…. And now you can’t run because you picked up Covid, most
likely picked it up whilst in fact running at a race.
After trying to outrun Covid for 2 1/2 years, it's finally got me. On Saturday I did the Otter Rail and River 10k multi terrain
race. I had a decent run and finished as 1st lady by 4 full minutes.
I won this race in 2012, a decade ago, in 42:11, so to be only a minute
slower ten years and two babies on, and in blisteringly hot conditions this
year was a real confidence boost. I was on a post-race high. Three days later,
Tuesday, I awake to a throat being slashed by razor blades, a snotty nose and
general achiness, and this is why….
Balls....
Covid positive. Not bad going holding out for this long to get it considering that I
have a one and a three year old who only have to enter a softplay / park /
similar germ-festooned environment and deem that sampling every grotty surface within the place with a good lick is just as key as sampling the slides etc. We have had almost every other bug going this past year, including the ghastly strep throat infection we suspect our three year old picked up by licking the fence surrounding the elephant enclosure at Chester Zoo... But now I can finally say I’m part of
the Covid crew. I think I might have got it from the runner guy I was chasing
up a single track wooded section at the race. He was continually coughing, spluttering
and firing snot rockets my way, so gentlemanly to share this germs with me. It’s
the only place I can think I got it as we haven’t been anywhere else in close
contact with people for the past week.
In a way it’s probably best that I get it now as at least I
have time to get over it and resume a bit of training before the European
duathlon champs, which are in two months time. It's probably also good to get it and finally get it out of the way as, truth be told, I have been living in partial fear of it all this time and probably the fear of getting it is worse than actually getting it. Before this struck, training was
going well. I use the word “training” in the loosest possible sense as all I really do
these days is shoe-horn runs and rides in whenever I get the chance. A fellow triathlon
friend recently asked what plan I was following and I just had to laugh! The “get
out the door whenever I can get childcare” plan is basically as methodical as it
gets these days! I don’t do brick sessions, I haven’t tested my FTP since
pre-baby number two and so have no idea of my numbers on the bike. My run “sessions”
are the weekly parkrun in which I put in a bit of effort, but all other runs are done at an easy pace to avoid
injury. I swam 20 lengths after taking my daughter swimming the other day and
that was the first and only swim I have done since September 2020. To be
honest, I don’t even know if I can justify writing a blog about my sporting endeavors anymore as all I
seem to be able to write about is what I don’t do rather than what I do!! So,
to try and focus on some positives, here goes:
I have got my parkrun 5k time down to 19:22 and run several
sub 20 minute times now.
I won the Otter Rail and River Run 10k in a time of 43:36 –
a win by 4 full minutes and only just a shade over a minute slower than my
winning time from 2012 when I was a decade younger and ran 50 miles a week (as
opposed to a maximum of 20 now on a very good week)
Although I haven’t tested my FTP I know by my Wattbike workouts
that my bike fitness has improved from the watts I am putting out versus heart
rate etc.
Apart from a brief relapse of my sciatic nerve / back
problem, I have been managing injuries for a year now and been able to run
fairly consistently week on week
So these are all positives. I just hope that covid doesn’t
set me back too much and I can fit a good few weeks of training in and, who
knows, maybe even a brick session or two, before we head out to Spain for the
champs on 17th September.
Thanks as ever to Nigel Wilman at Honiton Physio for keeping
my injuries at bay. I see Nigel for regular maintenance sessions and I also see
Laura, who works At Honiton Physio, for sports massage sessions now too. I know
I am injury prone and so pre-emptive physio and being diligent with my strengthening
exercises are as important as the running and biking.
Otter Rail and River pics...
Just like old times... running with former club mate, Dave, of Exmouth Harriers
Cracking out the crop top despite the Mum-tum as it was scorchio!
Winner winner - great prizes. A hamper from a local farm shop!
