Went out for a walk last night and spotted a nice little loop I could run, so tried it today. Starts off on road before hitting the woods/trails. Was a lovely day.
Went off quite quickly but slowed on the ankle-twisting terrain, then had to tiptoe over loads of cobbles, before powering up the big Stockport Road hill and then increasing pace a bit more off of that.
Lovely run 
It’s been a weird few weeks for me – the anniversary of my Mum’s death was April 6th, and it would just so happen that the long drawn out sale of the house my sister and I inherited, was drawing to a close that week. I was on a bit of a high on Good Friday after my 10k PB at Salford and finally getting the sub 50 – over the bank holiday weekend that turned into misery as the trapped nerve in my back became more and more agonising and I could only get the briefest snatches of sleep, unable to lie in my bed and having to sleep on the couch.
At some point over the weekend I noticed the dog was leaving food in her bowl. I thought she was a bit off colour, especially when she refused treats. However, she finally shared some ice cream with me and then went off with one of her chewy bones and had a bit of that. Then she stopped eating again and eventually wouldn’t even touch ice cream, and also I was getting her lead and she just whined and piddled in front of me (normally I would have a crescendo of crazy barking and jumping about, for some reason she went wild if i said “2 bags today?” or the name “George” Anyway, at that point, with the Bank hols out of the way, I booked her in at the vets, and had to carry her there, he did some tests and gave her some injections and some antibiotics, and asked me to get a urine sample. She trotted back home with me and seemed Ok, but still didn’t eat. The next day I took her out about 4 times and she wouldn’t wee at all (up till then she had been weeing as soon as we got outside, if not before). Eventually I got some in an empty Vitalite tub and it was this weird bright yellow colour. I dropped it off at the vets.
Becky then started being sick – I was trying to get the antibiotics down her but she kept puking them up. I thought she might be perking up a bit when she went to her water bowl and drank thirstily, but then sooner or later it all came up. She was just lying in her bed looking miserable. I put her outside and she felt stiff and whined, and just stood there, so on Saturday I called the vets again, and they said her urine sample showed bile pigmentation so something could be wrong with her liver. They said she needed to be seen again but they were shut till Monday at that branch. I made an appointment. Then I sat with the dog for a bit and she looked so pathetic. Anyone who owns a dog knows they have “looks”. Sometimes it’s “let’s play”, sometimes it’s “Feed me”, sometimes it’s “Walkies?” – this look she gave me was more like, “Please, please, help me, do something…” So I phoned the vet branch in the next town and asked to go in that afternoon. I had an idea what was going to happen, just a feeling, and a grim acceptance of it. I gathered Becky up and held her on my knee in the taxi, she was just quiet and still. We got to the vets and were told to wait, Becky didn’t even stir at the sight of other dogs, normally she would be hackles up and growling before launching into a ful scale tactical assault, but not now. I looked into her eyes and just saw what I can only describe as peace and gratitude (I know, I know). She licked my hand once, then we were called in…
The vet looked at her and read her notes, and said it didn’t really look very good at all. He said they could start doing tests, and all that – but if I thought she had had a good life and I was ready, they could… I knew what he meant, and agreed, so I took her little collar off and whispered reassurances to her, and stroked and fussed her. As he shaved her foreleg, I said to her “Just like when you go the hairdressers” – and she had only been clipped a few weeks ago. And then I held her while he put the needle in her leg, she didn’t even whine or protest, just fell asleep in seconds and we laid her gently on her side. The vet gave me a few moments alone with her and I kissed one floppy ear and rubbed her skin one final time, then went out to sort out the bill. She was going to be sent to a pet cemetary in Rossendale and cremated…
There were so many memories wrapped up that dog, and she was one of the last major connections with my mum and dad. The house sale had also completed the day before, so it was like all the last ties had suddenly been severed all at once, and exactly a year since my mum died and I was contemplating her funeral etc. Timing felt very, very weird.
So what has this got to do with running? Well, with the nerve, and the dog, and all the other stuff, I hadn’t been running since the Salford 10k, so on Sunday I decided to do a gentle comeback run – minimum of 3 miles, but 5 would be better. I set off, and at 3 miles I was suffering, feeling rusty, but determined to carry on. I had a lot of pent up emotions. I suddenly imagined Becky becks running at the side of me. She was always too old and lazy and small really to come running with me, but now she could – bounding along and matching my speed. It was of comfort to me, and now I figure she can always be there, can even help me along in races, even if she does bugger off to the side of the road and start sniffing like she always would.
Rip my little Becky becks. Looks like Mum wanted you back. Lots of fusses and treats for you, I expect
A picture from her heydays at Etherow Country Park:
Today’s effort was a 5 mile tempo run. Ran the first kilometre in 5:27 as a warmup, and then increased the pace, intending to run around 5 mins/k or better pace, remembering that in my intervals the other day, I had “slowed” to 4:30/k and felt it was reasonably sustainable. Powered up the hill near Sainsbury’s and the 2nd k clocked in 4:59 – so I just decided to see how long I could hold that pace, and apart from a couple of k’s where I slowed a little, I managed to hold it all the way, over 5 miles.
