Time to take five

Just when I think work can't get any more stressful it always does. How does that happen?

I've always stuck to the advice 'listen to your body' when training and this week has been one of those occasions when the body says no. I'm not sure how much of it is stress and how much is physical, but whatever the cause, I've backed off temporarily and allowed myself a rest.

Last week I continued with my stairs and ten mile runs but was finding them tough. On Friday work got in the way of any training so I had an involuntary rest; not a bad thing as I had a 20 mile run planned for Saturday morning.

There was a traffic jam caused by road works on my way to Devon which added an extra 40 mins to my journey; a shame as I'd been looking forward to a reasonably long and relaxing evening catching up with my folks.

On Saturday I was up bright and early at 4:45 for a 20 mile road run. It was still dark but the local bird life was up and in full swing with the dawn chorus. I'm not sure what happened but after about 5 miles I just ground to a halt. I tried to make myself carry on but couldn't and walked home feeling the cold. I'd been thinking about work and the sea gulls were making a din, a noise I would usually enjoy. I noticed my head was aching when I got back to bed so maybe I just had a low grade migraine.

Apart from the bad run I had a nice relaxing weekend which involved plenty of Mum's wonderful cooking and baking. We went for a walk to the seafront on Saturday afternoon; it's always fascinating to see how the pebbles have shifted (they shift a long way) and watch the water flowing into or out of the mouth of the Axe depending on the tide. A certain amount of pebble hurling to see who can make the most pleasing sounding splosh is an essential part of the experience too!

On Sunday I skipped the morning run but I took the boys to the City of Exeter HASH (I had planned to do both). The HASH was on Woodbury Common, the sun was out and there was a big group so we had a great time. It was a good opportunity to get a bit of running in but with no pressure and plenty of stops.

The 4 Lakeland Passes and the new Heptonstall Fell Race

I'm writing this between yawns; it's been a frustrating and challenging day at work and I'm tired from that and a weekend of fresh air and exercise.

One of my favourite dishes is ratatouille with some feta cheese stirred into it. Andrew cooked a big pot of this and had it ready for my arrival on Friday, bubbling gently and filling the kitchen with mouth watering aromas. We ate it with cous cous and a glass (or two)of Australian Shiraz. Mmmm!

The Four Lakeland Passes is an informal LDWA event which takes a route through some stunning valleys and passes in the Lake District. Andrew and I ran together with friends we encountered at the start and also managed to make two new friends. It was a lovely day and with great company thrown in and plenty of chat I thoroughly enjoyed it. This has to have been one of my most special experiences of the lake district; one I'll remember for a long time.

I ran with a relatively heavy pack and felt a bit slow and sluggish to start with, but that soon wore off. I struggled a bit on the rocky descents but felt strong and comfortable on the climbs. The stair reps are working well.

The race organisation was informal but very well put together. There were no race numbers and no start or finish times and no stress. This suited the event perfectly and we just formed an informal group outside the event headquarters and set off when we were ready. There was tea and toast at the start, food/drink stations en route, and tea sandwiches and cake at the end. Everything was just perfect.

We arrived home at tea time. For our post race/pre race dinner we had more ratatouille this time served with sausages and freshly baked baguettes, oh and we finished off the Shiraz.

The Heptonstall Fell Race is a new event which I believe was set up as a warm up event to the Yorkshire 3 Peaks. The proceeds are going to the local church. The start was outside the church on a steep and narrow cobbled street. Some of the local residents were watching from windows above which for me added to the great atmosphere.

There was a great turn out of 202 and plenty of fast runners present, not so many middle to slow participants. It was a very runnable course with plenty of strength sapping rough grassy tussocky terrain and a healthy scattering of short but steep hills. We passed through some beautiful deep ravines with clear rocky rivers flowing between banks that will soon be covered with a carpet of bluebells and wild garlic.

I managed to sink in bogs on two occasions, the second time going in over my knee. That reminds me; I still have a muddy pair of fell shoes to deal with!

Andrew and I ran/walked/stumbled round, me on legs heavy from the effort in the lakes and again loaded up with a fairly heavy rucksack. We were mostly on our own but the route was marked well and we were happy just to enjoy the scenery and finish. I would like to return and try this race on fresher legs, so I'm hoping it won't share a weekend with the lakeland passes next year!

What was for dinner? A very naughty portion of two jumbo sausages and a chip butty, followed by a Tunnock for pud.

