Training Blog

Sometimes life doesn't go to plan! After a good start to July I've been struggling with dizziness and vertigo after a fall at an inflatable aqua park (!) and then the effects of my second vaccine. The question is always how much to push on and how much to hold back. I'm hoping I can get a bit more work in before my next race. Fingers crossed!

Week starting 5th July - 40.9 miles.

A recovery week this week after a few big weeks of training.

Monday - Rest! We were still in Bath (see my last post) so it was amazing to have a lie-in followed by a swim and a 5-course breakfast.

Tuesday - Shakeout run in the morning (3.58 miles) and a Team Vosser session in the evening. We did a tough session for my endurance legs - proper speed work! The session was 2 x 400, 3 x 300 and 4 x 200 metres. My poor little legs! 4.47 miles.

Wednesday - An early start for me and a lovely run with Charlie and Sam from my club. Great start to the day. 5.8 miles. Also manage to fit in a S&C session before leaving for work at 9.30am - on call in the evening.

Thursday - Rest day today and I feel like I need it. Really tired with a twitchy eyelash and a bit of a sore throat.

Friday - Morning run - all easy - for 5.85 miles. Binned my evening session after a late finish at work.

Saturday - I'd hoped to do a 10/10/10 progression last night so I moved the run to today and didn't do myself scheduled Saturday run. Paces weren't great but ran to feel. Sometime my recovery weeks are where I feel most sluggish. 4.30 miles.

Sunday - The Run Through half marathon today. I should have been at an ultra race this weekend but after entering I realised a few weeks ago that the race started at midnight on Friday night and there was no way I was going to make it. Due to some short term staffing issues I couldn't get Friday off so the half today was a racing concession. It was on an undulating course over trail, path and grass and it was hot! Pleased with 1.27.44 for the course and I was second lady.

Week starting 12th July - 90.63 miles

Monday - Woohoo - new big block of training and I was really looking forward to it. Easy run today and S&C with my strength coach, Tom Smith. 6.28 miles

Tuesday - Morning run round my favourite Easton Loop (7.57 miles) and then another easy run in the evening (4.09 miles). Always a bonus getting out of work on time.

Wednesday - Early run with my teammate Sam - 7.61 miles. We met at 5.30am - so grateful for other people, as mad as me! Drive straight from work to the ferry to go to the Isle of Wight with my husbands family for 6 days. Very excited to have some time off, and just in time for the heatwave.

Thursday - We're staying in Cowes so we're really close to a lovely long stretch of the Red Squirrel Trail. Do an excellent session of 5 x 2 kilometres this morning at threshold off 2 minutes jog recovery. So happy with this session. 11.17 miles total. A long walk in the afternoon with family and dogs.

Friday - Tom and I take the dogs to the beach in the morning before it gets hot. They love paddling in the water and Tom braves a dip. It's absolutely roasting during the day so I eventually get out to do my run at 9pm - 4.69 miles. During the day we visited Osbourne House. Bit too hot for me and Goose, our dog.

Saturday - Another session today and I tried to leave fairly early after a short walk with Goose to the beach. 10 x (2 min on, 1 min float, 1 min on, 1 min float). Seemed not to bad on paper but was really tough and I had to give myself a talking to in order to keep going. Stripped down to sports bra and shorts and was soaked through with sweat. We went kayaking in the afternoon - my right and left arms were very unequal in strength so I spent a lot of time trying not to go in a circle.

Sunday - Long run day and one I was equally worried and excited about. 35 miles on the Red Squirrel Trail. After some initial stress when Tom couldn't find me on the bike (he was carrying my drinks and nutrition) for the first hour the run went really well. Super pleased with my pace and my ability to cope in the heat - normally I really struggle. Recovery shuffle in the evening - still super hot so manage 3.39 miles.

Week starting 19th July - 38.72 miles

Monday - Feeling tired (unsurprisingly) so today was a struggle in the heat. Ran along the seafront hoping for a breeze. 5.71 miles. We went to an inflatable aquapark in the afternoon/evening. I'm a big kid at heart so I was excited even though I knew it wasn't the wisest form of recovery from a big week of training. Unfortunately my big-kid side won! I was on a 2 metre platform when someone fell climbing up to the 4 metre platform above. He hit me and we both fell 2 metres into the water. I felt ok at the time and went on to do all the slides multiple times but felt a bit rough and tired driving home.