Kilometre Splits:
5:27
4:59
4:55
4:53
5:05
4:56
5:13
4:50
Was interesting that the last k was the fastest, I did push, but felt I was barely moving as by that point I was keeping going by sheer will power and really hurting! But the split shows I managed to keep up the pace until the bitter end! The slower penultimate k had a big uphill over the motorway bridge which slowed me a bit – if not for that and the warm up k, I may have gone sub 40.
Still, a season’s best by over 2 minutes – and gives me confidence I can hold that kind of pace in a 10k race, despite not having done any big long runs as of yet. In fact it’s made me rethink my strategy, as my injuries have always seemed to coincide with long runs – and so far, I seem to be doing fine without them, though need a few 8 milers to improve 10k stamina. Will see how Salford 10k goes, just over a week to go, eek
Been doing some hard runs lately with the Park Run Adventure on Saturday and the mile PB yesterday. Wanted to do something longer today so opted for a 5 mile tempo.
Set off at a sedate, just under 6 mins/k jog pace and gradually got quicker. Felt flying in the early and mid stages but started to hurt in the later stages. However, managed to somehow maintain pace and averaged 5:20/k, but very definitely hurt.
43:00 is a season’s best but nowhere near the PB of 40:01 I set last year – probably need fresher legs to go that fast for that length of time, but felt this tempo run really did me good as I kept running on some very tired legs and screaming lungs!
Put in a lot of running miles last week so on this occasion just took it easy and did a very gentle 5 miles as a kind of recovery run after Sunday’s hard 5k time trial. Felt good.
Tempo run – finding these definitely work better with a slow couple of k’s warm up so managed not to blow up this time!
Did 2k at slow 6/k pace, then aimed to run between 5 and 5:20 per k, managed to stay around 5:07 so was running comfortably but actually not far outside PB pace and certainly inside 51 minute 10k pace – so flat out with race adrenaline etc, who knows what may now be possible. Sub 50 seems inevitable on Sunday now, but am not counting the chickens yet.
Today will be my last hard run before the race – a few easy runs with a few strides is all I plan to to do, and hopefully the intervals I’ve been doing, the long runs and general mileage will pay off and get me a result but I intend to just enjoy it whatever the time
Ran reverse woods route on way to drop off form to finance adviser about increasing pension contributions… Was a flying visit, pleasant enough evening but a threat of rain in the air.
Nice easy paced run mainly on trails in the woods, averaged 6:17/k so nice and slow but that included a stop and a walk up lots of steps near the waterfall. Feet (toes) are a bit sore but otherwise legs and lungs responding fine.
Rounded off a high mileage week (20m) – upped a little from last week, so piling them up now – will have a quieter week with the Birchwood 10k next Sunday.
Attempted a 5 mile tempo run, but got it a bit wrong and it was very very hot and sunny, so I did the first 2 k’s rather too fast and although I maintained it for a while I was on the verge of blowing up at 6k and my heart was really hammering even when I slowed, so just took the last couple of k’s as a cool down.
This will have been my highest mileage week for some time, with a 10 miler and some hard intervals for the first time recently, so have to take into account I may just need a bit of recovery and on reflection an easy run may have been a better idea, with possibly a tempo tomorrow or Monday. May rest tomorrow or do very easy run, will see!
Loosely a Fartlek session, started off with couple of K’s easy, then did a flat out k in 4:33 after which needed a walk break, then jogged along for a k, then did another faster one on a whim, at 4:54, then jogged some more as it started to pour down with rain and the thunder and lightning started up which was cool, I showered as I ran under overflowing drainpipes, and decided to speed up for a last burst, which was slower at 5:10 but I was getting tired.
I can see how intervals/fartlek could really help at training the body to run at high intensity for short periods, then put these all together in a race, so I will be doing more of this after the Moonraker 10k on Sunday.
Am not really sure what’s up with me at the moment – have not slept well for over a week now – even when I do drop off, something wakes me within minutes, or I wake at 5 am, a few hours after nodding off, and can’t even catch up by lying in. Last night I was up at 2.15 am eating toast and ice cream (not at the same time!)
So I am a bit concerned about my back to back race week if I still haven’t slept by Weds 
Will just have to take it as it comes with the insomnia – I have periods like this and then it goes OK again.
As I was feeling very tired, decided to just do a nice slow run through the woods in the evening sunshine and take in some of the sights and sounds of the area.
Managed to keep a nice slow (over 6:00/k) pace all the way, and only got puffed coming up the Stockport Road hill, but felt good apart from groin chafing badly with new shorts, slowed right down at end and resisted temptation throughout to throw in some speed, making it a proper slow run although it was quick enough to end up with flies splattered all over my face, as I discovered when I looked in the mirror!!
