Well what has happened over the past week or so since the Garburn Trail. It took me all week to recover from the muscle soreness particularly in the quad muscles. I also felt a bit nausious all week I don't know if it was down to stress or a mild stomach bug as food seemed to be passing through my system fairly quickly which is a change from constipation I have to say. On a number of days I felt incredibly drained and exhausted, it wasn't anything to do with the trail run, I'm experienced enough to know the difference. Even standing up was an effort and I was continually yawning, another factor may have been bad sleeping.
I eventually discovered what the noises coming from the chimney breast. For days I had heard theses noises and had put them down to next door possibly doing some sort of work but I should have probably paid more attention after Pebbles the cat sat in front of the fire place and just stared at it. A few days after this following more noises I decided to check with the neighbours who confirmed no work was taking place, I made the decision to look up the chimney and was shocked to see the underbelly of what appeared to be a seagull as all I could see was white and at first I thought strangely it was one of those fluffy dusters. I got straight onto the RSPCA for someone to come and rescue it. It was the following mid morning (Tuesday or Wednesday I think) when they came. The bird was rescued, which turned out to be a pidgeon. He reckoned that it had been there for about ten days as it had lost weight and the poor thing looked very sorry for itself. He gave it something to rehydrate the bird and took it away. I do hope it pulls through.
My mood over the past week or so I feel has improved, I still find it extremely difficult to get out but don't continually have that depressed feeling which has plagued me. I do want to get out and try to use the time I have fruitfully but I loosely plan things and never carry them through, although I have made a conscious effort to try to get up each day by 9:30am at the latest.
On Sunday I made the decision to go and do the Grasmere Gallop 7 mile trail race. I mentioned this to both my sister and brother in law as a sort of way of forcing myself to go through with it. I was glad I did go, although it was a really hot day as it had been weatherwise for the past few days. I arrived early at around 9:00 as I needed to enter the event. The race kicked off at 10:45am from the Grasmere Garden Centre heading out and around Grasmere Lake. I did struggle not only with the uphill but also the heat and after aound eight minutes I walked for a bit as the ups and downs took it out of me. The route headed through some woods and across to what I later found to be called Loughrigg Cave and on across country still with plenty of hard going ups and downs. The heat and terrain was killing me and although this stretch saw some downhill the sun was burning down. It was a relief to hit the shade of tree cover which was short lived with a tough road bit that lasted for around a mile before returning in to more woods, crossing the shoreside of what I presume was Grasmere Lake before again another uphill stretch through woods again. I asked at the water station about how far to go and took on extra water before ploughing on to another water station. One mile to go back into the village she said as I wearly ploughed on, it was more like a mile and I half I thought as when passing the original start the next guy said half a mile to go. I felt dead on my feet but was still able to overtake a women who had been a long way ahead and I headed up finishing a minute ahead of her.
To finish off my day in the Lakes I quickly changed into my walking gear and went up Silver How. With the heat and having just done a 7 mile trail race it was a bit hard going but when I eventually reached the top it was a lovely view as I sat for a while in the warm June sunshine. I was exhausted though and decided on the quickest return to my car. I descended down what as a really steep path and at times used the bracken to hold onto as I came down. By 4pm I was back at my car and ready to make the journey back home.
Monday went quietly, my legs were too sore to do much exercise so instead I did some housework to occupy myself. The only drama of the day was the woman next door but one to me locked herself out and so we borrowed some long ladders and I offered to climb in through the top window via the window flap at the top. I got in quite easily really one leg at a time so I was sat on the ledge before junping across to the bed. The lady over the road was amazed and said she couldn't watch her husband had to give her a running commentary, they had both been impressed at how I had the bottle to do it.
Today Tuesday, I did try a run but my left shin was very painful so instead I did 5k on my bike and then went to the gym and did 30 mins on the ski machine, a few exercises and then 20 lengths in the pool.