There was still some daylight left after we'd eaten so we nipped out to visit the village pond to feed my friends the ducks. Ok I know it's childish but I love feeding them. There's one that used to come up onto the footbridge we feed them from, if I didn't give him any bread for a while he'd get my attention by stepping on my foot. Last time we visited he had a nasty limp, and this time he wasn't there. I hope he's ok. There was a noticable absence of females so I'm hoping they're tucked away somewhere safe sitting on clutches of eggs.

Andrew sometimes takes me out at dusk before I leave for Hampshire, to see if the little owl is on one of his regular perches and to look for dippers on the Wharfe. I'm yet to see the little owl and the dippers had gone to bed, but we did see a goosander standing out brightly against the darkness of the water, and there are plenty of lambs now for me to ooh and aah at!

It was just a glitch

Today I saw my consultant about the pain I suffered last week. It would appear that I've had a virus that got into my spine. The good news is that I've recovered much more quickly than would be expected which has been put down to my high level of fitness and current good health.

So boo schucks to all the people at work who accused me of over doing the training and making myself ill!!!

And so it was that I hobbled round the Hobble!

After three days of complete rest I felt sufficiently recovered to return to work and to make the journey North. I needed to get out in the countryside, and I needed to see Andrew. I was achy at work on Friday afternoon and was surprised at how fatigued I felt after such a good rest, but I took some ibuprofen and muddled on.

For Saturday I'd organised a BGR recce in the Lakes with some of my team. I was worried about heading off into remote areas knowing my condition could return with a vengeance. The MWIS weather report on Thursday evening showed low cloud, rain and a front of snow passing through. I took advice and decided to bail out.

Plan B was to do the Howarth Hobble; Brett, the organiser, kindly agreed to a last minute entry. I bought a map at lunch time on Friday, marked out the route after work (thanks to Steve for the prompt assistance), packed, shovelled down some beans on toast and set off for Yorkshire. It was 22:00 by the time I left and around 02:30 when I arrived. When the alarm went off at 06:00 I groaned!

This is not the way to go about preparing for an ultra event and I hadn't really given any thought to the toughness or length of the course. What some people might consider the highlight of their running year, I was treating as a training run. It wasn't until I finished and was taking stock of my painfully blistered feet, wondering why they'd suffered so much, that I registered I'd just completed my third ultra marathon(billed as 32 miles, 4400 feet ascent). An achievement in itself and one that I'm proud of especially given my state earlier in the week.

The Howarth Hobble: 32 miles of heavenly countryside with breathtaking views and plenty of variety. The organisation was faultless and included food and drink stations and a post race feast. I now know I can eat a hot dog (no onions) and still run after, yum! The weather was kind, not too windy and some sun. Thanks to Brett, the Hobble team and everyone else who helped out and supported on the day. I loved this event.

I was lucky to be able to hook up with a fellow runner who I've met at races before. He knew the route and kept me company for the majority of the day, putting up with my endless drivel; the perfect gentleman. If you're reading this Tussockface, thank you so much; you turned a fraught and anxious girl into a happy smiley chatty one.

There was one moment well into the event when I was climbing a set of stairs and felt my legs tire a little. As I ascended, to urge myself on, I chanted the words Bob and Graham in time to my feet. The amused question came from behind 'have you got names for your legs?' And so it happened that my right leg has been named Bob and the left Graham!!!

Andrew was at the finish taking down the results (he's been away and couldn't get back in time to take part this year). I'd had a blister pop right on the end of my little toe as I descended to the last half mile and limped in, probably with a grimace of pain on my face. That hug was definitely one I needed!

We had chinese takeaway for dinner (I was still feeling the loss of the one I went without last weekend) and a hard earned glass of Bacardi and coke. I only just managed to stay awake to eat then stagger up the stairs for an early night.

I had a lie in on Sunday then after a breakfast of hot cross buns, Andrew and I headed for Wharfedale. This area has become one of my top favourite places as it never fails to calm and restore me. It is also where I first met Andrew.

We did the same hilly route of mid February and added Great Whernside. This time we had a dry day with sunny spells. My feet were still sore but tolerably so, and my legs were strong and only mildly fatigued by the ultra.

There was a nursery field with four ewes with the tiniest lambs (only one each rather than the usual pair), they looked small enough to have been born that morning. Awww!

The curlew are properly dissipated over the moors now and it's a real treat to hear them call. The lapwings are displaying which is something I haven't seen before. The grouse are numerous and the meadow pippits are back. The oystercatchers are growing in number. I heard a sky lark again on Saturday.

How long until there are ducklings?

