Frantically Doing Nothing.

I’ve been getting a bit frantic lately. As usual. I’m in a bit of holding pattern at the moment. I’m still on the recovery phase of my training, work are still only giving me 2 shifts a week, and I don’t need to buy anything so I’ve nothing to obsess over/ fixate upon. I’ve got all this free time while I’m not doing much training, next week I start a 60 mile, 6 days a week training plan and work will be kicking in very shortly. They put up a sign in the office about new procedures that are going to be implemented as the new machinery comes online, and the agency have sent a text asking for anyone with holiday plans from July to let them know now. So they are clearly expecting to be snowed under with work. I was looking at it, it’s only been 5 weeks of 2 shifts a week. It seems like forever. I was talking to one lad about it and he said he’s had a couple of weeks with no work at all. When it all kicks in and I’m trying to fit runs in around shifts this will seem like a great time.

I was bored and looking at other work today. To my surprise there are other jobs out there now. There wasn’t anything comparable to my current job a few weeks ago. There was one by which I was really tempted. Monday to Friday, 09.00- 11.00 starts, trunking to Bridgewater (Somerset) and back. But it runs from Skelmersdale. So, buy a motorbike (yay!) commute 40 minutes in, 12 hour shift, 40 minutes home… Oh. Damn. No training, no life, just a good start time and a nice trunking run. I did that for Booker when I was on the Didcot run. Tons of money but I was getting literally depressed, it’s just not worth it.

I’ve bookmarked the site that’s advertising the good jobs, just in case, but I’ll wait it out at my job. As the manager said, they didn’t spend all those millions of pounds for the machinery not to have it running flat out. When it goes online, and they start importing more and more work, I reckon I’ll be fighting with the agency to get my days off again.

As I say, last week of (shortened) recovery, next week I get to test out Camille’s plan.

…

It’s been a week since the above and I’m training again and I’m out of the manic phase. I was driving Wendy crazy with it. And myself, obviously. Strange how these things are all-consuming, but the second it’s over you forget all about it. I’d forgotten until I came to update my blog and read it. Like the plague weakness bouts. While I’m OK I make training plans and don’t give it a thought. Within 24 hours of it smacking me again I’m thinking “this is my life now, it’s never going away. Just one bout after another. I can’t bear it.” A few days later, all gone, brain back to normal. I wonder if it affects your brain, or it’s just so enervating you are naturally sad? Or whether I’m just a wuss? Who can say? It’s odd.

First week of my new training plan and I was excited to try it out. I thought it was going to be too easy, but it seems pretty good training, now I’m doing it. Hopefully it will be a bit kinder on my knees as well.

First impressions are: 6 days a week training, about 8 miles (easy pace) each day, with a midweek specialty day (sprints or hills or whatever) and a long, slow, run at the end of the week. Mostly easy running, but it’s all building miles.

Now I’m back to training I’ve started my diet again. I was slacking and my weight was creeping up again. I need every advantage if I’m going to reach my goal for this year. I’ve already got over a stone less blubber to have to carry for 26 miles. Sadly there is more to go. I’m trying to do it sensibly now. It’s not starvation, lots of healthy stuff, and I’m trying to max out my daily protein. This is good for repairing damage and building muscles. Also it stops your body from eating your muscles as a food source. So it’s all win.

Hmmm. I took a week off training because I was getting sore knees. Doctor Google thinks it’s runner’s knee, which, on the bright side is nothing broken, just inflamed and sore from overuse. It’s more of a worry that it could be an indicator that it could get worse. Anyway, I took a week off. I’ve come back to training this week to start Camille’s plan. Already my knees (particularly my right) are playing up. It’s clicking every time I bend it and gets uncomfortable if I let it sit in one position. It woke me up last night. Not good.

I was fretting about it today on twitter. Someone was saying go and see the physio again, but I was putting it off. It’s a hike to Stockport and I am scared he’s just going to say total rest. I’ve only got 21 weeks until my target marathon. They said that whatever the physio says it’s best to do it immediately, to give myself the best chance of recovery so I can still try and smash my goal. There’s no arguing with that. I’ve emailed him to see when he can fit me in for an appointment.

I was limping around for 2 years on a battered hoof, he sorted that in one session. He might be able to do the same again. If I have to rest, best to do it now. And at the very worst, I can always ignore him and grit my teeth for 6 months.

