Back To Basics

6 weeks nearly without a worthwhile run, its hell! Things are starting to look up now though, on Thursday I was allowed to get on the running machine, on Tuesday I'll be allowed to switch it on!! All the rehab is starting ot work on my dodgy back, I actually did 10 minutes on the machine with no ill effects, it was a huge milestone for me. Then it was back in the gym for more core work with the physios, where I regularly make a complete arse of myself. Thursday they had me sat on a big exercise ball with my feet on a small one and another small one between my knees.......that was what they wanted anyway, most of the time it was just me laying on the floor surrounded by balls and cursing. At least we all have a giggle about it. Looking back I can see now that not doing the GNR was absolutely the right thing to do, I was nowhere near capable of finishing and just attempting it could have set me back weeks or months.
Now I'm really trying ot focus on getting fit enough to run for an hour by the end of this month. Then I can work towards getting back my long run fitness ready to start LM training on the 23rd December. Have yo noticed that FLM 2008 was 6 months away yesterday, it'll soon pass!

Well done to all the team who finished the GNR, hope to see you soon.

And QPR finally won a game, England won the football, the Rugby boys stuffed the French....it's the start of a new beginning for all of us. Apparently it was all written in my stars, but I'm a Taurean and Taureans don't believe in Astrology!!

Rodents Ruin Race

Or...Mice 1 - Man 0.

The bloody mice (Rodentus Rascalias) have suceeded!
6'1'' and 165lbs of me (Mannus Miserableas) has been defeated in the great battle of the garage. The mortal wound inflicted upon my back during the final push has not recovered anywhere near enough and so, it was with sadness that I have just spoken to Kay at GSK and had to withdraw from the GNR. In future, the cats (Felix Feebleus) will be starved routinely once a month and deposited in the garage to carry out counter insurgency operations against the rebel militia mouse. This I feel will be a 'hearts and minds' operations, the cats can eat the hearts and I dont mind what they do with the other bits of the terrormice. The only possible downfall could be that the cats join forces with the rodent army and they too start consuming carb gels at a similar rate, leading to increased spottings of the infamous 'Beast of Bodmin' or as is more correct, the 'Frightening Feline of Falmouth'

Obviously the 'happy pills' that I am currently taking are at this moment having thier full effect otherwise I'm not sure I could make such light hearted comments about missing the race. I was really looking forward to taking part in the biggest half marathon in the world and catching up with everyone from TLS again. For me events like the GNR make all the training in heat/rain/sleet/thunder(I live in Cornwall, thats only one day's weather!) worthwhile and I love having a target to train to, sadly, this time it just 'aint gonna happen'. I cant even come along and support you all as 8 hours in the car could quite possibly cause me terminal damage in the back department and the thought of laying on the hard shoulder of the M5 trying to reset my muscles fills me with fear!
So all I can do now is wish each and every member of the team good luck on the day, enjoy the event and the post race frivolities and remember to say a thank you to whoever, everyday that you stay fit cos its a s**t when aren't!

Oh one more thing, if you see anyone dressed as a mouse.........give 'em a kick from me :-)!

New training partner!

After 'training' with Mr Co-codamyl and Auntie Inflammatory, I have new partners from Wales, Mr Dai azipam and his friend Val Ium (are they the same thing??) !
As you can probably guess, the back is no better at all so now I'm on the big stuff, Dai is great, a quick dose of him and an hour later, I feel I could run a marathon, then I fall asleep and stay that way until he wears off.
So, another week signed off work, another week with no training and another week of frustration. Chances of me making the GNR now.........slim, very slim and VERY disappointed!
I really feel that I'm letting everyone down, especially Kay and Nick at GSK who gave me this opportunity and that makes it so much worse, sorry guys!
If a miracle happens and everything suddenly fixes itself......we'll see. Next appointknet with physio is Friday so no decision until then really I suppose, fingers crossed....

No miles and no smiles

The back is back, with a vengeance, not another dodgy Bruce Wilils film but the true story of my duff back :-( Friday's run didnt seem to have done any harm at all, Saturday was a rest day ( I still really like them!) and this morning I could hardly move again. Now I'm ferd up with it, I'm disappointed and I dont know what to do now. Another appointment with the physio tomorrow but I'm not at all confident..........gloom returns to Cornwall.

Sick Smiles

Today I got out of bed, just like that, no aching, no moaning about my back, just got up! No idea what magic the physio did yesterday but today I feel so much better, hardly a twinge, the man is a miracle worker!!
So while I was having a good day, I decided it would be good to put my trainers on and go for a bit of a trot. Just back from said trot and I feel about 95 but I dont care, I'm running again, 6.2 miles in a new all time personal worst time. I was only going to do 6 but I did the extra 0.2 in case the European Court sued me for not using metric distances!! At no point could the words 'pace', 'speed' or 'comfortable ' have been applied to my little foray, in fact at one point I was overtaken by some stubble growing from my chin but I did manage to get out and run.
Also got a nice parcel of energy drinks and carbgels from GSK today, must remember to keep it away from the mice!
16 days to go then, just got to sort out 1. Transport to GNR (probably trusty Fiesta) 2. Accomodation (probably same trusty Fiesta!) and 3. Running 13.1 miles (half a mile extra each day with one day's rest).. and the wife says I leave everything to the last minute, pah!!

