On top of Cornwall
Someone at my running club recently said that headbands look stupid. I take her point. Still, it was blowing a gale and at least my ears were warm.
These photos were taken on New Year’s Day on Brown Willy, Cornwall’s highest point out on Bodmin Moor. Contrary to what you might think, it most likely gets its name from the Cornish ‘Bron Wennyly’ meaning Swallows’ Hill, which is a tad more romantic. I certainly got brown though, falling more than once into numerous knee deep bogs. I wasn’t the only one: there were over three hundred of us out on the moor running in the new year (with the odd walker thrown in). I absolutely loved it; it was the best run I’ve ever had.
Snaking over the moor
It was meant to be 7 miles. To be honest, for most people it was 7 miles. But for me, and the three poor souls that decided to follow me, it was more like 9 miles… I got a bit carried away, enjoying myself running downhill too much instead of looking where I was meant to be going. Instead of taking a right, I just carried on straight ahead. And got lost. Good job it wasn’t shrouded in fog like it usually is. Good job we bumped into a group of runners that had actually intended to run 9 miles and knew the way home, or we’d probably still be out there today. Not a compass between us – who’d have thought you’d need one in a featureless landscape where the route was well marked with red ‘flags’?
God did my legs ache when I got back two hours later; my quads felt like they’d been wrung out. I’d run 19 miles only 2 days before, so I blamed the excess aching on that. On reflection though, I probably just wasn’t fit enough. And I’m still not, which is why I’m worrying.
Scrambling through bog
Since then I haven’t run enough at all. Not for someone that’s meant to be running a coastal marathon in a month’s time at any rate. I lost motivation and let myself succumb to mental and physical exhaustion. The positive self-talk I’ve been trying to harness evaporated and the space it left was filled with self-doubt, self-criticism and major anxiety.
I haven’t made an entry in my running diary for two weeks. The week that ended with New Year’s Day I ran over 35 miles in total. This week I should have clocked up 40, but I’ve fallen short and it’s the all important long run that’s suffering. If I put it down in the diary I’ll get even more anxious; at least this way I can pretend it’s ok. Well I could if I didn’t feel so anxious all the time.
28 miles is a long way and I’m a slow runner. The average completion time for previous competitors on the course is 5 hours 20 minutes. I don’t think I’m average, more your ‘back of the packer’ so I could be out there forever, if I don’t get told to get off the course because it’ll be dark soon. The longest run I’ve managed so far was about 4 and a half hours and my legs had all but given up. How am I going to manage another hour, hour and a half on top of that? I haven’t got a clue. And there’s only a month to go and the last two weeks are meant to be a tapering period to give your body time to recover before the big day.
I feel at a loss; what should I do? What training, if any, is there that I can do in the next two weeks to lift my confidence from the floor, where it’s been languishing for a while now?
Stephie
I have no suggestions, except to say I think you are awesome….and also…how can you say you aren’t fit when you can run 19 miles???? That is AMAZING. I need to ask you for tips on how to be able to run 10km in one go (and that’s only 6 miles!)
Hi Stephie, what you’ve achieved sounds huge to me, I think its absolutely brilliant. But you’re not a machine, and this is the depths of the depressive season! You’ll be at your lowest ebb, and it sounds like you probably overdid it a bit… so go easy on yourself, just take some gentle runs. And most of all remember that whatever you achieve on the day you’ll get your funding for the hospice! …its not conditional on you completing all 25miles – be kind to yourself, what you’re doing is brilliant! And in the last resort you can always chose a smaller task for your funding!!!
Thanks Jane! Being kind to myself isn’t something I’m used to!!!!! x
Ditto Grumpy’s comment, you are Amazing and I think it is wonderful you are planning to do this run in aid of such a special cause.
Thank you so much for your support Christine, it means a lot to me and Josie’s family
x
Wow, that looks like a fun and challenging place to run.
I’m not an expert, but through my own experiment of one, I have found that you can’t do much exercise cramming in the two weeks prior to a race that can help much. There is about a two week adaptation period where the workout sinks in, so don’t overdo it in the last two weeks. The worst thing you can do is overtrain and run yourself into a fatigue or injury problem.
It’s hard to get all the work in, but from your blogs, it sounds like you have done enough. It will be hard, but it’s never easy and it looks like you will have a beautiful course to run and that should take your mind off some of the pain.
Just remember that you paid for this torture, you’re a little crazy…join the club.
Crazy?!!! Ha, ha – I like that sort of club! Thanks for your positive encouragement Dax, like you say the scenery and course look stunning – and I hear other runners at these type of events are very encouraging along the way, which is a comforting thought! I have a couple of weeks before the taper so I’ll try and get in 2 more long runs before then and just take if from there. I’m still looking forward to it a lot, believe it or not!