Well folks, it was fun while it lasted. My irritating chest infection had returned by the end of January, which resulted in taking another week off to recover. After seeing the GP for the third time (and on a third round of antibiotics), it came as no surprise when he said to me that I was not allowed to run for a whole week. Never have I felt so frustrated in my life. The question now is, will I able to make it across the finish line at London?
Prior to falling ill again, I managed to get a few swimming sessions in to stretch and relax the muscles out a bit. Felt good to be able to cross train during marathon training. Hills was another training session I have within my training plan. I know many people have told me that London Marathon is a flat route, but I do get a bit bored running on a flat surface, so I feel the need to add a bit of challenge to my training. In addition to this, I’ve managed to do some strength training at the gym to really build the muscles in every part of my body. Running isn’t just about the legs, the arms, abs and back are just as important as the legs along with stretching which I tend to forget to do from time to time.
As Saturday rolled around, I was able to run 12 miles at a good pace on the 1st of Feb. The weather was good, warmer than expected in January and I was able to plod along around the Ealing/Chiswick area. Given the fact I had run half marathons before, I believe it was the muscle memory that was kicking into high gear as I surpassed the 10-mile mark. Boy did I want to stop running at mile 11, in which I kept telling my running buddy Linda that this sucks and I just want it to end now. Luckily, she kept pushing me to keep going as I kept pushing her and we managed to finish…best of all the food we had at Artisan Café became the highlight of my day (that and the fact I ran 12 miles).
At the last club social, many Eagles have been super supportive and helpful throughout this difficult time of illness. Many of whom have told me that I need to put myself first sometimes rather than the race. So shout out to those who have spoken to me for keeping my spirits up when I was feeling down and frustrated.
Hopefully my next blog will not be about me struggling with illness but getting back on track for running!
