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Monday 19 November 2012

A bit under the weather......

Top in three out of four 2012 British Track rankings
   With another 26 miles in the bank last week I'm now only 40 miles away from that 1,000 mile target I set myself for the year, and there are still six weeks left to achieve it. Not that I'll stop running on reaching the magic figure but if I can resist the lure of faraway hills I'll cut back on mileage and settle for a few shorter, sharp runs over the festive period to draw this year to a close.  I'm reasonably happy with performances since turning 80 - being top, or close to the top, of British 2012 rankings over most distances I've run - so I reckon it's time for a recuperative rest period before hopefully winding things up again next year.

   Since last Friday I've been a little below par and feeling under the weather. I'm not absolutely sure why but I'm blaming a flu jab - though it's never affected me before in all the years I've been having it. Perhaps this last one was a particularly powerful strain they pumped into me, a combination of bird flu, piggy flu and maybe rhinoceros flu for all I know. There was something fishy about it too. When I rang for an appointment there was a lot of hesitation at the other end of the phone before I was eventually given a date and time.

Where I ran on Sunday - over the top of this Flue to the Chimney.......
   When I arrived, at 8.40 in the morning, I was the only one there, so it wasn't your normal flu clinic where people are nipping in and out, one every few minutes. I'd been conned! Besides my annual flu jab I suspect the nurse had been instructed to corner me for a routine blood pressure check, something I'm reluctant to have done and usually refuse. My BP is invariably sky high. The nurse gets twitchy and consults the doctor. Between them they try to put me on some form of medication - which I always refuse. "I'll go for a run" I tell them, "that'll bring it down". In spite of this constant refusal to take medication, they never stop trying. It's their job, I suppose.

   Luckily, I'd clocked up 19 miles before the weekend so it didn't really matter that I hardly moved out of my rocking chair for the whole of Saturday, except to make endless cups of tea or coffee to flush the system - which they certainly did!  It was well into Sunday afternoon before I forced myself out of the house for a steady run up onto Grassington Moor. If you could call it a run, more of a jog really - taking over 80 minutes for the seven mile circuit. But half of it was uphill. And I was taking photographs, of nice things and nasty things.

past Coalgrove reservoir...... 
   My bumbly route took me through the relics of old lead mine workings as I ran along the top of an old flue leading to the tall chimney that once released fumes from the smelt mill, past Coalgrove reservoir whose water was used to turn a 15m diameter water wheel, then farther onto the moor where I peered into the remains of an old building I've often passed on my way to Blea Ghyll. From henceforth I shall refer to it as the Charnel House for a corner of it was heaped with rotted down corpses of various birds and animals that had most likely met their doom by the slaughtering guns or myriad traps of our local gamekeepers. Along with plastic bags of other corpses, spent cartridges, empty cans and food wrappings, it was a most unpleasant place and I was glad to get back into the fresh air of the open moor.   
.....to the Charnel House.
   
The sun was setting as I left the moor and ran back down the ghyll at a leisurely pace. A cloud of jackdaws had returned from their wanderings and were wheeling over Hebden Crag, sounding to be having a good old blather before settling down to roost. They'd spent all day feeding in faraway fields whilst I was eagerly looking forward to a veritable feast of succulent roast lamb and vegetables, bakewell tart with lashings of cream - not to mention a glass or two of choice Australian Shiraz - before settling down for the night. Every now and again I try totting up all my blessings, but whether it's an age thing, or whether there are just too many, I'm not sure, but I'm forever losing count!

9 comments:

  1. I have never done the flew jab thing... I rather eat a bit of garlic and run... Yes and wine, plenty of it, but I think I will need to earn more money this comig year to keep up with all the wine I plan on drinking!

    Looking at those times for the track races, it's got a PB mentioned there as well, how old are those? The times are for 80+, but the PB's?

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    1. Hi there CD. The 400m and 1500m PB's were my M75 times. The 800m PB was my M65 time. I actually ran 72.9 for 400m as an M75 at a League meeting, but not in a Championship where it counts.

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  2. Well done on getting to the 1000 mile mark Gordon...well, ok, you´re not there yet but you know what I mean.

    And even more well done on refusing the meds and going out for a run instead. Hope it made you feel better!

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  3. Congrats on your excellent V80 running this year! I had a flu jab a few weeks ago - I get one because I have asthma - and I felt unwell for a few days afterwards too. Hope you're feeling better this week.

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    1. Thanks Liz, I'm planning to take it easy this week - for a change!

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  4. A great year's running... targeting the 1000 mile mark is a good idea... I might steal that from you for 2013!

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  5. Another good read. Keep it up! Any special plans for the 1000th mile?

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  6. What a year for you...I hope you start to feel better...I think wine is a wonderful medicinal choice ;)

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  7. Awesome year! I refuse the flu shots too...and always put up a fight with antibiotics. Hope you feel better real soon.

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