Snowdrops and Daffodils
As we set out for our run, the sun is out and it’s a beautiful day. It’s amazing how the weather can make you feel so much better or worse when running. I decided that I wanted to do the Tennyson 20 again. I ran it before Christmas but I wanted to see how much my fitness had improved since I ran it last time. The weather was certainly better and it gave me such a buzz to see all the snowdrops and daffodils as you know that spring has finally arrived and you can look forward to being able to do all your running in daylight and pack your head torch away. The rain had held off for a couple of days now so the footpaths had started to dry out and were much more runable.
The Tennyson 20 is such a fab route. The hills are hard work and this time I could hit them hard and not feel like I was gonna faint at the top. Mind you, it doesn’t matter how much harder I run them as Chris still manages to have a 5 min rest at the top while he waits for me! When we got back to the car Chris informs me that this time I was 50 mins quicker than last time, so I was over the moon with that. Perhaps I can start to believe that my training is going in the right direction and all my hard work is starting to pay off. Still a long way to go but I can do this.
The Sunday before I went out for 2 and half hours, and the weather was horrendous. When I set off it was only a drizzle and I thought it would pass but how wrong was I! By the time I got back home my hands didn’t work and I had to kick the front door so someone could let me in. Ellie had to help me undress as my hands no longer belonged to my body. I jumped into bed once I had got dressed, Archie put an extra 3 blankets on me but I still could not stop shaking. Our Ellie said it was because my hair was wet so she got out her hairdryer and started to dry my hair. Archie used my hairdryer to blow hot air under the duvet. They were both laughing their heads off at me, but they were fab and brought me tea and biscuits to try and help me warm up. Chris came up to see if I was ok. I think I said that I was going to die and he just smiled as he knows I can be a such drama queen! Once I stopped shaking, I did question why I did this to myself as it really wasn’t much fun.
So I am glad that Spring is finally here. Just seeing blue skies and the sun shining makes us all feel so much better. Anyone that is training for that spring marathon, I’m sure you have all laid in bed on a Sunday morning listening to the wind and rain and dreading that long lonely run. But the hard work is nearly over and once race day comes there will probably be a mini heatwave and you will wish at that 20 mile marker that it was cold and raining and look ahead to those last 6.2 miles thinking never again!
In my first blog, I said that I would be able to give an honest review of the Adidas Boost Supernova after I had run quite a few miles in them. With everyone training for a spring marathon I have been able to do quite a few 20 milers on the road, so I have been able to put them to the test. I have had them for nearly 4 months now and have worn them for any road runs that I’ve done. I still comfortably land on my mid foot and the cushioning still feels great, soft underfoot. I haven’t had any injury problems with wearing them and they still feel very responsive even on tired legs.
I’m not sure how many miles I have done in them, but I have been running 40-60 miles a week since the start of December. Some weeks my long runs are off road but I reckon so far I have ran over 400 miles in them. The upper part of the shoe is still in great condition, no rips or tears at the side of the toe box which can always be the first part to go. The wear on the soles is also great, just slightly worn on the right heel. Over the years I have tried quite a few different brands but this is by far the best shoe I have ever worn and I’m very impressed. At long last I have found my perfect training shoe!
I have just recieved another pair of the Boost Supernova, but this time it has a structured support. I’ve never run in a structured pair of trainers before so I was a little bit nervous to use them. I decided to do just a few short runs to begin with to see how they felt. To be honest they felt very much like my previous pair with regards to cushioning etc, but I have noticed that when I have worn them longer than 5 miles my right foot at the side started to ache. After my run it has felt a little bit sore and I have looked at my old trainers and noticed that my right shoe on the heel has worn down much more than the left – perhaps without knowing my right foot is not landing the same as it used to and I’m going over to one side. Maybe this could be due to being injured – perhaps my running style has changed slightly to compensate? I will speak to the guys at The Lincolnshire Runner and see about having another gait analysis done to check my running form.
