Sarcoidosis set back, but wont stop me

It's been a while since I updated my blog so let's start with after the Oldham 10K!
On some of my Strava workouts, you will have seen "feel like an old man", by that I felt that I was having to work so much harder to get my fitness back, during and after the runs I felt poorly at times.

I now have an answer to some of the problems that I have been having and was found out by good fortune.

For years I have suffered with psoriasis and in the last two years been having UVB treatment which is a clinical sunbed that I was subjected to 3 times a week for 10 weeks once a year.

After this years treatment, it didn't work well and my running was tough, in the follow-up session with the dermatologist we agreed to try using medication to beat the psoriasis, to have the medicine I had to have blood tests to check my kidneys and liver were in good order.

Those tests were done on the 24th June and told it would take 3 weeks for some of the results to come back and put it to the back of my mind.

The next morning I got a call from the GP advising me my calcium was high and to go straight to the hospital. Blood tests confirmed the calcium was at crisis level and was admitted after a chest x-ray showed something on my lungs (something I could see in the radiography room!)

For the next couple of days, more tests were done and I was treated for the calcium, by the end of the week I was back home and understandably whacked after being rinsed and did not cope well with the Pamidronate, feeling unwell for days after.
My kidneys were battered and had pain for a good month afterwards.

After a failed EBUS which is shoving a camera and needle into your lung and taking a biopsy, the calcium was that hard it bent the needles, something I can testify was unpleasant as they rammed the thing down my throat!

So a couple of weeks later I had a biopsy in the groin area and thankfully they got a good sample and then had a wait to my chest clinic a couple of weeks to get the results.

Happily, the results ruled out Cancer which was a great relief and the diagnosis was Pulmonary Sarcoidosis something rare but treatable and a much better condition to have.

Since then I have been trying to get back into running and popping in and out of the hospital to have the calcium treated when it spikes. At the moment the Sarcoidosis is not being treated as my lungs are clear and the Lung Function Test was good, this is a testament to keeping myself fit I think and plan to keep running, however, I may have to by the end of the year if the condition worsens.

I have signed up for the Bangor 10K in October to keep me focused on getting better and my here I am in my favourite new t-shirt!

I have had fun at Pwllweli parkrun which is all on the sand, with an out and back aspect!
After the run it was great to walk into the sea to cool the legs off, this is a parkrun I would love to do again.


I week later went to Heaton parkrun, so back on a hilly, tarmac course which was a relief.


So for the rest of September, I will try and up the mileage and wing the Bangor 10K.

Settling back into training

Since the Blackpool promenade 10 miler I am trying to do 2 sessions a week and at least one with the base group at Royton Road Runners,

In the club race season we are heading into a few 10K's so really need to be doing at least 6 miles on sessions and not 5K's.

I took a few days off work and headed to Edale for a bit of hiking, it has been quite some years since I have been hiking, camping and been to the village, I was probably around 14 when doing the Duke of Edinburgh award so nice to be back.

So on Wednesday 5th June I took on the ascent of Hollins Cross, Mam Tor and Lords Seat

The ascent was tough and good for the fitness, the views at the top over Castleton and Edale are breathe taking.

Whilst there I had a recce of a 5k route I intend to do when back in Edale (I intend to do plenty of visits there as there are loads of walks to do) it takes in the start of the Pennine Way to Upper Booth and I missed the path at Barber Booth which will avoid Edale Rd (very narrow and not good for traffic avoidance)

Sunday 9th June - Oldham's Toughest 10K

The race title is not to be underestimated, Oldham is a hilly old place and when Alan Keane and I decided to create an Oldham 10K for the Milltown races series I tried to make the "flattest 10K" in Oldham and even that had Salmon fields and Henshaw street back into the Town Centre.

But those do not compare to "Park Bridge" the last 3K of this race are pure pain. The race starts and finishes at the Lions Den in Alexandra Park and heads off up to the top right of the park like Oldham parkrun and downhill, once through the boating lake you exit the park at the main entrance and turn onto Queens road and head up the hill

The large part of the course then is manageable along Abbey Hills Road and Lees New Road so my pace felt good and was keeping the big hills at the end in mind and settled in for the last 3K.

The first set of hills I managed... just, other runners passing by reminding me to keep my head up which was nice!

At 8/9K my legs just went and I needed to walk up the hills, my heart was jumping out of my chest so reminded myself that this was not just a race but largely a training run albeit running at tempo.

It was so good to see the finish and managed to claw some places back and kicked in for the last 100m. No flying feet this time!

