A hard days night
Jul31201110:31 p.m.
My post tonight contains some personal details I wouldn't normally include in my running blog but I have chosen to do so today because of the major impact they have on my running at this time and to leave them out would negate one of the reasons I created this blog ... to write honestly about my highs and lows as a runner. Please, please do not post comments of sympathy ... I'm sure everyone reading this post has challenges in their owns lives which impinge on their running ... mine are just having an impact at the moment and hence why I've included them.
It's a tough time in my household at the moment. I won't go into too many details - I could write a book on the subject - but we look after my 97 year old mother-in-law and although her mind is sound, her body is failing her. To cut a long story short, we are having the devil of a job getting her to bed at night. This is mainly a mental challenge as she is simply so frightened she doesn't want to go to bed. It's been building for a while but it can literally take hours to get her to bed and the last two nights have been particularly challenging with my wife and I eventually getting fitful nights sleep in a room next to hers, sleeping on mattresses laid on the floor.
Sleep is such an important part of the recovery process for a runner - it certainly is for me anyway - and today my lack of sleep over the past two nights made running almost impossible. Today's run - my last before the Yateley 10K on Wednesday - was supposedly a 3-mile easy run but I really wasn't up to much more than a jog, my mile times being 11:15, 11:07, and 10:26. Having seen the weather forecast for next week - 28C is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday - I have to admit to a tinge of fear about running hard in those conditions or even about running at all.
I'm hopeful that things will be easier over the next few days as we have now "moved-in" to the room next to her. It's almost time to test that theory - wish me luck!
Enjoy your running!
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Comments (3)
Jenny1961 'It's hard NOT to express some sympathy Michael as I can only appreciate how hard this must be for all of you. Life's circumstances DO impact on our running and we just have to take the rough with the smooth I guess. And just keep on doing things to the best of our ability under the circumstances in which we currently dwell.' added 31st Jul 2011
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Firefly123 'Michael - looking after an elderly relative is very hard, so although you don't want people's sympathy - and I can appreciate why - you have my thoughts. Those splits are perfectly fine for an easy run, so don't beat yourself up. My daughters have decided to put themselves on a beginners 10 mile training plan in advance of the Cabbage Patch 10 which I entered them for in a rush of blood to the head. They did a 40 minute run yesterday at 13 minute milling. As regards the Yateley 10k - don't make yourself any promises about PB's as if it's as warm as today, you'll need to slow down. But try and run it anyway - I think it will do you lots of good. ' added 1st Aug 2011
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Alaistair 'For a long time used running as an escape, a way of running away from the difficult day-to-day issues life can throw at you. Don't know about you but eventually running became the release, a way of coming to terms with all sorts of stuff. Hope you able settle your routines down at home to find the energies to train & race. If the conditions are hot this week would not run hard...simply run smart and enjoy the event, good luck!' added 1st Aug 2011
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