A temporary glitch I hope

Monday saw me in good spirits so I upped my stair climbing from 25 to 30 to celebrate and went out for a brisk five mile run after work. What a great start to the week. I went to bed with plans of getting up early to fit in my 10 miler before work and to do stairs at lunch time giving me an evening off to relax and catch up with emails.

At about 3 a.m. I woke up in terrible pain, the whole of the upper part of my torso hurt and I couldn't turn over, sit up or use my arms without the pain increasing unbearably. It was a muscular pain, not internal so I wasn't afraid, but I was distressed by it and had a bit of a dizzy attack when I eventually made it to the bathroom in search of pain killers and the ibuleve.

I spent Tuesday in bed sleeping flat on my back for most of the day trying not to move, and also slept through Tuesday night. This morning the pain had eased a little, and the situation has improved throughout the day. I've also stayed awake today which I guess is a good sign!

The pain has lessened sufficiently I think to allow me assume I'll be ok by Friday so I'll be able to keep my plans for a trip to the lakes at the weekend.

I've wracked my brain to think of a cause but can't come up with one. I have made an appointment to get myself checked out but I don't anticipate anything being found; sore muscles never killed anyone and always get better as far as I'm aware, even if the cause is a complete mystery.

Sitting typing this has made the aches increase. Time for another rest me thinks.

It's been a long couple of days so I thought a long old favourite would be fitting for this post!

A week of grafting

Monday was bad news day, received after much anxiety and phone and email watching. I was so out of sorts I didn’t run or climb the stairs and went home after work to sulk.

Somehow, to be told the feedback from the job interview was excellent, but that none of the candidates got the job because it went to a temp, didn’t seem adequate reward for the loss of a day’s holiday, loss of a significant amount of sleep, and a whole load of extra pressure and stress. Still, I don’t really want a new job in Hampshire even if it is a much better one than the one I have now, for more money plus a car. I should be in Yorkshire. Grrr, bother and humph!

I managed to do the stair reps on Tuesday, but it was freezing cold with a biting wind and I was still too tired and grumpy to run in the evening. I pulled myself together on Wednesday and was out every day playing catch up as best I could. This did have an impact on the weekend as I ran on Friday evening, didn’t arrive in Devon until 1:30 a.m. then couldn’t manage my early morning run before picking Sam up at 9.

My folks are away on holiday and Tom had other plans so it was just Sam and I this weekend. None of Mum’s lovely cooking!

Plan b for Saturday’s training was to take Sam for a coastal path walk from Lyme Regis to Seatown and back. Thankfully he agreed to this so I packed a picnic lunch, snacks and drinks, and promised him fish and chips by the sea from my favourite chippy in Lyme, or a bag of chips from the chippy to tide us over and Chinese takeaway later.

We had a great day out; it was cold and overcast but not windy and although there was a bit of a haze in the distance, the views were good. The section of coast we were covering is particularly beautiful, hilly, fairly remote and lovely and peaceful. We ate our lunch sitting on the pebble beach at Seatown, with our backs against rocks looking out to sea over fishermen at work.

We arrived at the chip shop just before 5pm but it was closed, there was no sign of life inside, and no notice saying if and when it would be open. There’s a fudge and ice cream shop opposite so I suggested ice creams as an alternative treat and sent Sam in to get them (mmm rum and raisin for me please) whilst I ran the car engine in an attempt to warm up. He came back looking rather miffed as the freezers had been emptied for cleaning, so no ice creams either! We headed home and finished the chocolate buttons on the way.

Later in the evening we ventured down to the Chinese restaurant to get our takeaway, but as I pulled up outside I could see the restaurant was dark and looking very closed. It was closed; there was a notice in the window announcing it wouldn’t be open until 10th March. Poor Sam was hungry and really looking forward to his dinner; words failed me! Fortunately he does like Indian food so although I hadn’t tried the local restaurant and didn’t know whether it’s any good we decided we’d risk it.

The food was tasty, just spicy enough to enjoy without being too hot and the meat was lean. Sam had a dish I wasn’t familiar with, which caused much amusement and a little concern when we arrived home and unpacked the food parcel; the hand written note on the lid read ‘chi tk shit’. It would appear that I’d given him chicken shit for dinner (the chef’s words not mine)!!!

We struggled to run this morning but did manage to complete our cliff top route to Branscombe. As I reached the brow of the hill at Branscombe and looked down, I was filled with a reassuring peace and could forgive the fact that my legs ached and didn’t want to go.