Any confidence I had about the four days took a hit as I pulled up the blind to reveal the snowy lakeside scene on the morning of day one...
and I was immediately concerned about staying warm enough. We gathered for the official photo and then proceeded to the start line. As soon as we began moving I knew I was in trouble; my legs were stiff and did just not want to run. I slowed down in order to let them ease into their work gradually but the dead feeling would just not pass. Well within the first hour I knew this was going to be a five hour struggle and so it proved, the misery only exacerbated by my slowly freezing fingers. By the time I finished my digits were lifeless lumps of flesh, all but useless. Unzipping a pocket to remove and use my room key took several frustrating, painful minutes.
I had hoped that day two would reflect last year's experience when things seemed to grow ever easier with each passing day. No such luck this time. The snow of the first day had gone but in its place a biting, icy wind cut through clothing and chilled to the bone. I took more care of my fingers, warming them in my armpits frequently to ensure there was no repeat of yesterday's painful thawing to follow. This was another miserable day on which the best that could be said is that I kept going and did finish. Eventually.
Day three was the best of the four, despite almost being reduced to tears when it started to rain minutes before I was due to venture outside for the run. Luckily the drizzle soon relented and the feared soaking did not materialise. In the last three laps I somehow managed something resembling running and actually caught and passed fellow runners to register my only sub five hour finish of the event. The final day was the toughest of the lot despite an improvement in temperature and Mandy joining me to provide a much needed boost to my positivity. The stiff, dead-legged feeling returned with a vengeance and for a while I thought that a sub six hour run was beyond me but I managed to find some mental resolve and focus on churning out sub 15 minute miles.
Quadzilla is a brilliant event, the support of the organisers, fellow runners and their supporters is an uplifting and wonderful thing. I was lulled into thinking it was easy after breezing through the final three-quarters of it last year but that complacency certainly bit back at me this time. Looking back it is clear I wasn't at the same level this year. December was badly hit by illness and a lot of hard-slogged miles in January have definitely taken toll. If I am to get through the demanding schedule I have set for myself in 2015 I need to be a lot brighter about my training, managing running fatigue through cross-training and being far more aware of tiredness levels. I quite easily forget that I am in my fifties now and cannot just get through by determination alone, though that IS what got me through these four days I now think that I was perilously close to injury which could have thwarted my plans in a major way. More brain and less brawn is required, and for the moment, any thought of achieving certain times is to be avoided in favour of just getting them done. It's going to take a lot to get me to book a marathon in the winter months from now on!
5th February 2015 Quadzilla Day 1 5:09:46 #57
6th February 2015 Quadzilla Day 2 5:16:46 #58
7th February 2015 Quadzilla Day 3 4:54:50 #59
8th February 2015 Quadzilla Day 4 5:35:57 #60
Ugh, that lakeside looks really cold! I truly hate winter running, it's so difficult to keep warm... I admire your tenacity!
ReplyDelete