In other news, my purge of all that is useless clutter continues. I’ve sold my sax. I’m keeping my clarinet, it’s only cheap, it’s quieter to practice on, and it’s got a really nice sound. And my big problem is I can’t count time, that applies to any musical instrument. Might as well be crap on a quieter instrument.

I advertised the sax on eBay. They said to list it with £6 P&P charges. I thought it would be more, so put it at £15. It sold, yay! I went to print off a postage label, the cheapest I could get (because the sax and case is over 5kg) was £83! I googled the guy’s address to see if I should just run it over. Actually in the sea, off the bottom of the map, by Brighton. He lives in a boat in a marina. I did the maths. With the current ridiculous fuel prices, 10 hours driving (round trip), and over £100 in diesel!

*sigh*

Chalk another kicking up to experience.

Tomorrow I’m going to sneak down to the boat club, assemble my boat, take some pictures, then get that sold. That is absolutely collection only.

It’s not that we need the money, it’s just all this stuff is hanging around, unused, and mildly stressing me with it’s mute reproach.

Talking of, I’ve got 3 shifts next week. I don’t know if the sorting machinery is coming online, or it’s just a one off. It can’t be long now though. Then I’ll be swamped with work. It’s feast or famine.

I finally manage to bag Boris.

Poor Boris. But rats can spread lethal diseases, so he had to go. On a post about shooting them it said to be sure to pick them up with a shovel so you never touch them directly, they are potentially that dangerous.

I’ve bought some fancy pellets that are consistently accurate and zeroed my telescopic sights. I set five 5p coins up (smaller than a 1p) and shot them down with 5 (supported) shots, so it will be clean kills, at least.

…

I have been building the boat club up in my mind. It had assumed monstrous proportions. I don’t know why, but anything I put off just grows and grows.

Anyway, the boat club sent me another email, about providing proof of boat insurance and such, and it spurred me into action. I went to the club on Monday and took pictures. I’ve listed the boat on eBay and it has already got a bid, so it has sold. Now it’s just a matter of how much I get for it. Then meet them at the club so they can collect it. Phew. That will be a huge weight off my mind.

Adrian, the physio, has given me an appointment for a week on Monday. He said, from what I described, it sounds like an inflamed tendon. That sounds very treatable.

Yesterday was my birthday, I woke up with a sore throat, by the end of the day I was croaking like I was losing my voice, weak, and feeling pretty rough. Marvelous. I didn’t have any work today or tomorrow, but I put myself as unavailable to make sure. I was a bit grotty when I got up, but I think I’m OK again now. My throat is still sore, but that’s nothing.

I have a new idea/ pipe dream. I’m going for the sub 3 marathon this year, next year I’m doing a 50 mile and a 100 mile race. Depending on how I take to ultras, I’ve thought of a decent challenge:

The TransPenine Trail (TPT)!

Coast to coast, Hornsea to Southport, 208 miles, 2,054 metres of climb.

The TPT is mostly canal paths and old train tracks turned into paths. With the minimum of roads to link it.

That would be a hell of a challenge. The thing is, it passes within 3 miles of our house, so it’s kind of rude not to.

We’ll see. I might hate ultras with a passion. I’ve only done one 50 mile race and it was hell on Earth. To be fair I didn’t follow a structured training plan, so I went into unprepared. The training plan someone recommended for next year has 30 miles on the Saturday, 20 miles Sunday. I never did anything like that for the 50. My longest run was 40 miles, but I never went out to pound out another long run the day after. That teaches your legs how to power through exhaustion. Also I’d trained to run 8 minutes/ walk 2 (it uses different muscle groups so keeps you fresher, apparently) but when I got to the race nobody was walking so I just kept going until I died. Stupid.

The TPT would be a huge challenge. Not just the legwork, but the logistics of it. Trying to navigate through the night, solo. Food, water, somewhere to sleep for a few hours, I’ve no idea how I could do it. That’s part of the fun, working it out. Most people do it as part of an organised race, or with a support crew. For now it’s just a wild idea. I’ll see how I feel after the 100 mile race.

I’m having a lazy day today as my throat is still rough. Back to the training tomorrow.

Right, some twitter and I’m done.

We had the state opening of Parliament