Over the Hill

The thing is I struggled to get up one today.

I had planned to do my last long run tomorrow morning but, at the last minute, decided to do it today instead.
A banana, bagel and quick drink later I was on my way.

A bit stiff to start but then felt good. After nearly 6 miles in an hour - which is faster than I had intended - I had to run up a hill and my legs refused.

Finished with :-
8.6m
1hr 28m
150 avg bpm

The problem with my training is that I left it too late to decide to run, so I've concentrated on distance and stamina to get me around and, due to lack of time, not done enough hill work.
Unfortunately for me Mansfield half is basically a hill. Your either going up or coming down.

So we'll have to see how it goes.
There's not much I can do about it now except turn up and run - or jog - or walk - or the car might break down on the way.
See, there's plenty of options.

Scores on the Doors

Slept in the armchair until about 4 o'clock when I woke, not in pain with my ribs but because I was uncomfortable.
Went to bed, got up at 06:30 with no real discomfort.

A result!
No pain killers, no agony, but still very little sleep and what I got wasn't sound.
Still at least this way I feel as if I might stand a chance of healing, or at least being a bit better, for the run.
Albeit tired.

What are Pain Killers For?

Obviously a rhetorical question because they kill pain - derrrr.

What I mean is that since my ribs have been killing me I haven't been able to sleep because of the pain.

I've tried.....
Going to bed - waking after about 4hrs in pain, taking Nurofen.
Taking Nurofen before going to bed - waking after about 6 hrs in agony.

I'm not getting better, as lying down causes the problem and I only wake when the pain is too much, pain killers just mask it. I'm probably making things worse.

So tonight I'm not going to lie down.
I'll sleep downstairs in the armchair and take no pain killers.
It can't be any worse, can it?

A little up, a little down

Went for a quick run, decided do a bit of hill training,

jogged down the hill, then back up, then down, then - well you get the idea.

2.1m
20mins
137 avg bpm

not great but better than nothing.

I Digress

I normally keep my blogs very specific - Running.
More specific actually - training for a named marathon/half marathon, and I avoid writing about
anything else really.

The Boy did fall off his bike this time last year during a training run for my first effort at the Mansfield Half, so that link will do.
See the old post at :- http://aquickhalf.blogspot.com/2007/06/loosener.html

His crash yesterday was far more dramatic so it deserves an entry here even though I wasn't running with him.

Lucky or Not?
Mega crash while riding across the woods miles from anywhere, but..............
1) He had adults with him (not me I was watching MotoGP)
2) He was wearing a full face helmet (he borrowed it for the ride)
3) There was an organised Mountain bike event nearby
4) He wiped out right in front of 2 marshalls of the course
5) They saw the state of him and got an ambulance there within 2 minutes
6) He didn't damage his bike

A&E
When my wife and I walked into casualty, he was in a bit of a mess and strapped to the bed with head stabilisers and neck brace. She immediately went as white as a sheet and had to be helped out - to get some air.
He was being tended to by a really hot nurse which, the fact that he had clocked her as well, made me realise he was probably going to be OK.

Funny
When he said he felt sick the hot nurse said "if you are I'll have to suck it all up", I automatically thought that not only was she a stunner but she was kinky too. However the funny bit was when he threw up, as his head and neck were stabilised, he just blew bubbles with it. The second time was a bit more forceful and it flew in the air before landing in his own face and eyes.
Come on, you gotta giggle.

Relief
After he'd been Xrayed they took all the restraints off and checked him over. You should see the bruise on his ball bag! Good job he's only 10, if he'd have dropped em by now he'd probably have lost one.

R&R
Took the day of work today to bring him home.
Got back to the house about 10:00, played together on the Xbox until 18:00 - what a good do.

After Run Routine

An ammendment the earlier post, which ended:-

Watch MotoGP from Donington.

It should read:-

Watch Scott Reading win the 125's at Donington,
Snooze most of the time during the 250's,
Get a call to say the Boy is being rushed to hospital after coming off his bike,
Go to hospital,

He'll be OK, he was knocked out so they'll keep him in overnight - and I'll have the day off work tomorrow to hopefully bring him home.

Kids eh!

Pre-Run Routine

Not to be recommended for everyone, but this was mine.....

5 pints of guiness,
Coffee,
Water,
2 pain killers,

6hrs sleep.

