Two weeks to go and there's a spanner in the works .....

I had a fairly sleepless night on Friday (even more so than usual) due to my painful ribs and not being able to get comfortable.

On Saturday morning I was a slow pacer volunteer at Parkrun and luckily running didn't irritate the ribs. Phew!!!!!!

After another uncomfortable night I discovered on Sunday morning that I had a rash across my ribs but at least the ribs had stopped hurting, however it felt like someone was trying to push my ribcage out all night on Sunday .......
So another uncomfortable night resulted in a stiff back. When I did sleep it was obviously awkwardly.

No matter I had an appointment with a 45 minute interval training session with the OB on his bike.

Down to Yarde then with the world and his wife and the OBOAB  ..... it was Bank Holiday Monday after all.........

So the usual 10 mins warm up followed by 25 mins of hard and steady pace ......  11 minutes into this hard/steady bit I thought I was going to be sick and actually had to stop for water and a breather (and much swearing - the OB has decided I'm RBWT -running bird with tourettes!!!!  presumably for his blog whenever he gets around to writing it)  ....... first time ever I've stopped ...... I did feel awful though and when I resumed it was at a much slower pace! Hey ho!! ....... still split pace was 10.40 mins/mile so not too horrendous!

Another uncomfortable night with the pain down my spine this time and a worsening rash meant I was held at gun point by the OBOAB until I phoned the surgery, at 9am, despite it being his Birthday and my messing up our going out plans.

I managed to get a Doctors appointment this morning and have been diagnosed with  shingles........

Bugger, bugger, bugger ..........

There's a spanner in the works now ..........

 I'm not sure if I'll be able to run the Bude RNLI 6 mile race ....

Dr. Fernandez was diplomatic and just said 'maybe not' when I asked

....... the OBOAB isn't happy

........ there's hope yet!!!!!!

A new strategy

As last week was a recovery one and only involved a couple of easy runs I thought I better get my entry in for the Bude RNLI run!

So with just over three weeks to go, training has started again, and I have gone for a new strategy ........... get the run I least want to do over and done with ........ that'll be the sprints/strides one then!!!

It seemed quite strange last week not doing any training and I have to say I was looking forward to starting it again!!

I can't believe I'm even saying that!!!

On Monday we put the OB's bike in the van and popped down to Yarde to do the run I wasn't relishing .......

10 mins warm up ..... 5 x 20 sec strides ..... 5 x 2 mins building pace ... 10 mins easy.

It was chucking it down with rain as we set off but luckily didn't last long and we had the place to ourselves! It all went according to plan and was so much easier having the OBOAB shouting out the time so I could concentrate on running rather than the last time when I had to faff with my phone and run holding it and the time before that when the OBOAB fell off his bike and stopped shouting!!!

On Tuesday I decided that I really needed to do another run as otherwise it would be Friday before I could get out again.

It was to be the 4 mile steady one ...... 5 mins easy ...... build to race pace and hold until last 0.5 mile.

So back to Yarde again, however this time I went across the road and ran towards Torrington ...........I discovered the first half mile was uphill ....... however it then flattened out and was beautiful.
At mile one I thought the bird on my phone had gone mad when she announced 8.37 mins then at mile two it was 8.59 mins! I then turned around and found the next mile and a half was a steady uphill climb! The thing is it hadn't appeared to be downhill on the way out but explains my fast time. I did 10.40mins and 10.20 mins respectively for the other two miles!

Contrary to the diary schedule I managed to get out on Thursday and trot down the lane with the dogs whilst the OB finished off the cheesemaking. It was the 30 mins easy run with instructions from Coach Steph to enjoy and relax ringing in my ears ........

I actually ran slowly from the start and although I had to stop three times in an attempt to get a thorn out of Tilly's paw and then stop for a car, and cyclists, it was just lovely listening to the bird song and trying to identify all the wild flowers in the banks!!!

My strategy worked ......... thank goodness as on Friday my ribs started to hurt. They felt like they did after my riding accident a few years ago when I smashed them up. I have no idea why they should suddenly feel like this as I haven't done anything to irritate them! It's the same side that I had radiotherapy two years ago so perhaps that's something to do with it as it can be a side effect even after all this time down the line!!

Oh yes by the way you may have noticed I've decided to continue with the blog ...............

In case you were wondering .........

After our awesome performances on Sunday at the Bideford 10K Coach Steph advised that we walk, cycle or swim on Monday to get our legs going and to eat well, including plenty of protein for muscle repair. Then have a steady 30 minute run on Tuesday or Wednesday, followed by another 30 minute run later in the week if we couldn't make training group or Parkrun!!

