Day 57 / 119
2014:
So, it's the week of a longer run but I'm away for the weekend so I've got be daring and throw away a day's training so I can do the run on Friday
The bigger pain in the bum is that as it's such a long run I've got to take Friday off as I'd never get to work on time - not exactly the best way to use my depleted holiday stores but it's too important a run to miss
I decided to miss today's 40 minute jog and go straight to Tuesday's cross trainer
One bonus was that I was doing it next to Joss - a rare treat as normally when I'm on it she's on the treadmill and vice versa
Unfortunately she didn't see this as a bonus and made it clear afterwards that the added pressure of me watching made her go faster
My evil plan worked mwah hah hah *exit pantomime left...
In truth it also made me work harder so it was a great, pain free workout - fingers crossed for me taking that success into tomorrow
Start Weight - 84.4 kg
Last week Weight - 78.8kg
Current Weight - 79.5kg
Weekly Gain - 0.7 kg (totally worth it - a great weekend)
Overall Loss - 4.9 kg
2011:
It was a low day today. My legs were sore, my throat was getting sore and work getting me down!!! After a trip to the doctor's for Kieren's all clear (thankfully) there just wasn't time for training. No that's not true - for the first time I just didn't want to. Even the exercises I've been given for my back I can't seem to get right. I'm meant to flatten the stomach muscle below my belly button but try as I might, I can't feel anything moving. Admittedly it is a bit like the princess and the pea trying to feel a muscle through my full keg (so much more than a six pack) but still - nothing. Hopefully I'll get back on track tomorrow....
========================================
Day 58 / 119
2014:
Today starts a new phase of the training - gone are the midweek sprints and enter the prolonged "faster than marathon run" runs
For today it was 4 miles at 8:45 pace and as I decided to do the midweek runs at the gym, to help with the treadmill that coverts to 6.44 km at 11.1 km/h
Again I had the pleasure of Joss working out beside me and we synchronised watches and off we trot
I say trot but I thought I was bloody galloping
Sure it was quicker than marathon pace but only by 15 seconds per mile yet I felt the only one capable of passing me was a certain Jamaican who allegedly wasn't that keen on Glasgow
The run only lasted 35 minutes but it felt like a lifetime and a knot in my left calf, like an old friend I'd forgotten about, came back to haunt me
I've had it all day now and it's p***** me off no end - everything had been going so well - I refuse to stop just yet
Tonight will be painkillers and rest - tomorrow it will be better, I'm sure...........
2011:
Went for a run down Holes Bay this lunchtime with Gary. Always infuriating running with him as he always looks like he's running at a pace that's too slow for him, which encourages me to go quicker and quicker until I feel sick. Luckily, or not so luckily, my right thigh was hurting so much speed was never going to be an issue. We ran for just under 4 miles and to be fair it did feel easier as it warmed up but it is like it's niggling all the time with the menace of what might happen. Ibuprofen helped a little more and there was nothing for it - I had another cold bath. This time I wore a t-shirt and swimming shorts but when I got in it was still horrible. This time though I made it worse for myself as I hadn't put enough water in. Now, getting into icy water takes your breath away - sitting in a bath that is slowly still filling with more cold water is like a slow motion death. Managed to stay in for 15 minutes before fear of anything dropping off got me out. Not sure if it's worked on my legs but if nothing else it's given the rest of the family a laugh
========================================
Day 59 / 119
2014:
After spending an hour last night rolling my leg over a tin of baked beans (no expense spared) I wasn't sure if it was better or whether I'd just pummeled it into submission
Early, cautious, morning steps seemed to be ok but I got up early anyway to do a pilates session to give it that extra stretch / warm-up
On the treadmill I was due to do 30 minutes at 8km/h which as usual is pitifully slow but this time I was thankful for it being no quicker
During the run it felt like I'd fixed a broken leg by wrapping toilet paper around it - it was being held in place but there was that awful pit of my stomach feeling that the slightest wrong move would have me broken
But, despite the worry - it didn't break !!
I felt like I'd won today's special prize and even though no-one else knew it - this was a very good day
2011:
If the cold baths have had any effects I'd hate to think what my legs would be without them because I can't imagine my legs hurting much more than this. The left leg is now being overshadowed by the right and I'm walking like Egor, dragging the leg as I shuffle by. I still got up this morning and went to the gym but thought running might be too much for me so went on the bike. I did it at a level that was just shy of it turning the pedals automatically and then did some weights. That all seemed to go ok and then I spent ages doing some stretching. As the day went on, my leg got worse, putting the Saturday run in jeopardy. So, I stopped off at the shops and got some 'deep freeze' gel. I had a hot bath first to get the most contrast and then liberally spread the gel over my leg - rather too liberally as it turns out - still, I now know what it feels like to stick my leg in a furnace and then jump in a plunge pool - so I can tick that off the 'must do' list. Rest day tomorrow with as much ibuprofen as is humanly possible as I'm determined for these 'niggles' not to stop me.
========================================
Day 60 / 119
2014:
So I'm half way through this and I still haven't learned that wine on a school night isn't a great idea
I woke up a little "tired and emotional" - still it took my mind off my aches and pains
I was always going to do weights as I need to protect myself for tomorrow but the grogginess made it really the only choice
Alone today as Joss had the luxury of a lie in and it was so hard to get motivated
I got to the stretching again without a bead of sweat on me and at one point when I was on my knees stretching my back with my head on the floor I swear I nodded off for a moment or two
I don't think I was quite rattling the rafters with my snoring but there was a definite lack of consciousness
An early night for me tonight - tomorrow is going to be grim....
