Hobbling Home :-(

It's a week before the big race so just an 8.5 miler at race pace was on the training plan today.

I've got over the worst part of my cold but my foot is still sore.  I had it on a roller last night and it felt a bit 'crunchy' when compared to the other foot.  It seems like it's just knotty so I decided to run on it, although it turns out that was a terrible decision!

I ran along Lever Park Avenue and down Crown Lane to the A6.  I then turned right and headed for Adlington.  About 300 meters past the Cherry Tree, the pain got so bad that I knew I had to stop or risk turning it into a huge injury - if I hadn't already!

Problem was, I had no phone nor money on me so I had to walk home - 3.5 miles!

I'm pretty gutted as I have trained really hard for four months now, injury free, and then a week before the race this happens.  That's life I suppose.

If my foot pain is gone by Sunday then obviously I'll give the race a go but I feel like the whole last part of my training has gone terribly wrong now and that might but my head in a bad place.

Does the last week of training matter at all or, seeing as I have done up to 22 miles before the taper, have I done enough that the last week won't make any difference anyway?

I just need to pull myself together.  What's the worst that could happen?  I don't get under four hours... so what?  It's not the end of the world!  I pull out of the race?  Again, better to do that then end up knackered for months because of ignoring pain.  Feet are pretty important in running!

I'm just going to give it a go (foot pain pending) and enjoy it.  What will be will be!


Total distance:

Running - 3.65 miles
Walking - 3.5 miles (approx)

Aarrrgghhhh… Sore Throat

I woke up this morning with a horribly sore throat, the kind which really hurts when you swallow.  I don’t feel bad otherwise though so I hope it isn’t the start of a cold, that’s all I need a week before the big race!

I went for my usual run with Kathryn along the canal at lunch and, knackering though it was, we managed to keep a decent pace and natter at the same time, although we both quietened down a bit towards the end. 

Oddly, later on in the day, I developed a pain along the outer edge of my foot.  It hurt to walk but was find during my run.  I wonder if it's a delayed reaction to the high heeled, snug fitting boots I was wearing the other night?  I'm not used to that kind of footwear. 

Total distance – 5.5 miles

Full of a Cold and Foot Pain

I've been full of a cold for the past couple of days but went for an easy run with Ruby today to see if it would clear my head.

My foot is still sore from Tuesday and I have no idea what's wrong with it.  It's painful, but not to the point of making me not run.

We just went down to the barn, did a loop and came back again.  It did help to clear my head cold up a bit to be honest, but didn't help much with the foot pain!

Total distance - 3.4 miles

Monday Morning in Manchester

Today I went for an early morning run from the office around the City ground with Rachel.  It had been raining when we set off but it soon brightened up and we got pretty warm in our jackets!  Nothing exciting to report on this run, just a nice leisurely one to set us up for the day. 

I also went to spin at altitude later on today which was a killer as usual.  I’m really hooked on it now and haven’t missed a single week in the past three months.

Total distance – 3.3 miles

Along the Canal… Again

I really did not want to run today.  More so than usual.  I only had to do eleven miles which is far less than I’ve been doing recently but the thought of it was filling me full of dread.  If it was eleven miles on trails/fells I wouldn’t have minded but it was a fast eleven miles and I just didn’t feel like it. 

I managed to drag myself out though and started off with a nice easy downhill along Lever Park Avenue and towards the Crown.  I then ran along to the crossroads at Aldi and turned down Vale Avenue, coming out onto Crown Lane/Station Road and running along to the A6.  I ran along the A6 through Adlington centre, then turned off onto the canal.  I did a quick loop back into Adlington centre before getting back onto the canal as I knew that otherwise I wouldn’t get the full mileage in. 

I then ran all the way along the canal past Botany Bay and, where the canal forks, I took the now disused Walton Summit branch and continued to the end where Duncan and Ruby met me in the van. 

After really not wanting to go, I actually did quite well and managed to keep a steady eight and a half minute mile pace going.

Total distance – 11 miles

Admiring the Scenery

Just an easy run with Ruby today.  We went to the school then up the ‘middle track’ which climbs up to George’s Lane.  It was a lovely evening so, even though I was feeling good on the climb, I stopped to admire the view which was incredibly far reaching tonight. 

