It's Over...Kinda

Last weekend, I ran 6.5 miles without stopping. It felt amazing. It was comfortable, it was on marathon pace, and I felt AMAZING.

I did a Facebook Live video about it rather than a blog, so apologies to those of you who missed it. If you have a look I think I have set them to public, if you're interested. It was great! Running felt good! Marathons felt possible!

Then, the next day, the insides of my lower legs started to hurt. Okay. Fine. I did a running. Pain is normal. I decided to rest until the pain had gone and try not to stress about once again falling behind with the schedule...

Unfortunately, it's a week later and I'm no better. I have been to see the physio today who says absolutely no running, not even for a bus, for a couple of months because else bits of my shin bones will actually start to chip off. That's a bit of a dire warning - and it puts paid to my marathon in 2017 because there's no way in hell I can take 2 months off and get to marathon strength by April.

I have mixed feelings. I was starting to think that you all were right, that 6 months from zero to marathon was too much, but I still wanted to prove you all wrong and do it. My body, however, is making its feelings on the subject known quite clearly. In a way it's a bit of a relief to know that I'm not just being lazy, that I really CAN'T do it. But I was imagining the actual run, the pain, the tears, and the joy of succeeding and crossing the line. Also, people were cheering me on, sponsoring me, and I feel I'm letting those people down.

I still hope to run the London Marathon in 2018 so this blog is by no means over. I'm also much, much fitter than I was in August and I want to keep that going, so I'll be swimming and maybe cycling instead. The physio suggested I aim for a triathlon instead, so I'm going to look into that, and there's a half marathon I'm signed up for in March which might still be possible.

The plan has changed, but the adventure isn't over. Watch this space.

4.5 miles

I skipped two runs this week, one 3 mile and one 4.5 mile. I've been busy and my ankle isn't quite right and I'm full of excuses not to go out in the dark and the cold. 

Daytime running is going to be the answer to that, and fortunately my boss is happy for me to work flexibly! So today I set off on a quite pleasant 4.5 miler. I switched around my route quite a bit although as usual the old railway track featured prominently, due to being both flat and soft underfoot. 

I tried the audiobook again and seemed to empty my mind a bit more today. I really need to pay for the Zombies Run app and get back into that story as well. 

Nothing started to bleed and the Compeed on my heel held. I put the box in my pocket just in case and my main irritant was the sound of them rattling with every step! I also felt far too hot. I set off with a woolly hat and my running jacket on but was stripped down to my vest by Mile 3. 

Happy to see a man I have chatted to before as well. We walked together for a while and he was telling me about his cancer, and how he used to be a cyclist. Going in different directions today but he cheered me past while his beagle looked on, bemused. It cheered me up to see him :)

The next run is on Sunday - 6.5 miles. A big step up, and I'm not as fit as I should be after my injury. I need to plan properly, make sure I have eaten, and not wear too many clothes. But some clothes. The good people of Saddleworth don't need to see that much jiggling. 

Uneventful plodding

I haven't had time to run since the gaffa tape incident, but my ankle has been a bit sore and oozy so that's probably no bad thing. I couldn't put it off any longer, though, so have been out for another 4.5 miles today. That's a sixth of a marathon, you know. I can't imagine being able to go out and do that run another 5 times before bedtime, but I guess with 5 months to go, if I can increase my distance by 4.5 miles a month, I'll get there.

That means that my New Year's Eve run will be 9 miles. Eek.

I don't have much to report on today's run. I used a Compeed on my heel which seemed to do the trick. I ran a new route which included a couple of steep hills I had to walk up, and discovered a new footpath and quite excellent playground at the other end of Delph. I did my usual thing of working out what percentage of a marathon I had covered and what my final time would be if I could keep going - a habit I'm definitely going to have to break.

Instead of music today I listened to an audiobook. It didn't seem to slow me down much, but at the same time it didn't do much to still the inner voice, or alleviate the boredom of running. At the moment I think I'm as worried about how to stop myself going insane over 7 hours on the road as I am about the physical discomfort. Hints and tips welcome.

I did run past a house today where, several weeks ago, I saw a mum and toddler planting spring bulbs. I'm looking forward to running past and seeing those in bloom!

