discusses running the Great North Run
September 12, 2015
Our physiotherapist Doireann Twomey has taken up the challenge to run the Great North Run tomorrow. We asked her what has motivated her and for some tips for other runners…
“In January of this year I entered the Great North Run as I felt it would help me have an active year and raise money for charity while doing so. Once I had entered, the commitment to the run served as the extra motivation I needed to exercise throughout the year. Personally, having a goal is what I needed to pull on my running gear on the colder Newcastle evenings and keep up the training.
I run to relax and maintain a level of fitness. Some months I love to run and others I find it a chore. Either way I cannot deny how good I feel following a run and how pleased I am that I can now run a half marathon.
3 years ago I could just about jog 3 miles. Having just moved to Newcastle I got my first taste of the Great North Run 2012 when I did some post-event massage for the runners. I was certainly inspired by the thousands of participants, the enormity of the day, the different age groups of participants and each individual’s motivation for taking part. My friend and I ran GNR13 for the local charity ‘The Percy Hedley Foundation’ we were overwhelmed by the crowds lining the route to cheer everyone on. It was uplifting and certainly pushed us on those last few miles.
This year I have chosen to run for a local charity in my hometown of Limerick, Ireland. Milford Care Centre is the hospice that cared for my grandfather in the final months of his life. The care and compassion they showed my grandfather and our family was invaluable and I would like to show my gratitude to them in honour of my grandfather. My family will be at the finish line this year and I am hoping to do them all proud.
This year my training has gone well. At the beginning of the year I struggled with plantarfasitis. I treated this with a rigorous stretching programme, orthotic insoles, anti-inflammatories and ultrasound. This is a common injury among runners and I would highly advise seeing your physiotherapist for treatment if you experience similar problems.
From my experience of running and as a physiotherapist, I cannot emphasis enough the importance of a regular stretching programme before and after every run (Doireann has written a blog post for us on this very subject). I would also recommend gait analysis when purchasing your runners. Set yourself up for success with footwear that meets your bio-mechanical needs.
Good luck to all running GNR15 and let’s hope everyone gets over the finish line injury free. If you would like to sponsor my run please visit http://www.mycharity.ie/event/doireanngnr15/ ”