No running at all since my last blog...
Exactly 2 weeks today!
I know, that lots of people think that I go on about running a lot, and really who cares, it's not that big a deal? There are loads of other things to be doing. And they are right! Of course there are. But I did some quick calculations, which once having realised the answer I wished I hadn't thought about it, at all - but anyway, I worked out that running has been a part of my life for 19 years (HOW OLD AM I?!?! yikes), and so when it's not a part of my life, it just feels WRONG!
I've had a few sports massages now, have sat for many evenings with frozen peas strapped to the bad hip, spent lots of boring time stretching (although this got a lot better once I realised I could do it at the same time as brushing my teeth - love a good multi-task), took anti-inflammatories for a few days, and bought a foam roller, which I used a few times, but I've gone off it because it's too painful, so if anyone wants one, there is one going free here.All for some bruised ligaments and/or psoas muscle.
At the last beating up session from the physio, she said that it all felt a lot looser, which I think is a compliment, and tomorrow I'm allowed to try a short run to test it out! Feeling nervous! At all other times apart from running time, I don't feel anything wrong with it at all, so no idea if it's any better or not. Have had two dreams the last two nights that I have been for runs and everything was fine, so I'm hoping I've become psychic, and not just hopeful.
Well, if there's one thing I've learnt from this it is to stop taking things for granted. I never think twice about being able to do something I love pretty much whenever I want to do it, but actually when you stop and think about that, that's a pretty lucky thing to be able to say. But I'd never really thought about it before. And the next time that I do lace up my trainers and hit the trail, I'll remember that I'm lucky to have a body that lets me do this, and to live somewhere that I can go out and do what I want, and have the time to do it, and friends and family to share it with.
xxx
A picture says a thousand words. I will convey this weekend through the medium of contemporary art.
That's enough. Let's use photos.
House for the weekend: The Secret Garden
Fuelled up on Friday night with lovely homemade lasagne made by my Mum, which she found time to do even though has been away all week looking after my Granny and Great Aunty. Quite amazing.
Saturday: from Harlow Hill to Housesteads Roman Fort, 21.3 milesThe weather was misty, so nothing to report until we found a tea room. It's the last weekend that it's open before winter, and if that's not a sign that you should stop and partake in some light refreshment, then I don't know what is.
During the tea break the mist cleared and we soon saw the first part of the proper Roman Wall, hurrah!
Saw a lot of cows and sheep. Some of them quite confrontational. Also saw my parents after about 14 miles, who were not confrontational, but who were walking in the opposite direction (this is planned, they're not lost).
Hip is sore on and off. But lots of scenery to distract.
Getting quite hilly towards the end of the day. Happy to (finally) see Housteads Fort come into view
Although if think about the hills in the background we will have to do tomorrow, my face feels like this
No matter. Back to the house for beef goulash al la Mum, apple crumble, vino tinto and a tense game of cards. My Dad has fallen down a stile and now has his finger in a splint. Exercise seems to be dangerous.
Sunday: Housesteads Roman Fort to Roman Army Museum at Greenhead, 9.4 milesHip hurts and I have a hole in my shoe
But going to do it. Start
So so beautiful up on the wall! Worth sacrificing Sunday morning lie in, for sure.
Nice and hilly all the way. Proud moment of the day - some American tourists called us brave for running! Fed up of hip pain. Stupid hip. Looking like will have to replan next part and take an extra weekend to get to the end of the wall. Going to get there though! Oh well, suppose it just means an extra weekend away. Not such a bad thing then.
Thanks to all for fab weekend :-)
This is a diary of one of those runs, where just everything goes wrong.......
Not 100% sure should be doing it. Hip been hurting (following falling over at this marathon in August). Had physio in week. Hurt even more. But given go ahead to try the race and see how it goes. So...
Traveled down from Newcastle on Friday night. Went to bed late and got up at 6. Not hungry, so made small bowl of porridge. Realised used out of date milk, so started again. Began again by using the same out of date milk. Started again. Third time lucky.
Traveled by a train, a tube, and a train to the start. Unusually for a bad day, or any day for that matter, public transport went according to plan. Flat white coffee - rocket fuel might help the tiredness!
Walked to start. Started to rain. Checked in. Rain stopped. Went outside and ate a banana. Don't like very hard non-bananary bananas, nor very soft too-bananary bananas. This one too non-bananary. Didn't eat it all.
I chose the wrong queue for the loo and made it to the start with 2 minutes to spare. Bagpipes playing Chariots of Fire. Yeah! "I'll show you universe" I thought! Nothing can stop me!
