Sorry I've not written anything in ages but not much has been
happening, or so it feels.
I didn't want to do the usual review of last year, I'm just
glad to slam the door shut on that one and hope never to see its like
again. But just looking back at my
running, it still proved I'm alive and very much kicking! A PB at Smokies 10 in
March, a week before my treatment started showed I was in the best shape
possible for the fight ahead. Then in June, covering the Skye half marathon in
just under three hours a week after my radio and chemo finished did wonders for
my morale. Then filed under How the Hell
did I manage that! 127 miles at the 48
hour race at the British Ultra Fest in August, which according to the DUV Ultra Marathon
Statistics website, the World ranking for 48 hours in 2013 has me in at 46 from
the 131 women listed! Then I'll always remember my 25 miles in 6 hours at
Glenmore24 with an emotional smile, I was back where I belonged. Loch Ness Marathon was tough, and although my
slowest marathon in over five hours it still showed progress.
After the Loch Ness Marathon I had a bit of a rest, I felt
very tired afterwards and thought I better try and recoup my strength, (the
words of my specialist nurse ringing in my ears, "The fatigue can take a
year to go away!") I had done some big daft stuff so decided just to take
it easy for the rest of the year and start 2014 fresh. In mid October I went
back to the club for the first time in months, I wanted to try and get some
quality back into the 15 to 20 miles a week I was starting to do. The first session back was five minute
efforts with ninety second recovery, the plan was to ease back gently to speed
work. Ha! Gentle speed work? I think it's more likely I win the lottery
and see the Loch Ness Monster on the same day than that happen! Generally the pace recommended is either 5km
or 10km. Now, how am I supposed to know my pace for these distances? So I think doing "push 'til I boak"
is close enough! I'd missed running at
the club, at Carnegie the sessions are tailored so that we all work together,
there are no wee cliques and it was great being back. I'm also back to my yoga class, and that has and will continue to make a big difference to the damage to my shoulder and neck.
The plan for the new year is to gradually increase my training,
aiming at covering around 30 miles a week for January and increase the number
of days a week from three/four to five/six. So far so good, yesterday I rounded off the
week with my longest run in training so far, a slow 14 mile run with Sue on a
very muddy, hilly route, a great time on feet day.
My mouth is taking a lot longer to heal than I thought it
would, it's still sensitive to a lot of foods and eating is, at best, a chore
and quite often an ordeal and sometimes I feel I could quite happily never eat
again but if I want my body to perform it has to have the fuel so I will persevere.
It is hard to come to terms with the
fact that I'll never eat properly again but still a small price to pay if I'm to stay alive. I haven't been able to get my weight
back to what it was pre-surgery but it is fairly stable, so I'll just take it
that I have a new fighting weight. I
don't have a schedule to work to, I'm just going on how I feel, working hard then
taking the recovery and rest days needed.
I have a lot of work to do, my quads are still puny, especially on
hills, but I have noticed a difference,
I'm no longer dragging my carcass, I'm pushing it. That's huge progress!
