...and so we start again

This week we have returned from our festive break and for some, like myself, today was my first day back at work.  The two weeks seem to have flown in but it's an important time to reflect on everything and take a break.  Unfortunately I won't be the only one that came down with the cold.  As soon as my brain tuned into holiday mode, BAM it was a snot fest.  I'm sure my body is trying to tell me I'd been running on empty for too long.  Note to self - listen more carefully and take care.  Spare parts for older models are harder to come by!
This is my first blog in about 6 weeks and the reason is simple.  Until the last week I haven't been able to run because of my knee injury although I have been working in the gym to rehab the knee and to improve my core strength.  But no squats for 4 months so I'm having to improvise to build back the VMO muscle above the knee.
For once my "economical" style of running (i.e. lazy and don't lift my feet) is good as it restricts the amount of knee bend which will help my knee heal quicker.  I'm now up to 8km but as my cardio is poor, I'm running slowly and will take my time in build it up, but NO downhill running.
Until yesterday I had no news about an "A" race for 2024, but Christmas came late for me.  I hadn't got through the ballot for the West Highland Way race - this was my third time of applying.  Beth didn't get in either.  But I was in the first 50 pulled out and was told if there were any refusals then they'd be offered in the order we were drawn out in.  I then got a message to say 32 had withdrawn but I was in the last 18 so still no place.  However not all 32 paid their money on time or decided against the race so I got in - I think that is an good omen.
The race starts on Saturday 22nd June and you have 35 hours to complete the 95 miles and 14,760 ft of ascent (3.3 x Ben Nevis).  I've wanted to do this race for years and it attracts runners from all over the world - total number of runner 300 max but if anyone drops out now, they aren't replaced.  They budget that 20% drop out before the race.
I now have my focus and every training session is now geared to this race.  I just need to make sure I come back easy and don't damage my knee, again.  170 days to go and lots of adventures as I prepare for this epic race.  Beth & Stu, my crew for the race, are running The Highland Fling (first 53 miles of the West Highland Way) on 23rd April and I'll be training with them on the WHW and will support them during their race.  I've done it twice and it's a great event to be part of.
No new year resolutions (I believe it creates a negative mind set) but plenty of stretching goals ahead.  I hope 2024 is a wonderful year for you and your family.  Go get it!

Perfect timing

It's the season to be......injured, tra la la la la la la la la. Bah humbug I hear you say.  Well I've got time on my hands so I'm getting into the Christmas spirit, and a few mince pies along the way!  Actually I don't like mince pies but sticking to the festive theme here.
I'll probably not be running for the rest of the year but that doesn't mean I'm not training.  Frustrating though it is, I'm hitting the gym my spaghetti arms are more like linguine arms heading towards penne arms.  Leaving the food analogy aside, the gym work is paying off and my upper half is getting stronger.
Unfortunately, I can't put load on my legs and have to avoid bending my left knee so those options are limited.  I have a few exercises recommended by my physio and I'm now up to 1kg.  But I'm using bands to work my glutes, quads and hammies.  Regular yoga is keeping me moving - m"motion is lotion" as yogie Mark Russell says.
My PT is working me hard and will be an important part of my rehab over the winter months.  I aim to come back much stronger and less prone to injury.  That is my No.1 goal and just the thought of it keeps me going as retaining a positive mindset with definitive goals is essential.
Enjoy your running and take care on the slippy surfaces.  This is a beautiful time of year and don't forget to party during the festive season.  You've worked hard all year and your body deserves a different type of punishment!  I'll post again when I have some progress to report.  Till then....so here it is Merry.........Try getting that song out of your head!
 

Listen to your body

My blog seems to have turned into a medical journal in 2023.  So at the risk of being repetitive and/or boring I'll keep this one short.
Listening to my body isn't difficult.....it creaks.  You can't fail to hear it!  After my manual labour in Romania I came back with aching quads and knees.  They were on the mend then I tripped.  My physio has just told me I have bruised the inside of my knee cap, and have fluid on the knee.  This is going to take rest, at least of my knee, so it's upper body and core work in the gym, plenty of band work and I'm going to venture back in the pool - excluding my legs as always with a pull buoy!
I'm actually looking forward to the break from running but having entered the ballot for the West Highland Way (fingers crossed) I'll be back at it as soon as I get the "green light".  But in the meantime I have "body work" to be done.
I'll post again when I have got some news worth speaking of.  If you are fit, healthy and injury free, then appreciate every minute of it and I hope it lasts.  I am all too aware strength training is no longer optional for me if I want to continue running.  Take care.