Since it appears I am actually fine to run, it's also time to re-start the fundraising. So please, I urge you, fling me a couple of quid; text ZOMB76 to 70070, or donate via my main page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SusanWitterick.

It's a tough time of year for money, I know, but look at it like this. You could buy me a card and spend money on a stamp, or you could text me £2 and make me much happier. You know what to do!

The engineering solution.

Dovestone Reservoir is a beautiful place. It's on my doorstep, it's exactly 2.5 miles around, and the dog loves it. So why is it that every time I run there I have a miserable time?

The first time I buggered my knee. The second time it rained, and I thought I would die of misery. Today was cold but sunny, a bit muddy, generally nice apart from the fact that I was running. 

I'm trying to change my technique so that I cover a bit more ground, focusing on landing heel first and trying to push off with the ball of my foot. It definitely seemed I was moving further with each stride but bloody hell it was hard work. Seems to use much more energy so the first mile I was doing a lot of walk-run. And concentrating to try to keep the 'new' form up was hard too. 

At mile 2, I developed an injury. 

 

Actually I developed it around mile 1 but pretended it wasn't happening. When I finally stopped to look there was blood all over my trainers and ankle. Tasty. 

Scooby the wonderdog and I completed the first lap and I limped back to the car hoping to find a first aid kit and some plasters. No such luck. 

What I DID find was some cotton wool pads and some gaffa tape. And lo, the day was saved. 

 Yes, I really did use gaffa tape to hold myself together. And it was bloody marvellous. Comfortable, supportive, and it stayed on! I may have to carry some at the marathon or just wrap it around my whole body at the start like a mummy, just to make sure I don't leave any of myself behind on the course. 

I think I will put some plasters in my bum bag too, though. And I need longer socks. Probably. I'm blaming them. 

Completed the 4.5 mile run without further incident. I'm aching and clearly not as fit as I was before my injury, but I'm telling myself the aching means I'm actually getting stronger. Maybe crazy rolling foot running is actually good for me. Only time will tell. 

Today's lessons are that there's an engineering solution for everything, and that you can never have too much gaffa tape. 

Guess who's back?

My ankle has been feeling fine for a few days now, and I couldn't face the gym. I decided to risk it, and try a run. Dosed up on ibuprofen just in case, spent a dreadfully long time getting ready, stressed about it quite a lot.

Couldn't find my shoes, which is a worry as I have two (identical) pairs. I blame the dog. Eventually found one pair in the car (where I had put them to keep the dog off them) but still no sign of the second.

Did I mention that I blame the dog?

I was surprised how nervous I was about running. Would I be able to do it? Would everything flare up and keep me out for another three weeks? Would I have lost all my fitness? I set off at my usual very slow pace and just kept going...

There was definitely the odd grumble from my ankle but nothing that I would describe as actual 'pain' and now I'm done it's definitely letting me know it's there but not actually hurting. So hopefully, unless I wake up tomorrow totally crippled, it's going to be ok. I'm seeing the physio tomorrow anyway and will probably be told off for running without permission ;)

I managed about 3 miles in 41 minutes, without stopping. I'm still not sure how I managed the Parkrun in 36 minutes because I remember walking quite a bit of that. I got overtaken, and realised my feet were moving at the same rate as the much faster guy, and spent a mile puzzling over why he was forging ahead and I was crawling along.

My running style is quite flat footed and I don't kick my feet up behind me like a lot of people I've observed. I work on the theory that my style is more energy efficient, but perhaps the whole kicky bouncy thing helps to push you forward. I'll have to think about that more. I probably shouldn't worry so much about my speed either because the whole point of this exercise is to be able to keep going for 7 hours, not to break any records.

It was nice to be out in the mud and snow and soggy leaves, and felt good to know that I can still run, such as it is. I have been quietly worried that my marathon adventure might be over before it had begun, but now I'm feeling quite optimistic that it's back on. Yay! :)

Ouch, the update

After 10 days of pain and...well, pain....my ankle hasn't been any better, so today I have been to see the physio.

The upshot is that I have bruised the bone on the inside of my ankle. No, I didn't know that was a thing either. And no, I don't know how I did it!

