As I wrote last week’s blog I had no idea what a horrible
week I was about to endure. I mentioned, in the blog, I felt I had maybe been
affected in the previous Saturday’s race and Sunday’s training by a cold coming
on. At the time I wrote the blog it felt like something that would soon pass
over, how wrong I was. I managed to run some fast quality reps on Tuesday night
and I was looking forward to gradually increasing the pace as I try to make my
mark on the 2014 road racing scene. But I was wrong, I awoke on Wednesday and
my body had been taken over by this horrible virus. I was weak, I was coldy and
I was struggling for breath.
I’m a great believer that getting out in the fresh air is of
more benefit to you than sitting at home watching TV, dosing up on lemsips and
feeling sorry for yourself, so I attempted an easy run. The attempt failed, it
wasn’t easy in fact it was hard work running slow. Still hopeful that it was a
temporary situation I attempted another go at an easy run on Thursday. It was
no easier, in fact it was harder, so hard I think I might have enjoyed a run
around Boggarts Hole Clough more, though it’s a close call. This time I
abandoned the run early. I then made the decision to take a break from
training.
With the pseudo mother-in-law visiting for the weekend this
would give me a great opportunity to spend time with her, taking her for walks
in the Cheshire countryside. Friday was a couple of hours up the river Weaver
to Vale Royal Abbey and back, the fresh air did make me feel better but I was
still struggling with a bunged up nose that evening. On Saturday I was working
whilst Carole looked after her mum, so it was only little peeks at fresh air,
but I was beginning to notice recovery was on the way.
Sunday we did a round trip to Shropshire, visiting places of
historical note that I’d not visited before. It was a great opportunity to get
some fresh air as we were restricted to how far we could walk by my cold and my
pseudo m-i-l’s age.
The first place we aimed for was Telford, named after Thomas
Telford, of iron bridge fame, or better known by me for having had some of the
country’s finest road runners. We skirted around Telford as the bridge is actually
in Ironbridge, now there’s a coincidence.
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| It may look like just another bridge to you, but this one's famous. |
I was pleasantly surprised with the place, I expected it to
be an interesting bridge across the river, but the village is very attractive
and houses lots of museums featuring the various industries that occupied the
gorge the village is situated in. Sadly none of them appeared to be open on
Sunday. We had a wander along the river and up the valley side a little and
then it was off to the next place.
I wanted to go to Shrewsbury as I’d been told it was a nice place,
but Much Wenlock is not far away from Ironbridge and, as the home of the
Olympian Games, surely worth a visit from a modern day Olympic games watcher. I
hadn’t actually expected there to be much in Wenlock but, again, I was surprised,
another attractive village with a part Norman church and ruinous abbey, plus it
had a museum, which had a good display about the Olympian Games.
Then onto Shrewsbury, birthplace of Charles Darwin and
T’Pau. I even have a running friend in Shrewsbury, but I try not to impose my
family on my running friends, nor my running friends on my family. A wander
around the town revealed an attractive place, but it was a bit difficult
finding your way in first time round, I could have used sat nav but that’s got
me lost more times than Carole.
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| It's an evolutionary place is Shrewsbury |
Yes Shrewsbury was nice but I’m glad we made a round trip of
it instead of just a day trip to Shrewsbury, we’d seen everything in a couple
of hours, but I will go back, given enough inducement.
With the weekend over and the pseudo m-i-l on her way back
to an independence vote it was back to the running on Monday. Still suffering with
the cold it was slow and steady. I’m improving daily but any ambitions for a
good road race time will have to be put on hold for a while as I build up my
fitness and my confidence.
Ah I hear you say, I thought this was a fitness blog, not a
travel blog, and so it is. The message is clear, if you have a cold, get some
fresh air, but don’t push yourself in training. I’ve run with a cold before and
strained my heart doing so, it’s not worth it, this time I was sensible and put
my ambition on hold, the cold won’t last but my ambition will. I’m playing the
long game, what I can’t win this year I will have another shot at another year.
Written by Roger Alsop
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