Rest, Rehab and Strengthen

The hardest part of any race, is getting to the start line injury free and fit.  As I stood next to Beth in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam I thought it was mildly amusing we were both undertrained and unfit, for a marathon due to various circumstances, and she had a cold and I had an injured knee and lower back.  But we were there and going to give it our best effort while enjoying the course.
My strategy was, for the first time ever, to run consistent 5 min 20 sec KMs to get a time of 3hrs 45 mins.  I knew it would be hard and was quite prepared to give it a go and if it went t1ts up, I'd either jog in or stop.  What I wasn't prepared for was that on exiting the Olympic Stadium, what an atmosphere, there would be the first of many "pinch points" which reduced you to walking.  I ran harder than I wanted to after each pinch point but my first km was still 5:40.
The course was fantastic.  The crowds were amazing lining the whole route.  Running beside the river Amstel and admiring the beautiful houses took my mind of the niggles, but I knew around 30 km it was going to start getting painful.  I got a massive boost when 2 of Beth's cousins with partners and kids gave me a big shout out.  If you are ever in a crowd watching a race, encourage the runners with a shout out as it works every time.
The weather was almost ideal at 11 degrees and no wind but there was some torrential rain and hailstones which was normal for us!
When I got to 21km I knew I couldn't keep the pace going and therefore 3hrs 45mins wasn't possible but I wanted under 4 hours so I gritted my teeth and hobbled on.  I couldn't afford to stop as I knew I'd cease up but at the same time I had to restrict my gait as my right hamstring was ready to blow - tight as a snare drum!
On reaching the Olympic Stadium the crowd was even more lively and doing a lap in that atmosphere is what had kept me going.  I crossed the line, 3 hrs 55 mins and promised myself that was my last race of the year - my body was relieved to hear that.
As I was about to exit the stadium, Beth came flying in with a huge smile on her face.  She was having a great time "living in the moment".  Despite her cold, having to stop and tie her laces and posing for a picture with her cousins, she was only 9 mins behind me.  Two days before I doubted she'd make the start line and was hoping she wasn't going to pass her cold to me (I fortunately avoided it).  What an effort and she enjoyed every moment of it.
It was good to have our friends Team Gall racing in the Marathon and they had a great race and enjoyed it too.  Unfortunately we never saw them due to the number of runners.
My knee, lower back and hammy were painful when we got home and I got a massage and saw my sports therapist who taped my knee.  I won't be running for a week to give it a chance to repair.  Today I was back with my Personal Trainer and it was more like a rehab session.  Bartek is getting to know my physical limits and adjusting the programme accordingly. The strength training and yoga are the answer and essential to me being able to carry on with these adventures. That is our winter plan and we'll have to dust down the turbo trainers.  
It's a fine balancing act, training / racing when injured but I've ran more races this year than in any other year since I started this madness in 2008.  A lot of that is down to Beth and we are hoping to have an exciting 2024 if we can get through the ballots for certain races.

It's come full circle

For those of you who are new to my blog, all this "craziness" started in 2008 when, due to too much alcohol, I entered a "white collar" charity boxing event in London.  It was an amazing event, black tie, £400 per ticket and TV camera's.  Fortunately I lost, so gave up boxing, but not before raising £14,000 for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre's.  I loved the training and the fitness, but not getting beaten up, so entered a triathlon as I couldn't swim!  That led to Ironman then Marathon des Sables  (5.5 marathons self supported across the Sahara Desert in 6 days) and many more crazy events and this blog has reported on my journey throughout.
I'm now approaching 62, how did that happen?  I still have ambitions to enter events that will stretch me to limits I don't know I even have.  But my body and mind need to hold up.
I'm still coming to terms with being diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation but hope the medication and me keeping an eye on it will allow me to continue with these events - might have to turn down the ones over more than a week in the heat.
To do this, I have hired a personal trainer as I need to be become stronger to reduce my susceptibility to injury.  Before the Glasgow half marathon my training was affected by sore quads and then I fell and really hurt my left knee.  I was fortunate that it didn't affect my Glasgow half marathon but it has affected my training for the Amsterdam Marathon in a weeks time.  The strength training is going well, although my knee is still not good, but today I returned to boxing training after a 15 year gap.  Just circuits and pad work but, I managed to get tennis elbow FFS!  Couldn't believe it and had to miss out part of the training.  It was a tough session and I was blowing out my a@@e but I don't like failing and this was a fail.
Earlier today I read a race report from my pal Wilson who has had a tough year involving back problems and DNFs in half ironman races.  He battled through in his "A race", Barcelona Ironman, and was slower than he wanted but took pride in finishing the race in difficult conditions.  That's the mental strength you need to compete in these events.  He might be feeling his age, we're all getting older but mentally he's focused on his goal of a sub 10 hour ironman.  It's friends and stories like this that inspire me to work hard during the winter to get in shape for next year.  
So 15 years later I come full circle and back to boxing.  It will be part of my winter fitness training and hopefully I can get rid of the tennis elbow.  I can assure you however that I won't be going back in the ring.  That was an experience I wouldn't want to repeat.  Age may only be a number but keeping my body injury free is probably my biggest challenge.  Bring on the winter training.

