running blog

As I had decided to rest my ankle, I was volunteering at my home parkrun in Folkestone on Saturday.  There were 5 of us in the funnel (where the runners end their race and are timed): two volunteer stopwatches, Catherine and myself handing out the position tokens and the funnel manager to keep the runners moving through.

Saturday was an overcast and chilly day, probably very good for running.  When the sun shines Folkestone is a very attractive course.  It is run along the Leas, on top of the cliffs, and the views of the sea and the Harbour are stunning.  The esplanade is the running track:  it is mostly wide with plenty of room for the runners.

Folkestone on average attracts 250 men, women and children, more when the weather is better.  I was able to take photographs at the start of the race, showing the volunteers , the runners assembling, John and Ric running their run 200, and the race leaders running their first lap.  After that I was handing out tokens.

Aberystwyth parkrun last Saturday at the Plascrug park.  Essentially four laps, one up and down the centre straight and three circuits on the side paths.  On the third lap I felt my left foot wobble and a pain in my ankle.  I finished the run but by the afternoon I know that I had pulled a muscle on my innner ankle.  Since I had ruptured my Achilles tendon 2 years ago, I have come very cautious about injuries.  So no running till I feel the muscle has healed up.  But I still have to keep up the mileage, so this morning I took my bike out and pedalled the route I would have run.

All in all, I ran 20 miles last week, 3 times as much as I was running in December.  The training schedule says not to increase your distance too quickly.  Am I paying the price for that; or is just old bones (or old muscles and joints) playing up?

I now seem to be committed to the Milton Keynes half marathon.  On Saturday I spoke to Jae and asked  her if she was going,  She said she would if I did.  So we both agreed to enrol.

What made me think I could do it.  I started with the parkrun 5k, which I have now run over 100 times.  Two years ago I decded to run the Worcester 10k with my son, and have now run it twice.  It didn’t seem such a big step forward,  just twice what I was used to running: six miles instead of 3.  I ran a couple of six miles routes to train.  What I did find is that my legs were incredibly stiff after the run.

A theme I have picked up is ‘legs holding out’. When I started running my main worry was my breathing. I just did not have enough ‘puff’ and would have to stop each time I felt breathless. Up till recently I would still stop in the middle of a run because I thought I had to breathe. This became a habit, till I overcame it by running longer distances, so that the shorter distances felt easy.

But now, as I increase my distance, my legs start aching and my leg and stomach muscles are sore after that run. At each increase I am not sure if I am going to be able to run further. So I have decided to do a flat, slow 10 mile run along the esplanade from Folkestone to Hythe and back to check out my endurance. Here goes!