Robbie, Madonna help Radcliffe back on her feet
Champion UK distance runner Paula Radcliffe has been getting ready to compete again with the help of Robbie Williams and Madonna, she revealed today.
The 32-year-old, who was forced to miss the Commonwealth Games and the London Marathon because of a foot injury, said listening to their music on her iPod had got her through the tough times in recent weeks when she had to limit her workouts to using an exercise bike.
Radcliffe said she was “much happier” this week now she was able to go on short runs again, and expected to be back to full training in about 10 days.
She said she would probably be ready to race again in five or six weeks, but did not know yet when she would next compete.
However, she added that she was more likely to run the 10,000 metres than the marathon in August's European Championships in Gothenburg.
Radcliffe named Williams’ Let Me Entertain You and Rock DJ and Madonna’s new song Jump as the tracks that got her most pumped up.
Tina Turner and Whitney Houston were other motivational favourites.
“It’s really helped because with my foot I have just been cross-training twice a day every day, so my iPod as been getting me through that and the boring times on the bike,” she said.
“I was joking that Robbie and Madonna and people like that helped me get through those bike sessions.”
Radcliffe had an operation last month to remove a neuroma, or enlarged nerve.
“It was frustrating to begin with but now that I’m running twice a day it’s fast from here,” she said. “I’m quite lucky that I’m already qualified for the Europeans so I don’t have to rush.”
Radcliffe added: “I’m just so much happier this week than I was two or three weeks ago when I was just on the bike every day.”
She said she would race again when she was ready.
“That might be in a couple of weeks but it’s more likely it’ll probably be in five or six weeks.”
The three-time winner of the London Marathon also gave some tips to champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, who is training to run the 26-mile race in New York.
“A mistake that a lot of people make is just not spending the time that they’re going to spend in the marathon actually running,” she said.
“Just get out there and make sure that you’ve done the time goal that you’re aiming for on your feet.”