The 'good' news, however, is that it's not a ligament, which the physio assures me would be far worse to treat. She's using ultrasound on it and I'm on an ibuprofen regimen until I see her again next Friday. In the mean time I am allowed to go to the gym, to start just cycling, then try cross training, and finally try swimming - but only low resistance and to stop if it hurts. At least this way I can keep my fitness up / get my fitness back up a bit.

The marathon is still officially 'on' but I guess I might be even slower, depending on how long it takes before I can properly train. I'm a bit confused as well as I understood the plan on the My Asics app should update to take into account rests and injuries but it seems to think that if I start running tomorrow I'll manage 5 miles no problem. I don't want to start the plan again, though, as that feels a bit like wasting time. Something to worry about when I know I can get back out there, I suppose.

The internet says typical healing time is 2 months. If that's true, the marathon will be on hold until 2018...we were talking in terms of me still running it today, though, so I'm not going to panic yet. I'll keep you posted!

Injured with a capital OUCH

So you know how in my last post, I said I would be missing the next day's 4.5 miler because running with an injury would be stupid?

Well it turns out I'm very stupid. I ran about 4 miles of it, in increasing pain, before limping back to my car, and since then (last Wednesday and this is Monday) I've been in pretty constant pain and had my ankle strapped up.

I'm quite stoical about pain. A few years ago I had a badly prolapsed spinal disc, and trust me, after that, even childbirth is a walk in the park. This is both a good thing and a bad thing - bad because, the fact that my ankle is making me wince and much painkillers may mean that I have actually done something serious to it.

I'm starting to miss running (?!), and to stress a little bit about falling behind with my training - although better for it to happen now rather than right before the marathon I suppose. Work is busy, but if things haven't improved by Friday I'll be off to see a physio / doctor / other professional ankle wrangler to get it sorted.

I complained about it to my optician on Saturday, who told me that when she was a student they ran out of eyes to dissect and gave her a leg instead. She said she would be willing to have a look at my ankle, based on her experience, but that she wasn't sure she could do much without cutting it open. I declined politely!

So yeah...that's why there haven't been many updates. At the current time I assume I can't run until at least the weekend and that's assuming there's some sort of magical improvement over the next 24 hours. Send healing thoughts...

A morning quickie!

A quick 3 miler before work today. Isn't that hilarious? The girl who thought she would die after running 30 seconds in August can now trot along for 3 miles quite happily. 

Unfortunately I seem to have hurt my ankle somehow. It was fine during the run but sore ever since so tomorrow's planned 4.5 miles may not be happening. I know it's not worth risking a worse injury by soldiering on, but it's frustrating all the same. 

Next week I have to start working on increasing my pace, so it's all going to get a little more painful. This would be a great time to text ZOMB76 £5 to 70070 to spur me on. Hint. 

Assuming I do have to rest the ankle, it's likely my next run will be around an office park in Portishead in the wee hours of Friday morning. How's that for dedication? 

 

Soggy feet

This is a tipsy post so I will try to keep it short and sweet. We are at Butlins in Skegness for the weekend. Things I had never before appreciated about Skeggy are that it's dead flat, and that there is a lot of beach to run on. 

Today's run was 4.5 miles. I headed south down the beach until my feet were sodden and then back, to the far end of Stalag Skeggy, and around to the road entrance. All in all I did 5 miles by accident and I think I could have kept going. I ran all the way other than a couple of minutes where I had to wade through soft sand back to the promenade. 

Today's learnings are that I can keep going quite happily at 4mph for quite a while, that it's lovely to run on wet sand, and that bacon sandwiches are good running fuel!

I took a post run photo of me but it was horrible. So instead, here is the proof that I survived...

Sponsor me. Etc. 

 

Is this...chafing?

I tried the treadmill at the gym again on Monday night. The less said about that, the better. Suffice to say, the prospect of running 4.5 miles (a huge leap from the previous 3.2 mile maximum) in the dark tonight was a little nerve wracking, having only been able to run for 60 seconds at a time on the treadmill.

Running outdoors is entirely different though, and a thousand times more enjoyable. The first mile was pretty hellish as my calves and shins begged for mercy, but I ignored them and eventually they got the hint and agreed to help the rest of my body with what had to be done.