Started off running other way to the last time I did the race. Realised haven't checked course map. At least it's essentially a straight line, although in which direction the straight line goes is uncertain at this point. Felt good (i.e: nothing) for 2 miles, then the feeling in my hip returned, as usual, and stayed, alternating at random between not very much, and pretty downright painful for the next 24 miles.
I was hungry (as usual) almost straight away. Therefore, logically, I didn't get any food at the first aid station, for no other reason I can explain except that I don't usually have anything at the first stop. Made it to the second aid station at about 8 miles and ate two jelly babies and grabbed a vanilla bean energy gel for the road.
Attempted to eat vanilla bean energy gel while running. There are many, all of them good, reasons why I hate gels, and all of them illustrated by the next few minutes, which in summary were spent battling to open the packet, gel explosion over face/ top/ both hands/ water bottle, small amount of gel left to actually eat, horrid taste, internal (mostly) swearing, and the realisation that after all that I had consumed approx 25 calories, which would get me through approx 1/4 of a mile. Arrived at next station with energy levels hovering somewhere just beneath the floor. Ate a brownie bite too fast, which made me feel sick.
I overtook a man. Less than one minute later he re-overtook me. OK, fine. We're about 11 miles in. In my head, I know, I should ignore what other people are doing and run my own race. Also, far too early to start doing fast bits. But seriously? He has now slowed down again, and I'm having to slow down to stay behind him. So, I decide to overtake again. THEN! One minute later he's back in front! And then slows down again! What is his point?! Two can play at this. This happens FIVE times! Before finally he must get bored.
Next few miles approaching Putney interesting. Boat race on today. Hundreds, no, thousands of people rowing, and their teams on the banks shouting and doing boaty stuff, which mostly seems to involve shouting and waving arms a lot. Got to Putney. Chaos. Rowers carrying boats from the boat houses to the river and back, people carrying oars over their shoulders and taking people out with them as they walk around, cars backing up with boats on the back, dogs, bikes..... And the race went slap bang right through the middle of it all. AND THEN, after the half way point had to turn straight round and come back through it again. A rowing team taking their boat out of the water looked right at me as I was about to nip across in front of them, and then continued to walk right in my path. Thanks guys, thanks a lot. Ran around the back of them and their boat, put my foot without thinking on the slippery slope down to the river and ended up on the floor. Again. This race is cursed. I suppose it's the other leg and I landed on my bum, so it was a soft landing at least. And a runner stopped to check I was OK, which was nice of him and cheered me up a bit.
Felt very angry for a few miles. Not enjoying it. Dodgy hip hurts, now other leg hurts too. Both quads starting to cramp up. Feeling lightheaded from being hungry. Sat on sunglasses and getting headache from the sun. Have blisters. Know am slowing down. I had 3 aims today 1) not make hip worse 2) not fall over 3) run an OK time. Have failed in first two and the only one left to achieve is the last one, and if I can't do that might as well give up now. Get anxious when I think of times and targets when running races, and feel breathless/ tight chest when get stressed about things.
I spent the second half mostly in this state. At least running by self mostly so no one else has to experience my most negative aspects. Constantly checking my watch for times, pace, distance left. 13 miles is a looooong way when checking every 0.01 miles.....
Eventually a man wearing a medal who had already finished called out there was only 150 m to the end. Then I heard the bagpipes. Then I saw Andrew. Taking photos. Seriously?! In this state? NO ONE is seeing this! Got overtaken in the last few minutes which completely demoralised me, as that's usually what I like to do to other people. What goes around comes around I guess.
Stumbled over finish line in a pile of blood sweat and tears. All parts of body hurt. Which I suppose confirms that nothing has fallen off during the course of the race, which is something.
Andrew sends to have sports massage. Not open to considering this at this point, but too weak to protest. It hurts, but then everything hurts, so what's a bit more. The physio said I had a very high pain threshold, which I'm quite proud of.
Tried to have shower. Unisex showers. Hmmm. Tentatively open door. Fortunately no naked men around. Fashion bikini out of sports underwear in case said men should enter. All going well until water stops while hair conditioning and body is shower gelled.
I think it will be best to give up for today right here.
Let's look for positives. I finished in 3:50:15 which is less than 2 minutes slower than the August run, when I had a good run (apart from the falling over part), and on reflection, I think shows a greater mental achievement. I finished 17th in the ladies - exactly the same position as August. It was my 21st marathon. Andrew did his first half marathon since his injury in 1:55 and is back running! So not all bad :-)
I will end by passing on the wisdom that I have learnt (in theory, although clearly not in practice) from doing 21 marathons: rest well, eat properly beforehand, eat what you know works during, run your own race, enjoy the fact that you are out there doing it, don't obsess about times, make sure you have all the right kit with you, get new trainers before blisters encourage you to do this, try to stay upright.
