Not going exactly to plan.
Tuesday was a beautiful day but I missed my early morning call, in fact I don't even remember turning off the alarm but I must have done. Madi and I decided to go out at lunch time for the first time in ages. We just did one lap of our old route, around 1.7 miles. I managed the whole way round with no obvious pains anywhere although it was very different running in the heat. I came home happy and resolute that I will give myself at least a week after the marathon before burning the running shoes.
I was quite enthusiastic on Wednesday morning and bounced out the door at 6.30 determined to get back on track. I got twice round, just over 4 miles and was feeling ok. I just needed to go once up and down the main road for my final mile - that's when the pain kicked in, so suddenly and excruciating. I just made it to the front door but couldn't get to the back as planned. I spent the rest of the day with a bag of ice strapped to my leg. Walking seemed to be ok so long as I didn't try to change direction suddenly.
In the evening Jan and I had been invited to an evening in Norwich arranged by virgin just giving. There was a chat by Paul Evans, an Olympic athlete, and a chat by someone from Lucozade about nutrition. It was also a chance to chat over a drink (hydrating not alcoholic) and a posh sandwich, to other like minded people about how we were getting along (training schedules not costumes!). First problem was fuel, I hadn't heard any news for a while and wondered if war had been declared when I saw all the queue's at every petrol station. Eventually I managed to fill up and was on my way, I parked and then started heading towards the forum to meet Jan. Now I hadn't practised walking before I left the house, you get to a certain age and I guess you kind of take it for granted that you will get out of the car and something you have done for many years will just happen and it did until I started going up hill. If, as I have discovered, Roydon is hilly then Norwich is positively Alpine! I crept along taking tiny steps trying to act like this was my normal way of getting about, I constructed an 'I'm just fine' look on my face to mask my agony. I had to traverse slopes, steps, pavements, cobbles and potholes whilst avoiding walkers, cyclists, joggers and skateboarders. If I thought the trip there was hard the downhill leg was doubly difficult, there were moments I thought I just wouldn't make it at all. I was, it has to be said, the only person who limped into the get together despite there being a man with a prosthetic leg in attendance. We arrived fairly jolly, treating it with the same amateur hilarity that has got us through since October last year, it only took a few minutes before we realised that we had stumbled into the 'elite runners' changing rooms. This was no place for my planned headband story, these people wore headbands in their sleep!. My ice breaker question 'back or front end?' was not going to be appreciated here. We had to think very fast, put a more serious face on and try to come up with something mildly intelligent about our training programme and race strategy, timings were mentioned and we did what we needed to do - we lied!!. We listened to the talks with our intelligent faces on but in my head I was back in the washing machine, I came away with another list of words that I just couldn't get into any sort of order, there was preparation, hydration, nutrition, water, gels, beans, there were calculations to show how much protein and carbohydrates you should eat for your body weight, another calculation where you weigh yourself before and after a run to see how much liquid you have to put back - I wanted to ask if you should weigh before or after you've thrown up but didn't feel they would understand. Then to top it all there was the wee chart, you need to check the colour on the chart to see if you're hydrated properly!!!... like life isn't complicated enough.
We picked up our 'goody bags' and sloped off, limping past Jarrolds on the way to the car. There seemed to be some sort of spa evening going on, loads of nicely dressed women having their make up and nails done, couldn't help feeling as I gazed through the window, that I was in the wrong life! when I got home I unpacked the goody bag, there was a bottle of lucozade, a packet of lucozade jelly beans, a lucozade oat bar and a water bottle with a hole in the middle!. I wondered if I might have preferred the Jarrolds goody bags?.
Anyway, this morning was another day. I did get up early and put on the gear, I ran . . . oh, around 5 yards before I decided it wasn't to going happen. I am going to take a trip to the doctors tomorrow and hope they will be sympathetic when I say that I have to do this, we shall see.
Running for health, happiness and a good laugh whatever your age, size or fitness level
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
*********************
Well the fund raising is going really well and, including gift aid I have now been sponsored more than
*** £1000.00 ***
which is massive and I am so grateful to everyone who has supported this wonderful charity.
