Gutted!

So some of you  have been wondering where I had disappeared to for a while. Well I have  still be running but work [I’m an intensive care Nurse] and various other commitments had got in the way of me doing races in July, my last ‘run’ of the 14 in 14 was the race for live at Aintree, which was race 9.

How-ever. As things stand I can no longer run!

 

 [this run was just under 1 year ago, where this all started]

This time two weeks ago I would have said I was perfectly healthy, I had just done a 5k run in 29mins, my fastest yet and looking forward to the next races I had coming up, [was going to be Liverpool women’s 10k] however I had pulled my back a little in work with a large patient and thought I would take the week of rest and see how I felt.  

That Wednesday night I was doubled over in pain and taken to the local hospital, initially thinking appendix or something similar.   That Thursday post op, I was told I had a solid mass in my Abdo and they don’t know what it is.  And since then I’ve been living a horrendous nightmare.

I was transferred to the women’s hospital who placed me on the oncology ward without other explanation, and had a Ultra sound scan there which confirmed a solid mass, however due to being post op was sent home and plan to rescan in 3 weeks and await various other test results to determine what it is.  However due to my age and level of fitness it is rare to be the Big C, but all I can think of is they properly said that to Jade Goody as well.  But now it’s simply a waiting game.

Unfortunately it’s pressing against my right hip and can currently not walk very far, i cant bend over and I can’t lift anything, however I am now on a lot of analgesia and seem to be slowly improving.

   

 I’m hoping it’s going to be a quick fix and then I can return to the 14 in 14 challenge, as I really really really want this as an achieve and be able to raise vitalfunds for the amazing Childflight!   But at the minute, I can of feel like I’ve let everyone down, hopefully the amount I have raised will make a little difference.  

For the time being though I have to take it easy so endorsing in my other hobby on the other blog, of the wonderful crochet, which is quite nice,  but I’m missing the running already, so next time you go out, even if it’s for an ultra or a gentle plod, enjoy every seconds of it, as who knows when that run, might be your last! 

Tunnel run 2014

TUNNEL RUN 2014.

Hello everyone, so  I’ve just realised that I forgot to press post on the tunnel run report. Therefore here it is!!

Since the port sunlight run I had twisted/sprained / done something to m y leg so I had been unable to train fully. However as this was my dream race and one I had be working towards I decided to go for it anyway. Even if I did end up walking for periods of it!

It was a very hot and sunny day,  and with little sleep the night before due to the mother snoring, I set out, this was the first race I had done where the start and finish line were in different places so my mum left me at the start so she could then find me at the finish. But I think because of this the atmosphere was different at the start,  there also wasn’t a warm up, which in ‘real’ runs rather than fun runs there doesn’t seem to be, which I find quite interesting..

I managed to run almost to the end of the tunnel before I had to begin walking, with the steep emergency exit almost killing me. The heat was intense in the tunnel, which I wasn’t expecting, but I did manage to take a tunnel selfie, [maybe if I took less pictures I would have run faster… hmm]

 I got to the 5k marker in 34minutes. Just things went downhill from there and ended up with a running time of 1hour and 19mins, but you know, who cares at the end of the day. I had an amazing time and meet a couple of great people,  hopefully one day I will be at an hour but I’m happy being able to achieve what I can and in doing so, got something ticked off the bucket list.

I now plan to attempt to train properly for the next 10k, but in the meantime just enjoy myself.  After all, the only person I have to beat is myself.

Liverpool spring 10k

Spring 10k

When I first took up running, jut over 12 months ago, this is one of the races I was aiming for, although at that point it was inconceivable that I would manage to get that far as I was week 1 into the couch to 5k training programme, however today, I did it! yay!!

So I was having a bad week, having nearly passed out at 1k on Monday, [post night shift yukness] and a very slow 7k on weds I wasn’t feeling in the best shape for this one, however I realized during said 7k that I had a tight issue.. ie they kept falling down and I had to keep stopping to pull up.. resulting in shopping trip (and a mandatory wagamma’s) to buy smaller clothes! Which is great as slowly getting a bit more fit! Just want to be fit and healthy more than anything else.. everything else is bonus!

So today! I found out I was in the slow group at the back due to co lour coding, however half way around found myself running with a elite runner [pink number] who had a cold but kept same pace as me… so maybe the colored numbers not as significant a its all down to what you do on the day..

Overall it was a fantastic race, I had a good steady run and seemed to not have to walk as much as per previous runs, pace was between 6 – 7.3 min/k, which is very good for me, and over all did it in a personal best time of 1hour and 11mins J very very very happy Helen.  I briefly stopped to offer help to a lady who had collapsed before running on for a Marshall.. which may have taken a few mins but at the same time probably speed me up to the Marshall as well!  But this is a personal best time, taking a massive 5mins and 30 odd seconds off! Aiming for under 1:10 for the tunnel run, which is my next 10k.  

down points? there seemed to be some good distance between marshalles and perhaps they could have been spread out a bit more.. otherwise an exellent and well organised race, good medal, good t-shirt, brill atmosphere. thinking of making this one a yearly event! 