The route I planned had an uphill climb at the start, and another big climb between miles 3 and 4. Such is the joy of living in Saddleworth. I walked the first half mile to warm up, then set off at my usual slow plod - which I have worked out is roughly 6 1/2 hour marathon pace. And, after that first mile, I just kept going. Even up the hill - slow as you like, but I kept going, which I was quite proud of.

It's been quite a stressful day at work and I've been worried about deadlines and all of the things I should be doing, so it was nice to clear my head and just listen to music and concentrate on my breathing. I find counting in-in-out-out helps me keep my breath steady and it seems to shut out that pesky inner voice too. I was also imagining the marathon, thinking about how nice it will be to see my family and friends along the way and how nice it will be to finish it!

One thing I do need to STOP doing is working out what percentage of the way I have covered, and how much longer it's going to take me. That way lies madness. But I do have quite a mathematical brain and this has always been my way of entertaining myself when waiting for time to pass...I can remember getting into some quite complex calculations during choir practice at school!

I can't imagine, though, that at Mile 20 (which based on research I am anticipating having to crawl), I'll be motivated by the thought that I have another 20 odd percent of the course still to go.

Oh, today's other discovery - I had pasta for lunch (I tend to eat my main meal late in the evening) I think it helped. Might have to become a lunch person...

My husband seems to be sponsoring me £1 a mile at the moment, texting every time I come back from a run. I don't think he's considered just how many miles this training is going to take me! If you'd like to join in with a couple of quid here and there, text ZOMB76 £2 (or however much) to 70070.

Oh and chafing. Something's hurting on my upper arm, on the inside. Chafing against shirt or bra perhaps. Needs to be investigated. Watch this space, if you dare....!

Recovery

I'd been pondering how to go from the 5k to the Marathon - initially I thought I'd go through the Zombies 10k program and then their 16 week marathon plan, but I've realised that it's based on time rather than distance and, therefore, makes some hugely inaccurate assumptions about the amount of ground I will cover in an hour!

From here on out, I'm using MyAsics. I've plugged in the date of the marathon, yesterday's 5k time, and my age, and it reckons that it will have me running the marathon in just over 6 hours by April. I'll do as it tells me, and we'll see!

One thing I do like about it is that it tells you what pace you should be taking each run at - some will be fast, some slow, some at race pace. Today was meant to be a slow one and it kept telling me off for being too fast - not often I expect that to happen ;) I also had a Zombies Run episode on in the background to keep progressing with that story, AND an audiobook. Truly, I am app girl, and truly, I'm going to need to carry a spare battery with me on race day.

From now on we work in miles so...I ran 3 miles today, very slowly. I tried to put in a hill but ended up walking most of the way up it (I hate hills). Happily the marathon is mostly flat, unfortunately Saddleworth isn't!

Raised just over £200 in sponsorship so far - THANK YOU to my donors! If you're enjoying reading my blog why not just send a pound? Text ZOMB76 £1 to 70070. Simples!

Full of other fundraising ideas. I'm going to try selling xmas cards and wrapping paper, maybe having a stall at the car boot, and definitely running some sort of online auction or raffle if I can get some donations in. I'm going to be mainly reliant on tapping people up for a few quid, but anything I can add to it will be good. The sooner I can hit the target the better, too - I can concentrate on running rather than stressing about the money.

Day off tomorrow. I'm going to the pub.

Donate by text...

DONATE BY TEXT! Just text ZOMB76 followed by the amount (eg £5) to 70070.

I know it's early days, but I would love to see some funds starting to come in to motivate me. And you can spread the cost - send some now, then forget all about it and sponsor me again nearer the time. Everybody wins! :)

How to run a marathon. Part 1. Get out of bed.

When I started running on that hot Caribbean beach, I set a goal that by bonfire night, I'd take part in the Parkrun 5k. Today, I did it.

It was a close thing. I hit the snooze button several times before my bossy inner voice pointed out this was no way to train for a marathon! I wolfed down some toast and a banana and set off. 