From George’s Lane we just ran along to the dog hotel then back home through Wilderswood. 

Total distance – 3 miles

Nice Gentle Canal Run

I went for my usual run with Kathryn today and asked her to go easy on me because my legs were still sore from Saturday's run.

I felt fine all the way round and, for a change, was able to chat as my as Kathryn without getting out of breath.  I was therefore pretty surprised when I saw my Strava trace to see that we weren't going much slower than usual, with an average pace of 8.53 minute mile.  Quite pleased with that as I felt great all the way around.

Total distance - 5.5 miles

22 Miles of Hell

Today was the last long run of my training plan.  I couldn’t wait to get it over with and the thought of running 22 miles along the canal filled me full of dread.  I know I could have plotted out a different 22 mile route, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t come up with somewhere that long that wasn’t hilly and I knew that if I chose a hilly route, I wouldn’t be able to keep the pace I needed to keep so the canal seemed my only option. 

The run went horrendously if truth be told.  So much so that I had to try really hard to stop myself from crying in the van driving home!!!!  There’s nothing to blame except my own stupid head though.  I let my chimp take over and couldn’t control him at all (if you’ve ever read or heard about the Chimp Paradox you’ll know what I’m talking about, otherwise you’ll think I’ve totally lost it this time).

I just don’t know what happened.  There were a combination of factors but it all boils down to losing my head.  I parked up at Bridge 63 on the canal again (near Haigh Hall) and ran out for 11 miles, which got me to just before the Boat Yard over Houghton way) then turned round and came back.  The first about eight miles were absolutely fine and I was well under nine minute miling but then it all started to go wrong.  I got to past Botany Bay and there are locks there which meant a slight uphill stretch.  Because I had been running on the flat for eight miles, my legs didn’t know what had hit them when I started going up the hill, even though it was only a tiny hill, and the energy just drained from them.  Once I was back on the flat, I just couldn’t get back to my pace again.  Each mile was getting slower and were over the 9.09 minute miling I needed to be doing so my head just started giving up and thinking what’s the point. 

Also, at one point, I stopped to take off my jacket because it had been peeing it down when I first set off but now I was getting warm and after that, my stupid chimp kept saying ‘well you’ve stopped once, it doesn’t matter now if you stop again’. 

Eventually, it go so bad, that I ended up allowing myself to stop at every bridge I came to for a rest.  The upside is that I then told myself I had to run fast to the next bridge before allowing myself another rest and I couldn’t just jog there.  In the end, my average pace was under the 9.09 I need for the marathon but that was moving pace.  Elapsed time was well over because I had stopped so much. 

All the way home, I just kept cursing myself for acting the way I did and I still cringe every time I think about it now but I just couldn’t help it at the time.  I kept trying to fight it and pull myself together but it just didn’t work.  There’s something seriously wrong with my head!  I think I need committing!

Sorry, really waffled on there but I’m still so mad at myself.  It was my last long run before the event so now I’m filled with doubt.  I keep having to tell myself that:

• On the day itself, I won’t have done a very hard spin class the night before and a tough speed session the day before that.
• I’ll be well rested by race day because I’ll have tapered so my legs will be nice and fresh.
• The time of month that the race falls within, is the same time as the month as the excellent 18 miles I did in a 8.45 pace the other week and the really good run I had last weekend up on the tops in just over a ten minute mile pace but that involved a section of scrambling and was on the fells so is an excellent pace for me (time of month counts right?)
• I will have a different new and fresh route to run, not the boring old canal which I have run on so much lately that psychologically I think can be a hindrance. 
• I’ll have a crowd cheering me on.
• I might be able to find a pacer and keep a steady pace rather than doing the first few miles too fast like I did on Saturday.
•  The terrain will be better because there were long stretches on the canal where the path was just a narrow (about a foot wide) channel which was full of mud and deep puddles so that will have slowed me down slightly.

That’s the hope anyway.  I just need to keep telling myself all this so I can stay positive!

