Personal Record :-) and Dead Sheep :-(

Just a short recovery run tonight.  Duncan dropped me off on the bend of Scout Road/Colliers Row and I started running along Walker Fold.  I ran down along to the farm then turned left and followed the path towards the mast road.

I crossed the mast road and ran along to the water tanks then up to Two Lads.

At the start of my run, I was feeling really sluggish and tired but after about 1.5 miles I seemed to come alive, so much so that I got a personal record on the Strava segment from the water tanks to Two Lads so I'm pretty pleased with that.

I then ran down to the dog hotel, but was quite tentative because my ankle was still a bit delicate when running down hill.

After the kennels, I crossed George's Lane and ran down through my favourite field.  Right at the bottom, before the gate, I smelled the dead sheep before I noticed it.  It hit me right in the back of the throat and made me gag.  There is no worse smell!

The sheep itself looked normal at first as it was just lying down and I could see it's back but when I got round to be able to see it's underneath, there was none!  It was hollowed out!  There was just a huge gaping hole where it's stomach should be and you could see right through to the ribcage.  Poor thing.

I then ran down to the stables and along the path towards Widerswood before running down past Wylderswoode Stud and heading home.

Total distance - 3.25 miles 

Who Enthusiastically Beeped at Me?

If you have read my previous blog (you might not have done as I didn't share on Facebook), you'll see that I hurt my ankle on Thursday night and so had to abort the 8.5 miles I had planned to do.

I was only doing the 8.5 miles on Thursday because I didn't think I'd get time for it this weekend as I have been away but I managed to get home early enough to give it another shot tonight.

As the sudden onset of ankle pain I had on Thursday started when I was running down off the Pike, I decided to keep it pretty flat tonight and see how it went.  I ran from home down to the school and then headed to Liverpool Castle and along the edge of Lower Rivington Reservoir, coming out at the prep school.  From there, I ran along Horrobin Lane then down The Street and around the road towards Anglezarke.

I looped around Anglezarke Woodland Trail and eventually came back out onto the road.

This is where a car went past me, the driver beeping the horn and waving enthusiastically.  Apologies, but I don't know who you were.  I didn't even pay attention to the car so can't work it out from that, all I know is that it was a smallish dark coloured car.  Who are you mystery motivator?

I then headed up 'the slipway' towards Yarrow and down to the bowling club, heading back through Go Ape to the school then home.

Thankfully, there was no ankle pain, although it is still slightly stiff compared with the left ankle and there is a dull ache when I circle my foot.

Total distance - 9 miles (only 9.5 recorded on Strava)

Ouch! Poorly Ankle!

The intention for tonight’s run was an 8.5 mile comfortable run, which is actually on my training plan for weekend but as I’m going away, I decided to swap and do it tonight instead.  Seeing as I’m on an easy week this week, I didn’t think it would be a bad thing to change my diary round a bit. 

I decided to head up onto the tops and make up my route as I went along.  I ran up through the side of Wilderswood onto George’s Lane and had a natter with Sean before carrying on along George’s Lane and running up the Pike.  I motored my way up there and was really proud of myself and a couple of blokes on the top even commented at how well I got up there.

Then disaster struck.

I was running down the grassy slope towards the gate leading to the mast and all of a sudden a sharp pain emanated from my right ankle.  It came out of nowhere as I hadn’t gone over on it or anything like that.  It was so sharp that I made an involuntary squeal when it happened.  I sat down on the grass and moved it around a bit but it was really painful.  I tried to stand back up but it hurt too much.  After sitting for about five minutes it started to ease a little so I got up.  It still hurt but I was able to walk and I decided that I’d better just head back home.  I rang Duncan to see if he would pick me up on George’s Lane so I didn’t have to walk the whole way as I didn’t want to make it worse.

My training is going so well at the minute that I didn’t want to jeopardise it by being a hero and carrying on running, although the pain eased off considerably as I was walking back and I did start to feel a bit of a wimp.  I definitely made the right decision though as it did keep twinging all night afterwards.  I don’t’ think it’s anything serious, it doesn’t feel like it so I’ll just rest for a short while and see how it goes. 

