Saturday 17 November 2012

Running through the pain barrier. . .

And so it is nearly three weeks since I ran the Great South Run and it's been a tough three weeks.  The public display of 'cold sores' gone, some energy back.  The day job still extraordinarily busy, so running has taken the proverbial back seat, until last week, well . . .

Saturday morning parkrun
Last Saturday was to be my first tentative steps back into running with a gentle parkrun but an unwelcome surprise gift on Friday night curtailed that. The words 'we need to talk' doesn't require any unwrapping of that present to know what was inside.

Running has become a big part of my life over the last six months and although I'm far from being gazelle like, I kinda love it? And now I was going to be needing a little more love from my trainers and the open road.  The endorphins and challenge to beat my last personal best a whole lot more enticing than wallowing and crying into a glass of wine.

My evenings this week have been jam packed with Business Mentoring, hypnotherapy case study clients, prep for aforementioned clients, dinner with friends etc.  Friday rocks up and I relax into an evening of complete relaxation and herbal tea and chicken soup and TV.  All preparation for my first park run in a long, long time.

Saturday morning
This morning I was ready for running, raring to go and did my first parkrun for about 3 months. So even though eating this last week has been like pushing a marshmallow into a money box, with a dash of heartbreak sprinkled on top, I still ran it. It felt tough but I ran it and I didn't stop.

I didn't get a personal best this week but maybe I should cut myself some slack, keep on running, and keep those endorphins flowing.


Future races
As Winter has quickly claimed the evenings I didn't want to succumb to the lure of the sofa and a rich bodied  red wine, instead of wrapping up for running and so I entered the Stubbington 10k in January.  Eek, proper cold running weather, in just a few months time.  So bugger it, lets book some more races.

Perhaps not gazelle like just yet, but running, high on endorphins, still smiling and pain free . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS-zK1S5Dws .  And this tune is very apt.



Monday 5 November 2012

Run Down . . . but not out . . .

Life after the Great South Run hasn't been great.  I was expecting endless euphoria for at least a week. Surely such a milestone deserves to be dishing out the endorphins for five days?

Nope. My body was much more intent on shouting in no uncertain terms for F*** S***, slow down.  After the initial exhaustion after the GSR last Sunday it was back to the day job on Monday.  The day job has been providing plenty of its own stress recently working weekends and evenings.  Don't get me wrong, no one would die or be tortured as a result of deadlines not being met, but it's just my work ethic to get things done. Add in planning my hypnosis sessions for my case study clients and then seeing clients, soon eats into your time. Then add in all the running training for the big event.  Something had to give. Unfortunately my Hypnotherapy homework had to take a back seat. So not cracking on with my homework was another little stress playing at the back of my mind.  And with time so poor, cooking and healthy eating took a knock as well.  And so there it was, my body had frankly had enough.

Body on Strike
Monday I was still tired and then I started to notice the tell tale itchy tinglyness of the arrival of the dreaded herpes simplex virus exploding. Luckily (well I see it as luckily) I get them in my nose, and around the base of my nose.  I think I caught them many, many years ago when I was learning to scuba dive.  I didn't have my own mask so had to borrow one from the school and I think that's when I was in receipt of an unwanted gift.  Anyway, this was the worst outbreak I've had for many, many years and as well as feeling like I'd been punched in the nose, also continued to feel exhausted and like I had a hangover but without the party.  Usually a couple of early nights sorts me out. But this was going to take longer.  Going to bed as early as 9.30, never later than 10 all week, was still leaving me feeling a wreck. Friday was the first day that I started to feel better and I've continued to improve.  The wonderful cold sores are now past their worst and my nose looks like a pestiferous scabby mess, but the pain in gone and another early night and I'll be right as rain.

So I could blame feeling so awful just on the Great South Run but I really have to take some responsibility for myself here as well as otherwise I would have to hang up my trainers and resort to a previous version of my life.  A version of my life that I'm not ready to go back to.

I'm giving myself a couple of weeks off running but starting with a gentle parkrun on a Saturday morning to get me back into it slowly.

This week of my body shouting at me made me realise that although I've made some profound changes in the last year, there is still a lot to do, to achieve that 'in control' 'fit person' that I aspire to be.

The Camera Never Lies
I've just discovered the photos from the GSR of me, running the route at various stages.  And the experience has left me feeling a little despondent.  You see the camera never lies and there was the evidence for all to see, my love of food and red wine and over indulgence.  And the old negative feelings come flooding back. That vitriolic arsehole sat in my mind that whispers cruel things to me starts to whisper again. Fortunately I know better than to let that voice chat for too long and that too will be kicked into touch very soon.

The Great South Run 2013
My aim for the GSR in 2013 is to knock at least 30 minutes off my time.  To be much lighter on my feet, much fitter and smiling when I see the photos.

Until then . . . I best get shopping for some Winter running gear.