Puckrup Hall 5 Mile

After thinking I would spend the rest of my life stuck in a muddy gridlocked field at V Festival and getting home at 1.30am the night before Puckrup Hall you can imagine how I felt about running... not very good, plus the fact I wasn't meant to be running by order of my physio but what does he know?

Waking up in the morning I felt like I'd been drugged after very little sleep all weekend I wasn't prepared, I didn't know how long the journey would take, I hadn't printed out my entry email that I needed to take with me ( I didn't even know if the printer had ink in it!) I didn't know where my running gear was and I didn't know where my mind was. Oh yeah that's right it was still fast asleep!

I somehow managed to sort my things out packing the usual camelbak, tissues and garmin and set off to Tewksebury. The event details said not to park on the hotel carpark but that there would be signs directing you to the 'runners' car park. These signs did not exist I ended up driving down a small country lane just wide enough for a car and honestly I don't think I was even allowed to be on that road, I managed a three point turn and went back to the start pulling up alongside some runners I asked where to park and they had no idea they had just parked on the hotel parking so that's what I did. By this point I wasn't overly impressed with the organisation and it was going to get worse. I found one sign that said Race HQ with an arrow pointing down a lane where there was nothing... so I just stood there probably looking very silly but then more runners arrived asking me where Race HQ was!? We managed to find it tucked away no where near where the sign was pointing and I got my race number 24. Walking back to the car I told myself I was going to go home, I couldn't be bothered. At 10.45 I made my way to where the lost runners were all stood round scratching their heads asking where the start line was, who knew?

Finding the start line I settled myself in the middle of the pack of around 70 runners and told myself if the organisers are going to do a p*ss poor job I most certainly am not! It was a lollipop course with an out straight road then a loop then back up the straight road for the finish, I had already overheard a runner saying it had some hills but the first bit is downhill. My sleepy brain computed that that meant the finish was uphill.

We were off! I started running down a long big hill and when it levelled out I checked my watch and was running an 8:40 minute mile... WTF!? I decided to keep it going as my leg wasn't hurting and I had my breathing spot on. Around 1.5miles I passed a very overweight man who decided maybe because he had personal issues of his own to pick on me.. He asked why I felt the need to run with a camelbak? Am I a real runner as who needs a drink in a 5 mile run.. I promptly overtook him at the drinks station along with lots of other runners ha! I started running with a lady I had spotted at the start and was initially using as my pacer but at mile 2.5 she was telling me she was really struggling and could see herself walking. I was still busting out 9.30 minute miles so left her and ran on my own.

At just over 3.2 miles I was running behind a man who when we approached the bottom of a big hill he started swearing, when I asked him what was wrong he said it's a hill I don't like hills. This is normally something I would say but I couldn't stop running I even ran up the hill at 9.30 minute mile pace and got a compliment on my bum wiggling when he said he would walk and admire the view as I overtook him. (Blushing). At the top of the hill there were two marshalls who congratulated me and I told them it was an amazing hill to which they replied I was the first runner who had said that and with a smile on my face.

Nearing the 4 mile mark I knew I would be coming to the start downhill/finish uphill I can't say I was looking forward to it and by now I was dry heaving and felt a little bit icky it was hot I was tired but as my mom calls me; I'm Super Sarah and had ran all the way I wasn't going to stop and walk. The last hill was a killer to say the least but I dug in and kept going head down legs turning over, coming into the finish tunnel I had finished 5 miles in 48 minutes 5 seconds with mile times of 9:14, 9:39, 9:55, 9:27 & 9:42 and an average pace of 9:36 I was ex tactic as I had ran the whole way (with a bad leg, in your face Mr physio man) I had ran up all the hills, beat the nasty man and apparently have a nice bum. Then I got my medal.

Rubbish organization, excellent run so the good outweighed the bad and just goes to show even if your mind isn't in it and you can't be bothered at least try because you may surprise yourself.

Injury Frustration and taking a walk

It's funny how I seem to get injured once a year and it's been in the same month! It's also a funny story about how the unjury came about.

Rocking up to the Physio on a monday night I sat in the waiting room debating how to explain to the physio how I hurt myself without him 1. throwing me out of his office or 2. having a good old laugh at my expense! It went like this...

Physio - What brings you here today?
Sarah - I think I have hurt my leg along my groin, it hurts to change gear whilst driving and I cannot run.
Physio - How and when did the injury occur?
Sarah - It happened on the 24th July when I tried to mount an elephant at Chester Zoo
Physio - Well I've never heard anything like that before! Lets take a look.

Here is the elephant in question... you'll be pleased to see it isn't a real elephant and I'm not completely mad!

After an assessment from the physio and me having tears streaming down my face I was then told I had torn my hip flexor at grade 1. Not good news but better news than a grade 2-3. I had ultrasound therapy and outcome was no running for two weeks, daily stretches to do and no more mounting elephants.

Needless to say I won't be attempting that again. It's left me in a pickle as I have Puckrup Hall 5 mile race Sunday the 18th August only 10 days after being told not to run for two weeks. I went for a 3 mile stroll around the woods last night and still have a slight pain in my thigh but not half as bad as it was previously. It's funny how you take in different views and notice more when you are walking not running but if it wasn't for me wearing sandals I'm sure I would have attempted a little jog.

Fingers crossed I'm all fixed for Sunday else it will be yet another race I have had to pull out of this year due to health/injury problems.