Of course I was due a fall .......

As I wrote about how well my training was going a few weeks ago and how much I was enjoying it I knew as I pressed send I was heading for a fall ....... the voice in my head was taunting me with it .......

So first the blisters .....

No problem I now have shares in Compeed plasters .......

Oh and new running shoes! Although I've only run in them once!

Apparently purple is the new pink!!!!

Then I struggled with my training  sessions, not helped by this continuous wet and windy weather .... horizontal rain and gale force winds really don't do it for me .......

No problem, there's always tomorrow ......

....... except of course there isn't when the day job and business get in the way .....

So I'm a bit behind.

'Well how far behind?' I hear you ask ...... errr
ummm sort of 2x interval training and a 5k run.

'So it's only Saturday surely you can fit two in (including Parkrun) before coach Steph sends the next training plan'

Ok, in theory no problem, but ........

I'll just rewind a bit though

Since my last blog post and the hill training involving angry chainsaw man I've managed a 5k run down the lane and back with the doggens which should have been easy peasey, unfortunately the whole way I felt like I was going to break down like an old nag!   Three days later a 6 mile session on the TT which should have involved a negative split but I just about managed to crawl around ........ my body seemed to be on a go slow! Not helped by the wind and horizontal rain or a dry/chesty cough that I've developed. (A contradiction I know)

On Wednesday it was windy but dry so when the OB asked my plans I announced that it was going to be an 8 miler from the Puffing Billy to the river bridge and back! I didn't mention that the tops of my legs ached and that really I wanted to stay at home, although he did say 'you're not looking forward to this'
'No I know it sounds silly but actually I'm getting nervous about it. I know I can do it but at the moment I feel like I'm going to break down like an old nag'

As I set off there was a shout of 'Hello Sarah' from the cycle hire place ....... so a lovely surprise and quick chat with Ali who was buying a bike there and off I went!

Of course I then wanted a wee ..... do you know I get so mad with this ......I always go (about 3 times before we leave the house) and still want to go at our destination. As you know this is the busy bit of the TT but in the end I nipped up some steps that lead to path alongside the river and had a squat! Relief ...

My legs ached, it was a struggle, the ache moved down my legs, more so in my left leg  ..... by mile 6 (bearing in mind I should be running faster than at the start)  I could hardly run. The worst pain ran down the front of my left leg and at the knee shot around the back and down it.

In the end I had to stop and tried stretching ......yay!
It worked ....  briefly

So it was stop, stretch, hobble, stop, stretch hobble to the end! I wasn't going to walk even if it killed me and despite the little voice in my head ' with your third wake-up call you may not be so lucky'

 Stubborn I know!

Then came the analysis ...... we decided I must be dehydrated ..... this conclusion was from the fact that I'd done three milk recordings back to back and so don't drink too much due to not being able to go to the loo (other than in with the cows or behind a hedge when noone is looking.

To make up for it I've now  been drinking gallons of water .........

The result?

Well apart from constantly having to wee, my legs don't ache so much but I still have a cough and this morning a sore throat and what felt like the beginnings of a cold .......

The thing is I don't suffer from colds!

OB - Old bloke
TT - Tarka Trail

Update ...... since the last post when the OB complained to DCC about angry chainsaw man, they completed their enquiries on 23rd December and apparently could find no record of contractors working on this part of the TT so closed the case! The OB has made a complaint about this so it's now going further up the line!

I was verbally abused by a workman on the Tarka Trail!

As you know I love the Tarka Trail and am so pleased that we've finally ventured onto it after all the years we've been here. Different parts of it suit my training sessions and with the cycling group we've had some lovely days out and gone further afield!

On Monday I went to Petrockstowe to do the previous weeks interval training. (As mentioned in the previous post I only had time to do two training sessions last week)

It was one of those after 10 minutes warm up, bloody strides jobs again ......
The usual 5x 20 secs strides with 40 secs easy......

.....Ok no problem that's 5 minutes

Then 10x 30secs easy ..20secs medium ... 10secs full out ...

Simples you'd think!

Nope!  this dozy mare who as some of you know is hopeless at maths calculated it as 50 minutes......

.......... look just don't ask ..... I was getting confused with the above 5 minutes and then multiplying! Just blame it on Miss. Young at Hurstbourne Tarrant, Primary School who put me in English classes when I couldn't grasp maths!

Anyway I set off, telling the OB, who was walking the dogs in the opposite direction that I'd be just over an hour! Ha ha what a silly arse I am?

On the 10 minute warm up I was reassured to hear the sound of chain sawing ..... my lumberjacks were on the trail!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but at times the TT can be very busy and on others very isolated so on the latter occasions thats why I like to see these guys!

Actually there was only one of them but as usual we exchanged pleasantries and I felt safe!

I did the first set of strides and then as I started the 30 secs easy I realised my maths error...........

Doh!

Ten minutes then!

Much cursing followed but I kept running ....

On my way back I waved at the lumberjack, stopped at the car for some water and then ran to meet the OB and the woofers.

Wednesday was a 6 mile run so I did the Puffing Billy to the tunnel and back.

After 5 minutes it was to build to race pace and then steady miles 2-6.

Looks like mile one was totally beyond  race pace ...... I've never run that fast and as usual I had a problem getting to steady Pace! I really wish I could run this fast at parkrun.

Friday was Yarde towards Watersmeet for hill training in the pouring rain with the OB and woofers coming the same way for a change.