Total distance – 22 miles

Whippet

Today I just had to do a 5.5 miler at race pace so I decided to just have a run around Rivington.  I ran from home down to the school, along the path by the side of the road to Rivington Village, then along Horrobin Lane and down The Street.  I then turned around and retraced my steps.  I managed to keep a decent pace all the way through and only lost it once when I was accompanied by a whippet who wanted to run with me so I had to stop running so that he would go back to his owners and stop following me. 

Total distance – 5.5 miles

Morning Run in Manchester with Rachel

This morning I went for an early run with Rachel from work.  We arrived in work at just before 7.20 and set off straight away for our run.  We ran down to Ancoats and then along some roads to reach the City Stadium, which we then ran around before making our way back.  It was nice to get out that early in the morning and then be done for the day.  Kinda sets you up for the day ahead. 

 Total distance – 3.3 miles

A Run and a Walk

Just an easy recovery run today around Rivington whilst my tea was warming up in the oven – leftover roast pork, roast spuds, carrots and parsnips with a delicious bbq gravy from the night before. 

Nothing exciting to mention at all on this one.  It was just a short leisurely jaunt. 

After tea, Duncan Ruby and I went for a long walk up to Great Hill from Brinscall.  There are so many paths to be seen off Great Hill which I haven’t explored before and I’m anxious to see where they go. 

Total distance – 3 miles

Surprisingly Hangover Free

I had expected a hangover today after yesterdays pub walk but was surprised to find I had none so I set out for a nice run up on the tops in the sunshine. 

I ran up through Wilderswood and then along George’s Lane, past the Pigeon Tower and all the way to the end, where I turned left down the road for a while before turning right into ‘Old Rachel’s’ and following the path round to loop back down to Hordern Stoops.  I then ran up the steep hill with a bit of a scramble at the top (route of Belmont Winter Hill Race), eventually coming out at the end of the mast road.  I ran down to the mast, then turned off right and took the cross country route to Two Lads before running back down and home through Wilderswood. 

Lovely to be out on the tops, especially in the sunshine!  I have missed it a lot recently.

Total distance 8.7 miles

10 Mile, 10 Pub Walk

No running today but instead, Duncan, Ruby and I took part in a 10 mile, 10 pub walk in aid of various different local charities, which started from The Rivington Bowling Club.  The club itself, which was the start and the finish, wasn’t included as one of the ten pubs so technically, there were eleven pubs or twelve if you count it twice. 

We got to The Rivington at about 9.15am and picked up our t-shirts and route card and started the day with a cup of tea, although there were quite a few people there already drinking their first pints. 

The back of the t-shirts showed the order of the pubs

            

We set off at just before 10.00am and made our way along The Street to The Yew Tree.  Both the main pub and the new outside bar were open so we sat outside in the sun, Duncan with half a pint of some ale or other and me with half a raspberry cider. 

Next came a longer walk to The Spinners at Cowling.  The walk there involved going through Bibby’s Farm which I didn’t even know existed.  I thought it was a campsite and didn’t realise that it was an adventure place for kids.  We came out of the farm and crossed the motorway before arriving at The Spinners, where there were already a good few drinkers enjoying the sunshine.

A short walk down the road and we arrived at the pub 3, the Black Horse at Limbrick.  This is where I started to forget to take photographs.  I had intended to take a picture at every pub but about half an hour after leaving here, I realised I had forgotten and there was no way I was going back. 

From the Black Horse, we walked up the road a short way then through the farm before coming out at the canal and walking along to the White Bear Marina.  This was the longest section of the walk because, once we got off the canal, all the pubs were quite near to each other. 

The first pub off the canal was the Bridge, which put on some free sandwiches which were very welcome.

Next, just up the road, was the White Bear where I took a dodgy (and blurry) selfie.

After that, we walked along the A6 a little to the Bottom Spinners which is where we had something proper to eat.  I had chilli with half and half and Duncan had scampi.  The food was pretty good to be honest and the meals less than a fiver each.  There was a bloke in here, who I’m sad to say was on our walk, who clearly couldn’t handle his ale and was starting to get rowdy.  He was a right scumbag to be fair and was having a go at an old man at the bar for, what appeared to be, no apparent reason.  He wasn’t going to get away with it though as there were a lot of other people watching him very closely and if he had got violent they would have dragged him out within seconds.  Eventually, one bloke told him to shut up and he took notice and went outside to find his friends.  There’s always one who has to spoil it isn’t there?

