wednesday 15th May
Well it’s a month since my last post!! So not very good really, I have to say it really is laziness and the problem is of course the big time gaps mean I have forgotten what I have done!
So to work backwards from today, as far as I can remember, yesterday was crunch time for the van, I have had trouble over the last month or so with a flat battery, Monday was the limit! I charged up the day before and it didn’t hold its charge overnight :( so yesterday bit the bullet and bought and fitted a new one, haven’t tried it today but hoping this has cured it! Shear down to lack of use over the past year since moving here to the sea side. We really must book a holiday soon!
Sunday saw me running the hilly 10 k Wambrook Waddle, a lovely off road event with lots of single track through bluebell woods, stream crossings and cracking sunny weather as well! A fast down hill start followed by lots of steep up hills had me struggling for the final hill, I had run most of the way with another member of the club, but she started to pull away after 5 miles in, chasing the 74 year old female runner from the club! Sue is like a Duracell bunny, doing a 4 hr London Marathon a few weeks ago. Anyway I came in 50/85 with a time of 1 h 6 mins , I think I may have a little too much on the hills:)
The Previous Sunday I was out doing the Glastonbury Round the Tor 10k road race, a lovely morning out with 20+ runners from the Harriers taking part, a carnival atmosphere in the town with beautiful sunshine meant big crowds lining the streets, much different to this weeks Waddle in the countryside .
I had a good run coming I think around 268 out of nearly 600 in 53 mins so pleased with that, my best ever 10 k time.
Before these two events it really was up and down with the weather, and training for the events, not wanting to give up my cycling I had to balance to two, I had a lovely run from home to Brent Knoll summit again last week, a nice 10 k there and back, unfortunately I twisted my ankle and I think this has started a knock on effect on my Achilles’ tendon as at the end of last nights club run of 5 miles I had to hobble home, and in much pain overnight and this morning, I hope it’s nothing serious but it does hurt when I walk, so trying to RICE it today and taking advantage of the sunshine sitting in the garden typing this!
After my last three races, Tintern, Glastonbury and Wambrook, I have tried to reflect on ‘what I am doing’ I felt on the two off road events I should have gone better, thinking the lack of hill training is letting me down, I am walking too easily when it gets tough! Glastonbury was hard for different reasons, trying to maintain a good pace throughout as it was road and quite flat( except a hill at the end) I have entered the ‘Quantock Beast ‘ in July which is hills on the Quantocks, so I need to try to get out on the hills of the Mendips, Quantocks, Brean etc more frequently on the lead up, but!! I want to do more cycling, perhaps more hill work here might help. I do notice that running and cycling on the flat I don’t put in the same effort, meaning I rarely get breathless as I can’t run fast or cycle fast or perhaps too lazy to do so :)
Hope when I next post there will be more hills, I did some nice weekly winter runs over Crook peak and Cheddar in the lead up to the Cub Run, which I am sure helped. Back to my current state of a strained Achilles’ tendon, I still don’t understand how or why it happened last night, 5 miles in I am fine, short rest before running home, then it started and got worse till I was hobbling home, I still think my stumble last Thursday was the root of the cause, whatever it is I now struggle with repairing the damage, and possible loss of fitness by not going out running. I may try a short cycle ride tomorrow as I won’t really put weight on it and it will have some movement if I spin the gears rather than push, I am gutted this has happened with no warning or lead up:(
We continue to have lovely walks on the beach when the weather is fine as it is at the moment, the grandchildren love it when they come and always ask for the beach, but sometimes it can be a little windy.
Well time to put the coffee on and reach for the biscuit tin again !! Perhaps I will post again in May!! I
