I had mentioned in my previous blog that my daughter was feeling ill - she started to feel worse and was then admitted to hospital after not eating for a whole week.
After a scan she was quickly whisked into theatre to have her appendix removed as it was in the process of bursting. She is only four, so you can imagine how worrying this was.
This obviously impacted on my training, but I have a quality wife who covers for me when I need to get the miles in. I therefore got through this tough period (made tougher by just starting self-employment) with minimal 'downtime'.
I kept at the planned volume, but suffered for some poor sleep (especially after spending some nights on the Childrens' Ward) and of course there was the stress, which I am sure effects you even when you feel you've got things under control. Watching my dehydrated and sick little girl losing weight quickly before being operated on and then pumped full of drugs counts as being stressful.
My training is listed below. I managed 102 miles in the week my daughter went into hospital, and 76 the week after, when she was finally home on the Friday. This had been a planned 'lighter' week of mileage anyway, as I wanted to race well over 10,000m in the BMC race at Birmingham Uni.
I had a dodgy session in the hot when I went to the track to complete a set of eight 1k reps off short recoveries. It was a hot and humid day and I had been struggling to sleep. I then started far too fast and suffered later. I pulled up and went home after four efforts. I was annoyed with myself for starting too fast and that, coupled with things at home, meant the session was only going one way (especially with the mercury at 31 degrees). I was (for want of a better word) 'shagged'.
I nailed a 20 miler and then a 22 miler over this past two weeks. The 20 miler came after a night spent in hospital and about 3 hours sleep in an armchair. The 22 miler came the morning after the BMC 10,000m race.
That 10,000m didn't go too well. I struggled to really focus on the race in the days leading up to it. My daughter was only let out of hospital the day before, which was a relief and meant life could get back to normal.
On the day of the race I felt relaxed and almost too casual for a proper outing over 25 laps. I felt like this during the race as well. I couldn't get near the 3:05 km splits I wanted and despite never really struggling I just couldn't find the effort in me. The end result was 31:36 after a 31:22 last month. I finished strong but couldn't go quicker. I'm not too fussed as I'm focusing on the Toronto Marathon in nine weeks and some fairly high mileage weeks to come. Moreover, I'm now convinced at 37 I'm getting too old (and slow) for 10k.
Other than this both my Achilles have been feeling tight and will need to be managed with some self massage and gentle stretches.
I'm in the marathon training bubble now after a summer of 'solid but unspectacular'.
M - AM 6.4 steady, PM 6.1 easy. Tired and hot.
T - AM 5 miles easy and v early as daughter kept me up, PM [5 miles warming up & down] 4 x 1000m and 1 x 400m off 60s. Was supposed to be 8 x 1000m but I was struggling badly. Very hot. 2:52, 2:57, 2:57, 3:02, 70
W - 10.5 miles at 6.24 pace then straight to hospital. Very hot.
T - AM 6.4 miles easy. Cooler, PM 8.3 miles @ 6:16 pace after daughter's op
F - AM 8.3 miles easy 6:56 pace, PM 8.15 miles @ 6:27 pace
S - AM 8.9 miles inc 10 x 1min/1min fartlek after 3 hours sleep in hospital, PM 5.1 miles easy
S - 20 miles after bad night in hospital. Ran with Matt Janes - 6:45 pace
102 miles
M - 5.1 miles easy
T - AM [5.5 miles warming up & down] 4 x 1.17 mile reps in Bedford Park off 90s 5:52, 5:47, 5:50, 5:49 - feeling good, PM 5.1 miles easy
W - 8.15 miles after night in hospital 6:52 pace
T - AM 5.1 very slow (7:19 pace!) PM 5.1 miles followed by 6 x 100 strides. Felt truly shite.
F - 4 miles really easy
S - [5 miles warming up & down] BMC 10,000m at Birmingham Uni. Disappointed with 31:36 (3.09, 3.06, 3.07, 3.09, 3.11, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.11, 3.07)
S - 22 miles at 6:32 pace - felt great after last night
76 miles