On Ask Coach Parry today we have a question submitted by Angie. And it deals with injury and the Comrades Marathon. It says: “I battle now and then with shin splints and I think with my increased training, it has affected them now again.

I am worried now that taking a few days to rest will affect my mileage and training for the Comrades Marathon. It’s too early to pull out now? I'm averaging between 40 and 60km’s per week at the moment with lots of cross training in between  such as strength training, lots of surfing, yoga and pilates.”

It is her first Comrades Marathon, she has been running for years though. More seriously tough in the  past 3 years. She is following the finishers programme and has a pb of 23’15 for 5km. Her best half marathon is a 2'01 dead.

In her mind she is confident that she can finish and be strong. She is worried about taking a rest and messing up the training. Help and assistance will be appreciated. Her physio of course says rest, but you know that is the last thing a runner wants to hear.

Brad Brown: On Ask Coach Parry today we have a question submitted by Angie. And it deals with injury and the Comrades Marathon. It says: “I battle now and then with shin splints and I think with my increased training, it has affected them now again.

I am worried now that taking a few days to rest will affect my mileage and training for the Comrades Marathon. It’s too early to pull out now? I'm averaging between 40 and 60km’s per week at the moment with lots of cross training in between  such as strength training, lots of surfing, yoga and pilates.”

It is her first Comrades Marathon, she has been running for years though. More seriously tough in the  past 3 years. She is following the finishers programme and has a pb of 23’15 for 5km. Her best half marathon is a 2'01 dead.

In her mind she is confident that she can finish and be strong. She is worried about taking a rest and messing up the training. Help and assistance will be appreciated. Her physio of course says rest, but you know that is the last thing a runner wants to hear.

Lindsey Parry: You need to rest. And now is a way better time to rest than somewhere in March and April when you have made it so sore that there really isn’t any other option but to rest.

You are already doing a lot of cross training and strength work, so I would just increase the cross training in the short term – provided the physio is happy for you to do that – and I would definitely take a break now, get it sorted out and then reload.

You are on the finishers programme, but your times indicate that you are far ahead of that in ability. So, again, because of this break I would jump back onto the finishers programme. You can maybe run at paces that are slightly quicker than recommended.

Keep up the cross training and the strength all the way through March and April, and you will finish the Comrades Marathon. Resting now is not going to jeopardise your Comrades Marathon.

Carrying on training through an injury – that is going to jeopardise your Comrades Marathon.