Another change of plans

Another change of plans

April 14, 2019 1 By Stuart

So I was meant to be running the Boston Marathon today (that’s Boston, Lincolnshire, UK, not Boston,MA, US)

I know there’s a good few weeks of training logs missing (which I will backfill?), but it had been going well with a couple of solid 20+ mile runs and a new PB at the Retford Half Marathon.

Then I hit 2 weeks of travel. A week on holiday in Iceland, and then a work engagement at the MS MVP Summit in Bellevue, WA. Managed to keep the running up while out there with a very cold hard21 miles around Reykjavik and a couple of shorter ones in Bellevue.

That was until a run on the last Friday of my trip. The plan had been for a 18 mile run from Bellevue, across the bridge to Seattle, run down through Viretta Park and back across the bridge to Bellevue (I’ll do a post soon on how I find running routes when I’m abroad)

All way going ok till I hit Kurt’s Bench at about mile 11

Kurt Cobain memorial bench in Viretta Park, Seattle as I passed by on a run.

All energy just dropped from my body. I’d had a reasonable amount to eat before I came out, and a passable night’s sleep. Plus I’d been gelling as I went along. Tried to push along a bit further, but even an emergency pitstop at an ever present Starbucks couldn’t revive me.

Called a cab and accepted that this run just wasn’t going to be.

At the time I just put this down to a week of good but not so healthy food at a conference and my body clock being 7 hours out from it’s comfort zone

Unfortunately things didn’t improve when I got back the UK. Pain at the back of my right knee which wasn’t too bad, but my next long run all energy went at about the same distance, I limped the last mile and a half home feeling really rough.

At that point with 2 weeks to go till Boston, I decided applying for a deferment was the best option. Been to the doctors as well and waiting for some blood test results just in case it’s something worth worrying about.

I think I could have probably gotten around Boston today, but it would have been painful and wiped me out for some of the things I’ve got coming up. Comparing the fun levels, I think I’m looking forward more to things like Kinder Downfall, Woodhouse Challenge, Tigers Trail and just getting out to the hills as the weather improves