It has been quiet on this blog front recently and for one very good reason - flu has left my training in tatters! Pregnant coach wife says she saw it coming. "I have no time for sympathy" she says. "Just make sure you stay away from me and your daughter"!
As I lay quarantined in my own bedroom for 48 hours with some newly acquired hindsight, I wandered how I didn't see it coming. Early mornings getting to the gym before work and busy evenings putting a stubborn 2 year old to bed, followed by a run, followed by a late evening meal and an even later bedtime. Throw in some slack meal planning and a sudden drop in the temperature outside and I was clearly vulnerable.
So what next?
While flu like symptoms usually subside after several days, it is considered wise to delay a return to training for at least another week, and resume only gentle training at that. Even for budding amateur athletes, Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome is a real risk if sufficient recovery is not allowed for. For me, that will mean no resistance work or hard interval sessions until the New Year, which I must confess, at present doesn't sound like a bad thing at all!
Having said that, I did put in a brave if not foolish performance for Thurrock Harriers in the Essex Cross Country League on Saturday. Thurrock have been going well this season, currently battling for 4th spot with Havering, and I was finding the thought of staying away difficult to come to terms with. My intention was to run the race at a steady pace, looking after myself whilst collecting a handful of useful points for the team. However, the bottomless conditions and the usual pride a runner has when lining up for a race put paid to that. It was the toughest race I have done in 12 months and I only had 35th place, (3rd home for Thurrock), to show for my efforts. Not a day to remember, less so after learning that Havering had finished 3 places ahead of us. And to make matters worse, I felt exhausted for the rest of the afternoon and retired to bed a full hour before Match of the Day! Pregnant coach wife says she could see that coming too!
With that said then, here is the training leading up to and beyond the recent illness...
Sunday 25th Nov: Chelmsford 10K (34' 55'')
Monday: AM: S&C. PM: 45' easy.
Tuesday: AM: 30' indoor cycle. PM: Rest (muscles feeling very tired after Sunday's 10K).
Wednesday: AM: Slept in, no S&C today. PM: 60' easy.
Thursday AM: S&C PM: Rest (Good excuse - I had an online application to complete).
Friday AM: 30' indoor cycle.
Saturday AM: 43' easy from Cheshunt station to Lea Valley. PM: 38' steady from Lea Valley to Cheshunt station. Arrived on the platform just to see my train pulling away - D'oh!
Sunday AM: Train from Bishops Stortford to Cheshunt was late so ran 38' steady from Cheshunt station to Lea Valley. PM: 22' tempo run from Lea Valley. Not feeling great and not confident of making the train at Cheshunt (again) so I intercepted it at Enfield Lock.
Monday 3rd Dec: AM - S&C . PM: Rest. Still not feeling great...
Tuesday: Ill. Sudden fever, sweating, chesty cough.
Weds: Ill
Thurs: Ill
etc.
etc.
Mon 10th Dec: Return to work
Wednesday 12th Dec: 20 mins indoor cycle
Friday 14th Dec: 30 mins indoor cycle
Sat: Essex League Cross Country @ Basildon, 35th, 32' 18''
Sun: (Much needed) rest.
The remaining few weeks of 2012 will be 2 or 3 30 minute easy runs / indoor cycles per week. Beyond that, I need to think how to get the most effective training into an increasingly time limited week, without risking further illness. Any ideas?