I can't begin to tell you how much it helps when the going gets really tough and it gets really tough very regularly now.
Thank you so so much.
*******************
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Coffee Morning
Next Saturday, 31st March, Mum and Dad will be hosting a coffee morning at:
Roydon Village Hall
at 10 am.
The proceeds will be split between mine and Jan's charities.
Isabel Hospice in Welwyn Garden City
you can sponsor me at:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/VivienneKanharn
&
The Association for International Cancer Research
you can sponsor Jan at:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JanRoberts
It would be wonderful to see as many people there as possible.
Every Flippin Step!
I'm really not going to be down about this, it will be ok I know.
I went to bed last night with a sore throat, I hoped it had been caused by the singing on Friday evening but knew deep down that it wasn't. I woke up with it this morning and really wasn't feeling my best, certainly not 18 miles worth of best!. I spoke to my support team, Jan was coming over to cycle with me as she isn't able to run at the moment because of her foot. She decided not to come as having just got over a cold she really doesn't want another one. She said that it really isn't a good idea to run when you are fighting something like a cold, you need every ounce of effort to run 18 miles and if everything isn't working towards the same goal you've lost before you start. Now I have to be honest, this was music to my ears. The last thing I wanted to do today was run 18 miles so the question was did I really not feel well or was I just being totally pathetic . . . again!. After a lot of sole searching I decided not to run and try to nip whatever this is in the bud. I may - possibly - depending on how I feel go later and just do 5 or 6 miles, just so I have done something but I do need to eat something and so far I haven't really felt like that either!.
This week coming is the last high mileage week and I really wanted it to be a good one. There's no reason though why it can't still be. Next Sunday I must be fit enough to run 20 miles, that's the goal now.
I went to bed last night with a sore throat, I hoped it had been caused by the singing on Friday evening but knew deep down that it wasn't. I woke up with it this morning and really wasn't feeling my best, certainly not 18 miles worth of best!. I spoke to my support team, Jan was coming over to cycle with me as she isn't able to run at the moment because of her foot. She decided not to come as having just got over a cold she really doesn't want another one. She said that it really isn't a good idea to run when you are fighting something like a cold, you need every ounce of effort to run 18 miles and if everything isn't working towards the same goal you've lost before you start. Now I have to be honest, this was music to my ears. The last thing I wanted to do today was run 18 miles so the question was did I really not feel well or was I just being totally pathetic . . . again!. After a lot of sole searching I decided not to run and try to nip whatever this is in the bud. I may - possibly - depending on how I feel go later and just do 5 or 6 miles, just so I have done something but I do need to eat something and so far I haven't really felt like that either!.
This week coming is the last high mileage week and I really wanted it to be a good one. There's no reason though why it can't still be. Next Sunday I must be fit enough to run 20 miles, that's the goal now.
Friday, 23 March 2012
A Low Point
Well I must have cut a very sad figure at 6.30 this morning as I limped home after only one mile of a five mile run - first time this 'adventure' has reduced me to tears!.
The week started so well, Sunday was great, the gels seem to work much better and not only did I run the full 16 miles but I really didn't feel too bad afterwards - even managed to cook the dinner, a first for many weeks. Monday I wasn't suffering too much, I could just about get up and down the stairs on my feet! Then on Tuesday I woke up with a blinding headache so didn't run when I should have, on Wednesday, although the headache had gone I didn't make it out the door again, I was going to go at lunch time but then I had a brainwave, I would 'lounge lope' - get back to my comfort zone and watch Jeremy Kyle while I loped. It was a bit different from my early loping, felt so much easier however, it doesn't seem to do a lot for my knees, one in particular. I think because I'm not doing very much 'going forward' I'm almost braking at every step, and braking hurts.
