Final thoughts on week 16

“Are you ready?” people keep asking me over and over.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply.

It’s a response on autopilot, having been asked the question so often, but it couldn’t be more accurate.

Marathon outfit

I’ve completed 16 weeks of endurance training on a marathon running plan.

During that period I’ve ran a total of 406 miles, as well as an additional 58 miles between signing up for the event and starting my training plan.

I’ve battled the elements by running through frost, snow, rain, wind (a storm in fact), darkness, midday sunlight and heat.

Not to mention the hills. Oh the hills! Dundee’s full of them.

The intensity of my training programme, together with my enthusiasm to progress quickly rather than build up the mileage gradually, led to injury early on in my training plan.

On week two I developed shin splints and spent the next seven weeks doing everything I could to try to get over it.

I rested, then cross trained with swimming and yoga, then returned to running (too soon) and fought back tears as I tried to run through the pain.

Products

I had physiotherapy and acupuncture, invested in a number of muscle injury products and strapped my legs with kinesiology tape before running.

It was an emotional period. I seriously considered pulling out of the marathon as I didn’t think my leg would get better in time for race day.

But I wasn’t ready to give up and decided to focus my energies on fundraising for a while instead.

The main reason I’m doing the London Marathon is to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland in honour of my gran who has dementia.

Since diagnosis her illness seems to be rapidly taking hold of her. She’s confused all the time and struggles to follow a conversation.

Fundraising

Nearly a year ago she moved into a care home but she still constantly asks when she can go home.

It’s heart-breaking having to repeatedly explain that the care home is her home now.

And to see her relive the pain of losing her own home every time, as if it’s the first time she’s heard it.

What’s worse is that she doesn’t feel safe or secure in the care home.

She forgets she’s moved things, such as chocolate biscuits or nighties, and thinks people are coming into her room to steal them.

On several occasions she’s started arguments with other residents accusing them of wearing her clothes.

To us it seems absurd because it’s just so illogical but to her it’s real – and very frightening.

All my family and I can do is be there for her and knowing she’s getting the help and support she needs at the care home is reassuring.

Seeing my gran struggle with dementia made me want to help others in her situation.

Raising awareness

I set myself a target of raising £2,000 and at first I had no idea how I would achieve it.

By week nine of my training plan I’d asked everyone I know to sponsor me and raised around £700 which was a brilliant figure, but a long way off my target.

I’d previously considered organising a club night, although decided it was too much of a gamble in terms of making money.

Then I decided to host a pub quiz night and raffle, which turned out to be a great success.

Through that I raised £817 with much help and support from friends and local business people.

For two weeks I was so busy organising the quiz, sourcing raffle prizes, selling raffle tickets, and promoting the event, that training was placed on the backburner.

And when I returned, it was as if I had a new leg – my injury was completely healed.

Changing my focus to fundraising really lifted the pressure and gave my body and mind time to recover from my injury.

Week 16

Over the next four weeks I cranked up the mileage, squeezing in many long runs of up to 16 miles, before starting to reduce the amount I was running (taper) last week.

It’s not as far as I should’ve gone if I’d managed to remain injury free but I’m damn proud of myself for making it that far given the setback I faced.

Donations continued to flood in and last week I managed to reach my target of £2,000 with more pledged on my sponsorship form to be collected after the event.

Now with just three days left until I take on the biggest physical challenge of my life, I’m feeling on top of the world knowing that the hard work is behind me.

I honestly can’t wait to go out there and give it my best shot, for my gran, so many others like her, and for myself too.

It’s been a fierce journey but I’ve made it through. All that’s left to do now is enjoy the experience.

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I’m running London Marathon 2016 to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland in aid of my gran who has dementia. Please sponsor me. All donations, no matter the size, extremely welcome via my fundraising page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SheanneMulholland

xxx THANK YOU!! xxx

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Bearing my soul on week nine

Firstly, I should apologise for not blogging on week eight.

It’s not that I didn’t want to, I just wasn’t sure if anyone wanted to hear what I had to say.

I’m aware I’ve been harping on about this injury for weeks now and it’s not the most inspiring thing to read about over and over.

But the reality was I’d reached breaking point and that’s why I decided not to post.

My left leg had completely seized up and the pain down the front of my shin and foot was unbearable.

Frosty park run

I couldn’t point my toes or pull them towards me. It was as if I had a wooden leg.

It was stiff all the time, constantly exasperated by walking to work in the frosty mornings and challenging training sessions in the cold evenings.

On top of that, interval running was killing me. Despite advice from my physio to train this way, I didn’t feel like it was helping my shin splints.

For three evenings in a row I fought back tears mid-run and yelled out in pain.

I began to consider pulling out of the marathon. It was only six weeks away and I just wasn’t sure if I could manage it.

As sad as that made me feel, running is something I hope to continue doing for as long as I physically can. The last thing I want to do is push on and cause permanent injury.

On Saturday morning I went to see my physio and told him my thoughts.