Next, after being fed and refreshed, was the White Horse which again was only a short walk away.  By now I was on vodka and orange as I was starting to feel incredibly bloated from all the cider.

Another short walk and we got to the Cardwell where we sat outside in the large beer garden.  This is where I started to feel the cold and had to put my hoodie on.  

Next was the Top Spinners where we sat outside talking to a couple of blokes who have taken part in Ironmans and were trying to talk me into doing one.  Hmmmmmmm.

Finally we reached the Elephant & Castle which was just over the road from the Top Spinners. 

It was then a nice stroll back to The Rivington which went along a path I didn’t know existed until today, which brought us out at the top of Horrobin Lane.  As we approached The Rivington we could hear the loud music and the shouts from the DJ who was encouraging everyone to ‘dance up the ramp’ on their way back into the club.  Once we got to the top of the ramp, we were awarded with medals, which were actually much better quality than half the medals I have got for races.  Who would have thought it, a medal for getting drunk!

We didn’t see previously mentioned drunk rowdy bloke at the finish so I can only assume he didn’t make it there.  Perhaps somebody punched him in the face because he was being too annoying.  Who knows!

We left at about 8pm as we still had another two miles to walk yet to get home and it was getting dark and we had no torches.  We had to walk back through Rivington and it was pitch black by the time we got home. 

Great day out and would definitely do it again next year!

I'll finish with a piccie of Ruby sporting a medal, after all she did the whole walk with us! 

Running and Spinning

Remaining on my training calendar this week was a three mile easy jog and an 8.5 mile comfortable run.  As it’s Friday and I’m doing a 10 mile 10 pub walk tomorrow, I realised that I needed to do the three mile jog today as there was no chance I would be doing it tomorrow and on Sunday I’d have to do the 8.5 miles.  Trouble is, I went to spin tonight so I wasn’t sure how I’d fit the run in as I couldn’t do it at lunch time.  I hurried home from work, threw on my running gear, grabbed Ruby and strapped her lead to my waist and legged it out the door, leaving the two cats meowing away for their food.  We just ran down to the school then along the trail towards the barn before cutting up through the ‘Pinetum’ and doubling back on ourselves.  Luckily there was nobody around so I let Ruby off the lead and didn’t have to be slowed down by her constant sniffing as I just left her to it and let her catch up. 

I got home with 15 minutes to spare before having to leave for spin so I quickly fed the rabble of pets and went on my way. 

Spin was obscenely hard tonight!  The bikes are all geared differently and I had always believed that bike number 1 was the hardest, followed by bike number 2.  I was wrong.  I went into my usual corner and noticed that the bike was labelled as number three, which is one I haven’t hard before, so I got on it.  Dave then laughed and me and told me that one was ‘the killer’.  I said ‘What harder than bike 1’ and he said ‘Oh yes!’.  He was not lying.  It was ridiculously hard.  When we did the sprint intervals I was in such a low gear I felt like a fraud!  Felt great at the end though as I felt like I had worked much harder than usual.  I’m really loving this altitude spin lark and feel that it has brought my running on really well. 

Total distance – 2.9 miles

Kathryn the Ironwoman!

I’m writing this post a good while after the event so I can’t quite remember much about the run other than that, as usual on my runs with Kathryn, I was knackered.

Kathryn has recently signed up for next year’s Ironman (crazy lady!) so I honoured this by wearing my Team Ironman t-shirt which has all the race distances on the back of it so that when I was running in front of her (yeah, right!) she would be reminded of what she had got herself into.  I thought it would help with the training.

Total distance – 5.5 mile

Turning Negatives into Positives

Today I was due to do an 8.5 mile 'fast' session.  Yet again, for the third time in a row, my training didn't go well.  I think I'm battling with an underlying cold at the minute as I just don't seem to have any energy.

Not wanting to cut the session short or just jog round, I decided to turn it into something of a fartlek session instead.  My struggle was with keeping speed up for long lengths of time so I decided to do lots of fast spurts instead with short breaks in between.

Hopefully bad training sessions come in threes and I'll be OK from now on.

Total distance - 8.5 miles + 1 mile cool down