Still alive!

Golly it's been a long time since I've posted! A lot of reasons but mostly down to a severe lack of running. :-(

Back in November I hurt my back and that cramped my style for a while. I was just getting back into it when I caught the lurgy going round and just didn't have the energy to run. Then, at the end of December, I aggravated my back injury by carrying a double mattress upstairs and that stopped me running altogether.

It's not been all gloom and doom though. Early in the year we went Skiing for a week in Courchevel, part of the "3 valleys" area in the French Alps. A fabulous resort with so many runs I swear that with a Three Valleys ski pass you could ski all day every day for a week without repeating yourself.



I'd only really got just beyond doing snowplough turns on a previous 3 day skiing break but this time the combination of good snow and growing confidence meant that I came on a lot and had a great time. So much so I can hardly wait until I go skiing again! Not quite up to black runs yet but getting happier on the reds and hopefully *next* time, I'll have the confidence to tackle those too. S*d this running lark, I think I'll be a skier instead. ;-)

I know it seems odd that I could ski when I couldn't run but it was indeed the case. When walking (or trying to run) I was hobbling but with a pair of skis on my back didn't bother me at all.

I've been to see my physio who reckons it's a touch of sciatica and gave me a few stretches to do. He also told me not to run (which I agreed with at the time) but by Thursday, without any skiing to take my mind of not running, I couldn't stand it any more and struggled round a 3 mile jog. Had pain all the way round but then, not running doesn't seem to have helped either so who knows which is best. All I know is that I don't mind the pain as much as the inability to run and if I have to run with pain, so be it.

I'm kind of resigned to this year not being a PB year for the WHW race now as I feel I have such a mountain to climb to regain fitness. Part of me would almost rather defer my entry as I really don't want to run the whole of the WHW for a so-so time. If I'm going to put in all the training effort, I want a good time, preferably a PB!

Still, there are still months to go and it's way too early to throw in the towel so if things start improving soon I'll give it my best shot.

Meanwhile, on tenterhooks waiting for news of the youngest WHW finisher!