Lazyitis

Apologies for the lack of blogging!!  You may have thought I had fallen off the face of the earth, but no, I have just succumbed to my innate laziness which is the constant voice whispering in my ear.  If anyone happens to see my motivation - give it a shove back in this direction :)   

Sadly, my lack of blogging has been equalled by my lack of training over the past couple of weeks.  Unfortunately an old injury has reared its ugly head, curtailing my running, so obviously I have spent my time wallowing in the injustice of it all, rather than productively utilising my time and cross training. 

Here is an update of my (rather pathetic) training in the last couple of weeks:

After the incident with the scary bloke I talked about in my last post, I headed out the next day for a second attempt at my long run.  While I did manage the scheduled 15 miles it was not smooth sailing due to my poor ability to pace myself.  I ran the first six miles too fast (approximately 45 seconds per mile faster than planned) then ended up chatting to and running with another runner for a couple of miles at his pace (which was about 1 min 30sec per mile faster than planned).  I knew that I was running far too fast and that I would suffer for it later but my pride won out and I kept up with him until our routes took us in separate directions.  By this time, my heart rate was sky high and I was puffing and panting like a steam train... not good with 7 miles left to go!

I kept running as long as I could but ended up having to walk a couple of times.  I must have looked bad as a group of cyclists actually stopped to ask if I was alright!!  During the last few miles of this run I started to experience pain in the outside of my right knee.  My heart sank as I fully recognised this pain – the dreaded ITBS that had plagued me about 18 months ago had made a return.

I was given some great advice by Tom over at Running Physio.  He has a great blog with fantastic advice about running injuries and prevention, well worth a read.

He advised me to stretch three times a day, and begin some strengthening exercises after a couple of days once the acute pain had stopped.  I followed all his great advice and swam a few times and began running again after a few days, just taking it slowly in order to remain pain-free.  I was feeling great and had no knee pain so decided that I would do my scheduled 18 mile run the next weekend.  

What an idiot!!  Deep down, I knew this probably wasn’t the best idea as this ITB flare-up was most likely an over-use injury, but I ignored common sense and became a slave to my training plan.  Tom had advised avoiding hills for a while so I had managed to find a relatively flat section of road that was 2.5 miles long which I ran up and down for 18 miles (and yes, it was every bit as soul destroying as it sounds)!!

So, off I went early on Saturday morning.  Now, I had managed to run for an hour pain-free during the week, but after only three miles I felt the familiar twinge.  Being the stubborn mare that I am I decided that I would run through it, but slowed to a pace where it was tolerable.  After about 8 miles my knee stopped hurting – it had actually gone numb and only hurt at the turnaround points where I stopped and had to get started again.  I had a really rough patch between mile 15-16.  It was at this point my mum saw me running while she was stopped at some traffic lights.  She said she saw this girl running (hobbling) along and thought – wow, she looks in so much pain, why is she bothering, she should just give it up... then she realised it was me!!!  Now, I know I was struggling, but no one likes to think they actually look as bad on the outside as they are feeling on the inside! 

Unsurprisingly my knee was sore, so I decided not to run for a few days... this ended up with me doing absolutely no exercise at all for almost a week as lazyitis took over.  My motivation deserted me completely.  

It wasn’t until this morning that I decided I would try a gentle run (more out of guilt than any desire to actually get back to training).  I managed less than a mile before my knee started hurting.  I managed to run the mile home but the pain was increasing with each step (never a good sign).  I decided to try and walk round the block to see if there was anyway of preventing the pain whilst still doing a run-walk.  It was excruciating just walking.  I did try running again – slowing down, speeding up, short stride, long stride, landing mid-foot instead of fore-foot.  Nothing made a difference, in fact the pain got so bad I hobbled home in tears. 

I have probably not done myself any favours by trying to ignore and run through this injury.  It is just so frustrating.  I have had to pull out of a triathlon on Sunday and am really starting to panic as my first of three marathons is only 8 weeks away.  I have booked an appointment with a sports physio for early next week so hopefully they can get me back on track in time to complete the New Forest Marathon in September. 

It is so important not to be a slave to your training plan – yes, a plan is there to guide and prepare you to run a certain distance but it is not set in stone and should be constantly reviewed and adapted depending on circumstance.  This goes to show that a sensible and graded return to running is required after injury so as not to aggravate it further, requiring even more recovery time. 

So, enough of the wallowing and self pity and onwards with the cross training.  Just because I can’t run, does not mean I can’t exercise at all to keep my fitness up.  Swimming, stretching and strengthening are the order of the day until I see the physio.  I will seek their advice about cycling and using the elliptical.

Personal safety when running

I had a real scare on my run this morning and it made me realise how important personal safety is when running alone, particularly in isolated areas.  It was the first time I have ever been really scared - to say I feared for my life is slightly over-dramatic, but I certainly feared for my safety.    

As you may have noticed, I like to do my long runs early in the morning (usually starting around 5am), which leaves me the rest of the day free (to sit on the sofa and eat cake ha).  I have run in the early hours for the last couple of years and love the peace and tranquillity.  Often I don’t see a soul on my runs.  I have never been scared for my personal safety before today – in fact, it has rarely occurred to me that as a lone female running in quiet, isolated areas with no one around I am potentially vulnerable.      

