Chest infection!

I was 10 miles into this week's 50 mile schedule when a nasty chest infection took hold. I still had a go at yesterday's 5 mile run but it was a useless attempt. I managed to do 1 mile on the very icy paths of Gosforth. The cold caused a bit of pain in my chest and throat so I did the last 4 miles on the treadmill in the gym.

I seemed to have very little energy so the whole 5 miles took over an hour to complete. It was only when I had a sauna at the end of the session that the pain went.

I'm listening to my body today and therefore won't be doing the planned 10 miles. Hopefully, I'll be running again by the weekend though. It's been a long while since a chest infection has caused me to rest up. Given, the icy cold conditions I've been running in recently perhaps this was inevitable. I can't wait for the Summer!

Day 19 - A change of tactics.

I'm about to make a bold move today. I'm going to keep off the road for 1 day and give my hamstring (as well as my shins) some more ice and their first rest in 19 days and 443 miles. The hamstring feels much better already after 4 hours of ice last night but my shin pain is quite bad.

This decision has been made easier by the fact that Katy had to take my son Jack to hospital last night after he was complaining of a headache and sore throat. He has a viral infection, which will also benefit from a day's rest before we hit the road again.

There is now a possibility that I may have to use the contingency day at the end of the run as this rest day will put me roughly 12 miles behind on the required daily average schedule. That is what it is there for though.

Thanks for all the emails of support and thanks to the new sponsors for getting the fund a good way past £14,000.

Thanks also to Mark Huck who has been the support person for the last 2 days. You'll be able to read all about that when I update the blog with the last 3 days worth of reviews.

Running at full speed again.

It's been 12 days since I suffered the injury to my right hamstring. With 4 runs in the last 6 days I can safely say I feel back to full fitness. I even attempted to run at full speed today up to Newcastle Race Course and back. I really feared the worst last week but yet again it looks like I've proved to be a quick healer.

We can rebuild him!

"Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."

That about sums up how I feel after hopefully putting last week's injury behind me. I went for a steady 6 mile run around my favourite Town Moor route today with no ill effects. What a relief to be running pain free again. I must admit I didn't expect to be running again so soon.

I know I've said it in the past but I'm going to have to be very careful when I'm running. 8 - 9 minute miles are out of the question for now. My final weeks of training will be at a very sensible 10 minute mile pace. There will be no more PBs for a while and a good stretch after my runs will become part and parcel of the routine. I have 3 full weeks of training left where I'll be winding things down a bit. I'll be doing lots of shorter runs and a few more sessions in the gym.

As I said last week, I'm ready for the big run. It's just a case of keeping myself ticking over between now and July 7th.

"Mark Allison will be better than he was before. Better, stronger, but quite sensibly, not faster."

New PB for Blaydon Race!

My decision to run the Blaydon Race on the back of a hamstring injury was vindicated as I romped home a full 7 minutes quicker than last year. It was good to see so many familiar faces at the start line and, as per usual when I run with some of these guys , that's usually the last I see of them. No sooner had the band stopped playing the Blaydon Races we were on our way in glorious sunshine.

I had a solid start to the run with a 08:42 minute mile. I felt some slight pain in my hamstring at the first climb and I thought a repeat of last Tuesday's run was on the cards. Thankfully, it was a false alarm and the run along Scotswood road was very comfortable. I was very careful on the climbs at the Scotswood Bridge and Blaydon flyover and finished the run at a decent pace. I saw Katy and Jack near the finish line which rounded the event off very nicely indeed. I was amazed at the time as I crossed the finish line. 7 minutes quicker than last year!

Fit to run!

After a couple of laps around a local football pitch I'm pleased to announce that I'm fit for the Blaydon Race!

Blaydon Race in the balance!

I've tried a gentle jog up the street this morning with some slight soreness. The decision to do today's Blaydon Race will be made as late as possible this afternoon.

Anyway, enough of that trivia. The Borat Bikini turned up this morning complete with hair, tash and sun glasses. While taking the photo to the right, Katy, Jack and I were in fits of giggles with proper tears and everything. I think I look like a scouser more then Borat! I'm sure it will be a different look once the bikini is on. There's no way I'm putting it on until the required level of sponsor money is achieved.

I've done my bit. If Paul Jackson gets £300 sponsorship and my leg is fit enough then I face the most embarrassing hour of my life.

If Jacko doesn't come up with the required amount then at least he has a month before my big run starts to do so. Imagine the looks I'd get in that thing running down the A9 in the Scottish Highlands!

90% chance of doing the Blaydon race.

My leg is feeling a lot better today. I haven't ran with it yet but I have now had 2 good sessions in the gym. The signs are encouraging. I refuse to get carried away though. I've got some lovely bruises from the Sports Massage on Wednesday. A little reminder of the pain I went through! Ouch!

