A New Month ... a new beginning!

Since my last post a month ago I have been concentrating on getting my running fitness back as well as dabbling in the pool to see what my shoulder and arm can stand!

The first pool swim I attempted 3 weeks ago was a depressing affair!  It was too painful to swim front crawl and I ended up wallowing around doing some weird form of breaststroke which wasn't a pretty sight!

However, not to be defeated I kept returning to the pool and did a mixture of front crawl and breast stroke until yesterday HALLELUJAH I managed a slow mile but ALL front crawl!

I feel like I am finally getting back to the old me, although my shoulder is grumbling about it today! 

However, I did promise myself that once I could swim a pool mile I would get back in the lake!  So on Tuesday I am meeting my swimming buddy for my first lake swim in 9 weeks!  I am both excited and nervous about it! Fingers crossed the weather is kind to me and it goes well!

I have been managing 3 runs a week for the past month and have enjoyed being back out there! 

On Sunday I was supposed to be doing Windermere Olympic Triathlon but due to my accident I am unable to, HOWEVER I am unable to feel too depressed about this as I have just found out today that I have been offered a charity place for the 2017 London Marathon!!!

After years of being rejected through the Ballot I am thrilled that I will be finally running my dream race 10 days before my 50th Birthday!


I will be running to raise funds for Blackwell Sailing which is a sailing school for people with disabilities based in Windermere!

Just over 42 weeks to get Marathon Fit!!

Sod's Law suggests that I will also get in on the Ballot this year too!!!

Now I can spend the forthcoming months fundraising and looking for my "ideal" training plan although I am not going to stress about running for a PB, I am just going run for the experience and enjoyment of it!

Bring it on!

I am back!

Happy Days!

The man from Physio, he says YES! 

I am feeling really really happy as my Physio today said I had much more movement in my shoulder and elbow than previously so I could try some short runs but no more than 40 minutes, but still definitely no swimming or cycling! Although I am gutted not to be able to swim in the lake in this fab weather I am ecstatic to be able to run again!

I didn't need telling twice and had my trainers straight on and out I went!

I put my Garmin in my pocket as I didn't want to be depressed at how slow I was running, I just wanted to enjoy the act of running!

I had planned on just doing a couple of miles but it felt so good to be out running again I extended my planned route and ended up doing 3 miles!

I loved every minute of it and was A-M-A-Z-E-D when I got my Garmin out to stop it that I had actually run 3 miles at a 8:51 minute mile pace!  I was worrying about not being able to maintain a sub 10 pace and never dreamt  that I would manage a sub 9 pace!  
Happy Days!

I was so excited about it I texted all my family and friends to tell them about this huge achievement!  Thankfully most of them understood my excitement at being back out there and were delighted for me as I haven't been easy to live with recently!

Onwards and upwards - this is just the start!

A new month ... still no sign of my old life!

I truly am trying my best not to be a miserable cow but being in constant pain is very wearing and not being able to do all the things I love to do is like torture - especially in this glorious sunny weather!

I have suffered the freezing temperatures of the lake all winter and now that it like a bath I am unable to swim!

This past weekend has been particularly difficult as it was Liverpool Rock N Roll Half Marathon which is an event I love and I had high hopes at getting another PB this year.  However, in hindsight I don't think I will have managed the PB as it was way too hot to be running!

I have my up days and my bad days pain-wise!  Monday was a horrendous day and I could barely move without crying but then yesterday I woke up with very little pain!

I have no idea when or even if I will ever get back to swimming, running or cycling!

I am very slowly turning into a over-weight lazy couch potato and I really don't like what I see!

I have another race this weekend that I will have to cancel and then The Great North Swim the weekend after that!

I keep telling myself I am lucky to be alive but it really isn't helping me in the current circumstances!

Its 26 days since a daft old lady changed my life ...

... and the scary thing is she will still be driving around the roads "not seeing" people!

She doesn't want to give up driving as she will lose her Independence! I didn't want to give up exercise but she has taken that choice away from me!  GGGRRRRRR!

This is more than just a shoulder and arm injury to me, Its a huge part of my life put on hold - indefinitely! 

Trying to stay positive!

 I am trying to stay positive and not become too despondent but the Postman today has made it very difficult!

Just as I have been signed off work for another week the envelope containg my race Number for Liverpool Half Marathon plopped through my door!

At this very moment in time I have no idea whether I will be fit enough to run or not!

This afternoon I went for Physio on my arm and shoulder.

Its not good news I am afraid!  

I have torn my Trapezius Muscle apparently!

I will be back running before I can swim  or cycle according to Physiotherapist!