Total distance – 3 miles (although about 1 mile of that was limping!).

Yarrow Reservoir

I parked up on the road up to the top barn today for an easy recovery run.  I just ran along to the prep school then down by the side of the bowling club and along the track, turning right downhill at the fork and following Dean Brook up to the farm fields.  I crossed through the farm fields coming out onto the road down to Alance Bridge.  I then just carried on along the road, turning left onto the track down past Yarrow Reservoir and then back down towards Dean Brook and up the steps and into Rivington Green, before running back to the car along the path by the side of the road.

It was a lovely sunny run but shortly after I arrived back home the heavens opened and it didn’t stop much all day.  It was the Jubilee tonight so it was the first time I have ever marshalled at it in the rain, it’s ALWAYS sunny for the Jubilee but I think me saying that so many times has tempted fate. 

Total distance – 3 miles

‘Jogging’ Along the Canal

I met Kathryn at the usual time of 12.35 today for our lunchtime canal run.  A couple of minutes in, we were stopped by a lady on Canal Street asking us for directions to somewhere (can’t remember where now).  She said ‘Sorry, I know you’re jogging but can you tell me where…’

Jogging?  Jogging?  We’re RUNNING dammit!!! 

It was a pretty good run too and one of our fastest along the canal to date (I should say one of MY fastest, as Kathryn can go much quicker on her own) although, as usual, I started to struggle the moment we turned round at Old Trafford and started running back and just had to leave Kathryn to do all the talking from there onwards whilst I huffed and puffed my way back to the office.

The high point of the run, for me, was seeing a Kingfisher under a bridge on the canal. I've never seen one before so was very excited, although nobody else seemed to share my enthusiasm.  

Total distance – 5.5 miles

Runner's Feet!

Here's a question for all my female running friends... Can any of you wear sandals with pride?  My sandal/feet showing shoes days are well and truly over.  My feet are an utter disgrace.  I'm not just saying that either, they really are shocking.

After today's 17 miler I came home with a big toenail hanging off and blood everywhere, so much so that my sock was stuck to my foot.  On my other foot I have a vile blood blister on the bone at the base of my big toe, which is underneath a partially healed older blister so there's all broken skin around it.  It really is gross.  In fact, I'm going to inflict it's grossness upon you (sorry)...

As you can see, there is no way I would get these feet out in dainty shoes.  Grim grim grim!  Any other ladies have feet this disgusting?

Today's run, which caused all this damage, was the same as last Saturday's, except I started at the opposite end of the canal.

I drove along past Botany Bay and to a little car park which is at the disused 'Walton Summit' branch of the canal.  The tow path from here takes you directly onto the main Leeds Liverpool Canal towpath.  I ran out for 8.5 miles, which took me to just outside Haigh Hall, then turned around and ran back again.

I was doing really well to begin with but then at about five miles in, I started to tire a little and my pace got slower and slower.  I managed to get a good pace in for my final mile though, in fact it was the best pace of all 17 miles, so it's good to know there was something left in the tank.

I still managed the whole thing in an 8.57 minute mile pace, which is 12 seconds per mile on average worse than last week but I have put it down to having a bit of a bad stomach which was gurgling throughout the run.  The aim of the run is to be under 9 minute miling though so I still managed to achieve that, albeit it only slightly.


Total distance - 17 miles

Chafing!

For some reason, the past couple of months, my running clothes have really started to chafe! I have put on a tiny bit of weight, but not enough that my clothes are tight or anything so I don't know why I'm suddenly getting flesh wounds under my sports bra and m shorts waist band.  It's ridiculous!  I wouldn't mind but the shorts I was wearing today I've had since I was much chunkier than I am now and they never chafed back then.

Going to have to invest in some Vaseline I think!

Today's run was just an easy recovery run.  I ran down to the school via Tiger's Clough then along the path behind the school to the cross tracks then took a right and went up the hill onto George's Lane.  I then ran along to the kennels and down through my favourite field where I had to remind myself that I was on a recovery run so I couldn't go fast.

Total distance - 3.5 miles