The fascination of conditioning

It's been a while. Quick update: had my IV infusion of pamidronate at Oxford Nuffield Hospital last month, in an effort to beat this osteitis lark. The promised 'flu-like symptoms' kicked in for a few days afterwards, I'd have been disappointed if they hadn't, so they certainly pumped something strong into my ailing body. No obvious progress to date but as I'm limping around in pain with ongoing Achilles' issues and now a dodgy knee (too much on the exercise bike in a vain attempt to burn off some calories), my abdominal pains seem less obvious right now. Since last posting I have also partaken in two more mob matches, in Richmond Park and at Orion's home course in Epping Forest.

On our dry, relatively flat, grassland and stoney track course in Richmond it was relatively easy to maintain forward momentum, although a chronic lack of fitness conspired to hold me back from sustaining anything close to a decent pace.

Epping Forest on the other hand is one of the great traditional xc courses where there is no hiding place from underfoot conditions: it is a very tough one lap course with deep mud, steep hills, ditches to cross and stiles to traverse. I was nervous beforehand as I felt that, unlike in Richmond Pk, the terrain would be of little help. I was not wrong but strangely enough thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Andy Bickerstaff, a fellow past winner of this race and a lot more recently than me, who himself is battling medical issues, joined me for the first mile. This was a big mistake (for me, not him) as we chatted about finding ourselves so far down the field; at least he chatted, I muttered some breathless utterances and curses as I slid around in my training flats and couldn't catch my breath. Just jogging and I couldn't talk! Experienced runners always face aches & pains, sniffles etc., breathing is never an issue, but here I was less than a mile into a 7½ mile race and totally out of breath. Thankfully the other element of my lack of fitness, the total inability to run up hills, at least allowed me to get my breath back, although I was really miffed when walking up the last big hill when I was overtaken by another walker and couldn't keep up!

Anyway, thankfully AB got bored with my company - the conversation was rather one-way - and proceeded to scythe through the field without any of his feared medical issues resurfacing. I was left to survive, which I did although not without mishap. A thorn in my shoe, which I couldn't budge, necessitated stopping, a rather leisurely break sitting on a log changing my shoe and watching the world, in the form of many runners, go by. I then got into a battle with a couple of others; quite hilariously they would run past me on the precarious downhills where I had no grip at all, falling flat on my face in the mud at one point, I would then overtake them along the flat and road sections, before walking up the hills allowing my bemused opponents to once again go ahead. Just like that cartoon series, was it the Ant Hill Mob? This link clearly reflects the delights of Epping Forest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14963062@N04/5257606364/in/set-72157625589293120/


The result of all this nonsense was a time 14 minutes slower than two years earlier, that's a whole two miles behind where I was! Ignoring all the frustrations of my various ailments, I find it fascinating how fitness levels can change so radically. To extend the differential, even when I was running relatively well two years ago i.e. 14 minutes faster over 7 miles than at present, I couldn't run more than two miles at my pb marathon pace per mile.

Just Blackheath's equally tough course left on this winter's mob match agenda then I can safely retire again. Hopefully the pamidronate will help things along so that I can actually do some training. Who knows. As Kierkegaard so rightly said, "life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."


Finally, great news that Alf Tupper's blog has reappeared after over a year. Written by Mike Cadman, a real character and ex-top notch runner from the black country. He writes what he thinks, no-one is left in any doubt about that! Check him out on www.alftupper.blogspot.com