April hasn’t been a great month in terms of training- I’ve only ran 43 miles all month (I usually run 70- 90 miles in a month). I’ve traveled a lot this month (three trips abroad) and I’ve been ill… again.
I mentioned on this post that I’ve been struggling with feeling run-down and tired recently, unfortunately that didn’t improve this month. A few days after I got back from New York, I came down with a virus which meant I spent the entire Easter weekend throwing up and sleeping. I’ve never known tiredness like it! I literally couldn’t stay awake for longer than an hour and I was so drained of energy I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t eat for 3-4 days, so no Easter eggs for me!
On Easter Sunday afternoon, I went for an emergency appointment at the NHS walk-in centre. I was so thankful that they were open over Easter as I was getting really worried and wanted to see a doctor. After a check-up the doctor confirmed that I had a virus and needed rest. I took 10 days complete rest from exercise- I couldn’t have worked out even if I had tried- I didn’t have the energy for it.
I was signed-up to run the Victoria Park Open 5 Mile on the Saturday of Easter weekend, but had to miss the race as I was too sick. It was my first DNS at a race and I was gutted to have to miss it.
I was signed-up to run the Victoria Park Open 5 Mile on the Saturday of Easter weekend, but had to miss the race as I was too sick. It was my first DNS at a race and I was gutted to have to miss it.
I made a GP appointment straight after Easter to be referred for blood tests, as there was only so much they could do at the walk-in centre. I explained to my GP that I’ve been ill around 6 times over the past 6 months- I seem to come down with a bug almost every month. He reassured me that I seem perfectly healthy and the bouts of illness are probably just bad luck. He referred me for blood tests to check for any underlying problems. I took the opportunity to ask whether the GP feels that the level of exercise I do has contributed to me getting ill, but he replied that it is fantastic that I am so active and there is no need to cut-down on my exercise (as long as I do not get injured). I felt really reassured by having this conversation with my doctor.
My blood tests came back normal, no problems at all. I was tested for diabetes, anaemia, kidney function, hydration, electrolyte levels, blood cell count, thyroid function (amongst others) and there was no sign of anything being wrong. I feel a lot better for having the tests done and glad that there is nothing serious going on!
I’ve been feeling back to normal for the past week or so and I’ve gone back to training with a 9 mile run during my trip to Ireland, plus a 5 mile run and spinning class this week. This weekend I have my swimming lesson, plus a duathlon training day.
My next half-marathon is in just over 3 weeks, and I’m feeling under-prepared and under-trained for it. Taking time off for illness means that I’ve missed quite a few runs and I’ve not run longer than 9 miles since February. I’m hoping to fit in a 10 mile and 11 mile run before race day, but I don’t want to cram in long-runs at the last minute when I should be tapering. I guess I should be OK to finish the race, I’m just not expecting a PB!
Thanks for bearing with such a boring post- but I felt the need to update I’ve been a bit absent from blogging recently and have a back-log of posts to write!
Hopefully my bout of illness is over for now! I’m hoping for a healthier May and looking forward to getting back to normal!
My blood tests came back normal, no problems at all. I was tested for diabetes, anaemia, kidney function, hydration, electrolyte levels, blood cell count, thyroid function (amongst others) and there was no sign of anything being wrong. I feel a lot better for having the tests done and glad that there is nothing serious going on!
I’ve been feeling back to normal for the past week or so and I’ve gone back to training with a 9 mile run during my trip to Ireland, plus a 5 mile run and spinning class this week. This weekend I have my swimming lesson, plus a duathlon training day.
My next half-marathon is in just over 3 weeks, and I’m feeling under-prepared and under-trained for it. Taking time off for illness means that I’ve missed quite a few runs and I’ve not run longer than 9 miles since February. I’m hoping to fit in a 10 mile and 11 mile run before race day, but I don’t want to cram in long-runs at the last minute when I should be tapering. I guess I should be OK to finish the race, I’m just not expecting a PB!
Thanks for bearing with such a boring post- but I felt the need to update I’ve been a bit absent from blogging recently and have a back-log of posts to write!
Hopefully my bout of illness is over for now! I’m hoping for a healthier May and looking forward to getting back to normal!