Insanity sends buggy running mum to prison

Outside Forest Bank Prison

I've been blessed with 3 months of pretty positive training with everything going to plan.  However every runner fears one of two things, illness and injury.

After leaving on a high and raring to go after the Gainsborough 10k, I woke up feeling ill the next day.  That's OK I thought one easy days cycle and I'll bounce back tomorrow.

I'm not a fan of a rest day and start to break out in cold sweats at the thought of two, so I couldn't work out whether the illness was getting worse or the thought of consecutive rest days had sent me over the edge.

I'm not a fan of negativity either so by Friday when I went to watch Owen run in the Salford 10k I thought what the hell am I going to write about this week.  Other than sleeping in bed during the day with a huge winter coat on to stop me from shaking.

So I'll tell you about my trip to Forest Bank Prison 30 times in 50 minutes!

We arrive at Salford at the crack of dawn, Owen is a bit of a fan in getting to a race super early, we may have well have put the cones and mile markets out.

I thought I'd use this spare time to get in my run before the race started and had checked out that there looked like there was a nice river path close by.  Double checking I asked a local who didn't sound so local! (clue number one)  what the path was like and whether is was OK for a running buggy.  'Yes and you can go for miles'  was the reply.  Off I went to find the route and hopefully put an end to a not so positive week of running.

The first access I tried to take onto the path couldn't have fit a small shopping trolley through it.  Anyone who knows me will know that once I have an idea I'll do anything to make it happen.  So I took a detour to find another way to the water.  All I can think of is this man have never run with a buggy before or probably walked with one as the trail consisted of mud and large stones.  Yet I still tried to run on it but seeing Archie catapulting up and down and thinking of Owen asking why all 3 tyres were flat I let the inevitable happen.  I turned around to look for an alternative as there was no way I wasn't going to run.

I found a lovely alternative route which consisted of about 600 meters down a road leading to ....prison.  So I ran up and down it with the buggy about 30 times until I had run for 50 minutes.  I could only think the guys in there looking out thought 'I think she needs to exchange places with me'.

As 'd:ream' says 'Things can only get better' and they did I managed to end the week with a long run without coughing my guts up too much, so onwards and upwards for next week.

Summary of this weeks training:

Monday: Recovery bike 50 min

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Recovery run 50 min

Friday: Recovery run 50 min

Saturday: 10, 40 at level 2, 10

Sunday: Long run in recovery 1h35min

#TEAMJAMES

What a week of buggy running.  My training has shifted from doing the majority of runs without the buggy to running with the little fellow.

The speed sessions were tough this week but I had the joy of easing back towards the end of the week to do my first buggy race the Gainsborough 10k. A flat, fast PB course (but not with a buggy and baby).


The race conditions were perfect, cold but the sun came out and just 9 mph winds.  The usual funny looks mixed with smiles of affection when then saw Archie, Owen and I warming up in our new #TEAMJAMES tops which we have had done for the big day.

The race organiser for set us off 1 minute before due to health and safety reasons before starting the pack of 700 runners who would be hunting us down.

Checkout the race car hunting us down

Definitely a once in a life time experience leading the race but it didn't take long until the whippets came gliding through and became little dots in the distance.

It was so uplifting to get support from fellow runners mainly men for were impressed with what we were doing and the occasional shouts from the supporters saying 'Well done, first baby'.

The target was to hit just below the pace which I would need to run the Ramathon in around 6.50 pace.  I got a nice cheer from the crowds with 100 meters to go when I  got a bit over excited and took a 90 degree corner at 6 minute mile pace and the buggy flying around on 2 wheels.  A bit like rally car I thought I was going to take some spectators out.

Archie was a star not a peep out of him so I'm hoping he will be just as good when I run the half.

We crossed the line in 41.28 an average of 6.40 per mile with a smiling mum, dad and baby (once he saw he has milk waiting for him).  I finished 11th lady overall.

Just before my 2 wheeler

I'd like to thank Kevin Housham the race organiser for giving me the opportunity to race. To the runners and supporters who gave me a boost along the way.  To Owen for putting up with my losing it when my heart rate monitor fell off  and Archie for being a special little training partner.

Other great news this week is I finally got the official email from Guinness World Records to confirm my application is approved so lets hope no one reduces the World Record time before June 5th!.

Summary of this weeks training|:

Monday: Recovery run 50 min with buggy
Tuesday: 200, 200, 800 x 4, pilates.
Wednesday: 10 warm up 40 at level 2 10 cool down with buggy
Thursday: 15, 10, 5 at level 3, pliates
Friday: 30 minutes run with 10 x strides
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Race Gainsborough 10k with buggy

Run, Eat, Sleep...Repeat

They say it takes 1 day's recovery per race mile to totally recover from a race.  I don't know any runner who goes by this rule as most of us are impatient and generally not sensible.  However thinking I'd bounce back into training after 1 or 2 recovery days after a 20 mile race was slightly ambitious.  I'm hoping it's not down to old age (37) and more down to the fact that I've not raced that distance in years and wore my lightweight trainers which I've also never raced that distance in.

