So that's how it feels!!!

Last weeks training went fairly well. I got to 7.20mm pace for fartleks (which I'm afraid is bloody brilliant for me because I'm so painfully slow!) and when I struggled with my right grip lifting partial tonnage on Friday and then realised I'd done just under 10 metric tons, looking back to the previous month I'd lifted much less (almost 2 tons less) so all in all was happy with it after all!

On Saturday I decided to do my hilly run (and not need to call for a lift with shin pain this time hopefully). I normally dread this route but I was looking forward to it. The first 4 to 5 miles have the worst of the elevation so when I was at an hour and had done over 5 miles on a 5 min run and 3 min walk I was really pleased. In fact, I was chugging along very nicely and I didn't even notice some of the undulations. I was busy congratulating myself on how far I've come on as I got to 15 miles and was still doing over 5 miles an hour when suddenly, and in an instant everything started to hurt. It was almost like one second I felt amazing and the next a barrage of pain hit me. My head suddenly felt too heavy for my shoulders, my shoulders ached, my torso felt like 8 people had got me down on the floor and kicked every inch of it, my thighs felt like it was too much effort to lift my lower legs up and my calves began screaming in agony. I realised straight away this was my own fault and it was down to fuelling. I had deliberately had a very small amount for breakfast (to see how it felt to run on very little) and here, 3 hours in and I had only had water during the run and nothing else. I had a handful of peanuts, but it felt like I was shutting the gate after the horse had got out. I continued on, in agony for the next 1.5 miles (still sticking to my 5:3) but I deteriorated pretty rapidly. I was determined not to phone for a lift and just battle through it and that's just what I did, but the 20th mile was practically all walked. I got in the house and literally just wanted to die. Well, I wanted to know how it would feel to eat less and now I know. I took it a bit too far it seems!

Sunday saw me having lots for breakfast! No surprise there then! The plan was to stay out longer than I had on Saturday. I'd have liked to have stayed out for 6 hours but I didn't know if I was capable after a terrible run the day before. I decided to play it by ear and talk myself into the next hour, and the next hour... and the next.
The first hour was awful. I kept stopping to faff on with blister plasters on my feet, Graeme had to drive to the beach banks to bring my sunglasses (which I only used for 5 minutes then it was cloudy for the rest of the time and so they stayed on top of my hat until I was done) and I was just too tired. At an hour I decided that if I kept to the 5:3 run/walk I wouldn't last another hour on the muddy wet trails, so I switched to 3:3. It only took a couple of running sections for me to start feeling better. I added a loop of Castle Eden Dene into the run, which isn't a route for the faint hearted. I have never stuck to my run/walk strategy through the Dene, but on Sunday I only had 2 negative walk breaks (both for about a minute) as I walked up the very hilliest parts. The mud was treacherous and people walking their dogs teetered along the path in fear of falling over in their wellies. I had a banana at 1.5 hours and then scaled up another 2 hills then was back on the beach banks. Once I was back on the banks (which is only mildly undulating) the wind then started and sometimes it was a fight running along with my head down, but I'm pleased to say that the last 9 miles were all done without any negative walk breaks at all. This, for me, is a personal best at pushing through tiredness. I had eaten one date at 3 hours and I'd decided that due to the tougher conditions I would only attempt 5 hours, so when it came to 4.5 hours when I was due to eat something else I decided not to bother as I was nearly done. So, 23 miles done... very slowly but I was really pleased with myself. I got back and felt in better nick than I had the day before. I was a little disappointed to see I had only climbed 1700 feet of ascent when I checked my Garmin, as it had felt so much hillier than that. The Salomon shoes were great although I did re-blister my blister, but that wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been sore in the first place.
So, next weekend will see me doing 22 miles on a 5.30 min run/ 3 min walk from South Shields on the road on Saturday (which is a bit hilly in places) and Sunday I will be doing part of the Coast to Coast route so I'd like to try to do 6 hours then! Fingers crossed!