Tuesday - Woke up feeling awful, with a headache and the room spinning. I did have some champagne the night before but not enough to make me feel so bad. Managed a very unsteady run (8.15 miles) but at a very slow pace. Not sure if I've got benign vertigo or a mild head injury. Late ferry back home and straight to bed after an amazing 6 days.

Wednesday - Another wobbly run in the morning but feeling a bit better. Lovely to see my teammates and we went out early to avoid the heat. 10.84 miles. Manage to fit in S&C afterwards and before my work/on-call shift. Pogos (a jumping drill) are a bit of a disaster with the dizzy-wobbles. My headache returns at work - feeling pretty bad.

Thursday - Decide to rest after a chat with my coach Tom. Running while everything is moving/ I'm feeling dizzy isn't great.

Friday - I feel disappointed as this week was supposed to be another good training week. Run 4.00 miles in the morning and feel ok but still like I'm running on a boat. We drive to Nottingham in the evening (halfway to a wedding in Yorkshire). Long day - so glad to finally get into bed.

Saturday - Lovely run along the Nottingham canal and I think the dizziness/vertigo is starting to improve. 5.99 miles. Final drive north for a gorgeous wedding near Malton. An amazing day and it felt almost pre-covid normal.

Sunday - Long drive home today but I really enjoyed the time to chat and listen to podcasts on our way down again. Vertigo improving again I think. 4.03 miles around Winchester before bed. Really hopeful for a decent training week next week.

Week starting 26th July - 20.02 miles

As Burns said "the best-laid schemes o'mice an' men Gang aft agley" and that pretty much sums up last week and this week.

Monday - A busy day for me, even though it's my day off. Up early for a dog walk and then a new carpet was supposed to be fitted so Tom and I tag-teamed training in the morning before the carpet fitter called to cancel - *sigh*. Ran to and from S&C to double up my training and save time. Great strength session and vertigo almost gone - still some residual dizziness after jumps but not too bad. Home and a quick lunch before going for a follow-up after my knee injury. My doctor recommended a DEXA scan as the fall when I fractured my knee was quite innocuous. I also had lots of blood tests done. I'll write about the results when I have them. Manage a quick nap (I've really struggled to sleep in the heat) before going for my second vaccine and then home to watch the Olympics catch-up on Eurosport. 4.38 miles.

Tuesday - Wake up with a very sore arm despite taking paracetamol. Barely make it into my scrubs and almost scream when one of the nurses affectionately squeezes my arm during the day. Decide a rest day is probably wise even though last week wasn't great training wise. Trying to put my sensible head on.

Wednesday - Things start to go awry! Wake up with a large rash on my leg and huge lymph nodes in my armpit. Attempt a run but my armpit is so swollen it's quite painful. Speak to the doctor and it's probably an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Feel progressively worse throughout the day and after dinner abandon our normal pre-bed dog walk to go straight to bed. Antihistamines aren't reducing the rash at all.

Thursday - The area where the rash is on my leg is very swollen, hot and incredibly itchy despite antihistamines and cortisone cream. The lymph nodes in my armpit and neck are all swollen too. Attempt my normal pre-work dog walk but feel steadily worse - just wiped out. I hate taking days off work but not being able to walk my dog is my threshold for not going in. Back home and into bed. I take immunotherapy for hay fever as my pollen allergy is really bad (it's scored out of 6 in allergy testing and my reaction is 5.7) and the allergy specialist warned me that I might be more likely to have a reaction to the vaccine. It's still worth it for me - I don't want to contract covid (acute or long form) or pass it on to anyone - but I'm feeling dreadful. Sleep most of the day.

Friday - Back at work today. Struggle through the morning but start to feel better in the afternoon. Rash starting to subside and my armpit and groin are less painful and swollen. No running. Couple of dog walks today which feels like progress. I'm on call but luckily I get finished on time - woohoo!

Saturday - Wake up and feel like I'm turning a corner. I'm sleeping a lot - my normal eight hours is 10 hours at the moment. I'm barely managing to read any of my book. Do a 20 minute very easy run today. As expected, my very easy pace is slower than normal. Sigh.

Sunday - Definitely feeling better today. Run to feed my friend's cat and then meet up with my friend Sam for an easy run around my favourite Easton loop. 70ish minutes in all and 8.96 miles. Not my best week but the only way is up!