On Monday I expect you like me thought that I'd be hobbling around like a hobbling around person .............

but ................. against all the odds I didn't have any stiffness at all!!! Rather surprising but .......

Result!

Anyway the OB and I had our first day off for three weeks and although it was scheduled in the diary to lie down in a darkened room we fought the urge and went for a five mile walk on Dartmoor to sort my legs out and then have a lovely protein lunch at The Ring Of Bells!

Yesterday I didn't have time to run so today after cheesemaking and before lunch I trotted down the lane with the OB wobbling along on his bike. The moment I started my calf made itself known ........ I don't recall feeling it on Sunday (but maybe that was the adrenaline) and it had felt normal since with no ill effects  from the run ........ bloody buggers, why now?

It eased during the 34 minutes I was out and didn't niggle once I was home ...... So hopefully it was just sorting itself out!

It was lovely to be out enjoying the surroundings and just jogging along with no pressure, however I can't wait to start training next week for the Bude RNLI 6 miles .........

Apparently I have the running bug ........ in case you were wondering!!

I did it!

My last two training runs were the 20 minute ones as mentioned in my last post. Due to a busy week I had to do them on Thursday and Friday and just ran down the lane ......... I'd actually forgotten about the hills after all my runs on the Tarka Trail!!! Anyway they passed without incident!!

At the start of training for this 10K coach Steph had told us to write down the time we expected to do it in. I didn't write it down or tell you but 1 hour 10 minutes was my goal. This week I decided to aim for 1 hour 6 minutes after looking at all my training times.

So suddenly it was race day .........

Hanging around waiting to leave was the worst bit .......

With my knee support on and k tape on my other knee .......( I didn't mention it in dispatches but it had been niggling for a week or so.) and vaseline on my feet we set off at 10am, just as well really as the car park was heaving and there was a long queue for the loo when we arrived!!

Waiting for the Bideford 10K to start

                            My fellow training group runners with coach Steph!



Eleven o'clock finally arrived and .......... we were off ........... loads of people surged past me, well hundreds actually ........ even though I felt I was running a good pace. I knew I'd set off too fast (I always do) especially with so many other runners but thought I'd wait for the bird on my phone to tell me at mile one and then I'd adjust accordingly. I didn't hear her, nor at mile two ....... infact for the whole race she was silent. I thought my fat arse must have switched her off ...... oh well just keep running and hope for the best!! It was hot as well and the car fumes weren't nice either. (There was a steady stream of cars passing us). Getting near Instow between 4 and 5k I felt sick and realised that I had definitely set off too fast ....... oh god not even half way and I may have to stop. I slowed a bit and grabbed some water at the water station and swilled it around my mouth and chucked it in my face!! It's amazing how much this helped and now on the Tarka Trail there was a lovely breeze which was a blessing.

On the Tarka Trail

The lady behind me in this photo, a member of Okehampton running club ran alongside me for a bit and we had a conversation ....... unbelievable me running and talking .........then I followed her all the way home!! 

At 400m I could see the finish ........ but it looked miles away .... to sprint or not?

Not!

The same question at 300m and 200m.

No!

At 100m ...... YES ..... go, go, go......... The beastings by coach Steph had paid off ..... I still had enough fuel in the tank and sprinted to the finish!!

The look of surprise  on the OB's face as I ran over the finish was to behold.......

Why?

Well apparently he hadn't expected to see me so soon .......

My 100m sprint

What I was thinking!!!

The look says it all ..... never again!!

 When he told me my time 1:01 I thought he was joking. My first words were 'never again!!' I took my phone out and saw the bird had been doing her bit as well and although a few seconds out due to not stopping it straight away...... but as you can see my split pace was awesome!!!

My official time was 1:01:20 and I can't tell you how chuffed I am with that, never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get a time like that!!

Having never run a race before I didn't know what to expect, however the organisation by Bideford ACC was excellent and all the marshalls were friendly, helpful and encouraging and the atmosphere was brilliant ...... you may all be lying down in a darkened room now but thank you it was a great event.

Sooooooooo what's next??

Well the OB told me the other day when I was hobbling around with injury number twenty two that I wasn't to enter any more races ...... we'd just get back to me trotting down the lane and him wobbling along on his bike!!

Yeah right. .........

............. So as my fellow training group and I had an appointment with copious amounts of prosecco and gin yesterday afternoon ....... oh come on we needed to rehydrate!! We came to the conclusion that our next event would be the Bude Rats RNLI 6mile run in Bude on 10th June. It's an evening event so all the OB's have realised that they can wait in the pub for us!

