January 27th and I'm into week 3 of my training plan
It's been an interesting few weeks since I last blogged, with anti-biotics, new runners, a broken washing machine and apple-cider vinegar all featuring strongly!!
I am not Paula Radcliffe. I am sick.
At this time of year, bugs are flying about the place so I guess it was inevitable when I started to feel a bit off (and feel very sorry for myself too.) Like most mothers, I just plough on without going to the doctor but would have the kids there in a flash if they were sick. Painful ears, a sore throat and aching bones eventually brought me to my GP who prescribed Distaclor anti-biotic for tonsillitis.
I lay in bed feeling rubbish and kissing goodbye to that week’s training plan. When you're hard pushed to turn on the electric blanket or put on your fleecy pyjamas, you know running is out of the question! I guess the one thing I've learned is just to let it go. When you're sick, you're sick and there's no point lying in bed feeling guilty for missing your long run or speed training session. The marathon is now 21 weeks ago, plenty of time to allow for a bad week here or there. As my husband reminded me – I am not Paula Radcliffe. It's ok to be sick, enjoy the pampering and the reading of OK! And Closer while the rest of the family forage for food to call dinner.
A few days into my misery and a call from my Marathon trainer Brian Swaby (Waterford AC), really gave me a boost. It's good to have someone to bounce training worries off of, and he was happy for me to let a few runs go and jump back on in a few days’ time. It takes a good 10 days for antibiotics to leave the system and they can be draining, heavy and tiring.
Supplements
The market is awash with whey, protein and lots of 'go-faster' juices which I'm sure are just wonderful and help runners the world over. I'm happy enough with my daily Vivioptal or Multibionta but I've added a new ingredient to my list. Did you ever 'google' yourself into an early grave? Well, when I'm bored and can't sleep I sometimes google my symptoms. Stupid, I know! The stiff, aching joints continued after being sick last week so I decided I must have the early signs of osteo-arthritis. Running continued to be hard with my stiff fingers (ok so I wasn't actually running on my fingers) and stiff toes. A friend once recommended Apple Cider Vinegar for joint pain and arthritis. Wow is all I can say. Costing around €4.00 for a bottle with 'the mother', I held my nose and downed shots of the stuff three times a day for two days. It's recommended to take it with some honey in hot water, but I wanted to go hard-core and get it into me fast. Two days later and the joint pain was gone, so I'm sticking with a shot a day just to make sure it doesn’t come back. Apparently it's great for dieters too… it can remove warts, helps with smelly feet, dandruff, sunburn and diabetes. Whoop.