Jacko, one of the lads at work, today tried to raise enough sponsorship to get me to run the Blaydon Race dressed in Borat's bikini. I managed to get hold of one and it will arrive tomorrow morning by Special Delivery. The fund for this little stunt stood at £100 at the end of the working day, some £200 short of what it would take to get me to wear such an embarrassing costume. I'm now regretting all of those King Prawn Madras curries consumed over the last few months! The main concern with such a skimpy item is "popping out" while running somewhere like the Scotswood Bridge. Nightmare!

I'll leave it right up until the last moment possible to decide whether to run the Blaydon Race tomorrow. Hopefully (!) Jacko will have raised the required amount by then! At least if I don't wear the costume then Katy is in for a treat! I've just got to keep reminding myself "It's all for a good cause".

60% chance of doing the Blaydon Race!

My leg is still very sore! However, this feels like soreness from yesterday's sports massage and not the initial injury. It didn't prevent me from having a good half an hour on the cross trainer in the gym. I even had to go above the usual intensity level on the machine such is my improved fitness. I followed this up with 15 minutes of stretching and some weights. An unusual gym session all round!

I'm going to leave it right until the last minute before deciding if I'm fit enough to run the Blaydon Race on Saturday. I reckon I've got about a 60% chance of doing it. Another gym session with lots of stretching should give me a better idea tomorrow.

Lots of pain hopefully leading to some gain!

With my right leg still quite sore, I decided to have a sports massage at the gym today. I've heard that they can be quite painful but needs must.

Once the masseur found the problem spot the next 15 minutes were spent by him digging his elbows into my hamstring in an attempt to make a grown man cry! I'm sure there was a scientific reason too! I was told prior to the session that I might learn some new swear words but I managed to restrain myself.

At the time of writing this entry in my blog my leg feels very sore. I'm not sure whether this is pain associated with the injury or as a result of today's torture session. I guess I'll have a better idea tomorrow.

Until I can run again, the plan is to hit the gym with some weights, low impact cardio and plenty of stretching.

On the positive side, not being able to run is giving me more time to finish off planning the logistics of the run. I'll be checking the route once again and booking the few remaining campsites over the next few days. There's also that small matter of raising the final amount of sponsorship. The fund total currently stands at £3226. Almost there!

Injury doubt for Blaydon Race

I managed 1.5 miles of a 5 mile run today before feeling the familiar pain in my hamstring again. I had no choice but to turn around and jog gently back to the start. I even had to walk some of the way, such was the pain.

There's still 4 weeks until the big run so I'm not too concerned about this injury in that respect. Also, I feel as though I'm fit enough at this point in time and as I said last week any training done in the next 4 weeks is a bonus. I am, however, very disappointed at the prospect of missing the Blaydon Race this Saturday. I am looking forward to it and feel almost certain that I am in with a very good chance of beating my previous PB of 00:59:50. In the grand scheme of things, the Blaydon race matters not one jot. Getting myself fit and ready for the big run in 4 weeks is the priority.

A few people have asked me what I would do if this type of injury occurred on the big run. The answer is simple. I'd run slightly slower and take plenty of pain killers. It would take something very serious for me not to finish this run. And even then I'd still have a crack at it. The strategy is therefore "Get to Lands End at all costs".

For now, I've got a bag of frozen peas on my hamstring and I'm going to get a sports massage at the gym tomorrow. It's very painful by all accounts. Can't wait!

Precautionary measures taken 6 miles into a 16 mile run!

Today's planned 16 mile run saw me set off late in the morning in 20.5 degree heat. I remember adapting to the heat quite well last year and today was no exception. It was a nice change from last week when I had 3 layers on and a woolly hat.

Everything was going well with the first 2 miles in 19 minutes. Looking to maintain my good time, I arrived at a steep uphill section and attacked it hard. It was at this point that I felt some mild pain in my right hamstring. The pain worsened by the 6 mile point and I decided there and then that I'd better call it a day. This is the approach I've taken twice in the last 5 months. As soon as I've felt any pain I've stopped.

Let's hope that once again I prove to be a quick healer. I'll either be at the gym tomorrow our around Newcastle Race Course (not literally) depending on how my leg feels.

1 down, 1 to go!

Make no mistake, today's 22 mile run was tough. Very tough! This is the 3rd time I've ran this route and this was the slowest time to date (04:30:00). I was lucky enough to have John keeping me company and he was astounded at the 3 major climbs on the route. Speaking of the climbs, "They go on and on" and "They seemed never ending" were quotes from today's run!

It took 3 miles to loosen up after an early Sunday morning start. The next 8 miles were as straightforward as ever. The weather even behaved itself. The climb out of Stanhope wasn't too bad, but by this time conditions were quite cold and I had to wear the woolly hat that I'd found at the 10 mile point.

I made the mistake of wearing my backpack from mile 10.5 to 16. That's the last time I'll be doing that! 2.2 litres of water is far too heavy to carry up the major climb on this route.

I was very pleased to reach the 1700 ft summit with relative ease. My road side supporter for the day, Katy, had bought some home made cookies from a nearby farmer's market. Just what the doctor ordered after 16 miles.

The final 6 miles were ran in a bit of discomfort. My groin was quite sore and this stopped me getting any speed up. I nearly collapsed when I reached the finish line. My legs ached so much. Energy levels were high once again.

