I knew I shouldn’t have written that piece the other week about me never getting ill. Woke up yesterday and felt shocking. Not too much of a cold but double achey and felt like I had a G clamp on my head. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Capesthorne half this Sunday so popped a Zinc tablet and tried to get some vitamin C down me. Even had a sleep yesterday afternoon as felt so rough. Not going to be able to do the run if I feel like this which won’t impress me at all. Feel a little better this morning, took an extra strength Lemsip last night and it knocked me out so feel better for a good sleep. Might try and get some fresh air this morning, go out for a mess about on the mountain bike see if that helps.

Was at the dentist on Monday seeing the hygienist. I knew her husband was into running and her son but she’s took it up now and will be there on Sunday so I’m going to have to sort myself out.

Back to the Zinc and Vitamin C today. Apparently Zinc helps fight off any illnesses, so I’ll try that. Like I said before, I tend to take Echinacea if I feel anything coming on, but as this just turned up unannounced, it may be a little late for that now.

Will get sorted for Sunday, though hardly the best preparation.

To be honest, I’m probably in a much better position than most when it comes to fitting training time in with family duties. I’m extremely lucky in that I no longer need to work, so I can fit in what I do around school pick ups. Having said that, there is always stuff to do, particularly over the past couple of years as our house is having to be rebuilt. Not because we have had some grand design, but because of the muppet builder who built it so most of my time has been spent dealing with the comedian Insurance Company and Contractors they appointed.

Anyway, I get more of an issue training when the kids are off. This half term has been difficult as the ones at primary school had one week, and the older ones had a different one so it gave us a 2 week half term. There was a little bit of an overlap so we went off to Abersoch for a few days. I’ve been going there for over 20 years now. On a good Summer day, you would never know you were in the UK. We all just chill over there, whether its going for a walk, messing on the beach, whatever, its just a great place.

For me, its probably my favourite running place. I get up early, and try and sneak out for a run on the beach. There’s just something special about running on a beach, next to the sea and I try to make the most of it. Weather wasn’t too good this weekend, and as its only a week before next weeks half marathon, I thought I’d get one last biggish run in. Sneaked out into the lounge where I’d left my bits and thought I’d head out once I’d got changed quickly. It was then that I realised just how much shit I had to get ready to go out. Running pants to stop any chaffing, tights to keep warm, shorts over them, heart rate monitor on, skin top over that, running shirt over that, socks on, shoes on, headphones through my shirt sleeve, ipod shuffle attached, garmin on and attached to satellites. Now I’m dressed, fill the camelback with water, pop a couple of tablets in, attach to my back, get the straw in the right place, get a couple of gels in the pocket and I’m ready, got a sweat up just getting myself together!!

It was worth it though. Like I said, something special about running along the beach and you’re the only one there. Its the only place I run with headphones in as I like to know whats happening round me with the traffic, but here, there’s just me. I had a proper moment listening to an old favourite song of mine, Stargazer by Rainbow. Its also nice to run and listen to the waves crashing in, particularly this weekend as they were crashing in quite a lot!!

Thoroughly enjoyed my run, and if you enjoy it, you either stay out longer, or run faster, or maybe even do both. I stayed out longer, as I’m not overly quick and it just set me up nicely for the day, and as it was my last big run before next weekend, didn’t push it too much.

Back home now. Will do a couple of turbo sessions this week to keep the legs going but nothing too much so they’re fresh ish for Sunday.

I’ve been quite lucky with training injuries, I think the worst think I have ever had was shin splints which I developed about 2 weeks before I did my first half marathon. It was painful but I was carrying four stone more than I am now at the time, so could put it down to that. Other than that, I’ve had nothing else, until this morning.

I did my usual hours training with my PT and because I was going to pick up my youngest from her nursery, I stayed at the gym and did a run. Nothing daft, just a hour or so and I did a nice, gentle 12 km. Just plugged in the Ipod and off I went listening to some Parkway Drive to relieve the boredom.

Felt pretty good doing it, no aches or pains and could have gone on but I needed to be at the nursery so hopped off the treadmill and wandered to the changing rooms. As I walked past a mirror, I noticed something on my shirt so stopped and looked. To my horror, there were two large blood stains down my shirt, starting where my nipples were. If any of you have ever had joggers nipple, trust me, it hurts!! Especially when you first get in the shower, think I gave quite a yelp when the water hit them the first time. Wouldn’t mind but I had protectors on as they rubbed a little the other week so I thought best safe. Trouble is, they fell off and created the mess that my shirt is in the picture!!

I’m sat here typing this with no top on, not a pleasant thought I know but I don’t want anything rubbing on them. They’re throbbing like mad at the mo, could hang a pair of coat hangars on them. Hopefully the pain will go away in a bit but for now, it aint good.

Take care.

Must admit, prior to doing any of this kind of running and triathlons, I used to get a few colds and coughs and quite a few aches and pains, but it didn’t really bother me. Now, I start to get more and more paranoid about it and whether its going to stop me from doing any training.

Since I entered the Cheshire Half, everyone has come down with something in our house. The worst has been my 2 year old daughter who I’ve had to have at the doctors twice. The first time, I phoned them up late afternoon and asked if they could see her the following day. Bit of a silence and then a no, we’re full tomorrow, how about the following day? Do we have to book illnesses in advance now??!! To give them some credit, the receptionist asked the age of my daughter and how far away from the surgery I was. As I’m 2 minutes away she said they’d squeeze her in, but I had to be there in 5 minutes, so all sorted in the end.

As she’s started nursery 3 mornings a week, she has started coming home with all sorts of little coughs and sniffles, though this was a particularly bad sore throat. So bad, she hardly ate for 3 days and getting her to drink was a problem. The medicine soon sorted her out, but not before my wife and her older sister caught it. May as well have put a big red cross on the door there were that many germs floating around here.

Whenever anyone gets ill in our house, the first thing I do is pop some Echinacea pills. They’re easily available at all the health food type shops, and they’re supposed to boost your immune system. I’ve got to say that since I’ve done this, it always seems to work and I tend not to catch anything. The one time I happened not to have any in, I came down with what everyone else had, so I have to say they seem to work, for me at least.

Also make sure I have plenty of water and vitamin C. I’m no expert at any of this, so I can only say what works for me, but with this half marathon coming up, I’ve just checked and I’m well stocked up.