Training Log Archive: Mark3

Had been looking forward to this to see just how much of the Roaches improvement last week was down to performance rather than conditions.
It was good conditions for this - from the bottom, could see cloud at the top of Pendle Hill, but in the valley it was nice and the sun was just about peeking out from behind the clouds on the start line. Wearing a baselayer and gloves based on the conditions higher up, but many people had had removed theirs.

After walking up the the first hill last year I wanted a change in tactics and decided to go for it from the start this year, and ran all the way up; felt tough but once we got to the top in the cloud I was feeling good and on the flat/descent I was passing lots of people. Then just before we reached Ogden Clough, on a nice typical moorland, slightly boggy but not too much, long-grassy descent... felt something impale the ball of my right foot, basically like I'd stood on a spike. This hurt a lot. I felt my shoe immediately fill with blood, a bit like when you step in a puddle, but warmer. I screamed a bit. Someone asked me if I was okay; I said no. I sat down, twisted my leg around and looked at the sole of my shoe. There was blood leaking out of the hole in the sole of my shoe. I will never forget that sight. I laid down on my back and tried to put pressure on the sole of my foot with my hands. Several people wrapped me in their foil blankets/bags and gave me paracetamol. Eventually one of the passing runners had a phone they used to call the police/mountain rescue. We were in an incredibly windy spot - after half an hour or so the 4 guys were getting really cold and they elected to move me to a more sheltered spot 20 meters or so away - I was pretty against this but it turned out to be a really good idea as it was much warmer. They kept me company for another half an hour (ish) until the helicopter arrived. For all this time the pain had been coming in waves; I would be pretty much ok for 10 mins and then crying for the next 10. When the ambulance arrived they struggled to find us in the first place (there were a lot of people on the hill) and then to land, due to the strength of the wind. Then they gave me gas and air, cut away the sock, obviously decided it looked bad enough for the hospital, got me on a stretcher and flew me to Blackburn hospital.

Whilst I had been secretly looking forward to the helicopter ride as soon as I realised it was on the cards (every cloud, eh?) turns out when you're lying down in a helicopter, the windows are too high for you to see out of, and also you're in so much pain anyway you're really not bothered. So that was a bit of an anticlimax. They said the trip would be 8 minutes although it seemed like longer than that - although I didn't really get a sense of the takeoff or landing like you do in a plane, so we might have been stationary for a bit when I thought we were moving.

Then I was pushed into the hospital and taken to Resus because wherever you're meant to take people was full. They stuck things to my chest which were connected to one of those machines that beeped if your heart rate got too low (which after I'd been there a while they got concerned about; it beeps angrily if your HR goes below 60 and very angrily if it goes below 50 - my resting HR is 48 - eventually someone came and manually changed the values) and did blood pressure and things. They looked at my foot a bit, and then I was pushed down some more corridors to be X-rayed to make sure there was nothing still in it, which they didn't think there was apart from something really small, they didn't seem bothered about it but thought I should have some antibiotics just in case it might become infected. Then a different guy came and cleaned it a bit and put some steri-strips on (apparently they don't do stitches on soles) and a bandage, and gave me some crutches... and that was pretty much it. Got a taxi back to my car at the start and then had a very painful drive home - the RO told me if I couldn't drive he would get me home - which was a very nice offer but didn't end up with my car being in the right place.

Changed the dressing when I realised that the blood had soaked through quite a thick padded thing and about 20 layers of bandage - bit worried about that. In very severe pain until about 3am despite taking painkillers and so didn't get much sleep. But felt much better in the morning. Can't put any weight on it at the moment.

C • Hang in there,,,,, 7

56-mile week; think a rest day ok. Racing tomorrow, obvs.

Another nice evening. Not too many people out as it was Terry's funeral earlier in the day, but I didn't fancy going to the wake afterwards as there were about 500 people. Was a very emotional occasion, probably 50 Harriers there as well which was really good to see.

Easy pace with the harriers, struggling up the hills as per, but I don't like to try too hard midweek :)
Yet another pleasant evening although very windy up on the ridge.

Arrgh, late for the first time ever in my home town!!

Interesting challenge; two maps with an unknown changeover point, approximate split of points 50/50 between maps. My tactic was to do a loop of the first map in the same way I'd loop around a normal map, then get to the changeover point and see how much time was left. Turned out to be about half an hour, so had time for a smaller loop. Made some bad decisions about whether I had time to go out and back for a 60, decided against it and was wrong. Then tried to do a loop of 90 at the end and was 38 secs late, think thats 19 points, so technically it was the right decision I guess! Plenty of other indecisions and small moments where I was a bit lost.

Good fun though, nice warm evening again.

Glutes sore, otherwise feeling ok.
Pleasant evening again, 10 degrees; proper winter is going to be a shock when it hits.

17th - 24mins faster than last year! Excellent.

Admittedly conditions were much better - ground far less boggy so the fields on the way out were much easier. However, not 24 minutes easier. Boom.
Still managed to fall over in the river, on the way back this time, despite being careful. It was only knee deep, but much deeper effectively if you fall over. Bit chilly...

Missed a corner cut on the way out; paying the price for being nearer the front as couldn't see anyone ahead! Also went too far left through a field and so through lots of tussucks rather than the nice path I found on the way back. So there's definitely scope for a few more minutes I reckon :)

Felt pretty good in general really.

1 packet shot bloks, about right but would've been nice to have another pack for emergencies.No chance to eat the Clif bars as moving much quicker this year, even on the steep climb to Shutlingsloe I was running most of the way.