2011:
I was giving my hamstring a good pummeling this morning (not a euphemism) and found that quite a bit of that area felt numb. When I went to the docs last week she specifically asked for that and at the time it wasn't the case so I panic-booked another docs appointment. Once in, I explained that I had been asked previously about numbness but wasn't told whether it was significant or not. She looked at me with an 'of course it's not' expression and explained it was just another symptom, adding "now get out and run you malingerer" - well - not quite but that was the message. So, mind put at rest I'm taking this as a rest day and although I just don't know whether I'm going to be able to do it - I've set my mind on the 19 miler tomorrow. Joss has been brilliant and mapped out a new course to keep it interesting - let's hope for more downhill stretches than uphill!! If I make it, it will be the furthest run so far and I'm expecting it to be the most difficult - but as I've said before, if it was easy - what would be the point!!
========================================
Day 61 / 119
2014:
So here we were - 19 miles of fun ahead of me
I had 2 waters lined up outside my front door, 2 waters hanging from mum's fence and 2 waters in my waist coat thing, along with 4 gels - that should do it
The first 20 yards are up hill out of the garage block and already I was feeling my left calf
Please let this not all go wrong now
I carried on and the knot seemed to travel up my leg and as soon as it hit the back of my knee, it DISAPPEARED
Yay!!!
A short-lived yay as it came back many times but each time it disappeared in the same way
The weather was good for running but I was determined to stick to the pitiful pace
I had no idea my pace was so indiscriminate
Be they black, white, old, young, male or female there was no one that couldn't pass me today
Even as I muttered sullenly under my breath "I CAN go faster" I was proud that not only didn't I shout it but I didn't chase after them either
To be fair I wouldn't have caught the 100 year old bloke that went past me - he was really motoring
Apart from the calf my legs held up well - it was my back that was the problem
By the end of this gruelling run I ran like I'd soiled myself so stiff was my back - I ha no mobility at all
As I rounded the corner with 4 miles to go Joss an Kieren were there walking the dog and they cheered as I high fived them as I went past
It was only a joke but it was just the thing I needed to pick me up and get me to te end
In fact I had to slow myself down as I slipped in a mile 1 minute quicker than I should have been going, so buoyed was I by the reaction
I finally made it to the end and despite the fact that I could barely take my socks off and my back has been a real b****** all day - I couldn't be more chuffed with myself
I have 2 days of r&r with Harriet in London now - bring it on :-)
2011:
The day has arrived - 19 miles carrying injuries to back and both legs. It was a scary thought and we had to be up even earlier than usual to get kids ferried to various locations so preparation wasn't great. I decided that I had to be sensible about it and set off at a deliberately slow pace. The first mile was agony but as I climbed the hill past Upton house the pain started to ease as things loosened up. Joss had mapped out an extra part to the route to go round Upton and it was at that point that my feet started to hurt. I decided, though, that the more you thought about pain, the worse it seemed to get so tried to put all thoughts of that out of my head and concentrate on the take-away and wine I had planned for the evening. It was a long, hard run but the weather couldn't have been better and I was glad with my decision not to do any of the water carrying - if my legs hurt I wanted it to be for the running and not because of what I was carrying. At the end of the run there was the biggest high that I've felt throughout the training and we stopped and hugged in the street. Sort of regretted, though, that the end point was right outside the pub. WE knew how far we'd run/cycled but the locals after a few pints didn't.....
As we walked back home I shared with Joss my thoughts of not concentrating on pains and said how my feet had started to hurt in Upton (3 miles into the run) but I manfully thought past it. As you do when you speak, you act out what you're saying and so when I mentioned my feet I pointed to them. It was at this point I noticed the new red motif on my sparkling running shoes. Maybe I should have taken more notice. At home the reveal was non too pleasant but luckily Joss knows my strengths and weakesses and so had the smelling salts handy so it only took 5-10 minutes to come round after seeing all the blood. Another frrezing bath (they had better be doing me some good) cleaned me up so that you'd notice the blisters on the other foot more than the cut on the first and I feel that I have been truely initiated into the running world. That was nearly 3 hours of running - just another hour and a bit to go and I'll have run a marathon.....
========================================
Day 62 / 119
2014:
A rest day today and I took Harriet to Alexandra Palace for the weekend for the YouTube festival Summer In The City
Today we met / saw lots of people who cause a beetle mania like reaction from the crowd - I had no idea who they were but it was VERY exciting, apparently
2011:
Woke up this morning with my head hurting more than my legs which is the best result I could have hoped for. The reason for that is I have a vast and extended experience / knowledge or curing headaches - whereas training pains are still relatively new. Rest day today so just did the exercises the physio gave me and that was that.
========================================
Day 63 / 119
2014:
Yet another rest day and day 2 of the YouTube festival
Today as we waited the rain came down in biblical proportions
I couldn't have been more wet had I sat in the fountain
Upon entry I was forced to the loos and in a cubicle was forced into the ultimate indignity
I had to strip off, put the 1 dryish t-shirt I had left on, wring my underwear out and PUT THEM BACK ON , then stand like that for 30 minutes as I dried my jeans under the hand drier
It wasn't a good day
Harriet though was AMAZING and suffered the wet with truly admirable fortitude - showed me something about her that surprised me and made me proud and kept me positive when all I wanted to do was go home
No comments:
Post a Comment