Rising from the ashes...

Boston Marathon Training - 12 Weeks to go. 

Monday

After diagnosing  myself with a chest infection last week, my mission this week was simple; get better so that I could start running again as soon as possible. 

After a night of hardly any sleep, due to multiple hour-long coughing fits (waking up at 12:30, 1:20, 2:30, 4:00 and 6:00), I took Monday off work. The day went something like this: sleep, cough, take medicine, repeat. By the end of the day, I was starting to feel better but I wasn't sure if that was me recovering or just me being extremely drugged up! 

No running today 

Tuesday 

Any Year 2 or 6 teachers will know that terms 3 and 4 are crucial for SATs preparation so I really wanted to get back into school today. However, the afternoon was planned as a Forest Schools session with the reception class. I really didn't feel that standing outside in the cold all afternoon would do me any good. Thankfully, Mr Anderson agreed to take charge of my class, as well as his own - I'm most grateful. I managed to push through the morning despite still having a few coughing fits. I was very glad to be able to go home at lunchtime and rest. 

After a few hours of rest, I was genuinely starting to feel better. I had more energy and was coughing less. It had now been 5 days without running at all and I was starting to shake and rock silently in corners! Having watched John leave the flat to run without me the last few days, I was desperate to join him. I thought I'd try a test of a little 3 mile run around the harbourside. Conclusion: Not good. I ran half a mile and couldn't breath properly as I was coughing the whole way despite only running at 10 min mile pace! Not wanting to jeopardise my recovery, I left John to continue alone and went home. 

Everyone was telling me to go to the Doctor and get antibiotics. This wasn't appealing to me because: 1) I don't really like taking any medicines at all.

2) I know that as a nation, we've got a major problem with viruses becoming resistant to antibiotics.

3) There is literally nothing worse than spending hours waiting at the doctors in a germ-ridden waiting room where you're highly likely to pick up some additional illness in the process! 

However, I was desperate to get better so I made a deal with myself. If I have another bad nights sleep, I would go to the doctors in the morning. Fingers crossed! 

Wednesday 

Waking up at 3am, I coughed a little before falling quickly back to sleep until 6am- progress! That counted as a good nights sleep in my book = no doctors = hooray! 

Wednesday morning is my PPA time (planning, preparation and assessment). I made full use of this time by resting and planning in bed. After a better nights sleep; less coughing (and much less mucus);I was feeling positive that I was on the road to recovery. Teaching in the afternoon was much better than Tuesday. I was also getting my appetite back. 

After yesterdays failed running test, I decided not to go to club and take a couple more days of rest from running :(  As well as missing running, I was also missing my GWR club buddies and starting to feel 'out of the loop.' 

Thursday 

Today was going to be my first full day teaching so I was eager to feel good. Luckily, I had had a great nights sleep - I slept all the way through the night for the first time in over a week! Waking up with loads of energy, I bounded into school and had a great day. It is amazing how much sleep influences your mood and general well-being! 

Being sensible, I again decided not to run today. This was especially difficult as it was the 5th Weston Prom 5 mile race. There is an award for people who run all races in the series so I felt a bit down about having to pull out but I knew that it was the right thing to do. Not liking to feel left out, I still went to Weston to support. When I arrived I was pleased to see Rich, who is a regular supporter, which meant I didn't have to watch on my own. It was lovely to chat to Rich and great to have company. As much as my legs were itching to run, I really enjoyed watching the race.  It's something I very rarely get to do and it really felt great to be able to offer support and encouragement to all my friends. I was also wonderful watching John gain another PB and finish in 8th position -awesome! 

Friday 

After another good nights sleep, I was really starting to feel that I had conquered this chest infection. Whilst I would have liked another day of recovery, today was Friday, which for me meant running club! 

For a while now, I've been trying to encourage as many children as possible to start running and come to Ashton Court Parkrun. I have had a few takers but 3 miles is a long way. So I decided to start a running club for children during Friday lunchtimes. This will be the 3rd running club I've organised and I'm delighted that it has become more and more popular every time!  I open the club up to Years 3,4,5 and 6 pupils and had 48 requests for 20 places! Whilst I would love to take them all, being responsible for 48 kids running at once terrifies me a little. So I've split them into two groups. I will take Years 3 and 4 for the first 5 weeks and Years 5 and 6 for the next 5 weeks. 

To try and really up the profile of running at school, I also invite teachers and parents to join us. Today we had 17 children, Ms Powell, Mr Anderson and one parent. A good turnout for session one. Because some of the children haven't run with me before, I always take the first session nice and steady. I spend a good 5 minutes talking through rules (eg: how we cross roads safely) and expectations etc. Today, we started with a dynamic warm up - a gentle jog, high knees, fast feet, long skips and high skips. Then we jogged for half a mile. A the end of the half mile, we come to a little slope (which for 8-year-olds is a hill!). Each session, I like to try and teach the kids some running techniques with the aim of getting them to start thinking about their running form from an early age. Today was the importance of using our arms -especially running up hill. I get the kids to run uphill with their hands on their heads. Whilst finding this very funny, they also find it difficult and appreciate the benefit when I allow them to use their arms the second time around. Some of the kids, who were in my running club last term, remembered some of my advice from before and shared it with the group, "Try to stand up tall and not lean forward," and "Use smaller steps," they explained to the new members. There is no better feeling as a teacher, than when children remember something you've taught them and teach it to others. 

1 mile done at 9 min mile pace - felt better than Tuesday with very little coughing- whoop! 

Saturday 

I decided that I wasn't ready to attempt Parkrun today and John kindly agreed to run with me so we set off for running test round 2! I really wanted to try and get 3 miles done but again I was prepared to give up if needed. 

Mile 1 went alright - still a bit of coughing but my breathing was much better. I realised that the 'in breath' felt fine but the 'out breath' was tickling in my throat and giving me the urge to cough. I spent the next mile focusing on breathing steadily and, as my throat got used to the cold air, I began to cough less and get into more of a rhythm. By mile 3 I was hardly coughing at all and feeling pretty good. After hardly any running in over a week, my legs felt amazing - eager to zoom off! It was quite hard holding back and taking it easy.

3 miles done at 9:40 min miles. 

Sunday 

Today I took the decision to rest again so that I would be really ready to start getting back on the

P and D plan tomorrow. 

Next week I am going to start up-ing the mileage but keep most of my runs at a recovery pace.