As always I’m aiming to raise vital funds for Child-flight,  so any sponsorship will be greatly received! And would add an extra very t how happy I am! Just follow the link on your right! Every penny helps! 

p.s. thanks to the lovely val for your support at 4k and the finish! 

Sefton park

Hello everyone.

 Today marks the day of it being 2 weeks until my first 10k, and am I ready! Defiantly not! Hoping the crowd will pull me along! The problem? Well in the last run I did as part of this challenge I hurt my ankle, during the race I thought it was down to new trainers,  but then couldn't run on it probably for a week and has taken time to get back into training again..  still not back up to doing the 5k in 30mins but I’m still going to go for it, an hope that I will be able to do the next runs faster and better. 

Target for this 10k, less than 1hour 20mins, hoping the crowd will pull me along, but why this time? Will my app Nike plus, estimates it’ll take me 1 hour 30mins so probably going to be happy beating that!   

so today i went on a bit of an adventure / new route finder around Sefton park, seen as it was a rare nice day with sun! unfortunately the whole of Liverpool also seemed to be there so spent half the time dodging dogs and kids on bikes..  and perhaps i would have been a tad faster if i hadnt stopped to take pics! :) 

 spot the palm house

 doesnt this place just look magical? sisnt know it was hidden away back there. 

 lovely band stand, would have loved a closer look. 

spring has sprung! the park was littered all over with lovely iris's in purples and yellow! bliss!

muddy trainers at the end of the run! few blisters from this due to running in puddles! lesson learnt! 

1st run 2014 - linda McCartney

1^st run  of the 2014 challenge.

as always if you would like to sponsor me please press on the link on the right :-)

My first run of this challenge was a little 5k around Liverpool docs, starting at the Nike store towards the marina and back again. To summarize the run in two words… windy & ouch!  The run was being held to raise funds for the Linda McCartney center as part of another person’s fundraising efforts to raise £8000 pound by organizing 8 events: - link to their page  is HERE

So according to my Nike plus app I ran the run in 40:40, with a distance measuring of 5.10k. this time includes the brief time outside with speeches before setting off so maybe take a few minutes off the over all time. The App record that I achieved my goal of the fastest time of 39:19 minutes, fastest mile at 12:08 mins and fastest 1k at 7:18mins.  So a few good achievements had, according to the run graph I ran at a pace between 6.05 and 8.3mins/k, which is very good for me, good fast course helped but the running into a stong wind with lashing of rain certainly didn't! 

On the down side, I thought it was a good idea to wear a new pair of trainers, and I’m suffering now, but they were pink and orange and I thought it would be fitting!  But I got bad shin splits around 2k and now have a sore ankle, lesson to break trainers in in the future truly noted!  however cup cakes at finihs line is well worth the pain! 

Also at the run was the lovely Katie Brough a brilliant cross country runner and GB champ! 

race facts.

distance:- 5.1k.

time:- 40mins [39.19 for 5k]

race number:- 28.

surface type:- pavement. 

weather:- wet, cold and windy [very windy]

overall a very good day was had and hopefully raised a lot of money for this great cause! 

The Beginning

The beginning of the addiction.

So how did I get into running? Well I wanted to do a sky dive for charity and couldn't find one that you could pick your own charity for or one that you didn't have to pledge thousands of pounds for, [will blog about sponsorships some other time] so I started looking around what else I could do. To fund-raise and discovered a local fun run which was 5k, so throughout I would give it a go… and low and behold, started running and fell in love with it!

That was April time last year on my 24^th birthday, decided on that day that before I reached 25 I would make a difference to someone.  Something I hoe I've achieved.  

Before this I was a complete couch potato, occasionally getting off my bottom to play on the Wii. But even then found you could play that whilst on the couch so It was a major undertaking for me.  So how did I train? I began with a programme called couch to 5k app on my phone, however that began to get on my nerves a bit too much..[thick it was the dog randomly barking] so just began to run for a long as I could then walk for 10-mins then run as far as I could then walk etc. till I was home [on the same route in a massive circle, and slowly began to cut down on the walking time in between and increased the running time.    i have to say though i'm still quite a slow runner/jogger, hoping to improve over the year. 

I have recently broken my toe [ouch!] so been out of running for a while so beginning over, My first run is on the 26th of January, a little 5k to kick off the new year anyone interested in joining me can sign up over here being organised for Royal Linda McCartney center!  played a vital part in my family so all for a good cause.  will let you know how i get on

And as you can see by now i have managed to put a button on the right hand side of your screen to my donation page! every penny counts and all support very much needed and every penny counts! [by the end of the year i may come up with a little slogan to go with all the running]