After Ypres marathon 2013, which I finished in 3.17.27 and 2nd woman I picked up a virus that led to a series of injuries and conditions that has taken me 3 years to battle back from. I tried desperately to keep running even when the pain in my Achilles, lower legs, feet and lower back were at times crippling. I wondered if I'd ever be able to run properly again. When you wake up in the night with pains down your legs and scared to take your weight when getting out of bed you know you have problems. These problems consumed me as I fought to find ways to overcome them.I saw many specialists and had many tests including scans, X-rays and blood tests. During these tests I was told I probably had Fibromyalgia, which accounted for the energy loss, sometimes overwhelming need to sleep and weird pains that just appeared in random places in my body.
It's been a battle, but I've always tried to maintain a sense of perspective. All my problems are nothing compared to so many people, but to me they felt a lot when I'd been so used to running when I wanted and always trying to do it to the best of my ability. Giving up running did cross my mind many times, especially when I'd jogged no further than 400m only to have stop and walk home due to the pain. Some folk probably would have give up, but I decided even if I could run a few miles for fitness and do some parkruns for fun I'd be happy.
Racing took a back seat for a while and the focus was to somehow become pain free so I could enjoy a run. I have gradually found things that work to rid my pain and although I have less leg strength and am a bit heavier now than I was before the issues my running is once again enjoyable and I have found a renewed enthusiasm this year with a few events as part of a team, parkruns, which I love doing and the odd race where I try and get an age best.
As the pain in my lower legs has subsided I have tried to increase the running again. It's still a little inconsistent, which isn't always down to any leg problems these days, but more tiredness from work and I have to admit sometimes a bit of lack of motivation. It's strange to admit to motivation loss as it's not something I ever had when I was improving and even when injured I so desperately wanted to be running like I used to. Good job I have an extremely motivated husband. :-)
This year I have enjoyed some wonderful running experiences, many of them at parkruns, but I've still also managed to pick up the odd team medal or age category award. I try just as hard when racing I'm just a little slower, but that happens and you just have to accept and get on with it. I'm happy just to be able to run if truth be told. Obviously there will always be a competitive instinct, but that has always been more about me and my personal achievements not about beating others...well apart from going for odd distance records... You got to be in it to win it... :-)
Looking at my PO10 this year makes me appreciate that it's not been too bad at all. No fast race times, but I'm pleased with all I've managed and had some wonderful experiences along the way. Looking at the many places those runs/races have taken me to makes me thankful for having running in my life. So thank you legs for keeping going and here's to 2017 and whatever it brings...exciting experiences I'm sure... :-)
| 2016 V50 Penistone | |||||||||||
| Event | Perf | Pos | Venue | Meeting | Date | ||||||
| 3KXCL | 13:11 | 2 | L2 | Long Eaton | British Masters Relay Championships | 19 Nov 16 | |||||
| 2MXCL | 15:08 | 35 | L2 | Sheffield | Northern Counties Relay Championships | 22 Oct 16 | |||||
| 5K | 22:05 | 22:03 | 117 | 13 | 2 | Dereham | Dereham 5K | 28 Aug 16 | |||
| parkrun | 20:47 | 53 | 3 | 1 | Huddersfield | Huddersfield parkrun # 259 | 9 Apr 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 20:48 | 35 | 3 | 1 | Hull | Hull parkrun # 354 | 3 Dec 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 20:58 | 39 | 3 | 1 | Hull | Hull parkrun # 322 | 23 Apr 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:09 | 28 | 3 | 1 | Rother Valley Country Park | Rother Valley parkrun # 150 | 8 Oct 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:11 | 41 | 2 | 1 | Shrewsbury Quarry Park | Shrewsbury parkrun # 150 | 26 Nov 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:23 | 63 | Huddersfield | Huddersfield parkrun # 289 | 12 Nov 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 21:27 | 36 | 3 | 1 | Dalby Forest | Dalby Forest parkrun # 1 | 19 Mar 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:34 | 32 | 2 | 1 | Fountains Abbey | Fountains Abbey parkrun # 98 | 30 Jan 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:43 | 47 | 1 | Hull | Hull parkrun # 344 | 24 Sep 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 21:44 | 8 | 1 | 1 | Sherwood Pines | Sherwood Pines parkrun # 11 | 9 Jan 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:45 | 7 | 1 | 1 | Ellesmere Port | Ellesmere Port parkrun # 74 | 26 Mar 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 21:48 | 24 | 1 | 1 | Sheffield Hillsborough Park | Hillsborough parkrun # 175 | 28 May 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:00 | 49 | 2 | 1 | Manchester Platts Field | South Manchester parkrun # 307 | 1 Jan 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:04 | 18 | 2 | 1 | Poolsbrook | Poolsbrook parkrun # 23 | 10 Sep 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:07 | 17 | 1 | Sherwood Pines | Sherwood Pines parkrun # 12 | 16 Jan 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 22:10 | 12 | 1 | 1 | Rotherham Clifton Park | Rotherham parkrun # 152 | 16 Apr 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:10 | 23 | 2 | 1 | Brierley Forest | Brierley Forest parkrun # 9 | 5 Nov 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:23 | 24 | Nostell Priory | Nostell Priory parkrun # 97 | 4 Jun 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 22:26 | 24 | 1 | Rother Valley Country Park | Rother Valley parkrun # 139 | 16 Jul 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 22:36 | 24 | 1 | Minehead | Minehead parkrun # 1 | 13 Aug 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 22:44 | 19 | 1 | 1 | Rosliston | Rosliston parkrun # 15 | 25 Jun 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:46 | 16 | 2 | 1 | Witham Way Country Park | Boston parkrun # 31 | 21 May 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 22:58 | 25 | 1 | Sherwood Pines | Sherwood Pines parkrun # 17 | 20 Feb 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 22:58 | 27 | 3 | 1 | Skipton | Skipton parkrun # 136 | 12 Mar 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 23:14 | 21 | 2 | 1 | Sewerby | Sewerby parkrun # 232 | 7 May 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 23:19 | 19 | 1 | 1 | Glossop | Glossop parkrun # 14 | 2 Jan 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 23:39 | 12 | 2 | 1 | Bedgebury Pinetum | Bedgebury Pinetum parkrun # 15 | 2 Jul 16 | ||||
| parkrun | 23:42 | 28 | 1 | Clumber Park | Clumber Park parkrun # 173 | 19 Nov 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 23:46 | 73 | Longford Park | Stretford parkrun # 7 | 1 Jan 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 23:52 | 65 | 1 | Wellholme Park | Brighouse parkrun # 5 | 1 Oct 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 24:09 | 64 | 1 | Darley Abbey Park | Darley parkrun # 138 | 5 Mar 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 24:11 | 80 | 1 | Newbury | Newbury parkrun # 219 | 13 Feb 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 24:29 | 81 | 1 | Taunton | Longrun Meadow parkrun # 131 | 2 Apr 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 24:38 | 12 | 1 | Ludlow | Ludlow parkrun # 3 | 27 Feb 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 24:52 | 31 | Rutland Water | Rutland Water parkrun # 37 | 23 Jul 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 25:12 | 34 | 1 | Sherwood Pines | Sherwood Pines parkrun # 53 | 29 Oct 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 25:16 | 40 | Marple | Marple parkrun # 191 | 23 Jan 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 25:32 | 78 | 1 | Clumber Park | Clumber Park parkrun # 161 | 27 Aug 16 | |||||
| parkrun | 26:05 | 214 | Worcester | Worcester parkrun # 258 | 30 Apr 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 27:40 | 61 | Concord Park | Concord parkrun # 274 | 14 May 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 33:00 | 215 | Fountains Abbey | Fountains Abbey parkrun # 124 | 30 Jul 16 | ||||||
| parkrun | 34:28 | 168 | Rother Valley Country Park | Rother Valley parkrun # 144 | 20 Aug 16 | ||||||
| 5M | 34:54 | 67 | 6 | 2 | Wombwell | Wombwell 5 | 21 Feb 16 | ||||
| 10K | 44:13 | 44:09 | 76 | 6 | 1 | Stamford Bridge | Derwent Dash 10K | 15 May 16 | |||
| 10M | 77:54 | 64 | 9 | 2 | Swallow | Lincolnshire Wolds 10 | 3 Sep 16 | ||||
| HM | 99:49 | 99:47 | 109 | 12 | 3 | Bridlington | Bridlington Half Marathon | 16 Oct 16 | |||
| 15M | 1:59:28 | 50 | 7 | 1 | Holmfirth | Holmfirth 15 | 30 Oct 16 | ||||
| 20M | 2:36:58 | 2:36:55 | 260 | 37 | 2 | Bramley | Bramley 20 | 14 Feb 16 | |||
| 20M | 2:46:13 | 128 | 22 | 4 | Liversedge | Spen 20 | 13 Mar 16 | ||||
| Mar | 3:29:45 | 60 | 5 | 2 | Sturminster Newton | North Dorset Village Marathon | 1 May 16 | ||||