2 weetabix,
2 pain killers,
2 Suduko,
Coffee,
Lucozade,

9 mile run.

Watch MotoGP from Donnington.


Outcome
9.1m
1hr 37min
141 avg bpm

Steady run, thighs a bit tight but OK.

Giant Troubles

Tried a nights sleep without taking any Nurofen before going to bed last night.
Woke up at 5 in pain, came downstairs took some pain killers, did some suduko and had to wait for an hour before I could go back to bed.
The pain wasn't as bad, but it was bad.

Honestly, I'm alright until I've been lying down, then it feel like all my internal organs and bits are just floating about, as if instead of just being on a trampoline I'd been picked up and shaken loose by a giant.

So with just 2 weeks to go:-
I can't sleep more than 5 hrs a night without pain,
My training is going badly,
Scratching like mad, have I got nits?
Bunged up with a cold,
My asthma is kicking off.

Too Tired

I only went for a short run last night, all be it with a few quick bits, so I decided to do some steady miles tonight.

Wrong idea.

Went over the woods but my thighs were burning, I didn't realise how tired my legs would be.
Took it easy and cut it short as the last thing I want is an injury.

2.7m
28mins
140 avg bpm

Might not run for a couple of days then have a long one on Sunday.

Preemptive Strike

I took two Nurofen before I went to bed last night.
I didn't wake up until 6 this morning - wow.
Still sore driving to work, but hey, sleep!

Going round and round and round

Well 5 times actually.
I resurrected my old Sainsburys park run - with the boy and daughter number one.

1 warm up (with Kids)
1 fast
1 slow (with Kids)
1 fast
1 slow (with Kids)

then the boy did one fast by himself - and did it nearly as quick as my fastest. Hmmmm.

OK so I'm not quick.

Anyway

2.3m
20mins
146 avg bpm

Lifes an Itch

Someone in the family has brought nits home from school.

I won't mention any names because you know how sensitive 10 yr old boys can be about that sort of thing.

Needless to say everyone in the house has checked their hair in a mad panic and has been keeping the culprit at arms length by all manor of pushing, shoving and offensive remarks.

Anyway,
I'm clear, although I'm scratching like mad. (I might check again)
Wife = all clear.
Daughter One = 1 large nit and a major strop.
Daughter Two = 7 nits of various sizes and total disgust at her brother.
The Boy = 40+ nits and finds it all a bit of a laugh really.

Hospital run

Decided to do the hospital run again as with only a few weeks to train I won't gain much by pushing myself too hard.

This time I did it the opposite way to usual so that I finish on the hill up to the house.

1hr 15mins
7m
143 avg bpm

again nice and steady, legs felt OK and I'm happy with the run.

How much sleep do you need?

Still haven't had more than 5 hrs sleep this week.
Every morning I wake up in agony with my ribs, take a few pain killers, then do a few sudukos on my daughters Nintendo DS.
When the pain killers kick in I try and grab another hours kip before work.

Other than the pain I actually enjoy having a quiet few hours each day.
A very rare commodity when youv'e got a wife, 3 kids and a Jack Russell.

Ouch

Bloody hell I think I'm dying.
Well thats what I thought at about 4 this morning.
Got about 5 hrs sleep last night before I woke up with agonising pain in my ribs.
Took some Nurofen, paced up and down - cause I couldn't lay down or sit without pain.
Went back to bed at 5:30 for an hour before work.

A bit uncomfortable driving to work - but then I was fine.

Bouncy Bouncy

Last week we got a trampoline for the Kids.
Great fun, bouncing like a baffoon for hours I was.

Trouble is now my ribs are really sore.
Silly old fart!

First Contact

Sent a text to my brother to see if we're ok to doss down in his place at Shirebrook.
Unfortunately he said yes.
So theres no excuses left, good news is that Chris and Debs are both doing it again, so hopefully the thought of embarrassing myself should spur me on to train.

Am I really that vain?
Probably.

So just how rusty am I ?

I'm going to do the Mansfield Half marathon again so I need to know how painful it will be.

Frimley Park hospital and back is a good tester.

1hr 14mins
6.9m
144 avg bpm

Slow and steady run, legs tired and sore after about 4m, but pretty happy with that.

The Boy

Well if the boy wants to run the Mansfield fun run again this year then I'm not driving all that way to watch.

Now where the hell are my trainers!