With the shoes I recieved a pair of Supernova shorts and another t-shirt. I love the colour of the top as orange is one of my favourite colours as it’s a happy colour. I have been able to take the shorts out for a blast in the sunshine and they feel fab. They sit on my hips and have a very soft waist band. I have never gone for a baggy pair before. Normally I prefer running in a skort, but think the shorts will be fab for racing in. Just to let you all know, even Mr Rainbow has brought himself a pair of Adidas Boston for his next road marathon. It’s the first pair of road shoes he has brought in years as he doesn’t do tarmac. So we now have a full house – might have to see if I can get something for the dog!
My training for the Lakeland 50 is going great, been getting plenty of miles in and I have just started doing hill reps in Tetford. It’s a great footpath so keeps me off the tarmac and with each up and down I can get 200 ft worth of climb in. It can be a bit boring just running up and down the same hill but this is Lincolnshire and we haven’t got moutains to train on. And I love getting lapped by Chris who can make me feel like I’m walking! I did my first recce the other weekend. We ran from Ambleside to Coniston Water. I was in charge of the map and directions – only went wrong once but we soon realised so that has given me a right confidence boost. I have spent years in the Lakes but I always just follow Chris so to be let loose with the map and end up in the right place was a massive surprise! The terrian was much better than what I thought it would be. I thought it would be pretty much the same as the Bob Graham, but this is definitely a lot easier and the paths are much easier to follow.
So the running is going fab, but now it’s even more important to make sure I recover properly and get plenty of sleep. I have started to try and eat alot more healthily. My diet is fairly good now, but there is no way I’m giving up my cup of tea and biscuits.! I have been having a sports massage once a month for the past 5 years. It’s an important part of my training plan and I look forward to it. I go to see Claire Grant at Wholeistic in Louth. I also go there for a facial or to have my nails done as I think having a little bit of a pamper is good for you and the sports massage is so very important as it helps keeps me injury free.
I started seeing Phil Williams at Great Northern Physiotherapy in May 2016 at the recommendation of fellow runners at my local club. I had had right lower back and leg pain for nearly a year after completing a particularly undulating marathon and I was struggling to get back running without spasm and pain. After a long time out, I was starting to lose confidence and hope of ever getting back to running.
On my first session with Phil he took a thorough the history of my problem, as well as finding out more about my ‘normal’ training regime and running background. I was impressed by his professionalism and he immediately put me at ease and I was encouraged to ask questions throughout. He then carried out a physical examination including checking the range of movement in my back, reflexes and strength in my legs. He tested for joint stiffness, muscle and nerve tension. He was respectful and mindful to protect my dignity and made sure I was comfortable throughout the assessment.
He explained the cause of the pain was likely to be a degenerative disc at the L5/S1 level with nerve irritation and discussed how the condition would present and respond to treatment. Over the next few sessions he worked on my lumbar spine to reduce joint stiffness and mobilised my sciatic nerve. I also had acupuncture with Phil. This was the first time I had had this treatment and it really helped the muscle spasm and pain. My symptoms dramatically improved and the leg pain had gone. I was left with some intermittent lower back pain and stiffness. We then started to plan training sessions and future running goals. I was finally back running in a matter of weeks and feeling confident my back wouldn’t let me down. The time between the sessions increased as the pain eased. Now I see Phil when I get the odd twinge or need a ‘loosener’ before competing. I think of it like my MOT, keeping me going.
So it’s nearly time for The London Marathon and part of me wishes I was joining all those 30,000 other runners at the start line, I know I said never again, but the feeling of running towards Tower Bridge with all the noise or seeing Big Ben for the first time is just magic! Every part of the route is filled with people cheering you on. As you run through the East End you have steel bands or DJ’S blasting out some tunes which gives you such a buzz – you might even be lucky enough for someone to hand you a bottle of beer and then you can party your way round! So good luck to all you club runners who are chasing that pb, or perhaps your running for a charity that is very close to your heart. You might even be someone who this time last year wasn’t even running – just enjoy the day and take in the sights if you can. Or maybe your head will be down just following that blue line determind to get that time! I will be sat at home watching and keeping track of all my friends who are racing that day, and maybe after the Lakeland 50, I will go and get that good for age so I can finish off what I was meant to last year!
