The Waiting Game

can't see it somehow!

For a while after I got up this morning I was a little concerned that when I came to do my exercises I wouldn't be able to find the 'spot' that I am, with the aid of a tennis ball, supposed to be manipulating. Oh how I almost smiled, when I actually came to doing it - the pain led me straight there! I am however now wondering if perhaps I've been a little over zealous as the designated spots now ache all by themselves without the aid of any instruments of torture! And I'm a little curious as to why running through the pain is bad yet inflicting pain upon yourself in the name of recovery is good?

Not running through the pain had something to do with the brain remembering pain and associating it with running and putting the two together next time you run whether there is actual pain or not, which I think may mean that for the rest of my life I will wince at the sight of a tennis ball!

Consequently I am not feeling quite as optimistic about the path ahead as I was when I left the biomechanics man yesterday.  It feels like a long long road ahead of me, and if, in my current state a half marathon seems almost inconceivable, then a full one definitely does!

Not allowing myself to wallow in self pity, I decided that it would be a good time to ring Barnardo's and find out a little bit more about the application and selection process to be one of their London marathon runners!  Very quick to point out that I wasn't ringing about THIS year's marathon, I spoke to a lovely lady who informs me that applications will open the day after (on 27 April).  They don't operate a first come first served basis, instead applications are looked at monthly and rated according to a point system - those that make the grade are offered a place, those that don't are rejected but can apply again in an attempt to improve their scoring.

What I forgot to ask was whether there is a limit to how many people are selected in a particular month, in which case it might be easier to 'pass' after the first flurry of interest has died down. I did spend some time today trying to weigh up the pro's and cons of waiting, but having been planning this for, what will be, a year, and having given myself over three months to write my application I have a feeling I may be one of the 27th April brigade!

M - 489

Brighton Half - 46
Liverpool Half - 158

Glasgow Half - 270

Total Distance covered   453.4 miles

Miss A Turn

... or rather nine!

Feel so much better having been to see the Biomechanics Man! Physically because he set to work on my legs, and mentally because he is confident that HMG and I will make it to Brighton to join you sis! (Apparently having run twelve miles we can run a half marathon - didn't like to say we'd heard it was ten!).

The problems I've been having stems from my weak glutes, as soon as another muscle group becomes dominant they (wait for it) take a back seat!  I am officially a lazy arse!  All is not lost however, and although not quite back at square one, to continue yesterday's board game analogy, I have landed on 'miss a turn'!

Having taken my running schedule with me for his perusal, we have decided that my next run won't be until next Thursday  and then only for three miles to see how it goes.  If it goes OK, I am allowed to do parkrun on the Saturday before going back to see him a couple of days later.  What I am not allowed to do is run through the pain... apparently it isn't heroic or a test of my pain barrier or something that will go away!

In the meantime I've been given some exercises to do, one nice relaxed resistance one done lying down on my back, one horrid tennis ball torturous one done in the most ungainly fashion on the floor. My practise attempt wasn't great, I'm not looking forward to trying it again, but I will, twice a day - promise!

Waiting in the reception area this afternoon watching people in the gym, I couldn't help but think about how little I like exercising! I want to RUN but I have no interest in doing repetitive exercises in a gym, or at home come to think of it, and not for the first time I started to wonder about whether or not I chose the right hobby!  Suddenly my enjoyment of running has been overshadowed by the need to do exercises, it's  a lot like playing a musical instrument and not wanting to practice.  I was rubbish at practising and week after week went into my lessons hoping to wing it and that the teacher wouldn't notice.  Then, as well as now, the only person I was fooling was me!  There comes a point where you can't pretend any longer and the only way to improve is to get on with the boring bit!  But I don't want to!

Looking for positives.... 1) The problem with my legs is something that I can do something about and only requires a short break from running 2) Needing to lie on my bedroom floor may motivate me to tidy it up! 3) My wonderful husband brought me in a rather lovely surprise bar of nice looking chocolate this evening - which strikes me as the ideal reward for exercises done! What am I waiting for!

M - 490

Brighton Half - 47
Liverpool Half - 159

Glasgow Half - 271

Total Distance covered   453.4 miles

Snakes and Ladders

Think I've just landed on a snake!

I have now been writing this for so long that I'm beginning to forget what I've said before, so apologies if I'm repeating myself, but then again given my propensity to waffle on about certain pet topics and/or personality traits you must be used to it by now!

A quick glance at Facebook this morning and sisterofMG750s green light was on... my message to her of 'get on with your work' was responded to with 'get on with your to-do list!' - no procrastinating for either of us on FB today! Worked a treat, I have been very industrious but wading through the finances has been hard work, and I have not made as much progress through them as I would have liked to!

