Weeks 6-7: Time for a Rest

Mum is not good at resting.  I am good at resting. She should have lessons from me.

This week is not a funny, its just an update from Mum.

Last year Mum ran her first Marathon in 3 hours and 20 minutes (plus loose change).  Mum felt she should have been faster and believes if she hadn't lost training due to injury she would have been, but that's just the way running goes.  When she fell into doing another one this year Mum's goal was clear, run under 3 hours 15 minutes and secure championship entry for London Marathon next year or the year after.  Mum was running well at the time, her shorter distances were getting quicker again, she was frequently coming away with prize money for veteran and occasionally senior placings, and she'd just run a very slight half marathon PB of 1 hour 32 minutes (plus the loose change again) on a definitely undulating course.  She was already running around 35-40 miles a week and generally feeling fit. 

Mum has admitted this goal has gone.  She has not been well, she has endometriosis, she has now been bleeding continually and heavily for over three weeks and is anaemic.  This is something that needs to and can to a degree be managed.  She also has a virus which has left her so fatigued this week she could barely cycle the school run, let alone do an actual training run.  In addition Mum has not been taking great care of herself, her stress levels are very high, she is a full time carer for two two-legged pups both of whom have significant additional needs, and she suffers from depression which tends to fluctuate when the children are going through a difficult patch.  Christmas is always a difficult patch.  She has been battling on trying to push her training and getting more and more tired.  Sunday's cross country followed by a long run home into a very strong headwind which she clearly wasn't physically up to doing was an exercise in absolute force of will; probably good in some ways, she may be a better person for having conquered it, but even after two day's rest Mum struggled to run for half an hour on the treadmill at her normal warm up pace.

This was a bit of a wake up call for Mum that she actually needs to listen to her body and to what everyone with any sense has been saying to her.  Mum has therefore written this week off as a week where she will do minimal mileage, and do it at a pace that feels easy, in company, for relaxation and fun.  Next week she hopes to come back refreshed and do another fairly low mileage week, but with a couple of good solid hard training runs in.  The week after she will restart her distance runs, do them on alternate weeks to avoid wearing herself out, and focus on getting her running pace back up.  Mum has already done two sixteen mile runs and if she manages another sixteen, an eighteen, and a couple of around twenty to twenty two, along with her shorter training sessions and appropriate strength training, she will be able to manage on that.  Mum does not anticipate her mileage going over 40 a week.

Mum's goals for the marathon have also had to change.  That is clearly not a level of training that will enable her to run a marathon in under 3 hours 15 minutes.  Now that decision is made Mum seems rather chilled about it.  Mum has accepted it won't be anything like as quick as she'd like and that she will be slower than last year.  So Mum's marathon goals have changed, and she would like to share the new ones with you.

1. Continue to raise funds and awareness for Vizsla Rescue UK.

2. Enjoy the race and finish strong.  Mum likes running, Mum quite wants to trot and boing round the whole thing happily in her Vizsla Rescue UK vest raising awareness of a great charity.

3. Enjoy the rest of the training.  Not in a nicey nicey all easy running way, Mum likes the feeling of her lungs trying to burst out of her chest on a freezing cold morning.  Mum just wants to avoid the feeling of dread she has come to associate with putting on her trainers when she's already exhausted and plodding round 16 miles of Nottingham on her own at night.

4. Re-plan a set of build up races which allows her to really push herself over shorter distances.

5. Be healthy. Mum is now taking as much care of herself as she can given her health issues, and a good lifestyle is an important part of that.

6. Let me write the blogs in future, because really, I am better at it!

Mum is feeling quite upbeat about the whole thing again now, or will be when she's had some much needed sleep, and hopes that you'll bear with us and continue to support her and the charity she's running for.