Thursday I managed a very painful 8 miles. This morning, having watched John Bishop cycle, row and then run 3 marathons, I was up early and bounced out the door to Olly Murs blasting in my head, what was 5 miles compared with everything he managed I thought . . . until my left foot hit the pavement for the first time and the pain jarred up my leg, I thought I could 'run it off' but it just got worse and worse until I was hobbling along trying to put as little weight on my left leg as possible. I did all the positive chat, tried to make friends with the pain, attempted to ignore it but nothing worked and as it gave way beneath me on a couple of steps I decided it probably wasn't wise to go on. I had quite a long way to limp home, a great deal of thinking time. I didn't expect this to be so hard, I expected to have to put a bit of effort in, get out there and run when I didn't really feel like it but I thought there would be a point where it began to get a bit easier and I could enjoy it just a little bit. I remember asking right at the start 'surely it can't be this hard the whole time' well, I've answered that question now and yes, it is that hard all the time. I wasn't expecting the battle inside my head either, I thought I would quite enjoy all that time to contemplate but I don't, it's far too much time to be inside your own head - well mine anyway!. I wasn't expecting it to take so much of my time either, it seems to be my whole life at the moment and trying to fit anything else in is so stressful. When do the endorphins kick in, when does the fun start?
You see, if running is hard, walking is so much harder.
Hopefully after a rest day tomorrow, well, when I say rest there's the house to clean, the washing and ironing to get done then I can rest ready for 18 miles on Sunday. Only 2 more long runs then the taper starts, that's something to look forward to. Just hope the knee is temporary and will improve soon.
The week started so well, Sunday was great, the gels seem to work much better and not only did I run the full 16 miles but I really didn't feel too bad afterwards - even managed to cook the dinner, a first for many weeks. Monday I wasn't suffering too much, I could just about get up and down the stairs on my feet! Then on Tuesday I woke up with a blinding headache so didn't run when I should have, on Wednesday, although the headache had gone I didn't make it out the door again, I was going to go at lunch time but then I had a brainwave, I would 'lounge lope' - get back to my comfort zone and watch Jeremy Kyle while I loped. It was a bit different from my early loping, felt so much easier however, it doesn't seem to do a lot for my knees, one in particular. I think because I'm not doing very much 'going forward' I'm almost braking at every step, and braking hurts.
Thursday I managed a very painful 8 miles. This morning, having watched John Bishop cycle, row and then run 3 marathons, I was up early and bounced out the door to Olly Murs blasting in my head, what was 5 miles compared with everything he managed I thought . . . until my left foot hit the pavement for the first time and the pain jarred up my leg, I thought I could 'run it off' but it just got worse and worse until I was hobbling along trying to put as little weight on my left leg as possible. I did all the positive chat, tried to make friends with the pain, attempted to ignore it but nothing worked and as it gave way beneath me on a couple of steps I decided it probably wasn't wise to go on. I had quite a long way to limp home, a great deal of thinking time. I didn't expect this to be so hard, I expected to have to put a bit of effort in, get out there and run when I didn't really feel like it but I thought there would be a point where it began to get a bit easier and I could enjoy it just a little bit. I remember asking right at the start 'surely it can't be this hard the whole time' well, I've answered that question now and yes, it is that hard all the time. I wasn't expecting the battle inside my head either, I thought I would quite enjoy all that time to contemplate but I don't, it's far too much time to be inside your own head - well mine anyway!. I wasn't expecting it to take so much of my time either, it seems to be my whole life at the moment and trying to fit anything else in is so stressful. When do the endorphins kick in, when does the fun start?
You see, if running is hard, walking is so much harder.
Hopefully after a rest day tomorrow, well, when I say rest there's the house to clean, the washing and ironing to get done then I can rest ready for 18 miles on Sunday. Only 2 more long runs then the taper starts, that's something to look forward to. Just hope the knee is temporary and will improve soon.
Friday, 16 March 2012
Ok, I'm really quite excited now . . .
