Hip! hip! No way :-(

Hopefully you will have read my article from Totally Active Magazine, if not you can read my "How to Get into Fell Running" feature  here.  The photos used in the article were taken by my lovely and talented friend Shona Bradley - thanks Shona!  I have used a few more here as I think they show the atmosphere of fell running really well.  Also thanks to Caz for being my wing man and letting me look like I was leading!

I have recently been so proud of my ladies running groups, a few weeks ago some of them completed Lyme Park parkrun after around 9 weeks of running in my beginners groups.  Many of them haven't run before so I was really pleased for them and am looking forward to seeing them continue and progress.  It was very important to me to show them that hills are not the enemy, on the contrary they are the jewel in the fell running crown, offering stunning visual as well as fitness rewards!  

In June, I competed in Castleton fell race.  It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it.  The parking was a good 5 minute walk from the start area and registration was busy but very well sorted - channeling runners into little rooms to fill in forms and collect numbers.  

I made a mistake at the start and positioned myself too far back in the field, in hindsight next time I will go to the front as the bottleneck which follows in the first 500m was a little frustrating.  There are a lot of rocky paths in this race and I would recommend wearing shoes you trust.  I was wearing a brand new pair of Roclites which turned out to be slightly too big and I had to stop twice to tighten my laces which was most annoying.

From the Hollowford Centre the course goes up to Lose Hill after a funny camber along a sheep field.  The ascent to the trig is stoney with steep steps but is still runnable.  At the top we bared left and I saw fantastic views to Edale and Derwent water momentarily as I caught my breath.  There was a technical rocky downhill after Lose Hill and I found it quite hard going until we passed through Hollins Cross and I saw a few Striders supporters cheering us on!

The next section took us up to the top of Mam Tor where we had to avoid the front runners gunning down the hill towards us.  I watched the route they were taking and decided I would stick left on the grass for as far as possible when my turn came to descend.  At the trig the wind was blowing a gale and buffeted us round and spat us back down the hill towards Hollins Cross once more.  

The next section was again steep and technical, I was really careful not to go over on my ankle but went for it as much as I could.  Once into a field of cow parsley after a short tarmac section I started to wind it up for the finish.  I was determined the runner behind me was not going to be passing!  A short burst to the finish and mission accomplished, no one passed and I was happy with my effort.  I walked to the refreshment table to have a cup of orange cordial which was very welcome!  Not my best result ever but after quite a long fell running break I was pleased with 1st lady strider and 12th WSEN overall in 64:50.   
The following day I ran round Lyme Park with my running group and noticed my hip hurting with every stride.  I put it down to the concussion effect on my joints from the fell race and decided I would rest until my Tuesday evening group.

By the Tuesday my hip was still hurting, even in walk and in hindsight I probably shouldn't have done 7km that evening.  My hip pain turned chronic and I had to take painkillers and ice it.

Three weeks down the line and my hip is still no better.  I have had physio and been recommended to have 6 weeks off running - my first proper running injury!  I have to take full painkillers/anti inflammatories and do exercises.  I am still allowed to cycle, swim and attend pilates classes - but no running!  

As a result I have withdrawn from Hathersage Hilly Triathlon.  I am really sad about it but these things happen and I'd rather recover quicker and get back to run fitness gradually than wreck myself for the summer by running on it at a race.  My physio says my mantra has to be "to it not through it" meaning to go to the pain but not push it.  I'm going to be sensible and stick to the plan.  My biggest fear is losing run fitness and putting on weight but I will be careful to avoid it by eating sensibly (and trying not to drink too much at weekends! - good intentions!)

For now, my running groups are continuing without me, I am helping them on a consultation type basis recommending routes and hearing their progress through our WhatsApp group.

Today, I have had the pleasure of run directing at Whaley Bridge junior parkrun, it was a lovely sunny morning and we had a hilarious warmup featuring Paul Potato! I love the randomness of working with children - I miss it from my teaching days so this put a big smile on my face!

Next weekend I will be taking part in the 60 mile Manchester to Blackpool ride, which I am looking forward to.  Organising a team of 17 is the order of the week!...

Happy and injury free running to all!

TLF

Histio Ride, Tissington Half and MACCL #1

Since Equinox I seemed to have hit the ground running as it were - two days later, I took part in a charity road bike ride for the Histiocytosis charity.  A friends little boy was diagnosed earlier this year out of the blue after falling and breaking his arm, Xrays showed up a mass which was a concern.  His parents were wonderful and took it all in their stride and started fund raising for the charity.  

Our ride was just a small part of a John O' Groats to Lands End baton journey which saw teams of families affected by the illness - along with their friends and communities, transporting the baton in a range of ways - by bike, on foot and on skates to name a few. You can read all about the Team Isaac story and donate here. 

