Sand, Sea and Stress

Last weekend I went and did a race in Wales. It was one of the Endurance Life Coastal Trail series in Wales on the Gower peninsula. Stunning weather driving down on the Friday, lovely weather driving back on the Sunday. Race day itself was not so good and conditions underfoot were horrendous. Sand is never easy running but the mud was apocalyptic- I have never been in such conditions before. However, the views were beautiful and for a short while the sun did come out.

It was always going to be a 'just a day out' kind of race, and given the appalling weather from the start I'd decided that if I really wasn't having fun I'd stop at the marathon distance and call it a day. I actually wasn't having fun by then but had forgotten I'd said that to myself so did the whole 34.5 miles anyway! The last loop was mostly pretty pointless though as it included a loop within the loop and a miserable plod along the beach to the finish- one of those stretches where you can see the finish but it just doesn't get any nearer.

From the start location looking round to the final loop of the ultra

I had a vague notion of wanting to get round in about 7 hours but once the mud got going I knew that was out of the question. And anyway that left hip flexor/quad tendons gave up on me again. It didn't get as bad as at A100 but it did get bothersome and after attempting to run into the finish along the beach I just gave up and walked it in.

The route was mostly super- but the '10k' loop (make that more like 7 miles) added at the end to make up the ultra was mostly pretty unimaginative and pointless. I got a bit sweary as my mood dropped especially when we were directed to do the mini loop within that loop. A couple guys running near me were a bit surprised to hear a small, quiet woman start shouting expletives. Anyone who's run in races with me will know I do have a potty mouth during a race, either because I'm over-excited or I'm really, really pissed off with it all.

I did smile a bit though!

Anyway, I've got ill yet again since the race. Another (probable) virus affecting the same tonsil but this time with more widespread inflammation (neck, ear), more pain and a lot more general fatigue. Eventually got to see a healthcare person today and they said 99% likely a virus, more than likely because what with everything that's been going on* I'm completely run down and that ideally I should be doing some complete rest. No training or anything until I'm all better. I don't really know how to stop being so run down- unless there's a sudden and dramatic upturn in my circumstances nothing is going to change- but I'm 5 weeks into a 6 week wait to see my GP so I think rather than using the appointment to discuss what next with loopy hormones it will have to be figuring out what's going on with my immune system and what if anything can be done to help me stay healthy. Being ill and missing work and therefore not being paid is simply an additional stress so resting up at home whilst losing money isn't actually very restful.

* there's been a lot

I will take this time to think hard about running in particular, training in general, and how to get the right balance with work, training, life and diet. My weight has been fluctuating more than is healthy this year (mostly losing weight and not quite gaining it all back before losing more) and although I know a lot about nutrition it's been incredibly hard following a properly nutritious diet because of lack of money, time, being poorly so much, not being home at meal times. 

Somehow there has to be a way out the mess I'm in, but I sure as heck can't see it right now.