I googled my problem and it appears I could be deficient in almost anything from vitamins B12 or D to copper to iron to carbohydrates to water??. The cure could be . . .
more water,
less water,
jelly babies,
jelly beans or mints,
a salty snack or sugar,
gels, gu's or chump bars!!,
Cereal, porridge or toast one hour or possibly two hours before I run,
or even . . . an omelette!
Give me strength!
I decided to ask my very own experts at work, Hayley ran the marathon last year, Lucy is running this years with her husband for the Animal Health Trust. They are both runners, not just people like me who thought it would be a good idea, bit of a laugh!. I'm glad I did because they have come up with some great idea's, the consensus of opinion seems to be that I need to drastically increase my intake of food the 24 to 48 hours before a long run. I have also now purchased a box of 'isogels' which I have a huge amount of faith in, maybe this is where the extra miles are coming from?
For now I'm trying to find something to eat every hour or so and will continue to do so tomorrow, then I shall 'roll' myself out onto the road, load up with the isogels and attempt . . . for the third time to run a whole, uninterrupted, 16 miles.
Monday, 12 March 2012
I've Had Some Daft Idea's in my Time . . .
. . . but this one has to take the biscuit!
On our second attempt we managed to 'cover' the 16 miles. I say cover because I had to walk the last 2 miles. It was going really well, I had decided to do it without the music and 'listen to my body' which is what my book tells me I should do - it was like an extremely long nuisance call! I was shattered as I got to the 14 mile mark but I could cope with that, then the nausea hit me, it's just completely debilitating, it's as much as I can do to stay upright let alone run. I feel awash with all the liquid I have consumed over the last 3 and a half . . . yes, that's 3 and a half hours!. In the end I just couldn't run another step and I staggered the rest of the way, determined that I was going to get to the end of the 16 miles. Luckily the front door was open and I had a clear path straight through to the loo!!!. the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent between the sofa and the loo wondering why oh why I had ever thought this would be a fun thing to do.
Have to say I am extremely worried now, I feel I have control over the one foot in front of the other bit but this, I just don't know what to do with it. It comes on so suddenly and just takes the wind completely out of my sails. I'm guessing this is 'the wall' which I thought would be exhausting but I thought that if you just kept going at some sort of pace - even walking, then it would pass, but this doesn't - I have it for the rest of the day. Even if I get to the end how on earth will I get home!.
I need to do a bit of googling tonight and see if someone can help me - fast, I really don't want to have my head in a bucket on my TV debut!!!!!
On our second attempt we managed to 'cover' the 16 miles. I say cover because I had to walk the last 2 miles. It was going really well, I had decided to do it without the music and 'listen to my body' which is what my book tells me I should do - it was like an extremely long nuisance call! I was shattered as I got to the 14 mile mark but I could cope with that, then the nausea hit me, it's just completely debilitating, it's as much as I can do to stay upright let alone run. I feel awash with all the liquid I have consumed over the last 3 and a half . . . yes, that's 3 and a half hours!. In the end I just couldn't run another step and I staggered the rest of the way, determined that I was going to get to the end of the 16 miles. Luckily the front door was open and I had a clear path straight through to the loo!!!. the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent between the sofa and the loo wondering why oh why I had ever thought this would be a fun thing to do.
Have to say I am extremely worried now, I feel I have control over the one foot in front of the other bit but this, I just don't know what to do with it. It comes on so suddenly and just takes the wind completely out of my sails. I'm guessing this is 'the wall' which I thought would be exhausting but I thought that if you just kept going at some sort of pace - even walking, then it would pass, but this doesn't - I have it for the rest of the day. Even if I get to the end how on earth will I get home!.
I need to do a bit of googling tonight and see if someone can help me - fast, I really don't want to have my head in a bucket on my TV debut!!!!!
Saturday, 10 March 2012
A good 5, 8 and a 5 in the bag so far this week . . . 16 miles,
we're coming to get you tomorrow!