It's all gone horribly wrong!!!

On Saturday morning when I woke up the sun was shining and the sky was blue so I decided to go out on my bike!  A decision I now regret!

I got dressed in the new cycling gear that I got for my birthday including a new helmet and set off with a route in mind!

After about 5 miles and I had settled into the ride I felt good despite having tired legs from a long swim and a long run from the previous 2 days.

My confidence on the bike was growing and I was really enjoying the ride and challenged myself to push harder to go faster.

I had cycled 32.5 miles and was just a mile from home when disaster struck!

I had joined a roundabout and as I was going round it I was aware of a car approaching the roundabout who didn't appear to be slowing down.

I started to brake but unfortunately it wasn't soon enough and the car I had my eye on shot straight over the give way line and I ended up going into the side of her car, finishing up sprawled over the road.

I picked myself up and pushed my bike off the road then became aware that the car hadn't actually stopped. Luckily for me a couple of pedestrians who were walking past had witnessed what had happened and came to help me.  Obviously I was very shocked, as well as bleeding heavily from various wounds.  Someone phoned my husband for me and whilst we were waiting for him to collect me I became aware of an old lady who had joined us and heard her say "I just didn't see her" and I realised that she was the driver who had knocked me off!  After driving off and leaving me she obviously got a conscience and decided to come back and check on me!

My husband arrived and after getting the drivers details and loading my bike into the car we set off to A and E!

After checking in I was very quickly seen by a Doctor, obviously staggering into A and E in cycling clothes covered in blood is the way to queue jump!

She said she would send me to X-ray to check my shoulder, elbow and wrist before cleaning me up!  My elbow seems to have taken most of the impact. 

Thankfully no bones were broken but then I had the most painful experience of getting the gravel picked out of my wounds with tweezers! I really struggled with this and didn't know whether I wanted to scream, swear or cry!

It didn't take long and I was soon patched up and ready to go home!

Thankfully my helmet had saved my head from any serious damage! I'm not sure whether to be pleased that it was a new helmet so it worked well, or to be cross that my new helmet is ruined!

After getting home my husband phoned the Police to report what had happened and amazingly they were at my house within 5 minutes of putting the phone down to take my statement. Thankfully they were sympathetic towards me and put the blame firmly at the drivers door!

Yesterday I went to get my wounds redressed and they are healing nicely with no signs of infection!  I need to go back on Thursday to get them changed again.

It is now 3 days post accident and I have gone from being "pleased to be alive" to being bloody annoyed that my bike is damaged and will cost £600 to mend!

Hopefully her car insurance will cough up to pay for the damage!

After studying my Strava stats I was rather impressed that my average pace was 14.8 MPH, its a pity it ended so badly!! I was also very surprised to see what my heart rate did on impact, it dropped right down - I had expected to see it spiking high!

Anyhow, I am off work until Monday and then I will have to see how long it is before I brave getting back on a bike!

Although I need to have a bike that is ride-able first!

Its less than 3 weeks until I run Liverpool Half Marathon! I think perhaps this little tumble will have put on spanner in the works and I won't be fit enough to get a PB but who knows what will happen!

I did it! One Year Non-Stop!

Tonight I am very pleased to announce is my one year Open Water Swimming Anniversary!

One Year ago today I started swimming in Windermere with the intention of swimming until October before hanging my wet suit up for the Winter!

However October came and went and I was still turning up week after week for a swim until I decided to embrace the challenge and become a "hard-core" all year round Open Water Swimmer! 

Some days I did question my sanity but carried on regardless!
I have now swum in all seasons and in all weathers! The most challenging swims being the pitch black winter evening swims which really scared me!!

We had planned to celebrate this occasion with a 1 mile swim but the lake was very choppy so we didn't go the full distance, instead we just did the half mile winter route we have been doing!!

However, just to make sure I could be classified as a "proper" wild swimmer after our usual swim I stripped off my wet suit and "swam" in just my costume!! Here's to more "Skins" swimming as the lake warms up! I feel a new challenge coming on!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Today its my Birthday and to celebrate I went for a swim in Lake Windermere with the Tri Club.

This was the first Open Water swim of the season for the club and it didn't attract many members since everyone still thinks the lake is too cold to brave!  I have been swimming in it all year so I am now beginning to think it is warming up, especially as the lake temperature is very nearly in double figures again!

The social aspect of the swim was good, and it was nice to be back in a group again, however we only did 0.25 mile!

Once we had got out and had changed we enjoyed coffee and cake in front of the log fire and they even found some candles for me to blow out!