Back from the flu...9 miles saturday run...feck!

Chest infection really knocked it out of me for the last two weeks...am a very bad patient and didn't go to see the GP until tues last...pig headed and self medication wasn't working...went back to work Monday and still felt shite...so took tues off and went to see the doc...had no choice as I was never going to make the sat run if I didn't go...

So off I trot...pleaded for an appt and it worked..went in , explained that I needed a quick fix with a tormented look on my face...coughed and splurted like a nuthead...told me I was too stubborn for my own good... I agreed...

So he put me on a nebuliser for 15 mins...never in my life have I had any breathing problems but this made me feel like ' puff the magic dragon'! had a plastic mask over my face and everytime I breathed steam comes out... Christ all I needed was the rocking chair and my dressing gown to fullfill the ould granny picture! But I felt so much better...armed with my prescription, i gleefully popped into the pharmacy for some proper drugs...woohoo am on the way to running my 9 miles! he asked me was I allergic to penicillin, me; not that I know of...on Thursday my face broke out like chicken pox! feck i was an absolute disgrace...if I drew lines linking every spot I could have played a game of join the dots!! It's bad when a patient asks me "am I feeling alright and you don't look too well"! Talk about ruining my day! Changed antibiotic and toes crossed its calmed down a good bit...

Join the dots will have to wait...

Marcus told me to come back running wed...he was 100% right that I wouldn't be ready till then..of course he was right as usual!

So didn't feel like it as I had been hibernating for the week and early bed nights made me even more tired but I had to go do I did...did 3 miles but stopped a couple of times...think mentally I was lazy..

How the hell am I going to do 9 miles on Saturday! fear, imaginary pains and mental despair set it...

Got back to my porridge breakfasts and benecol and in general proper food to build me up...drank plenty of fluid, peeing like a trooper I was going to be ready for Saturday if it kills me...

Friday night came...nervous...woke up at half three mid sleep dreaming of the route...shite..needed my sleep..took me ages to conk again...eyes rolling like a nuthead...

Got up Saturday morning...D-Day has arrived...my longest run ever...

Ate my lumpy porridge, benecol and tea..looked at my face in the mirror and I could still play join the dots so put on some make up to cover the rash, stupid really as I'd be sweating it all off anyway..but who cares it made me feel better! wore a hat...

Arrived into the aquadome shitting myself to be brutally honest! will I be able for this?, am I ready?haven't a bloody clue but I'll try...

The group has gotten so much smaller...I was going to put my heart and soul into this run...if I didn't I'd give up..

Off we go...10 sharp...down the beloved canal...hate the canal..normally I'd count the potholes but today we were jumping over big puddles like happy kids on a day out...1 mile down woohoo...

cross over at the bridge...towards the barge..new part of the route was to carry on towards the cockleshells..rough terrain..pain in the arse to be honest wanted to save my legs...jumping up and down and worrying would I fall flat on my arse...I didn't...thank god..

Hit Blennerville Bridge...nose flapping..I was worrying all the way back the bank was my nose dribbling and I didn't want to stop to blow my nose incase I fell behind..loola.. but had a blow coming up Blennerville...felt so much better! nose, clear, breathing controlled, sweating, hat felt comfortable,felt good.....

Trotted along...Catriona offered me a drink..told her to feck off I need to focus..Marcus was pacing us all the way..hit Blennerville pitch...sun was out..hate heat...so I started to swelter..couldn't rub my forehead as I was worried I'd smudge the makeup off and knowing me I'd have a big streaky makeup line across my face like a pavee! found that road tough...long...

Kept the head down.... I so wanted to stop, even for 30 secs...but didn't...

Hit the bend at the equestrian sign, turned right towards Toonavane...how the f$¥k am I going to make it up the dreaded hill....focus focus focus...tried to console myself..."c'mon you mental head you can do it"...had a good chat with myself...if anyone heard the conversation going on in my head, I would definitely be admitted with the white coats...

Hit the start of Toonavane hill... C'mon scitzo u can do it...poor Marcus has to put up with a lot...pole to pole...woohoo...fine smell of manure to coax us on...was tired and the smile on my face was weaning v quickly...up...and up....and up...and up....and bloody up...hit the top woohoo! kiss my fat ass goodbye,we got there!

Break?...no bloody break! I was expecting a camp fire and some sandwiches for the journey home....nothing! Feck Marcus anyway! Torture...not really, if I stopped running I think Rigor Mortis would have set in...

Trotted down the hill... Loved it no pressure on the legs... Meet a lovely doggie outside a house... Beagle I think... I'd swear he was smiling at us, he looked happy to see us...i was smiling like a delirious nut head...

Marcus gets chatting...get talking about the group... he tells us look behind...I saw no-one..." yeah, they're all at home and not running anymore"... smartarse...but a true smartarse! We are without a doubt the luckiest group out there...for all those reading this who have given up...it was very easy for me to give up running, but I didn't...the Born To Run Group led my Marcus and the group are the reasons I didn't...from this smorning with people asking how I was and the closeness of the group,these are the reasons why I got through today...running is probably the hardest thing I've done...got through university, worked deliriously long hours, climbed carrountouhill ( that was a bitch!)got through the recession...But running has been the toughest...but most rewarding...

Retreated back home...2 miles to go...hit just before the canal... No drink left! was bloody parched...started to faulter...fell behind a little bit but I was nearly home...happy happy...delirious...walked for ten secs to blow the nose...stiff... oh god it was the longest ten minutes ever... The rest of the group were a bit ahead...kept plodding along... hit the Marina apartments and I see Marcus coming back for us...thank f$¥k am nearly home...losing the plot at that stage..told Marcus that " that was the longest fecking mile ever and I hate the fecking canal!"... he didnt take any notice of me...could u not blame him...

oh my god...

9.36 bloody miles I ran...am delighted...over the moon...went to the Grand Hotel for my lunch...starved..but when I went to get back up the legs just seized!

Didn't care, I've just ran 9.36 miles to be exact...

( apologies for long blog but I haven't blogged for nearly a week and a half!)