I have spent my rest day dusting, hoovering, cleaning, washing and ironing, I have finally managed to sit down and get my feet in a foot spa in an effort to reduce the swelling around my ankles so that I might get my shoes on in the morning. The day is looking better than last week, a lot warmer and hopefully no wind and rain - please God let the wind and rain stay away and just maybe we'll get round.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Piece of Cake!
Was on the road by 6.30 this morning and somehow everything just gelled. Really good 5 miles, so happy with the new shoes, feeling much more balanced if that makes any sense. I even went a bit faster but I can't tell you quite how much faster because there is something wrong with my stopwatch. Showered and at my desk by 8.45, unusually, not a bad day at work either. Lets hope it continues.
Monday, 5 March 2012
The Highs and Lows of a Long Distance Runner
The last week has been one of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, good and bad, light and shade . . . you get the picture.
Following our less than impressive 14 miles last Sunday I spent a couple of days in the office so my first run of the week was on Wednesday when I did a far from convincing 4 miles - 'piece of cake' was how it was described in my book but it was one of the most uncomfortable pieces of cake I have ever had.
Wednesday evening was discord night, now there is huge excitement at discord at the moment because on March 23rd we are performing!. Rehearsals are in full swing and hopefully it will be a good night, at the very least it should be entertaining, I'm sure we will have a great time and hopefully the audience will too.
Thursday was the first of the week day longer runs, I needed 7 miles. I had quite a lot to fit in on Thursday, you see on Friday I had arranged an evening out with a couple of girls from work that I hadn't seen for ages and I had nothing to wear, apart from a rather 'snug' black dress that would be a tad over the top for this particular evening. I had done the internet 'window shopping' and simultaneous sighing which had got the desired reaction 'buy yourself something' to which I had given my standard reply 'I don't know where to start, I need so much' which actually was the truth, my smart casual wardrobe consists of some jogging bottoms, a few 'vintage' pieces that I'm hoping might come back into fashion one day, a penguin onesy, several ill fitting tops that I bought years ago in bulk because they were on offer and a couple of pairs of running tights, on an extremely limited budget it's tricky to decide which end to work on first but I decided that a new top might have the most impact and as I would be sitting down for most of the time, with the exception of the penguin onesy I could just about team it with anything and it wouldn't much matter. My plan was to get up early and do the 7 miles, take a short lunch break, finish a bit earlier then nip to my shop of choice for all those couture essentials - Tesco!.
It started well, I got out of bed early, but . . . FOG, back to bed! . . . it was downhill from then on really. I decided to run at lunch time but as I couldn't fit 7 miles into an hour thought I would split it and do the other half when I finished, later than I had intended, then I would go to Tesco. I was just about to get organised at lunch time when my coach, who wasn't coming with me said 'is that the same as doing 7 miles in one go' there was a short interlude while my brain switched from positive to negative 'no, I don't suppose it is' I said 'I'll go and do the whole 7 when I finish' wardrobe shopping would just have to wait. I took a short lunch break and planned to finish at 4.30 and go straight out, at 4.20 my plan hadn't changed, by 4.30 I had decided that it would be far too busy on the roads I had planned to run on, I would be a danger to car drivers and other pedestrians alike. There would probably be an enormous amount of dog walkers about and because it was a nice day the dogs would all be off their leads?????? It would be much better to go first thing in the morning. Well, I went to Tesco, which in Diss is not too much of a Tesco especially in the wardrobe department and I wasn't in the best of moods so of course there was nothing there. I came home completely fed up and so cross with myself. I laid out my running gear, set the alarm and decided there would be absolutely no excuses in the morning.
I was up by 6 . . . FOG, it didn't matter, I was out by 6.30 and . . . it was possibly my best run yet, the roads were quiet, I hadn't had time to fill my head with negative thoughts and everything seemed to click into place. I got back feeling really good, I was working by 9. Andrew, bless him found a large Tesco and bought me a couple of tops and I went out and had a lovely evening with 2 very good friends.