One downside to the day, I lost my shades somewhere after the race boooooo.

Keep Running


Mark

Royton Road Runner back in the gang

It has been tough to train which a mixture of work, life and plain old too tired excuses. Since my last post I have done Exeter Riverside parkrun, Bushy parkrun, Ian Casey Memorial 5k and on Sunday 25th May the Blackpool Promenade 10 miler!

For the Exeter parkrun it was an opportunity as I was there for the weekend to watch Oldham Athletic take on Exeter for the final away game. So not good prep on the booze train the Friday before and finishing at the pub circa 11:30pm.

Still on the Saturday morning I bimbled down to start and lined up with a big crowd, it was super windy and so got into the middle of the huddle to keep warm! The course is nice and uses part of the University grounds so no dogs allowed, dogs are welcome but can prove tricky along with pushchairs (especially when they overtake you, gets me down like being in a marathon and someone in a costumes goes past!)

It's an out and back, the return leg reminded me of cross country at school and the side winds that used to hit you on Oldham Edge.

It was a tight crowd so until you do the big lap of the field there is little opportunity to make progress.

All in all a good run with the training and beer the day before meant doing a parkrun for fun not a time.


The weekend after was the Army versus Navy at Twickenham so same routine, beer on the train down on the Friday but did not have a late night, it was a two mile walk to Bushy Park so plenty of warm up...

The park is impressive and deer roam around the park which actually delayed the event as they crossed in front of the start.

I made it onto the run report as a visitor and I tried to smile honest, I ran the run wearing the brand new RRR bobble hat, the season for hats kind of over and it was a sweaty mess at the end so it was the first thing in the wash when I got back late Sunday!

It was a busy crowd of 1525 finishers so again locked into a pace but gave me good splits of

8:21

8:21

8:05

for the last hundred meters.... 6:47 strong finish

So ticked off the bucket list, if you are a parkrunner then do Bushy - the original and home of parkrun at least once.

Once I got back to the hotel I met a couple in the foyer and they enquired where I had run, they advised doing Kingston parkrun as it only has 300 runners and is a good course. So will do that next year.

Back to racing I took part in my first RRR race of the year The Ian Casey 5k Memorial, Ian Casey was a club member who tragically had a heart attack and died during the Gloucester Marathon in 2009. I did not get chance to know him well but he was much respected by everyone and we still turn up on mass for the 5K setup in his memory.

So this time I had prepped a little and being straight after work had to rush there. Garry Bower gave me a lift which is half the battle getting to races without a car.

I had forgot my watch so had to run with my phone in my hand, this did give me an opportunity to take a selfie of course

Ian's son also raced which for the 10 year anniversary was added poignancy, typically it was cold and small showers just to keep you on your toes. The buzz of a race is as exciting as ever and off we went up the hill, two laps of the Cowm reservoir and then back down the hill for a sprint finish.

The race went well and even splits with a strong finish, hopefully I can get back to 22 minute 5K times soon.
Cheeky pint after the race in memory of Ian

So now onto the biggest challenge so far this year, the Blackpool 10 miler

Once upon a time I would race 10 miles with ease... this time round, no real training, my longest run as been 6.7 miles and that was a bimble. I tried last Sunday to do 8 miles but that failed, lack of hydration, my hay fever tablet and roadworks with queuing traffic meant I packed up and walked home with just 3.5 miles logged.

On the Thursday before the race I joined in with the base group and we clocked 5 miles, all groups took it a bit easy with the race at the weekend and I heard people saying they would drop down a group to make sure they eased off.
It was the usual route to Tandle Hill Country Park and down to canal and back up to the club, still hard work and I got a taxi home rather than walk back up the hill to home...

Race day started at 8:30 for the coach pickup and as always a good bit of banter, but I was nervous and stared out of the window for most of the trip.
We arrived in plenty of time and the coach was parked close to the start so getting registered changed and warmed up was a breeze.

The course is basically two short laps from Glynn Square southwards to the War Memorial and back, then a long loop out to the north past the Norbreck castle hotel and back.

So a pensive start as I have not really done any distance training and this photo sums that up

On hand was support from runners who were injured and were very encouraging as you went past with their green and yellow pom poms! I can honestly say it was very helpful

The two short laps went okay and got into a rhythm trying to keep my heart rate down as was treating this as a training run, that notion went away as the racing bug always bubbles to the surface and decided 8:35 pace would be doable and that worked for the first 6 miles, the 7,8,9 miles were tough grinding out and once the dribs and drabs of people started passing me it got tougher.