Given that I am amongst the most disorganised people as far as Christmas is concerned, December disappears into a blur of both general panic and panic buying! Added to which there is a two week holiday at the end during which I have no inclination to shift through the piles of receipts trying to get the books (or in this case my badly written spread sheet) to balance. So by the time this morning arrived it was a good five weeks since I'd last tried!

That was the bit I was unsure as to whether or not I'd 'talked' about before - the fact that I spend most of January trying to pick up where I left off with things in November.  What I am in no doubt over mentioning previously, is the benefits of doing my finances often, and keeping on top of it as I go along so as to avoid days like today where there is a huge mess to sort out, and the obvious analogy between this and my attitude towards exercises!

Biomechanics appointment tomorrow - it's been a long time coming and there have been too many miles run on dodgy legs in the meantime! Taking a (slightly) educated guess I think what has happened is that without doing the necessary repetitions of my exercises to get my muscles to hold in the correct position they have reverted back to the way they were when I first sought help, and we're back to square one! All that time spent making progress, with the odd (I've been doing my exercises) ladder along the way to 'fast track' me up a level and I've come slithering down the beginning again!

Nothing for it but to pick myself up, dust myself down, pick up the dice (I know it should be die) and carry on - lets hope it's not as bad as it could be, and that perhaps I'm not all the way back to where I started, or that if I am, I am lucky enough to roll six!

M - 491

Brighton Half - 48
Liverpool Half - 160

Glasgow Half - 272

Total Distance covered   453.4 miles

Diary Day

OK 2015 I'm ready for you now!

In contrast to yesterday, today has been a good day! My legs don't hurt as much as I thought they might and I've started planning the year ahead albeit on a level that requires the least amount of effort!

Back in 2009 I ran the Jane Tomlinson York 10K for the first time, couldn't walk at the end of it, and didn't run until I started training for the same race a year later after which the same thing happened -only this time when I put my shoes on the shoe rack they stayed there untouched for eighteen months. Finishing parkrun yesterday in much the same state, I did have concerns over how I would be feeling when I woke up this morning, but I'm pleased to report that although stiff my legs aren't as bad as I thought they were going to be and I am determined to get back on the road as soon as the 'doctor' (or rather biomechanics man) will let me.  I am however preparing myself for an enforced rest period, to the extent that I may be a little disappointed if he doesn't prescribe one!

My optimism has not just been reserved for my running! Today has been Diary Day! The day where I get this years diary out and write in all the birthdays, holidays, dentist appointments and, new for this year, HALF MARATHONS! It is one of my favourite jobs. I love the clean pages, and the feeling of order as I write everything in neatly, knowing that once tomorrow comes and the new year starts for good (when the boys go back to school and work) the chaos will return, my plans may go awry and things may have to be scribbled out - heaven forbid! But for now it sits there like an oasis of calm on my desk!

Would be remiss of me not to congratulate sisterofMG750 who made the ten mile milestone today - whoo hooo! Apparently a woman in the running shop is to 'blame' after telling her that if she can run ten miles she can run thirteen.... in which case what are you going to do with the next seven weeks sis?!  Al doesn't know it yet but ten miles is the next goal that I'm surreptitiously adding to his running list, having ticked 10K off it earlier this week! (You had to know it isn't just my life that I like to organise!)

M - 492

Brighton Half - 49
Liverpool Half - 161

Glasgow Half - 273

Total Distance covered   453.4 miles

Going Backwards

I am a fool! And only have myself to blame!

HMG and I set off for a four mile run to parkrun and my right leg wasn't happy, it did however seem to get better as we warmed up and a mile or so in I was feeling OK.  However after a long down hill stretch it was a different story - only this time the problem was with my left knee. Never mind, flat stretch to get us to parkrun and we made it in a time that we were both happy with, given our injuries and the fact that we haven't done any long distance for a while.

Parkrun started OK, but mainly because it was uphill! Then slowly started to unravel, to the point where I felt like I was running backwards as the number of people overtaking me increased! It wasn't a sensation I am particularly familiar with and I didn't like it very much! Severely hampered on the down hill stretches and only marginally better on the uphill I finished over four minutes slower than I usually do, which considering I usually gauge my performance in a band of about twenty seconds is quite a drop. (Thank you for checking if I was OK after seeing the results fellow parkrunner!)