I have to give myself some credit though as over the years I have learned to listen to my body and ditch the plan when needed.  My body was saying no most of this week and I knew that trying to push a hard speed session too soon would have lead to both injury and disappointment as I wouldn't have been able to deliver.

So one easy day went into the next and I started to feel a little down hearted that I was taking too long to recover.  Even the buggy run on Thursday was not done at a very fast pace but my heart rate was sky high.

Not wanting to dwell on the negatives, here are the positives.  By Saturday we headed out onto the TPT to see if I could run with the buggy at speed, something I've not tried yet.  We did 4 x 1 mile reps with a 2 minute recovery jog.  Every other rep was slightly uphill with the stats showing that this slight increase in gradient added about 30 seconds per mile on.  It just shows how much pushing a weight up hill while running can take it out of you.  On the plus side I was flying running down hill and managed not to steer Archie into any hedges or dog walkers which was a bonus.

Sunday I started to feel just about myself again and put in some good pace on the Rotherham canal without feeling like I was running in sinking sand.  So it's back on it tomorrow, my hubby has some evil speed session for me to do now I've stop moaning about how much I hurt but he's not revealed it yet as I think he wants a peaceful Sunday evening.


RUN

SLEEP

                               

EAT



REPEAT!

I've had some unexpected sponsorship from people I don't know that have heard about my challenge which is heart warming as well as an old treasured Uni friend who has made contact to say she loves reading my blogs and has been extremely generous, you know who you are, thank you X.

Rotherham canal run

Summary of this weeks training:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 50 min Recovery bike
Wednesday: 50 min Recovery run, pilates
Thursday: 50 min Level 2 buggy run
Friday: 50 min easy run
Saturday: 4 x 1 mile buggy reps at tempo
Sunday: 10, 40 min level 2, 10 min

Miles of Memories

It's Saturday afternoon and I have now thawed out, my toes have gone from white to purple to pink from watching Owen take part in the Rutland Water Duathlon.  We are staying in Oakham and head off to Milton Keynes tomorrow to run the MK20.  As I mentioned in my last blog the race was booked before the decision was made to try and attempt the World Record.  I have not trained to run this distance since my last marathon in 2013 and it has taken some days out of my planned training for this week and I expect hill hinder some of next weeks sessions.

I feel relaxed about tomorrow as there is no pressure on me to achieve a certain time.  Unfortunately the James household have been poorly this week and it still lingers for tomorrows race so a diet of paracetamol has been the staple meals of the day.  I'm going with the same approach as I did with Snake Lane, run on heart rate and see what it clocks when I pass over the finish line.

Tomorrow is my first mothers day without my mum.  It's the first year I thought about the fact that Mothers day is a celebration for so many mums out there but this year I realise it's a day of sadness and remembrance for many others.  No better way to deal with my emotions than to run for 20 miles and think of her!

A year ago today my mum was stuck in a hospital in Christchurch as part of a cruise when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  I emailed her a Mothers day card and cried feeling helpless that I couldn't get her home. She was too ill to fly.

For anyone dealing with the loss of someone I think this old wise man sums it up exceptionally:
http://m.atchuup.com/advice-on-how-to-deal-with-grief/

It's now the early hours of Monday morning and I'm feeling wrecked through lack of sleep as I always find it hard to shut off after a race plus Archie has a cold so I've been up and down all night walking like the Tin Man as my legs are not thanking me for yesterdays race.

Milton Keynes 20 was a really enjoyable race.  The weather was perfect, I didn't feel nervous and ran it at a comfortable heart rate that meant Andy and I could chat throughout the run.  It's a well organised race, with a really flat course other than a very sharp hill in the last mile.  I ran another PB knocking over 3 minutes of my previous 20 mile record which I did while I was in decent fitness for a marathon.  How has pregnancy lead to better running?

I clocked in at 2.18.18 5th lady over all and 1st vet (no prizes for any vets though!).  We ran over the line hand in hand and smiling.  It felt like one of the most relaxed races I have ever done.

My post race recovery wasn't the best, no recovery tights, fueling on pop, chips and a burger and sitting in a car for a couple of hours.  I'm now paying for it but it was worth it.

 
 


Checkout my interview with runningbuggies.com 'A LOVELY NORTHERN LASS WHO IS TRAINING TO BREAK THE HALF MARATHON BUGGY RUNNING WORLD RECORD'
www.runningbuggies.com
Summary of this weeks training:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 2 min, 1 min, 30 seconds x 7 sets at 3k pace
Wednesday: 50 minute buggy run, Pilates
Thursday: 50 minute spin
Friday: 45 minute run with 6 x 30 sec strides
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Milton Keynes 20

This ones for you mum on Mothers Day.  Always in my heart x