Have a good weekend everyone

Dark Days

Back from the physio and feeling better-ish. I once again mentioned that it was his single duty to get me sorted for the Great North Run, after all, if I was actually paying him, that's exactly what I'd be paying him for! This time I received not a 'we'll see' look but a 'I don't think so' look. So we discussed the options, The Great North Jog, The Great North Bimble and lastly The Great North 'Pop Along, have a nice day out, enjoy the crowd and see how it goes'. He thinks the last option is my best bet, I'm planning on the first option with maybe a bit of the other two thrown in towards the end!!
I've never yet managed to train for a big race without injury trying to bugger my chances and I've never yet somehow managed to get through it and give it my best shot, the GNR will be no different....I hope.
I'm more concerned about the lack of long runs than my back to be honest, I know my back hurts but I've got no idea at all how many miles I've got in my legs. I reckon the first 7-8 will be pretty straight forward, 9-11 will be tough and 11-13 will be a lottery, obviously the last 0.1 will be a piece of cake as I lift my head and kick for the finish, overtaking a panto horse and a man in a straight jacket on the way ( I reckon the Lucozade bottle will be long finished by then!)
In the mean time, I'm completely fed up with day time TV (where do they find those people??) and the once mighty Queens Park Rangers still cant buy a win, never mind earn one, dark days indeed.

Q. Is 17 days long enough to train for a half marathon?
A. 'Course it is.........does anyone know what time it gets dark in South Shields?? :-)

Physio-terrorist

Today I went to the doctors for my 10:30 appoinment..... I waited until 10:45 and then calmly asked if the doctor I was supposed to see was actually coming to work today as her office was empty. Much scurrying around by the Med Centre staff uncovered the fact that they had booked me an appointment for NEXT monday by mistake and the doc I was supposed to see was still on holiday, deep joy! After much apologising they sorted me an immediate appointment with the physio which was good news as I know he is great having used him before with real (running!) injuries. He took a look at my pained expression and prodded my back carefully and decided that it's too soon to do any painful stuff on it so he gave me more co-codamyl and another appointment for Thursday. I pointed out to him the urgency of getting fixed in time to do some more training before the GNR and he gave me one of those knowing looks that said 'hmm maybe'. So, I might not be anywhere my PB of 1:47 on the day but I WILL be there. Anyone want a slow running partner for the day???!!!

Of MIce and Men

Its Summer, so as is traditional, the garage gets its annual clean out after a year of having junk 'tidied away' into it. It amazes me how much rubbish builds up in there but with a spring in my step I ventured forth. I've known for a while that there was a mouse type thing living in there, apparent by the enthusiasm the cats showed every time I opened the door and the fact that the old pushchair had been eaten! Our best mousing cat was often deposited into the garage to deal with the little buggers but all to no avail, never did she come out with a lifeless rodent hanging limply from her mouth! The reason for this has become apparent....... deep in the darkest corner was an old empty Lucozade Carb Gel box, I thought it was empty anyway. Picking it up I heard something move inside and to my surprise I noticed not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 empty sachets of gel with tiny teeth marks in. The bloody mice have been Carbo loading!! No wonder the poor cat couldnt catch them!! Anyway said garage is now tidy and apparently rodent free.

I on the other hand, I am completely buggered. Lifting the very last car seat into place after the big clean up and I felt two distinct 'cracks' in my lower back, one either side. Having been forced to lie on the drive for 15 minutes in agony and unable to move I crawled indoors and gathered my thoughts. In order of importance they were, 1. Sh*t, will I be better in time for the GNR, 2. Sh*t I wont be able to run with the club tonight and 3. Thank God I got the garage finished first! I now have an appointment with a doctor this afternoon where hopefully he will tell me that its just a small muscle strain and everything will be fine, but it doesn't feel like that.....watch this space.

Obvioulsy I dont have any training stories to tell at the moment as I cant bend over to tie my laces but rest assured that as soon as I can bend far enough I'll be out on the roads again with my new training friends, Mr Co-codamol and Mr Anti-inflammatory!!

Great North Run

I came into running late, probably as part of a mid life crisis! After training hard for this year's Flora London Marathon with the support of TLS, I'm delighted to be part of the team again. Running in the GNR once again gives me a focus and a reason to 'get out and do it', no excuses!

I use running as a life saver....sometimes it stops me killing someone!