I was surprised how nervous I felt when I got there. Lots of 'proper' runners in marathon shirts and 10k shirts. People who looked fit. People with calves like iron. When they called the first timers forward I was the only one who really looked like a novice!

And the start. Oh, the start. 150 people who are faster than you disappearing over the horizon. I guess the marathon will be like that times a thousand but it was a little demotivating. As a result I set off far too fast, ran out of breath, and was walking by the first corner. 

There are two hills on the route and I have to confess my strategy ended up being to walk up them each time. The marshalls were great though, and encouraging, especially the one who on my last lap shouted 'you're not last!' at me :) Some of the fast runners shouted encouragement as they lapped me, and an older man who passed me on the final lap tried to take me along with him but I'm afraid he was too fast!

Things I learned today include getting up and eating earlier (I thought I might puke banana half way round), and that I need to work out how to run up hills without my legs feeling like they are on fire. 

Next time I need to stretch more before I start, try to be more consistent with my pace, and try to run those hills! 

I also learned how important it is to remember you're racing against yourself and not against everyone else. I won that race, a new PB of  37.20 even though I was 143rd.  Yay, me!

The face of a woman with another 23 miles to go.

The Treadmill of Doom

Very negative tonight - starting to feel like 'I can't'. So few miles under my belt, and giving up already?

D was late home from work and it was dark and raining outside. So I decided to take the 'easy' route and go on the treadmill at the gym. HUGE mistake. I did the 'right' things and ran on a slight incline, ran at what I think is my normal pace (8kph). I managed 20 minutes but I was DYING. Sweat pouring off me, and I was SO BORED despite my audiobook. Nothing to look at but purple wall. No fresh air, no autumn leaves to crunch through.

So yeah. I'm absolutely not doing that again unless weather dictates that I absolutely have to. I hated it so much that I gave up and spent 10 mins on the bike instead, then messed around a little with weights and foam rollers. Then I felt guilty and ran another 10 minutes (well, I didn't - I ran about 8 of them and stopped to feel sorry for myself in the middle). Then I came home and ate a huge bowl of pasta, which I should probably have had for lunch.

I'm still not eating properly - today I had a bacon sandwich, a chocolate brownie, and a PBJ sandwich. Insufficient and inappropriate for trying to run 5 miles. I need to get that sorted, which for me might take more planning than trying to fit in the actual training.

So it's a bit of a 'fuck it' moment tonight. Wednesday night it's out there in the fresh air. I hope it goes better - two bad runs in a row has left me a bit gloomy.

Bah.

5k Week 7 Run 1

Today was officially a rubbish run. Horrible. I didn't even manage 5k, and I gave up a minute before the end. I was too hot, and too achey, and I wished my bum muscles would leave and go and live with someone else.

This was meant to be an 'easy' run, too - starting to taper down before the first official 5k without stopping at the end of next week. Dammit. I know I can do 5k without stopping, because I already did it, but today was a day where I just started to wonder what the hell I'm doing this for. Nine 5k runs in a row is a big ask.

I know there are going to be plenty of bad days between now and April 23rd so I need to just be kind to myself - at least I went out and did it. Where did it go wrong? Probably dehydrated (drinking last night, long lie in this morning). Not properly nourished (2 slices of toast). Didn't realise what a nice day it is, and went out in my jacket. And, of course, overconfidence - I thought I'd spend the initial 10 minute walk heading up a hill, which probably knackered me before I'd even begun. Also, the hill was paved with loose stones, running down was an ankle threatening nightmare.

Positive thinking, though. At least I did it. The wall planner has arrived today, so I plan to spend the afternoon plotting out the training plan all the way to April. Unfortunately it's not a wipe clean one, but if it at least gets me to Jan 1st I can get a more flexible one from then.

I worked out my dates last night (this is starting to sound a lot like when I was pregnant, there was a wall planner involved in that adventure too!). The 16 weeks of 'official' marathon training would mean a 1st January start which is quite nice. I have time before that to finish this 5k plan and also do a 10k plan. Overall, there's three weeks of wriggle room - for sickness, injury and exhaustion. I don't quite know how to play that, though. I don't want to be ready for the marathon 3 weeks before the marathon, but at the same time I don't want to use up the three weeks of slack before 1st January and then find I get an injury and can't catch up again.

