London's Loss? Stroke Man does Edinburgh 2008 by RuddysMarathonEffort

When I fired up my e-mail at work this morning, not one blog update and when I thought about it, not one update for a few days? So sorry I am commenting even less than usual. Either realbuzz is playing up again or someone's told them I havn't run for over two weeks.

My achilles injury isn't responding to my self treatment and I blew £300 getting myself to the start line in Edinburgh, the Rudd family budget just cannot afford anymore at the moment.

I started to get all morose and feeling sorry for myself last night but managed to shake myself out it because at the end of the day there are much, much worse things happening in life than achilles tendon injuries? Right!

It is a bit a of vicious circle with me though. No prospect of running in the near future means I should work harder in the gym? No, I am demotivated to do much at all when I cannot do (run) what I am training for. Make sense? Less exercise, comfort eating, fatter belly etc etc and down the drainpipe I go!

Just before Edinburgh I got through my NHS referral for fizzio but I only see her for 15 minutes once a week or less. How much good is that going to do?

No light at the end of the no running tunnel at the moment means I won't be blogging much at the moment (Silver lining you say?) as this is meant to be a running blog..............

It could be worse, I could be Ken Spence (right Phil?) I cannot make my mind up about that guy (if he is actually some kind of decent runner who is sad enough to enjoy taking the piss out of mere mortals like me & you or just a crank? Sad definitely) Either way, I can give & take a bit of banter with anyone, but Kenneth you just not funny, ironic, anything. Get a life and get your head out of your arse.

Ruddy

Not yet.

I had an extra day off work on Tuesday (thankfully) and took it easy and drank tea all day.

Wednesday back to work (Bah humbug), I did go to the gym for a very easy stretch, bike,rower, x-trainer and sauna session (the whole of 10 minutes each) but even that tired me out, I was only trying to loosen off a bit.

Thursday, not a bloody thing. The left quad is still quite sore, the right shin also, I am going to lose the big toe nail and first toe nail on left foot and have I mentioned before about a sore achilles on the right leg?

Cannot quite walk without a limp at the moment, until me limbs warm up a bit, old age is a terrible thing - right Janis?

I checked my FLM07/Edinburgh 08 times and at the 10k, Half & 30 K point, I was ahead on my Edinburgh schedule. The wheels really did seize in the last 12 K didn't they? Never mind, theres always another day?

Might go for a swim tomorrow, but at the moment, I am going home.

Ruddy 

Is that how the song goes? It should be a perfect weekend really. The bare facts of my perfect weekend:

Saturday: meet Janis Brown, Kim Cotton & Kevin Dargue for the first time at the expo and meet Colleen Rehbein again.

Hull City beat Bristol City 1-0 during there first visit to Wembley to gain promotion to the top Division for the first time in there 104 year history.

Sunday: Ran the Edinburgh Marathon in 4.35.25 to prove that if you want something enough........

Hull Kingston Rovers beat Harlequins 22-8, Hull FC LOSE to St Helens 22-14. 

I was up at 4.45 am to get the 6 am train from Hull to York and despite a 30 minute delay at York and my original hotel double booking us (the sorted us a better hotel) me & Karen managed to get to the expo for around 1.30ish and immediately met up with Janis, Kevin and then Kim with Colleen arriving a touch later.

Kevin Dargue, Kim Cotton & Ruddy. Kim looked so tired having travelled all night, I was worried how she would be, come Sunday.

Having taken so much stick from me on her blog, Janis gets the chance to hit me but didn't!

Ruddy & Colleen. C'mon single fellas, what ya waiting for, she's lovely!?

Group shot 1, Kevin, Kim, Ruddy & Janis.

Group shot 2: Kevin, Kim, Ruddy & Colleen

After the expo, Mrs Rudd managed to persude a local pub to change one the television from the Scottish Cup final to the English Championship playoff final - result! After a meal in Edinburgh I spent the rest of the night worrying as my achilles was aching the day before race! Kit ready, I went down to the hotel bar and a pint to settle my nerves.

The hotel had a number of marathon runners staying and kindly ran an early Sunday morning breakfast for us all (Porridge & Tea of course!) I dumped my bag at collection and immediately got a txt from Kim as to where to meet up.

Half an hour to go and still smiling!

Not long to go but still smiling - still in denial Kim?

A few minutes to go, not smiling now!

.

Within a mile of the off I could feel the achilles, within 3 miles if was hurting but it never got any worse and was manageable. At five miles I recognised another blogger, Rach Reynolds, from behind and as I had never met her up to this point, how did I manage that Rach?! Nice to meet you at last!

At 12 miles Karen took the following photo when I was still feeling (and looking?) good. About a mile later, the lovely Janis popped up and ran along with me for a few yards and gave some much needed support (Thank you!!)

Along the sea front miles (5 to18ish), it was cloudy and a head wind, thank God it wasn't raining, it would have been horrible! After that we turned back towards home with a back wind but the warm Sun had broken through by then!

I managed to run the first 30 K in under three hours. At this point i was on for a 10-15 minute PB. However, it was also at this point that my lack of quality, regular training during injury ravaged training campaign finally caught up with mith me! The wheels didn't exactly fall off more seized up! The heart and mind were still willing but the legs were shot. By mile 23 I would stretch off the calves and hammies but this would just set the thighs off cramping! It was around this time I caught up with Kevin Dargue whi was struggling big time also, we basically yo-yo'd over about 3 miles taking it in turns to pass each other and then seize up. Karen was at mile 25 and i rang her to tell her she wouldn't miss me because she was walking the last mile with me as the legs had gone. Karen still complained that I was walking too fast for her!!

At mile 26 I streched off as best I could and ran, no stumbled the remaining yards through to the finish at Mussleburgh race course in front of the Grand Stand. Kevin kindly waited at the finish to shake my hand, well done mate.

The journey back to Edinburgh was a pain but after a bath and a rest, me and the Mrs had a lovely meal on the "Royal Mile" before meeting Janis and husband Malcolm for a few drinks at a local pub. A lovely end to a lovely weekend. Many thanks for the lift home Janis, you saved me a lot of pain!

Sorry for the novel folks!

Ruddy

Got back about 6.45 tonight and am absolutely knackered....and delighted. Proper blog tomorrow.

4.35.25 is 7 minutes slower than London 07, but considering the injury I have been carrying and its effect on my training, is the finest thing I have ever done.

I have an achilles as thick n flexible as a breeze block!

Report and piccies tomorrow after a good nights kip!

Ruddy