Following the Masters Cross Country race a few weeks back I decided that the poor performance reflected the fact that my training wasn't really working. I was running heavy and tired and struggling on any run over 6 miles. So I decided to concentrate on running shorter distances at a quicker tempo and fit in some speed specific sessions as I went.
This seemed to work as I felt less exhausted and could see improvements in speed almost immediately. With no runs further than 5 mile during the week and 10 mile on a Sunday.
On Saturday I decided to do the Blackhill Park Run as a measure as to how things were going. Having ran there on the first Saturday of the year I felt confident that I would get inside the 21.58 I had posted then.
Blackhill Park Run is three laps of a course set on the side of a hill, with an uphill start. As we got underway I struggled from the start, feeling totally flat, coming almost to a standstill at every incline, no matter how short. I struggled around in 22.02 and felt totally exhausted.
Because of this and as I had been feeling some tightness in the chest and shortness of breath, I took a trip to the GP's on Monday morning. As a result I have spent the last couple of days as a guest of the NHS at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.
The diagnoses being that I am suffering from Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and will now, to try to correct the situation, undergo electrical cardioversion in three or four weeks time. Although I have been advised not to race or do any speed sessions I have been told that I can continue with some gentle running in the meantime.
Although there is no guarantee of success, hopefully this will get me back to where I should be.
This seemed to work as I felt less exhausted and could see improvements in speed almost immediately. With no runs further than 5 mile during the week and 10 mile on a Sunday.
On Saturday I decided to do the Blackhill Park Run as a measure as to how things were going. Having ran there on the first Saturday of the year I felt confident that I would get inside the 21.58 I had posted then.
Blackhill Park Run is three laps of a course set on the side of a hill, with an uphill start. As we got underway I struggled from the start, feeling totally flat, coming almost to a standstill at every incline, no matter how short. I struggled around in 22.02 and felt totally exhausted.
Because of this and as I had been feeling some tightness in the chest and shortness of breath, I took a trip to the GP's on Monday morning. As a result I have spent the last couple of days as a guest of the NHS at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.
The diagnoses being that I am suffering from Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and will now, to try to correct the situation, undergo electrical cardioversion in three or four weeks time. Although I have been advised not to race or do any speed sessions I have been told that I can continue with some gentle running in the meantime.
Although there is no guarantee of success, hopefully this will get me back to where I should be.
Comments