It Didn't Happen for me - Great Manchester 10k 2014

Just in case you wondered how the run went, ..it didn't!

My wife had a bad cold for about eight days and I thought I'd got away with it but it got me end of last week and with a running nose and burning chest on Saturday I considered it too dangerous even if I felt I could've dragged myself around on Sunday. 

I feel oddly fortunate that I definitely wasn't fit to have run on Sunday. If I'd felt a little better I would have had conflict as to whether I should have tried.

Still well fed up over weekend, especially watching the TV coverage.

Well done everyone who took part.  I'm now looking for a replacement 10k late June or July, maybe Leeds.

Bugger!

Only days before the race, the only thing running is my nose!
I'm supposed to avoid health and fitness issues for these last few days but it is not going well.

My wife has had a really bad cold and chesty cough for over a week and now I seem to have contracted it. Burning throat, running nose, aching sinuses and sore eyes. Just waiting for it to hit my chest. That's number 1 thing that's not supposed to be going on now.

Number 2 is an injury that I have no idea where it's come from. My last run on Tuesday went well and I was fine 'till I got my boots on to head out on my ranger patrol at Lyme Park on Wednesday when I became aware of shin pain. I though I must have banged it and it continued with annoying discomfort all day. When it came to driving home I realised it was more in tendons and muscles to left and behind my shin bone and each time it's been rested it's stiff and hurts.  It may be that I've been compensating for the hamstring problem, I really don't know!

So, I'm dosed up with Lemsip, taking it easy, drinking a lot (not alcohol) and resting my leg applying cool packs and ibuprofen gel.

Hopefully I'll get to run but unless I'm a lot better it wouldn't be safe. I feel a slow time coming on if I do manage to run.

Ready.... I think

Injury Status
My long standing achilles problems continue but with care not to suddenly increase training frequency or impact, post-run stretching, cool packs and strapping, the symptoms remain mildly annoying rather than worrying.
All therefore seemed good, until I slipped on a steep hillside while checking a boundary wall above a steep valley. This was in my alter ego role of Patrolling Ranger at the National Trust Lyme Park.
I went down heavily sideways on my left leg and, though it didn't hurt at the time, I suffered pain and stiffness in the side and back of my knee and hamstring pain in the following days. This knocked me out of training for several days and I'm still feeling it though healing is definitely well under way.

Urgent Training
After the panicked realisation of how imminent the race was, training has gone well over the last 2 weeks.  I have been trying to get out every 36 hours, e.g. Mon p.m., Wed a.m., Thur p.m., Sat a.m. which has worked quite well.

I have also been running the parkrun 5k at Bramhall on Saturday mornings culminating in a very satisfying Personal Best last weekend at 26:33.

5 days ago, I deliberately upped toward a10k duration with a 55 minute run. This turned out 9.8km with an average speed of 10.62kph so all looks well for a reasonable performance next weekend.

Pre-race Break
Today, Tuesday, I completed my last run before the Great Manchester Run 10k next Sunday. I kept today to a fairly flat 15min route trying to stay steady and not taxing but still averaged 10.5kph.

So now to take it easy and not hurt anything for a few days. That said, I'm on duty at Lyme Park again tomorrow!

ST ANN'S HOSPICE

Many people, like me, know someone who the magnificent St. Ann's Hospice have looked after, particularly end of life care. If you would like to support them, please use my JustGiving page (Sponsor me button) or Text as follows:


   Or, Text GEDX69 followed by amount e.g. £2 to 70070 

Running for St. Ann's Hospice in memory of Margaret Donovan (Mum) and my classmate from junior school, Sheila Waddington.

2014 - Here We Go Again

Bupa Great Manchester Run 2014

60@60

It is nearly a year now since I turned 60 and celebrated by challenging myself to run the Great Manchester Run 10k in less than 60 minutes under the label 60@60 (#60at60 on Twitter because of the '@').

After the resounding success of the run, 58:28, my drive to keep running faded though I had developed a liking for it and occasionally ventured out for short jogs.

10th January 2014

Christmas had passed, winter lethargy had set in and I was aware that I currently had no goals in mind. Thinking about this, I thought, actually, I rather enjoyed taking part in the Great Manchester Run. So I entered for 2014.

Training

I went for maybe 2 runs then let apathy get a hold once more.  I had been working on a contract for a few months but when that ended in March I had time on my hands and no excuse. I thought I'd head back to payasugym and book myself some sessions at my convenient local gym with pool. Horror of horrors, it was no longer available and as I wasn't paying membership fees I bought three sessions and cashed one in to use a local leisure centre. The treadmills were fine but to use the pool involved changing to move through the building then changing again to use the pool, and anyway, the pool was closed as a school was using it! 

Not impressed, I lost interest and by the time I thought I should retry my remaining 2 sessions had expired.

So, all my training has been road. It has been interesting to observe my starting fitness, I was quite different to when I first started 2 years ago when I needed to alternate walk / run even 1 km as my lungs couldn't supply. This time, I found breathing much easier and was immediately able to do a couple of km continuous. Alarmingly, I discovered that the achilles injury suffered 2 years ago was still an issue and it was that that forced very gentle increases but with a combination of stretches, strapping and ice packs I have managed to keep going. I do miss combining with the swimming which definitely helped with lungs and knees.

Mid April I was just about getting myself fired up when I realised that the event is Sunday 8th May, I had it in my head that it was end of May... Aahh Panic!

So, the past couple of weeks I have been getting in a minimum of 3 runs per week, currently around 4-5 km so I still need to ramp up. I've been running about 10 kph so am happy I should manage around an hour though I wasn't intending working on any target time this year. In the latter stages of the event last year, my heart rate was over 205 bpm and I'm not convinced that it was a safe thing to do.

Today

If you'd asked me a week ago, I'd have been full of doubt but the last week has really turned around and my stamina is up and my heart-rate reassuringly down. Yesterday, I completed the Bramhall Parkrun 5k in 28:33 which really pleased me. Bramhall is a tough course with a variety of gradients and a great test so this was an excellent result for me. I also had a max HR of 186 at a stage that I was pushing 198 last year (see comment above about safe?)

I'm now having to fight thinking I could even beat last year's time; it'd be amazing but I suspect stupid.

Sponsored

I was just doing it for the fun of it this time but once I became sure I would get there and after an enquiry from a neighbour I decided I would go sponsored again but not aiming high. Last year I raised over £450 for St Ann's Hospices in memory of my Mum and a school friend Sheila Waddington who had benefited from their fantastic care but if I can manage £50 this year that would be great.

So, if you would like to support St. Ann's Hospice, you can use my JustGiving page or Text as follows:



   Or, Text GEDX69 followed by amount e.g. £2 to 70070 

Running for St. Ann's Hospice in memory of Margaret Donovan (Mum) and Sheila Waddington.