Unfortunately all this messing about meant that I had to do another 4 miles on Saturday morning but it had to be done, so I was up with the larks running round the streets again. Later that day Andrew and I went to get THE running shoes, these will be the ones that hopefully take me over the finish line. We went to Sportlink in Taverham, Norwich where they do 'gait analysis' Have to be honest, I really wasn't looking forward to this. I don't consider myself to be a runner and I felt as though I was walking into the world of the professional runner. It still feels a bit ridiculous to say I'm doing the London Marathon, in my head I might as well be saying 'I'm flying to the moon' or 'I'm a lion tamer'. I was happy to go with 'I do a bit of running' it was left to Andrew to explain that it was a little more serious than 'a bit of running'. I had a slightly embarrassing incident on the running machine but we managed to ascertain that the mid-sole support system I thought sounded like such a good idea back in October was in fact completely unnecessary. My gait is neutral, It made absolute sense and I am now the proud owner of a very smart pair of black and pink running shoes, neutral. They also have some kind of grid system that disperses your body weight times a lot through your whole foot every time you land. Could this be where the extra miles are coming from? Oh, I also bought a pair of very fancy socks!.
Rather too late that evening I mapped our 16 mile run, I found a loop plus a couple of roads that we would have to go up and down. I was up early and ready too soon, by the time we went out the rain was falling and as we got further out into the open the wind was howling. Andrew came in the car, there was no point him getting soaked too. He was waiting on the side of the road with water and told us that the road I had mapped where we should turn off wasn't there!!!!!. We went to the end of the road we were on and turned back on ourselves and came back, by this time the wind was in our faces, the rain was torrential and the road was sloped in very much the wrong direction. We both started to walk, from then on we were walking and running at intervals. I had no idea of how far we had been or had left on the planned course, we were soaked, getting cold and 'will' had left miles earlier. At one point I had my hand on the handle of the car door and Jan said, lets just go the next mile and see how we feel. We set off again, a white van driver soaked us as he speeded past but we were soaked anyway, it just seemed to make us colder. I decided to change the goal and 'to get home under my own steam' became the new one, I had to be pleased with that. The repeats didn't happen and when we got in I mapped the walk/run we had done, 12 miles, a little disappointing but given the conditions we had to be at the very least content.
Today, we have drawn a line, not going to dwell on the negative and feeling positive about the week ahead. Today the weather has been awful but I didn't need to go out, my intention is to go out early tomorrow and do 5 miles before I start work. I will let you know how it goes?????
Following our less than impressive 14 miles last Sunday I spent a couple of days in the office so my first run of the week was on Wednesday when I did a far from convincing 4 miles - 'piece of cake' was how it was described in my book but it was one of the most uncomfortable pieces of cake I have ever had.
Wednesday evening was discord night, now there is huge excitement at discord at the moment because on March 23rd we are performing!. Rehearsals are in full swing and hopefully it will be a good night, at the very least it should be entertaining, I'm sure we will have a great time and hopefully the audience will too.
Thursday was the first of the week day longer runs, I needed 7 miles. I had quite a lot to fit in on Thursday, you see on Friday I had arranged an evening out with a couple of girls from work that I hadn't seen for ages and I had nothing to wear, apart from a rather 'snug' black dress that would be a tad over the top for this particular evening. I had done the internet 'window shopping' and simultaneous sighing which had got the desired reaction 'buy yourself something' to which I had given my standard reply 'I don't know where to start, I need so much' which actually was the truth, my smart casual wardrobe consists of some jogging bottoms, a few 'vintage' pieces that I'm hoping might come back into fashion one day, a penguin onesy, several ill fitting tops that I bought years ago in bulk because they were on offer and a couple of pairs of running tights, on an extremely limited budget it's tricky to decide which end to work on first but I decided that a new top might have the most impact and as I would be sitting down for most of the time, with the exception of the penguin onesy I could just about team it with anything and it wouldn't much matter. My plan was to get up early and do the 7 miles, take a short lunch break, finish a bit earlier then nip to my shop of choice for all those couture essentials - Tesco!.
