Tuesday 27 September 2011

Am I injured?

Not sure of the answer. Ran Tuesday and Wednesday last week as normal, no issues. Woke up Thursday morning with a real pain on the hip (bursa area) and pain around the hip joint / top of thigh, which actually made me walk with an altered gait. I have injured myself while sleeping it would appear.

Apart form a Gym session on Thursday, I have done no running since last Wednesday, the hip has got better and I did do a tentative 1/2mile on Sunday morning to see if I could run the New Forest Marathon an hour later, while not painful while running it just didn't quite feel right. So I made the tough but right decision not to run. This was doubly gutting, firstly, because I was/always look forward to running a marathon I have not done before, but more importanlty I was mean't to be pacing my colleague, Vanessa, at 3:30 pace on the Mara as a PB attempt. As it happens, Vanessa didn't really need me and ran 3:26 and 3rd lady overall, good job I didn't run, I would have struggled to keep up!! Very chuffed for Vanessa even if she is very quiet about it and will not make a big fuss, saying there were not many women in the race blah, blah. Well I think it is awesome, and a massive well done. Vanessa even bumped into Sandra (Pacer, Huskie Running and all round awesome runner) on the course and they chatted a little at the end, I think Sandra was trying to talk Vanessa into Ultras. So far the answer is a resounding NO.

So off to the physio this evening to see if we can pinpoint what is up. I am gagging to get out and run so hope the physio, who has fixed me after various rugby sprains and breaks in the past can get me up and running asap, this evening would be good!!!!. Happy Running.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Race Report: NDW50 - Sat 13th Aug

Very late post I know, but been very busy. I had thought that this would be a good race to really go for it and see what I could do, but it didn't turn out that way, and was probably more enjoyable as a result.

I arrived in Farnham in plenty of time (for a change) and found somewhere to park and went to register and pick up my number, bumped into Ian and Sandra on the way in (fellow pacers from Brighton Marathon), Ian was doing the mara and Sandra doing the 50miler like me. The race briefing was very good and to the point and belied the fact that this was Centurion Runnings first events, and fair play to them for putting on a Marathon/50 miler/100 miler on the same day.
I then bumped into a very old friend from my early twenty's clubbing and drinking days, Adrian Hill, it was great to have a quick chat and reminisce about the old days (we are getting old). At the start I also saw Claire Shelley, who was 1st lady (3rd overall) at GUCR this year, it was really good to see her, and to think she ran her first official ultra with me, Jezza and Rob a couple of years ago and I am sure the guys wont mind me saying, but now, she is in a different league to any of us. And then we were off, and almost straight away a lady in a serpentine vest was running next to me and I remarked that another serpentine runner (Claire Shelley) ran her 1st ultra with me, and this lady (Gemma Carter) then said this was her 1st 50miler! What are the odds on that, it was at that point that I decided to run the rest of the way with Gemma and to enjoy the day out, rather than run as hard as I could and go for a time. The rest of the day went well, apart from having to push Gemma up a couple of the massive hills (lucky she is uber light).
The NDW is a lot different to the SDW, in that it is a lot narrower and more through woods rather than open downes like SDW. This makes it less fast but more technical, and some of the views were amazing. It was a good day out and I felt very strong throughout, and just as Gemma and I were coming into the finish, Gemma tried to outsprint me to the finish the cheeky monkey, I just managed to catch her on the line for the same finishing time/posistion of 20th overall. I look forward to hopefully running with Gemma in the future.


Me looking happy (must be early in the run)


Great Views over the Surrey Countryside

Gemma Carter - My running buddy for the day

Me striking a pose (look like a t**t)

What a view.