Date: February 27, 2024
Distance: 3 miles (walking)
Listened to: The birds, the sea and tractors
“Woah, we’re halfway there, wo-ho, were living on a prayer!” Ahhh, Bon Jovi…this song seems to have become the soundtrack to my last few weeks. But why?
- John and I are halfway through London Marathon training and halfway to our fundraising total to allow us to run. This means one of us can run right now! I elect John as I am a bit broken (see below) and this was his idea for a birthday challenge. He hits 50 four days after the marathon.
- Living on a prayer feels about right with the second cold of my marathon training meaning I have had to train five of the eight weeks feeling pretty grotty…and I have a pain in the arse. I am not being metaphorical…I have a sharp, nervy pain in my left butt cheek. Plus, I’m still ploughing through the good old menopause.
- This was the tune we all leapt about to at our dear friend Amanda’s 50th birthday party having run 10 treacherous miles along the muddy canal path in Lichfield in the morning.
The fundraising has been awesome. So many generous friends, family, colleagues, ex-colleagues, clients, patients and others have dropped us a donation towards our charity, the RFU’s Injured Players Foundation, which supports rugby players in England who sustain a catastrophic spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury while playing the game. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your amazing support.
Training though has been challenging for me. I did an Adriene YouTube yoga session today called “I Attract”. She asked the participants to consider what they attract and I shouted: “COLDS!” They really are my Achilles heel. What others shake off in a week, I hang onto for three weeks. It is so demoralising. All I want is a decent shot at training, and I feel I get dragged back by a virus at every turn. Yep, I am being Debbie Downer but it is tough watching everyone else rack up the runs when you can hardly breathe!
I thought I had this one beat. I had managed to keep training the week before last and even got myself through a respectable 12-mile long run plus a Valentine’s Day training session (see below) with John. Romance is not dead people! I was almost looking forward to the following weekend when I could run 14 miles without being ill. Foolish woman! The cough really ramped up in the next week and a treadmill interval session last Thursday was my last bit of action. I worked Saturday but Sunday came and went…and the 14 miles did not get done. Meanwhile, everyone else ticked their long runs off.
This is when the panic sets in. I really want to be ready for this marathon but how will I be ready if I cannot train? Even if I stay off Strava, so I do not see everyone else’s efforts, there seems to be a whole host of people I’ve never seen before out on the streets. I’ve never seen so many runners! It’s like they are all mocking me. I know I am being irrational but this is an honest space and I like to share.
I have listened to all the advice from John and runner friends who assure me I am ok to miss a few sessions, but it is still a big worry. I know I will still be at the start line, but I wanted to be there in my best shape possible and viruses seem to want to steal that from me.
This is also where the menopause is very unhelpful. One of the worst symptoms is crippling anxiety. For me, it’s like someone chucks a dark blanket over my head and all reason goes to pot. I cannot see the light. Whereas I have been able to reason my way out of doubts and fears in the past, this anxiety does not want to be reasoned with. Add this little worry spirit to a mixer of ‘maranonia’ and that is one toxic cocktail!
I joke about it, and there must have been thousands of women who have run marathons while going through the menopause, but I wonder how it affected them? Not just the anxious thoughts, but also the extra weight, the lack of sleep, the aches and pains, the irrational fear of falling over, and don’t forget the excess sweating…these symptoms can’t make running 26.2 miles any easier. I’m not using menopause as pre-excuse for not running a sub-3 marathon because that is never going to happen, but I think it could well have an affect. Don’t think that research will be available too soon, scientists have not always included women in their studies of athletes, let alone the sweaty, slow ones in their 50s!
That leads me to the butt pain! Whether the result of the hilarious slippy, slidey, trying-to-not-fall-in canal path run (above – please note Derek’s ears – they are hilarious!) or being ill or being menopausal, the pain has made even dog walking tricky. For someone who likes to walk at a clip – I think I walk like my Dad – I have been limping along. The three miles I did from West Buckland to Bantham and back were evidence of this go-slow, painful mode, but I am hoping it will have helped. The sun and the beach always help my soul even if the pain did not subside.
In summary, marathon training has not been a bed of roses but there is still time apparently! I have another eight weeks – well, seven-and-a-half now – to go. Please let the viruses leave me alone, let the butt pain move on, and menopause just simmer rather than boil. A friend asked me what marathon time I was aiming for at the party we went to in Lichfield and I told him I just wanted to survive. People always want a time…and believe me, I would love one too but I think it would be kinder on my heart, legs and soul if I just aim to finish…if that’s ok with everyone else?
I am aiming to be more upbeat in my next update! Thanks for reading! If you want to donate to our marathon effort, the link is here: https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/caroline-moore Thank you xxx
Running for Dad 