Perhaps I just keep going, hopefully finish the 10k by mid December, and start the marathon training a little early, in the full expectation that there will be days where I just can't move. This is where a flexible wall planner come into play! If it's all going well, but I have a tough week, I can just repeat that week before I push myself further?

Practicalities need looking at too. I seem to have struck lucky and found a sports bra that I can tolerate so I need to buy lots of those. And start looking after them too - I keep having to take pliers to the hooks because the washing machine is mangling them. Handwashing is in my future.

All in all this is a long and boring update, sorry. Perhaps, though, when I find a 15 mile run a bit tough, looking back on this will remind me how far I have (hopefully!) come.

Sign on the dotted line

Today, I officially committed to run the 2017 London Marathon in support of Spinal Research.

Today, I may finally have proved my dear friends right in that I am in equal measure stubborn, headstrong, and in need of psychiatric support.

Today, I'm starting this blog to document my 'journey' from zero to hero, from couch to The Mall, from chubby engineer to toned and honed athlete (yeah right). Alternatively to middle aged woman with no toenails and a limp. Only time will tell.

It's kind of a secret at the moment - a couple of friends know, but I'm not shouting too loudly about it, because I think maybe I'm scared that I can't do it. I only started running in August, and I haven't said too much about it on social media for similar reasons.

I'll do a post on the 'why' another day, and why spinal research means so much to me. Today I just want to give a brief history of my running 'career', and progress so far. Because, you see - I HATE RUNNING. I think it's stupid. I don't understand why, for a single second, anyone would do it.

Really. I was never good at sport at school. My feet turn in a bit. I have a big bum and big boobs and everything jiggles. I like reading books and drinking gin and being warm and dry. Sport wise, I did do a couple of 100 mile bike rides about 13 years ago, but I was living in California and it was sunny and warm and I had a group of friends around me who kind of carried me along with them. Also I was younger. But that's it. I used to swim, too. My style in both was less speed, and more the ability to endure, plenty of stamina.

A couple of my close friends are runners, though. One 're-started' his training this time last year to run the Manchester 10k. Another runs to maintain his sanity. I've found myself interested in how and why they do it, how fast they go, the events they run. So when I found myself in the Carribean this summer, with jetlag and warmth and a beautiful beach in front of me, I decided to see what they were on about.

I'd tried the NHS C25K app a couple of years ago in the gym and hated it. The music is godawful and it's so repetitive. A little Googling took me instead to the Zombies, Run! 5k app. It's an 8 week training program, with a different story on every run, AND you can set up your own playlist. The nerd in me was sold.

On that first run, I seem to remember I only had to jog slowly in 15 second bursts. At the end of it, I thought I was going to die. I was exhausted, and sore.  Only a little of my discomfort could be blamed on the humidity and heat, what with it being 6am. But over that holiday I managed 4 'runs', and got into the story, and that was enough to keep me going when I got back.

Yes, when I say 'run'...my running is barely faster than my fast walking. I won't beat anyone in a race. If someone wants to chase me they won't have to break a sweat. Even a 'shambler' zom would have me for breakfast. What HAS happened, though, is that over the space of 2 months I seem to have developed the ability to run for 20 minutes at a time. Two nights ago, I ran 5k without stopping for the first time, in 39.42. This would have seemed impossible a few weeks ago.

I still hate running, but something in my head has clicked on. I love the Zombies app and storyline, and I'm sort of enthused that everyone who I've mentioned that I was even THINKING about running a marathon to, has told me I'm bonkers. Proving people wrong is my motivation... :|

I have a fundraising page already. I'm not planning to really promote it until after Christmas because I don't want to bore everyone to death, but if you're reading this, and you can spare even £1 to cheer me on in these early days, I would really appreciate it.

If you're also running the marathon, or if you're a Zombies runner who would like to like to connect on Zombielink, leave me a message. The more support and encouragement, the better!

Oh, today's run - around Dovestone with the dog, Week 6 Run 3 of Z5k (I had a couple of weeks out with an injured knee), 5.34km in the POURING rain. Yuck. I live in Saddleworth, though, so it's only going to get worse in the coming months...