Great Scottish Run Half Marathon 2023

What a day.  What an event.  What a race.  It's estimated 30,000 took part in the half marathon but all I know is Glasgow "came alive".  The runners, experienced or otherwise, came out to complete either their 10th or their 1st.  The sun shone.  The crowds lined the streets and cheered us on.
I was in the purple pen and separated from Beth, Holly & Stuart that I was travelling with.  I met my pal Beardy which was good but there was so much chatter going on from excited runners that I shrank into myself and just focused on the starting pistol.  I was unsure I could complete the race due to my knee injury but I was going to give it my best shot.
I was aiming for 1 hour 45 mins and knew from last year that the pacer starts off fast up St. Vincent Street.  After 500m I'd lost Beardy, he was flying and after 3km I was doubting my knee would last and I was considering pulling out.  Then I thought about my WHY.  This was a lead up to the Amsterdam marathon in 2 weeks time.  It was to test my ability to maintain a fast pace, faster than I'd ever achieve in training.  Faster than I'd run all year.  And I was injured.
Beth was also injured with plantar fasciitis but she was going to push through the pain.  They say 80% of runners are running injured but we weren't going to let spoil our day.
I lost the 1:45 min pacer at 5km.  He was doing sub 5min kms which was too fast for me.  But the time made up with the sub 5's offset against the slow K's in Pollok park.  Once again my heart rate defied logic.  Running my fasted time this year and my average heart rate was 147 with a max of 157.  It goes higher in Strathclyde Park running slow!  But my other watch showed I had been in AFib - it's all about the rhythm.  I hit my 1:45 target and Beth was happy(ish), being 5 mins behind although she would have preferred being 1 minute ahead!  A successful day. Fortunately the meds are working so tomorrow is a new day. Training starts for Amsterdam in 13 days time.  I think both Beth & I will enjoy the scenery around the route rather than go for a PB as we don't have the training in us.  But then again, who knows.  It will depend on the WHY.
But Glasgow you rocked today.  Thank you to everyone who cheered us on.  Being "inside the ropes" is such a privilege and I will never take it for granted being able to take part in these events.

A fine balancing act

As you know, I'm cramming for the Great Scottish Half Marathon next Sunday, 1 October.  Two weeks later I am taking on the Amsterdam Marathon.  I've been getting treatment from Grant McLullich of the Treatment Hub in Hamilton and the results are showing.  Before the treatment started I could hardly bend my knees without severe pain in my quads.  At the same time I started with Beth's personal trainer Bartek, who doesn't take any prisoners.  A week ago after my treatment, Bartek made me squat for 40 mins.  Before that my normal was 10 mins then I couldn't walk for the next 2 days.  Surprisingly the next day I had no pain and was out running!  But one squat session doesn't make a summer!  
My personal training is tough but going well.  However with my race a week away I need to balance getting strong with not being too tired for Sunday.
I also have to keep an eye on Amsterdam.  So on Saturday I ran 32 km at a slow 6 min km but this is ideal practice marathon preparation, but it might not help my half marathon speed.  I was accompanied by my pal Gavin who is also doing the same races and having company made all the difference.
Beth is also cramming her training as life has "got in the way" of training.  But it's important to train when ever possible as it makes you feel so much better.  Today she ran 30 kms on her own down south and that's tough mentally. The races are just the cherry on the all important cake.
This week I will run three times which will include some speed work as I want to get a good time in both races assuming my body holds up.  I'll also be keeping a close eye on my heart rate and if it gets too high I'll walk it in.  Life is more important than a medal.
We're definitely in Autumn now and choosing what to wear can be a real pain as you're either too hot or too cold depending on what you wear as the temperatures fluctuate.  But there is something fresh about the air now.  Not as fresh as the other week when we were walking on the most beautiful beaches in the world on the island of Lewis & Harris.  We took a rest from training but had a couple of dips in the sea which was refreshing.  It was a much needed break and part of our fine balancing act.