The route was a bit boring and the small field of runners meant for large loop I was often on my own. The annoying "flat feet" runners that overtook me was demoralising its a pet hate they do that and sure they could fix it.

However at mile 9 I was caught up by Lisa from the club, as the pom pom team shouted my name, 5 seconds later I heard her name being shouted so settled for another place lost.
We had a quick chat and ran together for a bit and at 9.5 miles I decided to kick in and take a place back.

I finished with a chip time of 1:28:08 and the usual sprint finish, never I have wanted the water and chocolate freddo so much in my life, so much so I forget to stop the watch!




So not a bad effort and feel much happier now that I have done a tough race and look forward to the Oldham 10K, not the race I designed but apparently a tough hilly affair.
Mine was labelled "the flattest 10K in Oldham", Tony Muir labels his "the toughest 10K in Oldham" tongue in cheek perhaps but tough it is so 10K training starts now.

Strava Summit has a nice feature that tracks your fitness, it needs your FTP to be truly accurate but seems to be good enough without. It points out how your heart rate compares to your pace and flags up races when you tend to sustain anaerobic exercise.

Laters

Mark K

Back into running... again

On Sunday 7th April it was great to see Steve from work finish the Greater Manchester Marathon in a super time of 4:15 and some change.This was better than predicted by 5 minutes and it was a mixed emotion as I should have been racing in the marathon, a list of injuries and disappointments meant I deferred to 2020.

So the following Monday I vowed to get running again and did the usual 5k route and did 29:40 the wind was very strong, not helpful at all.

Thursday I did the same route and managed a little better 27:42 on both occasions my HR being near max so I know I am working hard but man it will take a lot more to get back to running comfortably.

So Sunday I decided to do my first LSR of the year, a whopping 10k on the classic Crompton loop. It was hard work and at 3 miles I passed my old house which usually would have meant run over, but knowing I had another 3 to go... tough medicine.
At 4 miles I fancied bailing out and heading for home, but the little running voice in my head said "go hard or go home", so up Shaw Road I went and huffed and puffed myself all the way home.

My trainers have now done 347 miles so time to start thinking about new running shoes and sideline these for short training runs as I step up the miles.

Also nice suffer score of 212 so reassuring the crap I went through translates into geek numbers!

So this week I will try the same routes and see if I can better them.

Keep Running

Mark

Started the week with a swim!

As planned I went to the pool on Monday morning, I hoped I had everything you need, Towel, Speedos... but as I got to the pool edge... goggles! Bah never mind, also my first swim in years and a first for using the Apple Watch.

The watch did very well and accurately counted the laps and was a breeze, the days of trying to remember what lap you are on and what time did you start swimming again... Not anymore.

I am using rungo with its "swagbag" to export to Strava, I am not happy that Strava does not support the Apple Watch natively and that when you do have rich data from Apple Health, rungo imports it fine, but once its gets there Strava holds minimal data.



So as I had trained in the pool in the morning I fancied a blast on the turbo so did 15k again but this time found a good gear and enjoyed the ride.



Unfortunately I planned to go for a 5k run but could not fit it in so finished the week with a 15 minute 145 bpm turbo session, finally got the cadence sensor just right thanks to a video on youtube.


So getting back into some sort of fitness regime, this week I will try to use the turbo trainer up to Wednesday night as from Thursday I am on a holiday to Nuremberg, Germany so have packed my running stuff for parkrun on Saturday!

Back on the turbo trainer

Since I am struggling to run and the weather not exactly nice for running, I decided to dust off the old Tacx Flow turbo trainer.

Quite a struggle as it is that old it only uses USB and the software I had only ran on Windows 7, also the licence is tied to the laptop it was installed on.
As luck would have it I found the laptop, the screen does not work and was well behind on patches and anti-virus so took ages to get running, plus the Tacx software incrementally updates so had to go from 3.7 to 3.12.

The first few sessions worked well and decided to invest in a Heart Rate Monitor, again the unit being so old it does not use Bluetooth or ant+ so after research managed to find the "Sigma Analogue" HRM on Amazon.

So today managed to get 15km done and it works as if was 5 years ago! The process to get the workout into Strava a little convoluted as I have to export to a Polar HRM format, then use a converter to change it to a Garmin TCX file and then finally upload to Strava!

If I keep up the effort, I will buy a newer turbo trainer that connects via bluetooth to an iPad. Then I can us Zwift which a great training app and puts you on virtual courses, races etc.

So for this week I will attempt some swimming on Monday and a run on Thursday to complement the turbo sessions.