Thanks guys
It has been pretty mild so far but haven’t had it before and bit concerned that couple of weeks later it is still hanging around - clearly nowhere near as bad as some experiences but it hasn’t been shifting
Going with the core and yoga to begin with and see how it goes…
As well as the core work there’s also the option of a chiropractor, might help? There’s a good one in Manchester but he’s not cheap.
Might be a good idea - do you have details for him?
The one I’ve seen is called Graeme Massey, website is
If you don’t get anywhere with the exercises it might be worth a visit, don’t think you are that far from Manchester?
Thanks Jeff - about 10 mins walk from my office
After some core work yesterday, the discomfort was noticeably better. Wake up this morning and back to how it was
At least you don’t have the problem of getting there.
It’s not cheap but might be worth a short burst of treatment to see if it helps.
Hey Tunster, hope your sciatica is not causing you too much trouble and sorry I didn’t reply sooner. Like probably a few here, my sciatica comes from a slipped disc and for the first two years I lived with quite a lot of pain - this was the reason I stopped tri and started climbing more (great sport for back problems). Five years on I’m pretty much pain free. Anyway, someone on ST posted this link for back problems and I’ve found it very helpful over the years:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI
Thanks @Annas will certainly give that a go
Playing golf yesterday with my dad on his birthday was I think not a good idea from a back perspective
Probably not, but I’m sure you don’t get the chance very often. Glad you had a special time together, even though your back is protesting today. Hope the video helps. I also like this video from Foundation Training for my core.
I attribute my lack of back problems to my serious rock climbing years
Of course the lack of cartilage in my right ankle is also directly caused by my rock climbing years but that’s life!
Been to the physio this morning - got a last minute cancellation
He thinks not sciatica but tightness in the hip flexor and the lower back resulting in a tilting of the pelvis which is then pulling my hamstring
Lots of digging around, twisting and stretching later, a bit sore - not sure if it is much better but he thinks a course of about 4 sessions should be good - gave me some exercises to do which are quite similar to the ones from you @Annas
Best thing he said - keep going with the running 
That all sounds very positive and good. Apart from feeling sore that is. Great that you can continue running 
Great news.
I needed a walking stick at times, dark dark days, running wasn’t an option.
Hope you get it sorted.
’Perceived Effort’ (am I being a wimp?)
I’ve read a bit about the central governor theory, and criticisms of it. I’m currently reading ‘How Bad Do You Want It’ by Matt Fitzgerald. He defines, I think, Perceived Effort as that sense of how hard you are working, how much you are suffering and how long you can carried on.
I had a chat with a very fit cyclist friend about this and it became apparent that he has no sense of suffering or perceived effort. He feels lactic acid etc but it doesn’t seem to translate into suffering - he enjoys pushing his body.
Whereas I am mentally saying to myself ‘oh, this is hurting, I’m not sure how long I can keep going at this pace’ when I suspect I could be working harder.
Can anyone relate to my rather confusing explanation?
Yes 100%.
I have a horrible feeling many people can ‘suffer’ far deeper than I can and it holds me back.
However logically I can rationalise it more. Clearly the Alistair Brownlee’s, the James Cracknell’s etc can go deeper into the well. But remember there are millions, the majority of the population who can’t push beyond mildly out of breath just doing endurance sport as we do we don’t come across them.
I only think Perceived Effort works for certain people. If you reference the problems with the 80/20 method, where people don’t or can’t push themselves hard enough for the 20%. Its not what your body can do, its what your mind can cope with.
I do OK. I can push myself on intervals but I do have to stop my inner voice from talking me out of it sometimes. Similar to yourself, I have a friend who’s a strong cyclist, and he’s a different breed. Very strong mentally.
Perhaps heart rate doesn’t lie?
I know that when my HR hits 170, I get a strong urge to stop doing whatever I am doing.
Can occasionally push through, eg in a race on Zwfit and get as high as 175 for short moments but am deep in the well at this point
It’s basic survival instinct I reckon!
I think cycling might be a special case. The effort involved is not going to be constant in a peloton, so there is no “can I keep this up to the end” just “I have to keep the wheel now, and then I might be able to recover”. The calculation is different, it is all about the next few minutes or even seconds.
My last 3? Static bikes have all been holding 160 bpm for an hour.
I find this fairly comfortable, ish, 170 I can hold for a very short period of time unless I’m very hot.
