Two races in a week - What is happening?

After such a long enforced lay off, it is so good to be running again, albeit slowly and steadily. With the Parkrun weekly runs, it gives me a great incentive and motivation to work at building myself back up. After last weeks debut, I continued to train on alternate days, as I don't want to overcook anything, and cause myself further injury.Monday and Wednesday saw me running again on the treadmill, with steady runs of 3 and 4 Km, pacing myself at 5.34 and 5.38 respectively, as I try and increase my speed a little.
Friday saw me walking a 5 Km stroll, as I didn't want to run again, as the plan was to do the Parkrun in Lisburn again on Saturday morning.

Saturday morning came, along with the rain. Now, I've never been a fair weather runner, to be honest, you can't be when you have lived in Ireland for so long, but as I am training on the treadmill at the moment, rain was not a welcome sight. Added to that the fact that I wear glasses, purely so I can see where I am going, and it did not bode well. However, I must have got the bug back, because I didn't let the rain stop me, and off I went to Lisburn, suitably attired for the wet conditions.

Needless to say there were less runners present than last week, and I do confess my back was a tad stiff as I limbered up before the off. Wearing a long sleeve shirt, with a running top over that, adding in a rain jacket and a cap - I was weightier than last weeks fine conditions had seen me, but I was determined to improve on that showing. I took it easy on the short lap, knowing what to expect this week with the hill as we started the first of the three longer laps, and just at the bottom of the first hill, my shoe lace decided it needed retying, so I had to bend down and stop it flapping away. Not a lot to report really about the race, except that I still needed to take short walk breaks, which is a worry at only 5 Km, hence the need to work on my stamina as I progress.

I was checking the watch, and was hopeful I might break the 30 minute barrier this week, and as we approached the final turn for the run into the finish, I picked up the pace, along with Catherine Devlin, who I was now running alongside. She kicked a little, I did too, and tried to pull away, but to no avail, and as we closed towards the line, I had to let her go as I couldn't live with her kick, and she crossed the line a few seconds ahead of me, with ,y time just outside the target, in 30:01. Catherine set a new PR in 29:58, and we briefly congratulated each other, and as she said, it's great to have someone to kick with to push you over the last few strides - I'll get her next time!

What can I take from this race. Well, a 39 second improvement, while wearing wet weather gear must bode well for a sub 30 next time out. I certainly need to work on the stamina, as I am still struggling to run 5 Km outside in one go, but I am heading in the right direction - Onwards and Upwards....

PS - The picture isn't from Saturday, just a reminder that I could run a while back too....

566 Days Later!

Finally, after 566 days, I ran a race.

Back in February 2012 when I managed to "do my back in", and in the following months, there were many occasions when I feared this day may never come around. It's been a long road to here, and there is still a long way to go, I am far from being race fit, but the great news is I am back running again, and able to take part again.

In July I started to run again, and gradually over the past 6 weeks I have been increasing the distance from the 4 minutes of pain reported before, to completing a 5 Km race this morning. There have been a few false starts, with a slight breathing problem at first, resulting in a visit to the doctor, thankfully nothing wrong really, maybe a touch of hay fever asthma, but Banbridge Leisure Centre Treadmill has been getting a pounding as I gradually increased the distance and pace, from 2 Km up to 5 Km, and I felt I was ready to take on the challenge of an actual race,

This morning I got up early, checked out my running gear, and went to get the 8:20 bus to Lisburn, and Wallace Park, the venue for Wallace Parkrun, a 5Km timed event. For those unfamiliar with the Parkrun concept, they are a series of 5 Km races, all over the UK, and now spreading around the world, on Saturday mornings, and the best thing, they are FREE to enter. Obviously they are low key, staffed by volunteers, but they provide a full results service, and the stats on the web site are brilliant.

I arrived at the venue a little after 9, with the start due at 9:30. Friendly fellow runners and volunteers were gathering, and at 9:30 we started on the run. This week there were 110 entrants, all with our downloaded bar code, and off we set on a sunny, if a little breezy, morning. The course consists of one short lap, followed by 3 long laps, around the park, all on tarmac paths. The long laps include a really lovely hill right at the start, going up, then along to the duck pond, before descending sharply, just so you get no benefit of a downhill section to offset the uphill. Naturally I started off way too fast for my level of "unfitness", and by the time I had climbed the hill on the first of the long laps I was feeling it in my breathing. I make no apology for taking a walk break here, and subsequently on each of the long laps, I know it seems like a crime to walk on a 5 K race, but given where I've been, I had no qualms about them.

There wasn't really a lot to report. My only target today was to get round. I had hoped to break 30 minutes, as I had gone under 29 minutes for 5 K on the treadmill on Wednesday, but I hadn't accounted for the hills, and I was a little off target. I finished in 30:40, ending up 71st out of the 110 starters, and 3rd in my age group, with an age grading of 50.11%, a personal all time worst, which at the same time is a PB for my M55 Age Group, which I entered earlier this year. The best thing of all was that I got around without any problems from my back. Even now while I write this a few hours later, the back is feeling great, even if the legs feel a little sore - it was their first bit of hard work in 18 months!

