This was afterall supposed to be some sort of diarised update of running adventures too. But lately, very little in the way of action to report after an underlying virus of some sorts.
"There's a lot going round" is a well used phrase about such ailments and I don't know what the frig this is in particular, but my wife's had a similar struggle and it continues to linger in to week six just now.
If it has taken the sheen off some aspects of life at times (even bowls has been known to tire me out!) feeling flat with exhaustion much of the time has decimated my will and capability to run or even get on the bike, spoiling what had been a short period in as good a shape as I have been in recent years.
After carefully seeing out calf trouble last Autumn I got running strong again. December was a good month of running and also going in to the New Year. I wasn't murdering the mileage, simply running regularly, efficiently, doing a few speed sessions and most importantly enjoying it. The last real decent little run I had was in Mid-February, just a short one from Great Langdale up and around the modest height of Side Crag and Blea Tarn. It broke my running legs back in to the fells during a long weekend camping up there.
Another strong week followed before running regularity began to stagger, feeling very lethargic and I had to concede summat was up. Symptoms among throaty soreness, nasal drip, hollow head, achey limbs and general can't be arsedness.
The lack of endorphins and lack of energy to get them has resulted in a double negative of probably drinking too much beer. Not getting drunk or owt - I really am well past all that - but not enough nights of refraining from a few. If that's not altogether an unusual trait from time to time, the additional lusting to just eat bad stuff and crap really isn't me. I've managed to mainly curb that temptation at least, aside from my problem (fit or not) with multiple McVitie's Digestives accompanying a strong cafetiere.
It's surely time to get going again soon. I've had a couple of OK days lately where it's like I can feel blood running through my veins again, but mixed in with the usual jiggeredness by late afternoon and so maybe whatever is, it's slowly on its way out and I might slowly find a way back.
At 51, it's becoming more and more of a challenge just to stay in shape over a consistent period. Still a member of Blackburn Harriers, some of my contemporaries remain in fantastic condition and knocking out great race results week in week out. I feel a mixture of envy and admiration about that. For all the endless hours of running put in, I've never really fully embraced cross training and strength exercises and perhaps I'm paying for that now.
I've accepted competitive days are likely long gone, but I am always going to yearn to get out there and do a bit, setting modest targets.
It's not just about running, but where I run and the invigorating experience.
I have a deeply rooted connection to the geography of my part of the world with the Pennine Moors, Bowland and Pendle, North and West Yorkshire Dales, Cumbrian mountains, Howgills, North Wales, all reasonably accessible and being fit and able to explore them either running or walking is obviously something I would like to be doing for as long as I possibly can.
Fitness is a fragile state of being these days and yet very precious to me. Strenuous exercise on hilly open spaces is an addiction. Everything else clicks when I'm running, but without it I can drop away from my usually driven, comedial and happy go lucky self and become more insular, withdrawn and seek solace in San Miguel.
No comments:
Post a Comment