A week in Bude

Night view from our resort in Bude

This week as you know I have been away in Bude, it was a tough week of training due to the fact I caught a horrid cold and could barely breath whilst running. Luckily the cold only lasted a few days and as I am writing this I am still a little snuffly but well on the way back to being at full fitness. My training plan said it was a recovery week which I was very glad of, not just because I had a cold but it gives my calf muscles a break. As you know they have been very sore and I have complained more than once about this on my blog. Even with breathing being a real effort I really enjoyed my runs in Bude and I saw some beautiful scenery, I have put some picture on here for you to see.

An example of the size of the hills in Bude

Tuesday 12th February (I realise I got Sundays date wrong on last weeks blog, oops!)
Today was the day I woke up feeling like I had been run over by a truck, I ached all over and had lost the ability to breath through my nose. As this week was a recovery week I decided that I must get out and at least try to run. It was a 25 minute run, this sounds easy but with a cold and the amount of hills in Bude it was not that easy at all. I managed to run 2.46 miles with lungs that felt as useful as concrete blocks (my chest felt so heavy but it wasn't tight). I averaged 10.10 minute/miles, again I feel this was ok due to how rubbish I was feeling. I did run with my music but at a very low volume as I had to run on the road as we were staying in a remote part of Cornwall and there aren't pavements down country lanes. I have to say the cars were very good but I did jump a few times when I got caught on a blind corners. I want to give a shout out to Bude Rats, Karen I'm sorry I didn't make it to your running evening but I couldn't move from the sofa!. I know that's very dramatic but everyone who know me will know that when I get a cold I definitely catch the man flu strain (it really does exist, google it!). If I am ever in Bude again, which i am sure i will be, I promise to come along. Anyone that lives in the local area and wants a club to run for you should make your way to their training nights. I have linked there website to their name in this blog. 

Thursday 14th February 
Valentines day! but that is no excuse not to get out and run. Today was the worst day of my cold so far.I know I hear you saying how did he manage to get of the sofa with man flu but I did it!. I spent most of the day sneezing and i had a very leaky eye, it had swollen up due to fact I kept rubbing it, not a petty sight!. It was a 50 minute run on a random route which luckily only had one hill. I covered 4.74 miles at an average pace of 10.33 minute/miles. Again I was running down country lanes so could only have one ear phone in. I listened to the last in the series of the Infinite Monkey Cage and to be honestest I can not for the life of me remember what the topic was. It must have been that interesting!. The best thing about today's run was that as soon as I got back I was taking my little boy swimming with my wife and it was a HEATED! pool. I was in heaven sat in that warm water and my legs have felt so much better for it. No more complaining about my calf muscles. OK, OK that's a lie, I probably will but not for at least a week.

Saturday 16th February
I didn't run today as I spent most of the day either packing, driving or unpacking when we got home from Cornwall. I think it was also good just to relax and get rid of this cold (Remember I have the man flu strain). I know I haven't been to Parkrun in a while after I made such a bog deal about it in my earlier blog. I hope to make it there this coming week. 

Sunday 17th February 
Today was the last of my recovery runs, I ran 5.43 miles in 50 minutes. My average pace per mile was 9.13. My cold is all but gone so that's why my pace has increased and back to where I would like it to be for a short run. It was a bit of a boring run as my dad is in Cornwall and I had to run on my own. I listened to the David Tennant podcast which was entertaining as his guest was Jodie Whittaker. All you doctor Who fans out there will know who that is! The upcoming week is week 8 of my marathon training program, the Sunday miles are really starting to go up now, 14 miles next Sunday and increasing 2 miles a week from there on. will be good to get some long runs in again.  



On The Difference a Day Makes campaign front, Beth who is part of the amazing fundraising team at Jessie May has booked us in to do some filming with Bristol TV this week. I am a bit nervous about this but Beth assures me she will be there and it will be fun. There have also been a number of articles published in the local press and i will be thanking them on my Instagram, that,s right i now have an Instagram page :). I plan to post at least once a day about all things running!. If you have Instagram please have a look at my page and support me by following me, my username is jm_running_nurse. Donations this week have slowed down a bit but thank you to all that have donated this week, if you would like to donate please find the link to my Virgin money giving account here.

Thank you all for your continued support and please spread the word

Hope you all have a good week, take care.

Steve