And my hair was well conditioned by the time I got home.
I few days ago, I became anxious that I had become something of an ex-blogger. Weeks had passed with no update, despite some notable running moments, good and bad:1) Another part of the 100 mile recce done2) My 21st marathon3) A hip injury. My first experience of sports massage. And a foam roller. All grouped together in my head as one big painful memory. Which isn't even a memory yet. But I am clinging to the hope that one day that's all it will be.
Due to the last point, I've been slightly out of action running wise since point 2, which on reflection perhaps wasn't a good idea to do, given point 3. As an openly admitted running addict, I also don't mind admitting that I have been feeling pretty low these last couple of weeks because I can't run much at all. And, I had no idea how emotionally exhausting training to be a dietitian was going to be either. Also also, it's November, so the annual winter SAD has rocked up again uninvited. Therefore, in conclusion, I am feeling emotionally fragile, lacking writing inspiration, and in actual time to find it. And I've run out of biscuits.
Don't panic. This outpouring of emotion is controlled, and there is a reason for it! Yesterday I became a godmother! To my dear friends Caroline and Malcolm's daughter Josie. At the christening I was catching up with Malcolm who mentioned my blog. I said I didn't know how to start writing again, and he said, so what - just write a sentence of explanation, and then carry on with it.
Therefore, although slightly longer than the advised sentence, the above is my attempt at explaining.
So, I will start where I left off. At the last 100 mile recce, from Bolton-by-Bowland to Tosside to Slaidburn.
A thoroughly cracking idea. Except, it was now over two weeks ago, and I can't remember it. All looking promising for the race then.
OK, let's try to get it together....at least I took some pictures to jog my memory.
It seems sensible to assume that we started where we left off last time. At the public toilet block in Bolton-by-Bowland. The glamour. If I will say one thing about this run, there are an unusual amount of toilets given that it's all around the back end of beyond Lancashire's countryside.
Then it was....ahem.....ummm......errmm....through some fields, over some stiles...errrr.....across a stream....up a hill? No, don't worry, I've found the instructions! And it's all come back!
If there's one thing I've learnt from the four stages we've recce'ed, it's this - if in doubt, look for Pendle Hill. If you can't see it, anywhere, you're lost.
Highlight alert! Both of my parents tried jogging during this walk! My Dad has been muttering about this for some time. The only obstacle that now seems to be between him and a run is a suitable pair of running shorts. I am unsure if this is a genuine fashion concern, or an excuse. There is one way to find out. Guess what will be in your Christmas stocking! Lack of proper attire aside, they both did really well! Certainly better at running in hiking boots than me. Like running with rocks tied to both ankles.
Lunch stop at Tosside, which is where a real life checkpoint will be. There is also a pub, should all go wrong.
Right on the Yorkshire border. Dangerous lands!
Sweet - Lancashire's so welcoming. Interpretation of sign: "Come in, come in! It's so nice you're visiting! But you can stop with all your dangerous driving and thieving now you're here. Or you can turn right back round and go back to Yorkshire (North). As you will see from their sign, they have no such objections there." Careful to give the impression of being law abiding, and walking on the correct side of the road, we headed back into Lancashire.
The next stage of the route goes from Tosside to Slaidburn, through Gisburn Forest, which was the best part so far! Was a bit worried about this stage, as the paths in the forest aren't well marked on the map, and let's face it, even if they were, it would still be a struggle. But the instructions and the ground matched up perfectly and there were lots of pointers (that I have now remembered) to use to keep to track. My favourite instruction: "Cyclists abound in these parts and they may emerge on to your path from all sorts of odd angles. Beware."
Having bewared of cyclists we navigated through the forest to Stokes Reservoir.
The weather finally perked up, and came out all sunny for the last part over the reservoir, past Dalehead Church, and then through some fields alongside the reservoir, back to Slaidburn.
Cream tea time, obviously.
And a nice poem to bear in mind during the night time section of the route. Which looks like it might be over Pendle Hill.
Oooh err.
I have checked the event website and so far there are 417 people on the pre-registration list and still 2 weeks to go before entries close, so looks like it might not be definite will get a place on it anyway. Sad times.
But at least won't be chased by the devil's dog at daybreak, which is a plus I suppose, although would be guaranteed a PB, in that situation.
Anyway, back to the foam roller. Won't be running anywhere, even if chased by the devil's dog, unless can get this hip sorted.
Oww.