Result!

....... and coach Steph has agreed to coach us again!

Result!

And just before I go the best news is that to date I've raised £432 for Children's Hospice Southwest!!!
Thank you to everyone who has donated.

Thank you also to all of you for your kind words and encouragement over the last five months. It has really kept me going!

I also wouldn't have done it without the support of our little training group ...... we've all had our ups and downs, doubted ourselves, wanted to give up, screamed and shouted but everyone was there to support each other and bloody hell weren't we awesome yesterday? You guys rock!

Last but not least a huge thank you goes to coach Steph who over the last five months has given up her own time to train us (and put up with our moaning and groaning)  ........ what a star you are!

Only five days to go ........

On Saturday morning I got out of bed to shut the window before going to make the tea ....... Well I was the one who wanted to go to Parkrun!

'Its not nice out there, raining and blowy'

'You don't want to run in that do you? Get back into bed' came the reply from beneath the duvet.

I climbed back into bed and after laying there for a couple of minutes, climbed back out! The weather may have cleared in two hours time. It may not be so bad at Tamar Lakes. All the fantastic volunteers who make it possible for us to run won't climb back into bed.

I made the tea!

And the weather had indeed cleared by the start of Parkrun.

With only a week to go to the Bideford 10K and being almost injury free I wasn't going to risk hurting myself for a PB, just a steady run was the order of the day! I even managed to sprint up the last part of the hill and into the tunnel, getting a time of 31.03. Maybe all this sprint training is worthwhile!!!!!!!

This week on the menu there is ....

3 mile easy run

20 min run ... 10 min easy ...5 mins building pace each minute .... 5 mins cool down

20 min run..... 5 min easy .... 5 mins build to race pace .... 10 mins cruise and feel strong.

Due to my busy schedule this week I did contemplate counting Parkrun as my 3 mile easy run but decided that it was probably cheating!!!

So to Yarde today, just before lunchtime......

Starting off I felt really sluggish and stiff and almost stopped, especially as there was a strong side wind however after giving myself a good talking to I carried on. I then met some friends walking so had a quick chat before continuing on my merry way. It then suddenly felt better!
The third mile wasn't much fun as the horizontal rain started and along with the side wind it was hard work especially the uphill bit but I kept going.

So two more runs ........ and then it's the real thing!!!!

It's all getting a bit scary ......

The Tarka Trail at Yarde

Well I think this week is the first time since starting the training for the Bideford 10K that I've actually managed all the runs, on the right days and in the right order!!

Yesterday (yes sorry I had a long day so no time to report in) I managed to fit in the strides and sprints training........... Oh yes, contrary to what you thought! I know I'm full of surprises!!

Due to the day job ...... a 5am start, then cheesemaking when I got home .......  I finally got to Yarde at 12.50, on my own as I had to leave the OB in charge of cheesemaking.

The plan was to run easy to the gates which is a mile then do the strides back and forth followed by the sprints!

The mile was fine ...... 10.35 or something! Oh and my calf is still niggling.

I then faffed with my phone to find the timer and set for 30 seconds for the 5 x strides .......

Yup ...... So I started the strides and then wondered why I was running further than I thought I should .....doh!!! What a prat .... I'd set the timer for 30 mins and 30 secs.

So reset it and managed the 5 x strides with jog back along with an audience from a couple walking by who lingered at the statue thingy near the gates and then seemed to be identifying wild flowers alongside my training ground.

I then had to do 2 x 400m sprints with 90secs jog back 

After last weeks beasting I had a fair idea of how far 400m was but realised that I could change the bird on my phone to km so I'd know where 400m was. I then set the timer to 90secs for the easy jog back. Then I started the sprint which actually seemed the same speed as my strides  ........ and I sprinted and I sprinted but then the bloody bird on the phone didn't tell me where I was.

I jogged back for 90 seconds and was exactly on time to the gates .......

I sprinted again but still no notification from the bloody bird on the phone .......before jogging back I checked the bird on the phone for my sprint time and discovered that I'd  obviously fannied about so much with the timer,  changing the app from miles to km and  pausing it and then starting the timer and forgetting to restart the app that I'll never know my sprint time. Bloody technology! I then jogged  back to the car park passing the lingering couple on their return who looked totally bemused!!

So in other news .......... In yesterday's post this arrived ............. 

Enough to focus the mind ........ Oh bloody hell what have I done?

Today I had to make a delivery to Instow and two and a half miles of the trip involves part of the Bideford 10K ........ can you believe my stomach started to churn and I started to feel nervous just driving it.

Bloody buggers!

What have I done?