I was running a 3 mile loop on a very quiet country road.  I love this loop because the views are amazing (when it’s not raining) and because the road doesn’t really lead anywhere it is nearly always deserted.  I was only about 2.5 miles into my 15 mile run when a car came speeding past me going much too fast.  About 20 seconds later the same car drove back past me in opposite direction really really slowly – the driver was just staring at me.  I started to feel a bit nervous and carried on running while avoiding making eye contact with him.  He had obviously turned around yet again as I could hear a car approaching from behind me once again... low and behold it was him!  I was really starting to panic by this point – my heart was racing and I just didn’t know what to do.  

Once again, a bit further up the road he turned around and drove a short way towards me then he just stopped the car in the middle of the road.  He just sat there staring at me with a huge (creepy) smile on his face.  I couldn’t think straight but had to make a split second decision about what to do.  I knew that there was a house just around the bend from where he had stopped his car (one of only two houses on this route).  Should I get closer to him and run past the car to the house, or should I turn around and run back the way I came.  The problem was, there was nowhere to go if I turned around and he could easily catch up with me.  So I took a big breath and sprinted past his car (without looking at him and trying not to look flustered).  I made it to the house and ran into the driveway...  thankfully there were three cars in the drive so I assumed there would be someone home.  I heard the sound of two car doors slam and thinking he had gotten out of the car I hid in the garden of the house but within reach of their door (in case I needed to bang on it for help).  Then, nothing... I crouched there holding my breath with my heart almost beating out of my chest for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only 5-10 seconds, then I heard the car drive away.  

I was shaking from head to toe and it took me ages to free my mobile phone from the pocket in my backpack.  I phone Arran (it was only 6am) and he told me to stay where I was and he would come and meet me.

So once again, it was Mr Westy to the rescue.  He threw on a coat and some trainers over his jammies and hopped on his bike and cycled to get me in the pouring rain.  He stayed on the phone to me the whole time as I was freaking out that the guy would come back.

I was so relieved when Arran got to me and we made our way home.  I was soaked from head to toe and freezing cold.  The adrenaline started to dissipate and I started to get annoyed... that some weirdo had ruined my run... priorities!!!         

I broke one of the cardinal rules – no one knew where I was running.  I hadn’t told Arran my route (I actually didn’t even know myself until I got out there), not only that he had no idea what time I left the house, how far I was running and when I should be back.   

I think sometimes it is easy to become complacent about your own safety when you are in a routine of running at the same time and on the same old routes, I know I am guilty of the whole ‘it’ll never happen to me’ mind set.    

Now, I am not suggesting for a second that we should all be running round with cans of mace in our pocket or a tazer strapped to our waist ‘just in case’, or that fear should prevent us from getting out there and running, but a few simple precautions could make all the difference:  

• Tell someone your planned route and how long it will take you.  Set a plan so they know what action to take if you are not home on time and have not made contact
• When running in the dark, stick to well-lit, well populated roads and paths
• Try and train with a friend or in a group
• Try and vary your route and the time you run
• Take extra care when wearing headphones as they can restrict your awareness
• Take a mobile phone and some money.  Try to keep valuables out of sight
• Listen to your instincts - if something doesn't look or feel right, move yourself away as quickly as possible... preferably towards a public place

Taken from a great article by Run Britain here

Whilst on the topic of safety, I wanted to take this opportunity to mention how important it is to have emergency contact details on your person when running alone in case of an accident.  

ICE

A highly recommended method is to programme the telephone number for your emergency contact into your mobile phone under the name ICE – In Case of Emergency.  Paramedics and police are trained to look for this entry on your phone and it could save valuable time in an emergency situation by enabling the emergency services to get vital information about you if you are unable to speak through injury or illness.  

Medical ID Bracelet

This is another way to carry information about your emergency contact details, any medical conditions, allergies and drug treatments. 

I use the Cram Alert bracelet – you register your details online and can update them at any time and the wrist band contains a telephone number to a 24 hour call centre who can contact your next of kin and provide your medical information to the emergency services.  

Check out my amazing photography skills... it was supposed to be blurry... obviously!!

This was developed by Steve Cram after his brother was killed on a training run.  He wasn’t carrying any ID and his family could not informed for several days until he could be identified. 

There are many different medical ID bracelets and cards available, and many people save money my making their own. 

So, tomorrow heralds long run attempt #2... fingers crossed for a totally boring, completely uneventful run.  I have decided that I am not going to today’s route again and I will start my long runs slightly later from now on – just to ensure there are more people around.  I won’t let this experience to taint my view of running.  I love to run and by taking a few simple precautions I can continue to run safely and enjoyably.  

My first tri

Crewkerne Super-Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Swim 250m         Bike 10.5k            Run 2.5k 

I completed my first triathlon on Sunday and lived to tell the tale!!  It was one of the most enjoyable races I have ever done and although it was tough in places, I loved every minute of it.  I have even signed up for another sprint distance tri in a couple of weeks.

