The joys of winter!

I have to be honest - I'm not a huge fan of winter!  OK, so a crisp frost glinting in the sunlight against a blue sky can be beautiful, but rarely seems to actually occur!  More often it's dull, dreary, drizzly and cold, which does nothing to lift my mood.  I also suffer badly from Raynaud's syndrome, with white, numb fingers and toes.  This is a very painful condition and often gets me down when I permanently seem to have no feeling in my fingers and struggle to do simple everyday tasks.  However, I have tried to embrace winter and take the positives, such as the enjoyment of a hot shower after coming back from a cold, wet run.  I've also discovered mittens!  On the coldest runs I now wear a thick, padded pair of ski mittens which are amazingly better at keeping my hands warm(er) than gloves.  OK, so I might look a bit ridiculous, but as my physio pointed out, no more so than usual!  The other discovery that has brightened up my winter, quite literally, is a chest light.  This is amazing - it's really bright and means I'm no longer restricted to running up and down a 1.5 mile stretch with street lights, or negotiating rush hour traffic in the town.  Cars even seem to give me more respect than they do during the day, slowing down and sometimes even stopping completely - I think they can't quite make out what that strange light is coming towards them!  Thank goodness also for Mizuno's high-vis kit - luminous panels and really reflective logos.  I do get concerned about the number of runners (and walkers and cyclists) I see who wear black and are totally invisible.  Surely safety is more important than feeling self-conscious?  I always make sure I wear a white coloured top, a reflective vest and tights with reflective bits when I'm running at night.

 

Glow in the dark Mizuno apparel

Another problem with winter is the number of bugs around - everyone seems to be sniffing, snivelling and coughing.  I regularly take CurraNZ which has a number of benefits, one of which is that it boosts immunity.  It's a 100% natural supplement containing only blackcurrants and is also certified by Informed-Sport, providing assurance that it has been tested for, and is free from, any banned substances.  And it really does seem to work too.  Follow this link if you'd like to try it for yourself:  http://bit.ly/2o9SmW6

 

So, you'll gather from this that I'm back running again after a 'voluntary' period of rest to address ongoing high hamstring tendinopathy.  I'm not sure yet how much difference the rest has made, but I'm taking all the positives from it.  Yes, it was a really hard decision to agree to stop running, but I value the advice of my physio and we hadn't really given the hamstring a proper chance to recover and settle down and adapt to the strengthening programme that I was following in the gym.  At least I've now done that and can move forward, knowing that I've done everything possible to help it.  You always have to give something a try, otherwise you'll never know if it's going to help or not.

 

I ran in my first race of the year at the Draycote Water 10k last weekend.  I was really excited to be racing again - my first race since last September - although I must admit that when my alarm went off at 6.30am on a Sunday morning I wasn't quite so enamoured with the idea!  The race was cold and windy; great with the wind behind you, but a real slog when running into it, especially when you're nowhere remotely near race-fit!  But it was great to try and push myself as much as my lack of fitness would allow and get my mind back into 'racing mode'.  I'm quite familiar with Draycote Water - I've raced there a couple of times before and done a few training runs there over the years.  But my most abiding memories are from when I was a child, sitting with my sister in the back of our parents' car whilst they drove round birdwatching.  It was always freezing cold and we'd be wrapped in blankets, amusing ourselves by drawing / colouring and being told not to jig around while Mum and Dad were trying to look through their binoculars / 'scope.  Many years later this birdwatching theme continued after this race, as Les and I went in search of an elusive Hawfinch.  They had, apparently, been seen fairly regularly in the area next to the reservoir and after 20 minutes of patiently waiting we were rewarded with great views of one.  Native UK Hawfinches have declined in recent years, but apparently there have been an influx from Europe this winter due to crop failures on the continent which have driven them further north to find food.  It was certainly a rare treat to see one and rounded off a very positive day.

 

Draycote Water 10k

Battling against the wind in the home straight!