Day 85. Another Run Another Injury

Miles: 5.07

Time: 58 Mins

I’m back in Southampton!! I’m very pleased to be back, it’s nice to have new routes for running. I ran a quick 25 minute run yesterday and wanted to do a 13-miler today to get back on track. I decided I would run to and from Sarah and Hugh’s house and pretend I was going to visit them (get back from Canada soooooooon). 

I started off very well and was really enjoying it (despite getting hurled abuse from the men at the car wash). It’s a nice route all through Curdridge and Burridge with the big houses and country lanes. It was even quite a sunny day! However, with the sun, comes my mortal enemy. That’s right. The bees are out. Some of you might think they are all lovely bumbling about in the flowers. But I know their secret. They are deadly viscious creatures. They know I hate them too, and that’s why they never leave me alone. So I looked pretty spectacular flapping my arms around trying to avoid them whilst running down the lane.

I was heading up through Swanwick when I then started to get a little pain in my right knee. I stopped to stretch it out but that made no difference. Then it started to hurt a lot more, feeling a bit like my knee was twisting as I was running and a pressure-like pain was building. I decided to walk for a few minutes. However, then when I started up again the pain was unbearable. I tried twice more, which in hindsight was a stupid thing to do. So I stopped outside our favourite pub and called my Dad to come and pick me up. Now I’m sat with a knee support on wondering whether or not this marathon is really going to happen. Are there some sort of evil marathon gods I don’t know about that needed a sacrifice? Because I seem to have displeased them…..

Things I’m trying to remember to make myself feel better:

1. Laura’s partner ran the marathon and the most he did was 13 miles (ignore the fact he is far more athletic….)

2. Jedward did the marathon without training.

3. People cheering me on will somehow solve all these problems.

4. Where did I put that Easter Egg earlier….

Day 77 and 79: Double Whammy Blog Action.

Miles: 7.5 and 9.26

Time: 1 Hr 27 Mins and 1 Hour 51 Mins

So, a lot of you know I have really been struggling this week with starting running again post-car accident (whiplash getting better but gets achey around the 6 mile mark). The last run I had I nearly cried on Egham High Street because I quite honestly felt like giving up.

Usually when I’m having a tough time I ring my Mummy; she’s mental, but good in a crisis. Except she and Dad had gone to Rome to watch the Rugby (selfish). So I spoke to the holy goddess of running marathons – Dr Dr Jasmin Islam. She said to forget about distances, times and the stresses of all my targets I had missed.

So that’s what I did. On Monday I went for just under 8 miles and I felt so much better. Obviously it ached a little, but it felt so much better again. I probably could have gone a bit longer, but I thought I needed that one run that I enjoyed again, so I stopped. And today, the same thing happened. I ran down through Saville Garden and round to Staines. And then. I ran up TIte Hill and owned it. I think I’m back on form!!! I’m hoping to do 13 miles on Sunday and be back to where I was before the accident, although I know I won’t get up to 20 miles before the race, I think all the wonderful people cheering me on will keep me going. 

And all of those lovely sponsorships I’m still yet to receive…..

Day 74.

Miles: 7.1

Time: 1 Hr 36 Mins

 

I woke up at about half 4 this morning unable to sleep again so I had my porridge, walked the dog and went for my run. It was HORRENDOUS.

I started off OK, I changed my music playlist and added some new songs because it’s usually quite helpful. However, I got as far as Staines as I became useless again. My legs were aching, which is obviously standard these days, but my neck and arm started hurting a little. I stopped for a few minutes by a little park with some swans (who then started edging towards me so I made a swift exit) and then turned back to head home.

My plan was to run for around 2 and a half to 3 hours today. I could barely manage half of that, and only 7.1 miles. I’m starting to think I will be very lucky to even finish the marathon. So, I’m not going to be writing up a new training plan for the last 2 weeks based on recent events – if I can get up to 18 miles before the day I will feel a lot better. Next big run on Tuesday, I need to up my game.

Day 71.

Miles: 3

Time: 32 Mins

Today was definitely the worst run so far during training. First of all, I ran in the dark again because I had so much to do this evening. This means that when running you can see a big wobbly shadow of your running skills that is in no way motivational…

I only got about a mile into the run when my legs started to feel very heavy, my calf, hamstring muscles and knees were aching, my neck started to hurt and I had to give up after three miles, shaking my head with frustration as I headed home. 

I am getting very worried about the marathon now. Taking 2 weeks off running has completely messed up my schedule and slowed me down a lot. I am hoping to get to 10 miles at the weekend again otherwise I really might be in trouble.

So I guess for those of you who are coming on the day, prepare yourselves for a long race. And please still keep sponsoring!! I will still be running the marathon regardless, so every penny is important!!

Day 69.

Miles: 3.3

Time: 39 Mins

After over a week of not running, and mourning the loss of Vienna the car, I got back outside this evening. I’m starting off slowly this week so just did a few miles tonight. It hurt a little bit, but not as much as I thought it would.

I am now very very nervous about the marathon. Only 26 days away. Shit.

Day 60. The First Missed Run.

Time: 0 Mins

Miles: 0

Since starting training for the marathon I have occasionally day-dreamed (or day-nightmared) about what would happen if I broke my leg during training (bearing in mind my high level of clumsiness). It is worrying because then I wouldn’t be able to do the marathon and all the training and sponsorships would be for nothing! (Don’t panic – this has not happened…)

So, I swapped my run from Saturday to Sunday this weekend so that I could have lunch with the lovely work ladies in Basingstoke! The lunch was amazing, home-made scones, cheese, chocolate – everything you need in a good lunch buffet! We took a long stroll down to the town to buy lottery tickets and imagine how we were going to spend the money when we inevitably won (we didn’t).

We watched TV then I headed back with a friend in the car to drop off at the station before heading home. Pulled up at the roundabout, stopped, and got smacked in the back by the car behind. She either didn’t see my brake lights from 200m behind or she wasn’t paying attention. Either way, she clouted us onto the roundabout. Poor Vienna:

Now, a lot of you are probably thinking “Karen the Bimbo did something stupid” and usually I would agree, of course, I am a moron. But this was genuinely not my fault and the more I think about it the more angry I become!! There is no way she could not have seen my lights and after consulting with my professional car expert (Tom the Man with the Van and a Plan – new nickname, he is helping me move), she must have hit me with some considerable amount of force and speed.

So, Vienna. It’s highly likely that she is going to car heaven. I am incredibly gutted, because she is a beautiful little reliable car. She moved me from Brighton to Surrey when things were not so pretty in my life!! She takes me everywhere. She is red and glorious and she listens to my terrible singing. But now, her boot won’t shut, the bumper is nearly falling off and the metal work is shredded.

My friend is the car was fine, very luckily! She was also AMAZING after we crashed because I, of course, went into the usual Karen-style coping mechanism of not coping and crying my eyes out. I’m also very pleased that Darwin wasn’t in the boot at the time.

However, I now have whiplash and a sore neck, back and shoulder, therefore, I have not run. I had planned to do 15 miles today (my Dad did – he is faster than me too, moron). And now I’m probably not going to run for a little while.

But I am still doing the marathon, obviously. Slightly concerned about missing training, when my brother sent me the training plan he said “never miss the long runs”. However, all I care about now is crossing the finish line, no matter how long it might take me! 

So, I know my lack of running means a limited blog, but if you still want to sponsor me to cheer me up after my poor little car’s early retirement, then here is the link:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=therunninghobbits&isTeam=true