Julie's Eccleshill Road Running: Off balance.....in more ways than one!

Having made the decision to buy some more new trainers I inexplicably decided to have a trip down to the city centre to a sports shop and 'have a look'. After about half an hour of trying several pairs on I came away with a pair of New Balance, various socks and Lycra. Walking up and down the store in them they felt really comfy. Happy with my purchases I went home with the intention that I would wear them for a club run that evening and then alternate them on training runs up until the marathon with a view to wearing them for the big day.

Arriving at club we warmed up and set off. I felt really good - the route wasn't too challenging and at 7.5 miles, relatively short. However, on the way back, about a mile from base I started to experience a numb feeling in my right leg and mild pain in my left. Since we didn't have far to go I soldiered on. Once I stopped running and stretched I didn't feel too bad. Arriving home it was a different story. I felt sick, couldn't eat my tea and went off to bed. Next morning my calves felt so tight it was unbelievable. Was it the new shoes?

Thursday was the club's monthly track session, however, we were otherwise engaged in that we had tickets to see a show at Immanuel - Marc drumming in the school band - so that put paid to that. Claire and I scheduled this week's long run for Saturday since I was marshalling at the Bradford 10k on Sunday so no planned club run on Friday either. Turned out the session was cancelled anyway as it snowed. This also prompted Epilepsy Action to cancel the Bradford 10k - some said it was a little premature but the forecast was for more snow on Saturday. The forecast was correct, all day Saturday it snowed relentlessly. I promptly took advantage of the opportunity to ask Claire if she fancied running Sunday instead knowing this would give me another days rest after Wednesdays episode. She agreed.

I was excited as I dressed in several layers ready to run on Sunday morning. Did I say? I love running in the snow! Marc and I set off out the door and it immediately became clear that the temperatures had plummeted over night. The pavements and roads were a mix of deep snow in parts and sheet ice in others. We picked our way down through our estate to Greengates to meet Claire. We made the decision that it would be impossible to run all the way to Bingley and back on the paths/roads so we agreed to go down to Apperley Bridge and run along the canal, again, and play it by ear, see how far we got. As it turned out we got to Hirst Wood at Saltaire and decided the journey back from whence we came would be enough. The going was tough, Arctic winds blew snow from the trees at us, it was a mix of ice and deep snow under foot making it difficult to negotiate but pleasant all the same. Claire kindly dropped me near to home and I was just daydreaming of how thought I had found my niche, I really do love the challenge of running in snow, for some reason it's so much more satisfying, I got to the top of my road, crossed over and all of a sudden lost my balance, slipped and down I went. Luckily my arm tucked underneath me and although I banged that and my knee, I got to my feet quickly, pain searing through my arm and started to make my way through a snicket to my house. Arriving home I felt more embarrassed than hurt and started to think how I hoped nobody had seen me fall! I got off lightly, this time. It did though, bring home the reality of how easy it is to put an end to all the hard work I have put in over the last few months. No regrets here though as I have seen runners fall in such different circumstances and although snow and ice are obviously much more of a risk, that's life! (For me any way!)

What I do find baffling though is what Mother nature is throwing at us - how different the weather has been from one week to the next...........