Our ride went from The Beehive pub in Combs, High Peak to the Tissington Trail at Parsley Hay.  I devised a back roads route which would keep us off main roads as we would be riding at night.  On the night the traffic from Whaley Bridge to Combs via Chapel Road was very fast and unrelenting.  We decided on a last minute route change and headed off from the pub up Castle Naze, which to anyone who knows the area is a jolly big hill! 

My team - representing Team Isaac - consisted of Mr A (Chris), Caz, Glenn, Helen, Jac, Brian and Claire.  We covered 31.8 kilometres with 668 metres of ascent.  The conditions were near biblical - it poured with rain and howled with wind as the light went from the evening sky.  I was freezing! Fortunately, we had friendly faces to meet us at Parsley Hay in the form of Alex and Fred from the Bike Factory who kindly brought vans for us and the bikes and Sara and Lee (with Isaac and Heidi) who came to accept the baton, cheer us in and take photos!  It was tough but for an extremely worthwhile cause and everybody put lots of effort in on all the stages, I was proud of our little team that night! 


As far as running was concerned, I was happy to have stayed injury-free post Equinox and started pacing and upping the miles for the Tissington half Marathon.  After a 15 mile training run and a 10k at just over race pace - I was feeling worried as I found it really hard both mentally and physically.  

Brian Holland - Winner Men's Vet Prize

As anyone who knows me will know - I don't like distance running, it definitely isn't my "thing".  It's not that I'm rubbish at it or anything, I just find it mentally as hard to endure as physically.  I entered the Tissington Half with the aim of getting a 1 hour 45 minute time (and because it was a counter in the GVS championship series) this would be 6 minutes quicker than my PB (I have done one half marathon before in 2015 - the Stockport Trail Half) and as Tissington was billed as being slightly downhill I was hoping to get that new PB.  

On the day I was very dubious, I needed to hold an average of 4:59 minute kilometres to make 1 hour and 45 minutes - a pace I had never held for longer than 10km before.  At the start I hung back from the other GVS ladies, I wanted to run my own race and thought the chip timing would be accurate so it wouldn't matter.  I paced myself well and was surprised to be holding an average of around 4:47 for the first 5k.  

Ladies team haul

Striders and friends before...

Somewhere around 7km there was a slight change in gradient and my pace dropped slightly to the 5:00 minute km mark.  I was trying to avoid letting it get any slower than that and rallied to continue at around 4:45 - 4:59 minutes.  I passed my friend Lesley and had another Strider lady in sight - Mary, she was holding a good pace and as I came alongside her she had a massive spurt and surged ahead again.  Pleased with my continued pace I carried on as I was.  It was lovely seeing supporters, including my sister and her puppy Dotty, at various points along the way.

Striders and friends after

Near the 12 mile mark I started to feel tired, Lesley was just behind but I had reeled in Mary, in the last 2 km Lesley and I broke away and managed a great sprint off with her just pipping me to the post!  I was so chuffed with my time - I managed to finish in 1:42:22 which put the GVS ladies as winning team of three - Sally and Julie both finished a couple of minutes ahead.  I was so pleased, mainly because it was over and I wouldn't have to do it again! 

Just before Tissington, we had a weekend away in the Lake District where we managed to sneak in a trip to Whinlatter, Chris and I both had a go at the Altura North Red route MTB trail.  I endured it but found that it was at the limit of my technical capabilities and I suffered a snapped chain so had to run the final 3km.  I enjoyed all the uphill (I know, I'm weird!) but nearly came a cropper on a few of the drops.  On further inspection Pearl needed fairly hefty work doing to bring her up to scratch again, including a new headset, a new front mech and rear cartridge - basically a couple of hundred quids worth of work on the gears eek!  My bike is a bit like the broom which has all the parts changed!  It is at least the original frame!

Looking like I was enjoying the cross country -
what I was actually enjoying was the fact
I was about 5 yards from being allowed to stop!

The first counter in the Manchester Area Cross Country League (MACCL) was at Wythenshawe Park - this was a new venture for the Goyt Valley Striders and we fielded a ladies team of 5 (4 times to count) and a men's team of 4 (we didn't have enough to count as a full team - six were needed).  It was pretty different and very like school cross country!  There were lots of professional looking people in compression socks and spikes - the really fast looking women had bare midriffs!  Lot's of children were taking part with coaches yelling direction at them from the sidelines - it was a world away from the casual fell races we are used to - especially the terrain - flat grass surrounded by blocks of flats, not exactly beautiful!

The course was a 3 lap 8km consisting of one shorter lap and two (very) long laps.  It was really disorientating and hard to describe, there was no mud and it ran fast on the good going.  I think it was the first race I have ever done where I didn't pass a soul.  I must have started in the right position for my ability because not many ladies passed me either - although some did! I have to say, at the time I hated it.  I hate the flat, I hate the distance - once again I found myself thinking "what am I doing?" but as soon as I finished I decided I would have a go at the next one - I have been promised mud and hills.  Bring it on.