In an attempt to help somebody else to achieve their fundraising goal, HMG and I rushed off post run to go to a charity fitness class.  It was quite easily one of the most bizarre hour's we have ever spent doing an odd selection of lunges, core stability work, and more lunges, rounded off with a game of dodge ball (which we didn't join in with - sometimes injuries come in very handy!). Having informed the instructor that we were suffering from IT Band Syndrome, his first suggestion was that we put our arms across each others shoulders and do the lunge walk across the gym attached to each other for additional stability - which might have worked well if we hadn't been laughing so hard! Seeing our attempts he then pulled us out of the 'class' altogether, showed us an IT Band stretch against the wall and then left us there, with our legs tied in knots, whilst the rest of the class continued with their lunge work. We left still unsure as to what the purpose of the hour really was, other than perhaps to sign up to join some protein drink diet (who just happened to be sponsoring the fundraising!).

I am still determined to make it to both the start AND finish line in Brighton in seven weeks time, and have every faith that the Biomechanics Man will be able to patch me up to get me there, but finishing in good enough shape to start training for my second half marathon will be an altogether bigger challenge! Why, oh why, oh why did I not listen to him in the first place and do my exercises? And can I REALLY change my habits and start listening to, and more importantly following advice that I don't like?! Hmmm a topic for another day me thinks!

In the meantime WELL DONE Al and KS on completing your fiftieth parkrun's this morning... I'm only sorry I was so far behind that I didn't get to share in any of the finish line euphoria! But hey coffee and cake next weekend to celebrate sounds like a good alternative!

M - 493

Brighton Half - 50

Glasgow Half - 274
Distance covered               7.2 miles  

Total Distance covered   453.4 miles

A new approach

And a new 'to do' list! 

A while ago someone (I think it was schoolfriendofMG750) 'liked' a post on Facebook, which went something along the lines of

"I can't make any plans for 2015, I haven't finished what I was doing in 2014, which I started in 2013, having planned in 2012 and first mentioned in 2011....."

This had also been 'liked' by several thousand other FB users for whom it struck a chord and filled me with hope that I am not alone! The unfortunate truth is however, that there are jobs on my 'to do' list which actually go further back than that!

I can't blame lack of time for all of them, some I clearly don't want to do, even if I had all the time in the world! What I need to decide is whether after all this time they actually NEED doing, in which case get on with it, or strike them off the list, stop berating myself for my lack of motivation, and get over it!

A third of the way through my two year marathon plan and over two thirds of my fundraising done, I think a slight change of pace or at least priority is called for! Part of me wants to carry on, full steam ahead with the fundraising to get to my two thousand pound target as quickly as possible, and in advance of my application to Barnardo's, another part of me wants to acknowledge that all my hard work fundraising has come at a cost and I need to take a step back and take a slightly more pragmatic approach this year.

Hobbling round the fields with Al and the dogs today it was clear that my legs are in a bit of mess, my hips hurt and my knees really didn't want to walk down hill! If I don't start making getting into better shape top priority then I won't be running anywhere irrespective of how much money I have managed to raise!

Besides which all this planning is all very well but I am actually still on my holidays so had decided to give myself to the start of next week to laze around guilt free on the sofa in the name of rest and recuperation, when it dawned on me that it's Saturday tomorrow which can only mean one thing!
See you in the morning HMG!

M - 494

Brighton Half - 51

Glasgow Half - 275

Total Distance covered   446.2 miles

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wishing you all a year filled with good health and happiness

Perhaps odder than running on Christmas Day, the New Year's Day parkrun brings out the real addicts, not only because we're up instead of lying in bed nursing hangovers, but because for some of us we get the opportunity to do it twice!

For those of us running in England, parkrun starts at nine o'clock every Saturday, doesn't matter which event you attend, that's when it is.  New Year's Day is a little bit different, firstly not every 'club' runs an event, secondly there seems to be a little bit of leeway in the starting time, which I imagine was initially to give people the chance for a lie in.  What happened however is that we use this change in start time to run half an hour EARLIER, to enable us to then attend another local event that is setting off late, and thus the parkrun run double was born!

Last year, I did my local parkrun but didn't feel fit enough to go on and run elsewhere. This year not only did I do it, but Al came too! 10K being the furthest he's run in over four years - well done Mr L, so very proud of you.

Our second event was at Nostell Priory a National Trust property and although a far grander setting than we're used to it didn't unfortunately make the running any easier!  With an average turnout of around one hundred runners they were somewhat swamped when over four hundred of us turned up! Didn't make for fast running and although disappointed that last week's cancellation meant that it wasn't also your fiftieth parkun Al, it does mean that you've still got a chance to PB on Saturday back on home turf, or rather tarmac!

M - 495

Brighton Half - 52

Glasgow Half - 276
Distance covered             6.2 miles

Total Distance covered   446.2 miles