Monday 2 August 2010

Stats, Ale, Runner's Rub & Dave....


I'm doing my level best not to get hung up about race times but can't help noticing I'm getting slower... as many runners know mileage and race times keep a lot of us going. Without my stats on Fetcheveryone I think my last three years worth of running would have been 'less of an achievement' I think is the most suitable turn of phrase. Yes, I would still have had the satisfaction of knowing that I'd 'stuck at it' and yes, I would still have made all those wonderful friendships, but I would have had nothing to look back on with regards to my training and racing.

So it seems that my race times have plummeted since the VLM back in April, and as I struggle to work out why, several reasons come to mind, first and foremost, my ongoing Achilles injury which readers may ask themselves 'if it's so bad why is she still running?'. Well the short answer to that is 'because I can'. I can deal with the soreness afterwards, I can deal with the stiffness next morning but most of all 'I can still run'. I must admit I was a little concerned what effect three days consecutive running would have but I'm pleased to report no ill effects - could it possible be that the reduction in training is the cause of my downward spiral? I don't know.... So still heeding Penny's advice of the stretching exercises, I am now also using Peter May's runner's rub, twice a day, self massage into the lower limbs including the Achilles and ankle areas. I am also constantly on a quest to seek advice from past sufferers, everybody who posts anything on a forum or physio site have the same symptoms so I know I'm not alone. What I am alone in is my ability to make a decision to rest and when I say 'rest' I mean for a significant number of weeks. Left alone in that decision I have a feeling I know the outcome....

Anyway enough of the doldrums, I'm going to try and be more positive in what I'm doing to rectify my current situation after a fantastic last few days beginning with a club run up to the Leeds Bradford Airport last Wednesday evening, Friday run in the pouring rain after our coached session on the field was scuppered, Bradford Parkrun on Saturday and the delightful Idle Trail Race on Sunday - which incidentally was Yorkshire Day and we were fittingly rewarded with a bottle of Idle Trail Yorkshire Day Ale coupled with a spot prize of Peter May's Runner's Rub! Dave made his race debut at Idle - spectating that is, and he behaved impeccably until the last half hour when he had had so much attention thrust upon him that he got really giddy and was nipping anyone who dared to come and fuss over him! Let's hope it's the first of many for him (races that is, not nips!).

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