Running and not running.

It has been an odd week.  Half term should have allowed me loads of time for running in the day time, and the weather has been much milder than the weeks preceding the break.  I was looking forward to clocking up some serious mileage and revisiting all my favourite runs around local country roads.  I haven't been able to run these runs in the dark because I don't really like dicing with death and hoping that I can move faster than an oncoming car!

I'd been looking forward to the holiday.  The whole science department have been working flat out, running extra revision classes after school, coping with all sorts of changes and extra burdens that losing 1.5 members of staff brings with it.  In the week before half term at least 3 of us had a day off sick, and the rest of us coughed, spluttered and croaked through the lessons.  I'd spent the previous couple of weeks telling pupils who approached me to say 'Miss, I don't feel well!' to go and sit at the back of the class!  It isn't that I'm not sympathetic, but I've always been of the opinion that when it comes to germs, sharing is not caring!

Despite this, I got the bug.  I haven't slept through the night for over two weeks now, and have spent my days feeling fragile.  I thought that I was on the mend, if I had thought otherwise then I would not have run at Newbury and Bramley last weekend.  But I was convinced that I was 'almost over it!'    And so, with a week of freedom ahead of me and lots of exciting things planned, all I wanted to do was sleep - but sleep eluded me due to constant coughing.  A shopping day in London turned into a 'quick 2 hours to pick up essentials and then home again please!'

I ran briefly on Tuesday, but it wasn't fun.  Every step was hard work.  When I run, I try to keep the photo below in my mind.  This is my little girl who is running for the pure pleasure of the way it feels.  This is the feeling I aspire to, and sometimes get close to - but it wasn't happening on Tuesday!

A trip to Cambridge on Thursday for a book fair saw me optimistically packing my running kit and posting online that I'd run Cambridge parkrun on Saturday.  The running kit remained in my suitcase.  In a Facebook status I mentioned how grim I felt, and those who know me well responded that they were sure I'd run on Saturday!  Not a mad prediction based on previous experience, but at 9am on Saturday morning I was still tucked up in bed!  I suspect I have gained several pounds in weight from a reliance on cough sweets!  

I am, I hope, getting to the end of this cold.  I am back to school tomorrow feeling as though I have wasted my half term.  I went for a short run (3 miles) with Husbando this evening and it was very hard work.  I'm obviously nowhere near back to full health.  My body would not let me go fast and I was very happy to stop at three miles!  I have a 10k race in Winchester next Sunday and am wondering how best to approach this week.  10k is a distance I should be able to run comfortably even if I don't run a step between now and then, but I do normally like to put in a longish run the week before a race.  

We shall see.  Watch this space to see how I get on next week.  Or not.  Although I have a very cool race number and it would be a shame not to use it!