He suggested an acupuncture session instead of the massage therapy he had been giving me, and I agreed.

In all honesty I wasn’t convinced before trying it, but I haven’t been feeling very positive about anything these last few weeks so I thought it was worth a go.

My leg didn’t really feel that different after the session but the next day it felt strange.

Camperdown Park, Dundee

The pain down the front of my shin and foot had disappeared.

The sharp pain in the side of my leg (the original pain) was still there, although it was much less severe.

My leg has felt floppy and weak since the acupuncture. It’s still not strong enough to run on but I am happy with the improvement.

I’m going to cross train with swimming until it feels back to normal.

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I’m running London Marathon 2016 to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland in aid of my gran who has dementia. Please sponsor me. All donations, no matter the size, extremely welcome via my fundraising page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SheanneMulholland

xxx THANK YOU!! xxx

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A dook in the River Tay

T-shirt, boardshorts and flip-flops – probably not what most people would choose to wear on a frosty Scottish New Year’s Day.

But at 10am on January 1, I stood in temperatures of 3C wearing exactly that, waiting to run into the icy waters of the River Tay, at Broughty Ferry.

Ready to dook

It’s a tradition that started around 130 years ago when swimmer John Barrowman encouraged members of the community to join him for a morning dip.

Now scores of locals take to the waters in his honour every New Year’s Day, organised by Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association, as hundreds watch from the shore.

For me it was more than that. I saw it as a chance to wash away my sins of last year and start this year fresh.

New Year, New Me. I don’t remember when or where I heard this saying for the first time. It’s one I’ve never taken to before.

But for some reason in the weeks leading up to this New Year it was looping round and round in my head.

New Year’s Day would mark the beginning of an intense 16-week marathon training programme for me, which involves running six days a week.

I knew that to be in the best possible shape for it I would have to change a few things in my lifestyle. I’d need to cut out alcohol, eat well and look after myself.

And I couldn’t think of a better way to kick-start my new way of thinking than by taking a cleansing dook.

Onlookers watch

Dook at Broughty Ferry

That was, until I was stood shivering at the water’s edge waiting to take the plunge.

I would’ve liked to jump in but it wasn’t deep enough where we were so instead we had to slowly wade through the shallow water.

It was freezing. Much colder than I had imagined. Most people slowly walked around in it, or ran in then straight out again, but one brave young lady was actually swimming.

A few people behind me were dooking their heads in and laughing hysterically. Although I wanted the full experience, I just couldn’t bring myself to put my head under the water.

I went as far as my neck and then swiftly got out. I couldn’t bear any longer than a few minutes.

As I walked up the slipway I pulled my shorts free from sticking to my numb legs then tenderly put my flip-flips back on, which proved a struggle as both my feet and all my toes were numb too.

And then I raced home for a warm bath and a cuppa.

After the dook

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I’m running the London Marathon 2016 to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland in aid of my gran who has dementia. Please sponsor me. All donations, no matter the size, extremely welcome via my fundraising page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SheanneMulholland

xxx THANK YOU!! xxx

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Prostitute on the run

My bum cheeks were so cold I had to slap them a couple of times as I ran along Arbroath Road, Dundee, in the dark last night.

Damp, cold and frosty

As I did this, I suddenly saw a woman walking towards me.

She seemed to appear out of nowhere, or maybe I just hadn’t noticed her earlier because I was too busy thinking about my cold bum.

She had a bomber jacket on and the sleeves were hanging limp by her side, as if she had her arms tucked up inside her jacket to keep warm.

Her face was pale and thin, and her straggly hair was scraped back into a ponytail.

She didn’t look at me. She was looking out into the road as she slowly walked in my direction.

A white Mini Countryman passed and she nodded to the driver. “How does she know someone in a car like that?” I thought to myself.

And then it hit me – she’s a prostitute.

I had forgotten this road was a known hot-spot for prostitutes to pick up business.

I’ve run it for over a year now and never came across anything like that, but suddenly I felt uneasy about being there alone in the dark.

However, the feeling soon passed as I remembered I was wearing a fluorescent top, a flashing light clipped to one trainer and reflective snap bands on my ankles (my favourite running item!).

Arbroath Road, Dundee

Although my gear probably wasn’t enough to warn off any trouble should it come my way, it was a clear sign that I wasn’t out looking for any.

My attention started to drift back to my cold bum again. I gave it another couple of slaps.

The air was bitterly sharp and as I turned onto the path along Kingsway my foot slipped on ice.

The next few steps were the same so I walked half a dozen yards, noting that most of the path was slippery.

It was too dangerous to run on, so instead I ran on the grass verge alongside the path.

The grass had frosted over and gave a satisfying crunch beneath my feet. In fact it was a very pleasant break from pounding the pavements.

I ran along as much of the grass as I could before turning off the Kingsway to go home.

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I’m running the London Marathon 2016 to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland in aid of my gran who has dementia. Please sponsor me. All donations, no matter the size, extremely welcome via my fundraising page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SheanneMulholland

xxx THANK YOU!! xxx

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