It started well, I got out of bed early, but . . . FOG, back to bed! . . . it was downhill from then on really. I decided to run at lunch time but as I couldn't fit 7 miles into an hour thought I would split it and do the other half when I finished, later than I had intended, then I would go to Tesco. I was just about to get organised at lunch time when my coach, who wasn't coming with me said 'is that the same as doing 7 miles in one go' there was a short interlude while my brain switched from positive to negative 'no, I don't suppose it is' I said 'I'll go and do the whole 7 when I finish' wardrobe shopping would just have to wait. I took a short lunch break and planned to finish at 4.30 and go straight out, at 4.20 my plan hadn't changed, by 4.30 I had decided that it would be far too busy on the roads I had planned to run on, I would be a danger to car drivers and other pedestrians alike. There would probably be an enormous amount of dog walkers about and because it was a nice day the dogs would all be off their leads?????? It would be much better to go first thing in the morning. Well, I went to Tesco, which in Diss is not too much of a Tesco especially in the wardrobe department and I wasn't in the best of moods so of course there was nothing there. I came home completely fed up and so cross with myself. I laid out my running gear, set the alarm and decided there would be absolutely no excuses in the morning.
I was up by 6 . . . FOG, it didn't matter, I was out by 6.30 and . . . it was possibly my best run yet, the roads were quiet, I hadn't had time to fill my head with negative thoughts and everything seemed to click into place. I got back feeling really good, I was working by 9. Andrew, bless him found a large Tesco and bought me a couple of tops and I went out and had a lovely evening with 2 very good friends.
Unfortunately all this messing about meant that I had to do another 4 miles on Saturday morning but it had to be done, so I was up with the larks running round the streets again. Later that day Andrew and I went to get THE running shoes, these will be the ones that hopefully take me over the finish line. We went to Sportlink in Taverham, Norwich where they do 'gait analysis' Have to be honest, I really wasn't looking forward to this. I don't consider myself to be a runner and I felt as though I was walking into the world of the professional runner. It still feels a bit ridiculous to say I'm doing the London Marathon, in my head I might as well be saying 'I'm flying to the moon' or 'I'm a lion tamer'. I was happy to go with 'I do a bit of running' it was left to Andrew to explain that it was a little more serious than 'a bit of running'. I had a slightly embarrassing incident on the running machine but we managed to ascertain that the mid-sole support system I thought sounded like such a good idea back in October was in fact completely unnecessary. My gait is neutral, It made absolute sense and I am now the proud owner of a very smart pair of black and pink running shoes, neutral. They also have some kind of grid system that disperses your body weight times a lot through your whole foot every time you land. Could this be where the extra miles are coming from? Oh, I also bought a pair of very fancy socks!.
Rather too late that evening I mapped our 16 mile run, I found a loop plus a couple of roads that we would have to go up and down. I was up early and ready too soon, by the time we went out the rain was falling and as we got further out into the open the wind was howling. Andrew came in the car, there was no point him getting soaked too. He was waiting on the side of the road with water and told us that the road I had mapped where we should turn off wasn't there!!!!!. We went to the end of the road we were on and turned back on ourselves and came back, by this time the wind was in our faces, the rain was torrential and the road was sloped in very much the wrong direction. We both started to walk, from then on we were walking and running at intervals. I had no idea of how far we had been or had left on the planned course, we were soaked, getting cold and 'will' had left miles earlier. At one point I had my hand on the handle of the car door and Jan said, lets just go the next mile and see how we feel. We set off again, a white van driver soaked us as he speeded past but we were soaked anyway, it just seemed to make us colder. I decided to change the goal and 'to get home under my own steam' became the new one, I had to be pleased with that. The repeats didn't happen and when we got in I mapped the walk/run we had done, 12 miles, a little disappointing but given the conditions we had to be at the very least content.
Today, we have drawn a line, not going to dwell on the negative and feeling positive about the week ahead. Today the weather has been awful but I didn't need to go out, my intention is to go out early tomorrow and do 5 miles before I start work. I will let you know how it goes?????
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