After stretching I still hadn't got a gps signal which isn't unusual but as I was getting soaked and my run didn't need to rely on it I gave up and started on the 10 minute warm up, having to keep my head down due to the driving rain but I could see a red sign ahead. It crossed my mind that perhaps the Trail was closed but as I got closer saw that it was a Devon County Council keeping Devon safe emergency phone number. I assumed that it was due to the wet and windy weather and in case a tree came down as it's quite a regular occurrence.

Then I saw I was right ..... sawn up trees on either side.

A couple of minutes later there was a truck with a shredder blocking the path ....... there was no more than a foot of verge either side and logs to negotiate, as I walked past a truck in front that I hadn't seen started to pull away and then drove slower than I was running. I didn't know if the driver had seen me so I ran in view of his offside mirror. Whether he had or not it stopped and I walked past.

So back to the hill training ....... 5x 20 secs strides etc etc then before the 7x 2 min hard, I had to have a quick squat. ...... guess I'll just have to do a Paula on race day!!!

As soon as I started the first 2 mins hard I had the same feeling that I get at Parkrun on the hill to the finish, that of
wanting to be sick and losing my bowels simultaneously ...... so had to ease off ......
I also found I was running into the wind uphill and getting plastered in mud! (I know, I'm really selling this to you!!!!)
Anyway suffice to say I completed it, wishing that I'd got long sleeves as the cold rain stung my arms but knowing  that I'd regret it if I had as I'd be too hot!

Hooray!

I could now run back easy ......

Ok, so the two trucks were still blocking the trail and I could hear the chipper working and a chain saw, sawing.

I edged past the vehicle's and then was faced with a bloke feeding the chipper and another bloke with his back to me chain sawing the upper branches of some ash spread across the trail.

The bloke on chipper duty shouted something, the bloke on the chain saw stopped it and I picked my way through the ash tree .......

'WAIT! YOU SHOULD WAIT TO BE LET THROUGH'

'Ok' and I raised my arm in acknowledgement as I continued to pick my way through the tree and thought blimey he sounds angry!

'STOP! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS, YOU WAIT'

So I turned round to face angry chainsaw man, who according to his jacket was called David, and said 'ok' again and at the same time saw his mate behind him gobbing on the ground and edging away ...... lovely!

'IF YOU DON'T, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?' He continued to shout

By this time I wanted to laugh and shout fuck you but just turned round and said 'you'll get sued!' and started running ....

'YOU'LL BE DEAD'

Yeah whatever .........

He continued to shout after me but I didn't hear what it was, as by now I was running hard, intent on putting some distance between us.

Back at the car park I told the OB about my encounter, who offered to go and speak to him but as I thought he might punch Mr. Angry or worse still, end up with a chain saw wrapped around his head it was best to leave it. Anyway I was already writing my email of complaint to DCC in my head as there were no signs telling the TT users to stop and wait to be let through. There were no signs about the dangers of the chipper and if we'd been cycling we'd have had to walk through the ditch of running water to get past the trucks. There weren't even any men at work signs which are always displayed at Petrockstowe.

Also the OB said he and the woofers clambered through the ash tree five minutes before me and neither bloke uttered a word.  David must have a problem with women or runners or women runners, and whether he has or not he certainly needs to attend anger management classes! What a complete tosser!

At home I had a bath and when I got downstairs the OB was on the phone to DCC making a complaint! They've taken it seriously enough to send it up the line .......

Normally I shy away from confrontation and just put things down to experience but on this occasion I can't believe that a workman on the Tarka Trail verbally abused me. I don't want it to happen to any one else so hopefully DCC will make sure it doesn't.

*TT =Tarka trail
*OB = Old bloke
*DCC = Devon County Council

Compeed plasters for blisters

Yes I know I've neglected you with my updates but I bet you're really rather secretly pleased that you haven't had to plough through my waffle!!!

This post was going to be two weeks worth of news but after an incident today I'm going to split it into two separate ones!

After my last blog post I was overwhelmed by the response to my blisters!

'Compeed' plasters for blisters was the message!

Ok, so I'd never heard of them but as you know I really need to get out more!

The OB was duly dispatched to Lloyds pharmacy clutching a £10 note and returned with 10 of these plasters and 42p change ......... this running lark really isn't cheap!!!!

On Monday I decided to go for the shorter, easier run, to test drive the plasters despite having a busy week and knowing that I would only be able to do two runs but I didn't want to aggravate the blisters either!

It took me a while to work out how to open the container and get them out though, despite having my contact lenses in ....... the arrow at the top was minute (and I'm quite thick at times!)

Whilst running I wasn't aware of two of the blisters but I could feel the one on my right foot niggling, which was a bit disappointing, but I was glad that I'd opted for the short run.

When I got home I found that the plaster on this foot was coming off despite the blurb in the box saying they would stay on for a few days! Perhaps trying to cover two blisters with one plaster was asking too much!

Wednesday was a nine miler so I covered the two blisters on my right foot with individual plasters this time, the one on the left was still sticking well!

It was only towards the end that I was aware of the worst blister on my my right foot but it was a mild niggle.

I'm not sure whether they are helping to heal my feet as on Monday when I changed the plasters the blisters were still there, however there were no niggles during the interval training ....... the final training session for last week!

......... and the conclusion on Compeed plasters for blisters?

I'm impressed!

*OB = Old bloke