March kicked off with the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round, a super fell race starting and ending in the village of Barley... I felt just about ready for the race after a very disappointing February but post race, that blasted illness returned with a vengeance. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have raced (and perhaps that's what prolonged the illness into March) but frustration had gotten the better of me... and not for the last time in March.
The following week I hardly ran at all but finally started feeling better by the following Monday... so naturally, to make up for lost training, I hit out the biggest week of the year to date... and of course had to back off for the final week of March due to mild shin splints… insert facepalm emoji here.
Will I ever learn?
I think I am. Learning that is... slowly... past me would have run through it all without a murmur but this year I have caught myself being sensible on one or two occasions: days when I felt I could train but probably shouldn’t, I’ve chosen to give myself that little bit of extra time to rest. I guess I just grossly underestimated the virus (or whatever it was) that I contracted at the end of February.
In other news, I did my first editing sprint for the Fellrunner Magazine, the wonderful magazine that always makes me jump out of my skin when it unexpectedly lands on the door mat with a massive thud. I think we need a thicker, softer door mat!
So I head into April feeling positive, despite the rather rubbish first quarter… I've realised I am not fit enough for the Lakes Mountain 40, so I won't be entering this time round. See? I am learning! I’m instead going to focus on being fit and healthy for a fellow Bowland Fell Runners Bob Graham attempt on the 22nd: I'll be pacing a graveyard shift leg 2 from Threkeld to Dunmail Raise. Let’s go, Andrew!
And no, Mike… I won’t be entering the Newlands Memorial Fell Race later the same morning!
Comments