10 weeks to go and the Watford Half Marathon
OK it was early and cold and Nick got in late the night before, but here we are before setting off for the Watford Half Marathon. Nick felt better once we lined up at the back of the pack and started running. We laughted and ran together for the first half, before he sped off to beat me by 9 minutes overall. His split times must have been impressive! Mine improved too as I tried to try to catch up, but my chip time was 2:09.
The course was much more hilly than I anticipated and I'm ashamed to admit that I did walk three times when the grade was daunting (the three drops in BPM). I also have to admit that I was very happy to see the finish line! I know I've got 10 more weeks and lots of long runs before the FLM, but I just can't get my head around running TWICE as far as today!
My HR was pretty high throughout, and over what I calculate as 85% after 6 miles, then I worked even harder for the last 2 miles (above 90%). I could not have run any faster or farther but did not feel woozy when I crossed the finish... just totally exhausted!I need to do more long runs now at a very slow pace now so that I can run longer than 13 miles. But I'm happy with the result of this race and feel like my TEAM ELLIS plan is working just fine.
Some trouble with blisters... ugly big ones (look away now if you're squeemish!) I hope with ice and elevation tonight, the swelling will go down. I did run in shoes that I don't usually use, thinking that my goretex trail shoes would be too stiff and hot, and my road shoes were at work. I don't think I'll do that again.Tomorrow is my first yoga class. I fear that the teacher will not be impressed with her new student, limping in - old and stiff. Oh well.
3 comments:
Ugh. I see what you mean... Do they hurt? I imagine if wearing any shoes.. I'm no expert on whether to lance or not but a friend of mine ran the marathon des sables last year and a nightly ritual was to come in every night and get your blisters lanced (putting a stick in your mouth while this was being done, apparently). So that would suggest it might be something to do? Check out this advice from http://www.hospicerunners.org.uk/healthcentre/howtodeal.htm. "the next controversial issue is what to do with the blister once it is there. This depends largely on the size of the lesion, the mechanism of its development and whom you talk to. The thing to be aware of is that if the blister remains intact and there is no fluid seeping out then it is technically a sterile lesion and if possible it should remain intact. This is all very easy to do if it is not in a high weight bearing/stress area and if the lesion is small. If, however the blister is large and somewhere prominent such as the heel or the side of the little toe then it is not desirable to leave it intact. This is due to the amount of friction it would be exposed to and the pressure applied to it, especially if it is a large one.
In cases such as this lance the side of the blister with a clean/sterile needle and squeezing gently to remove the fluid. The roof of the blister should remain as this provides the best environment for healing. An antiseptic dressing should be applied and ensured that it will not shift once the foot is back in shoes. The dressing should be changed daily or more often if necessary. If the blister has already burst then the same dressing principle should be adhered to. Extra care should be taken with blood blisters as there is a greater risk of severe infection, look for pus and streaking. Always be aware of the cardinal signs of inflammation – redness, heat, swelling, and pain.
If at all concerned, contact your Podiatrist or General Practitioner." So who's brave enough to do it? And take a photo?
Great job on the half marathon! You will be ready for FLM...you have lots of time left to get ready.
Meanwhile take it easy on those feet. Lesson learned I guess - nothing new on race day :-)
Thanks guys. I got advice from the the Pdip forum and my podiatrist before asking my brave husband to do the surgery.. After all that- it did not hurt at all!!I'm pretty much fine now and back on the training plan. And nothing new on race day - truly a lesson learned!
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