My next race was another counter in the GVS championship - The Longshaw Trust 10k - It was certainly eventful!  The course was a 2 lap of the Longshaw estate which is very varied, from moorland to single track and rooty woodland.  I started off well until disaster struck and I went over badly on my left ankle - my first ever proper injury! I hobbled a few strides and was commiserated by a chap who checked I was OK.  After running a few strides I decided I was OK to carry on and my ankle pain subsided.  Unfortunately my calf began to get a stabbing pain with every footfall and I realised I had probably strained my leg.  I ran through it and decided I may need to retire after one lap.  

About 1km from the start of lap 2 Julie fell over right ahead of me and Amelia.  She too had gone over on her ankle but had fallen heavily with it.  She got up and carried on running but we could tell it was sore.  I decided if Julie retired after 1 lap then I would too.  Amelia has already romped home with the Championship title so it was only Julie I was competing against really.  

Julie being hard as nails decided to carry on much to my dismay but I was feeling OK and felt like I had energy to ignore the pain and keep on running.  I stuck with Julie, deciding I would see how I felt in the latter stages of the race as to whether I made a break for it or not.  Julie was obviously in pain and struggling as soon as the terrain got rough and sure enough right where I had injured myself on the first lap, Julie went over again, this time shouting out in pain.  I did what I would do for anyone and stopped to help.  Julie decided to try and carry on but she was much slower paced after her second fall and I left her to it.  I warned the next few marshals that there may be an injured strider coming and carried on with the race, as much to get the pain over with in my own leg as anything else!  

As I crossed the line some of the male striders and some of our supporters were there and looked concerned that I had blood on my arms, "Oh that's Julies blood" I said thinking to myself that sounded odd and like I had killed her and left her in the woods or something!! I explained what had happened and she came in not long after - I was amazed she had managed to finish at all!

The following week was half term and I rested my leg for four days - it was very sore and stiff around my ankle and all the way up the middle of my calf muscle, but by day 5 I managed a steady 5 miles and it felt fine. On day 6 I did Clumber parkrun and was pleased with my second best 5k time of 22:40 - 4th lady and 26th overall out of 233 runners.  
I am now looking forward to Dovedale Dash this Sunday, which promises to be a bit different!  I am currently sat here aching after a Roaches Fell Race recce yesterday which was 8.5 miles over nearly 550m of ascent! followed by a brutally brilliant Pilate's session today plus a hilly MTB with the girls this afternoon.  Hmmm, what shall I do tomorrow - I know - hill reps!  Great idea Anna!  

Until next time - happy running!

TLF 

What a week!

Wow.  When I started this blog I decided I would keep it private, blogs are for self-indulgent geeky types right? Who wants to hear me going on about my life anyway? Well I'm really glad I pressed that "public" button and shared on FB with you all because the response has blown me away!

Since sharing I've discovered that I've had friends who have had their gait assessed, started the Couch to 5k and my Auntie has done her first parkrun!  Others have said they feel like starting running again, which is all amazing and totally the response was hoping for!

Last week, I had an accident which, by now, everyone who knows me knows about, and it's made me realise that, although all this stuff is amazing and healthy, we are all mere mortals who need to look after ourselves!   - And hurting yourself is an absolute pain in the arse! (though not literally, I didn't actually hurt that!).

Obviously, when pushing yourself it is always going to hurt at times (no pain no gain) and there will be injuries and aches and pains - I am the first to have a week off when I get a cold or if I feel tired, I do tend to be good at listening to my body.  Last summer, I got a terrible throat infection - which is still plaguing me now, and I had weeks off with it.    

I was entered for the Langsett 10k trail (although sounded more fell) race last Sunday but I withdrew.  Although I had been out on my MTB as a confidence building exercise two days after my crash, I just felt that I wasn't up to it.  My leg is still bruised and swollen, and my back has started to ache (I wondered when that might happen as I thought I'd got away with it!). So Sunday was a down day, although I did manage a steady and careful 5k training run :-) (When you start running and enjoying it you will understand the need to get out, I promise!).

Looking forwards at my training schedule, I don't have any races until the 10th April when I will be competing in the Thomas Theyer Fell Race.  It's not a championship race or anything, but its a fab route and a great cause -  If you would like to sponsor me please follow this link.  

So now my aims are to get back out on my road bike, do some more confidence building MTB rides with my girl friends and up my running mileage gradually as my body recovers. I'd like to be getting 2-3 runs a week in but with 2 bikes I am going to have to pick and mix a bit!

Looking further forward I have enquired about getting some swim stroke lessons in preparation for my first triathlon in July, so that will be beneficial to my fitness too.

Very excitingly, I have managed to secure some products to test and tell you about, so look out for more details very soon!