An hour after the run, I realised that I had a bit of trouble with my feet. I had a nice new shiny blister on my left foot to accompany the 2 I've been running with for the last fortnight. Every time I do this 22 mile route, I seem to pick up a new blister.

Now how on earth am I going to be able to manage to do this exact same gruelling 22 mile run tomorrow. For now, I've got no idea. I guess I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other and see what happens.

60% target reached.

Thanks to some generous donations from the other parents at my son Jack's school, the fund has now reached over 60% of the target. The fund level is really typical of the whole state of this event. In other words, a lot of hard work has been done over recent months but this really must be sustained right up until the end of the big run to ensure a successful outcome all round.

Week after week I keep telling people that my training couldn't be going any better than it is. Vast improvements have been made in general pace but more importantly with endurance. Just recently, clocking up 4 hours 20 minutes for a very difficult 22 mile run, numerous PBs and the general comfort in which those longer runs are completed is testament to this.

Behind the scenes there remains only a few odds and ends to sort out. Cheap hotels and train tickets for the road side supporters have been booked. The route has been planned in detail and checked numerous times. Nutrition and supplements for the run have been planned and thanks to my friends at Science in Sport it will be cheaper than buying it in the shops. The whole event and it's organisation is in very good shape. At the present time I don't feel one ounce of apprehension for the mammoth task ahead. In fact, I'm looking forward to getting on with it. Lets hope I'm still holding my nerve in 7 weeks time!

Groin injury hopefully not too serious.

While on the last mile of an 8.5 mile run around the Havannah Nature reserve, I felt a sudden ping in my left groin (possibly the adductor magnus (pictured)) with further pain extending round to my hamstring. I was running at just less than a 09:30 per mile pace at the time, which is fast for me. I managed to do the last mile in a little discomfort having to slow things down only very slightly.

Only time (and the appropriate "massage" from Katy!) will tell, what this means to the rest of my running schedule this week. I'm due to go to the gym tomorrow, run 11 on Friday and run 12 or so on Saturday. I should be ok for the gym and may have to miss Friday's run. It is crucial , however, that I do the run on Saturday, a tricky run through the hills of the North Pennines.

In my 15 years of running I've hardly had an injury. I've certainly never had a serious injury. When I have picked up a knock, I'm glad to say that I've always proved to be a quick healer. I'm sure it will be the case with this latest one. Fingers crossed! With only 12 weeks left until the big run I'm going to have to be very careful and try to steer clear of any further injuries. I'm going to have to take longer warming up and then down again at the end of a run. Which is difficult, when you sometimes take 2 hours or more for a lunch break. It'll be interesting to see how I get on in tomorrow's gym session. Check back for the latest news tomorrow evening! Now...about that massage.

Bye bye bad back

I'm pleased to report that I successfully completed a 5 mile run today with no pain whatsoever in my back. I've got a variety of runs and gym visits planned this week. It will be nice to do them injury free.

Nearly a PB....If it wasn't for that pesky bad back!

It was a nice change to run a short distance for once; my favourite 6 mile run around Gosforth and the Town Moor. I'm sure I was on for a PB, thanks to a mile or so of sprinting between lamp posts with Ian 'The Coach'. However, a sudden pain in my lower back unfortunately prevented this and I had to slow down considerably for the last mile. Later, the pain was excruciating in the changing rooms and I just about managed to get showered and dressed. Thankfully, the pain eased later in the afternoon.

I think I know exactly how I got this injury. I reckon, the pain was caused by carrying up to 2 litres of water for a total of 51 miles on my long runs home last week. Anyhow, if you happen to see the pictured road sign in or around Shotley Bridge, please slow down for me.

11 miles of complaints

Ian "the Coach" and I decided to combine 2 familiar runs into 1 to make an 11 mile course. The only problem with this was having to pass the finish line after 5 miles and run a further 6 miles to get back to the finish line. This concept just messed with my mind and resulted in 1 hour and 51 minutes of me complaining. My main complaint was having to run past Gosforth Chippy without stopping to buy anything!

I decided to have a day's rest on Wednesday after Tuesday's problems and I'm glad to report that I felt no pain after today's run.

The threat of an injury cuts short a run home

I had planned to run 17 miles home tonight from Gosforth to Shotley Bridge. I only made it to the 13 mile point (Hamsterley Mill) when I felt some slight pain in my groin. With 4 miles left and energy levels very high I felt that I had nothing to gain or indeed prove by risking an injury and attempting to complete the course. So a quick phone call to Katy was made and she arrived within 10 minutes to take me the rest of the way home.

My previous attempt at this run (pictured to the right and a stone heavier than today!) was in June last year where I stopped off at the chippy and used my emergency pound for a bag of chips. This time round, though, I ate a couple of bananas to give me a boost.

I was due to have a rest day from running tomorrow and just do a gym session. However, I'm keen to see if I get any reaction to tonight's run and in particular I want to give my groin a bit of a test. So it'll be 11 miles along the Derwent Walk Path for me tomorrow after work.