My day started at 04:50 when I crawled out of bed (having barely slept due to nerves and nightmares about drowning, flat tyres and the cardinal sin of touching your bike before first putting your helmet on)!  I had my usual pre-training brekkie of porridge with honey and seeds, washed down with the obligatory two cups of coffee and a bottle of lucozade.     

I had packed everything I needed to take with me the night before so that I wouldn’t be running round like a headless chicken on the morning and even though the OCD compelled devil on my shoulder wanted to have me un-pack, check and re-pack my stuff at least 27000 times, I actually only did so once. 

We arrived at the race and I headed to registration where I received my race number, timing chip and got marked up.  Luckily, I had remembered this bit in advance and wore some old jogging bottoms.  I had originally started the morning in skinny jeans that are too tight to roll up and would have resulted in a slightly embarrassing strip show on my part in order to be marked up!!

We fetched all my stuff out of the car and headed down to the transition area.  A very kind marshall showed me where to rack my bike and once I had finally figured out how to hang it up I realised I didn’t have a clue what to do next, so I hung around trying to be nonchalant (but failed miserably and ended up looking like a stalker) watching what everyone else was doing from a distance.  Then I copied the ones who looked like they knew what they were doing.  I had brought a bright pink towel to lie on the floor next to my bike in the hope that it would make my bike easier to spot during the transition stage (and it worked)!  I laid out all my stuff on top of my towel in the order I thought I would need it. 

Me trying to workout how to attach my number to my number belt!

Then came the nerve wracking wait to be called through for the swim.  As a weak swimmer I was in the first wave of swimmers, setting off at 7am.  At 6:45 I pulled on my tri suit and made my way to the pool side.  

I have never squeezed myself into an outfit as tight as this before

I was given a bright yellow swim cap and advised I would be in lane 2.  This concerned me slightly as I was hoping to be on the outside where I would have the edge of the pool to grab hold of it need be (but it turns out I was worrying unnecessarily). 

The few minutes before the swim are a blur as I remember staring at the calm water trying to get my nerves under control (and not vomit into the pool and ruin it for everyone)!   

I set off as the third swimmer in my lane and surprised myself by quite quickly catching up with the swimmer in front of me.  I tapped her feet (as instructed) and was able to overtake her at the wall. 

Me in the middle of the pic... my swimming teacher will be proud of those high elbows!

The swim felt surprisingly comfortable and I finished quicker than anticipated.  10 lengths in 5.44mins.  The hardest part was hauling myself out of the deep end – I ended up flopping on to my stomach like a beached whale and flapping about on the floor until I finally hauled my legs out the pool... I never did master the whole ‘graceful’ thing!  

It was swimming cap off and out fire escape and down into transition.  Remarkably, considering I had not practiced my transitions – it went without a hitch and I put everything on in the right order.  I even managed to put my socks on over wet (slightly grassy) feet. 

Me in T1 (white helmet, middle of pic)

Heading out of T1 

I set off on the bike as fast as my little legs would pedal... which turned out not to be fast enough as I was almost immediately over taken by a rather large, older gentleman on a crappy, creaky mountain bike with knobbly tyres.  He was going so fast I couldn’t believe it – he only remained in view for about 10 seconds before disappearing into the beyond.  After than I spent most of the bike leg alone - with no one in front or behind me.  As anticipated, the bike leg was hilly and while I was really pleased to maintain a much faster average on the flat (14.8 mph – yep, that is fast for me), I slowed to a snail’s pace up every incline.  As a result, I had one of the slowest bike times of all the competitors.  There was one final beast of a hill which literally went on forever where I was overtaken for a second time.  I thought my legs were going to fall off (but thankfully they didn’t... or I may have really struggled on the run ha)!  

I finished the bike leg in 31.34 avg 12.8mph.        

Heading back to transition at the end of the bike leg

I came into transition breathing much more heavily than I would have liked and with much heavier legs.  When I got off the bike I nearly fell over and really struggled with the jelly legs as I pushed my bike back over to the rack.  T2 took just 30 seconds which I am quite proud of. 

Then it was out on the run, and I was back in my comfort zone.  I quickly overtook the lady who had passed me on the bike.  I felt like I was running soooo slowly – it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I could not make my legs turn over any faster so I just did what I could.  It turned out that despite how it felt I was still managing an 8.30mm so not too shabby!  Half the run course was off road which was great but unfortunately I didn’t have much steam left for the grand sprint finish I had hoped for.  

I managed 12.45 for the run.    

Still, I finished in 52.14 and was 54^th out of 75 people.  I am chuffed to bits not to come last but more importantly I had an absolutely brilliant time and enjoyed every minute of it!  The atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming and the tri itself was superbly organised and catered well for beginners as well as those there to compete. 

I was so proud of myself that I wore my medal for hours until Arran forced me to take it off before we headed to the pub... I wonder how long is too long to wear your medal before it becomes weird...? ha!

More bike practice before the next one me thinks... must tri harder (awful joke)!!