Given where I was, I am delighted to be able to be writing this. Last year, there were many times I felt I would never be able to walk again, never mind run and take part in a race. All being well my progress can continue, and I can build from here. I am obviously a long way from being really fit, but thanks to Parkrun motivating me to set a target, I can only improve from here. It's like being a new runner all over again - Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me in the long road back, kept me incentivised and motivated, I couldn't have done it without you.... Now, that 30 minute target - When's the next try?

Baby Steps

It seems like years ago that I used to run, and maybe even longer to when I used to update my blog about my running. Well, as you can see below, running has not been on the agenda for the last 16 months, but I finally feel that my back is strong enough to take those first real baby steps back to running. I tried a few times in recent months to jog a little, but each time I could feel the back telling me I shouldn't be doing this, so I eased back, and left it alone. No point in damaging myself further, lets be honest, I ain't getting any younger.

I'm back in Ireland now, after my 3 1/2 years in Argentina, and while the weather isn't better, being back in Banbridge does give me a familiarity with old routes, and as I'm not quite back to work yet, I have time on my hands. After a weekend over in Devon visiting friends from BA, Monday morning saw the sun out, and my runners getting dusted off. Now, when I say I went for a run, it was more of a slow raising of the legs slightly beyond a walk, but I'll claim it. Obviously my muscle fitness in the old legs is weak, but the cardio fitness is even worse. I'll confess, the little I did hurt, but, thankfully, not in the back. I only ran for four minutes in total, two minutes out, a rest period, and two minutes back - My chest was killing me, breathing was tough, and the cardio fitness non-existent.

The great news is I was able to do it at all. It will be a long haul to get back towards a level where I can be comfortable running any distance, but that is to be expected. These were baby steps, and will be repeated in a gradual progression. After 16 months out, I can look ahead with hope, along with trepidation, but at least I can look forward.

Happy Anniversary L5

One year ago today (Feb 13th), I woke at 5 in the morning in agony. I didn't know it then, but I had basically had the disc at L5 in my lower back, break in two. It took me half an hour to get downstairs, and more to get to the A&E at the local hospital. Four months of lying on my back 24/7, then a gradual recovery, aided by drugs (the prescription ones!), ozone injections, and physio, see me, 12 months later, still with some pain, and not nearly back to running, but able to be back to near normal in most ways.

Over the year I have a lot of people to thank, the ever patient Paula Zucherelli, my visitors in the dark early days, Melanie McGeever, John Boyle, Esteban Suppa, and my Frinking Besties, Joanne Hurley, Allison Keogh, Delfina Saravia, Gabriel Cerrudo, Marlo Perry, Marijke Catharina van Rijn, and everyone who sent messages of support. Let's hope the next 12 months is better, physically at least. Mentally, having the support of friends was the best medicine.

In fact, one of those friends is calling around in a little while to take me for a run. Obviously, it will be more of a walk, but I have promised myself I will run a little bit. More likely my cardio unfitness will be more of an issue than my back. I managed to get up and dance at a wedding on Sunday, albeit, no twisting or tango! Let's hope that after one year on the sideline I can finally start to put this back problem, well and truly behind me!

New Year, and Guess what ?

I ran....

Well, it isn't true to say that I have started running again, but I actually have lifted my two feet of the ground at the same time, and feel like I have achieved my first goal of 2013 already, and it's only the 8th of January.

Let me explain. I signed up for my favourite Podcast, Marathon Talk's, Jantastic Motivational Programme. This is their way of helping those who are preparing for a spring marathon, or getting into, or back into,running. In January, you set a number of runs each week, and try and stay the course. In February, known as Febulous, you add your projected longest run each week, and in march you set your weekly goals.

I have set myself a target in January of 3 workouts per week. Yesterday, I went for the first of them. There is a plaza nearby which is approximately 1/3rd of a kilometre around, and I intended walking 12 laps, totalling up 4Km. I set off at a decent pace, and the first ten laps were a consistent 2:20 per lap. Feeling good, I thought I would try a light jog for 50 metres or so on Lap 11. The first few metres were easy, and I decided on a few more, and then the whole lap was a target....

My back felt OK, no pain, no jarring as I landed back on the floor as my feet reached at least 5 centimetres from the ground. The only difficulty I had was at the top of my stomach. My belly has expanded so much in recent months with no exercise, I think it has now reached my lungs, and clearly my cardio fitness levels are around zero! But I completed the lap in 1:40, which translates to around a 5 minute per Km pace.

The best thing, my back was not showing any signs of discomfort, it's only a little start, but as Chairman Mao once said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

One thing I do need to work seriously at, is reducing my weight. I presently stand at 89 kilos, and want to get that down to 80Kgs by the time of the wedding in June (Liam Og's that is, don't panic!). It will be tough, but I want my lungs back, and my belly can go and visit someone else.....

It's a start.... Happy new year to both my readers!