Showing posts with label Dumbarton 10k. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dumbarton 10k. Show all posts

Thursday 7 June 2012

Dumbarton 10K - 44.15? Yes please!


SO, this is my first blog.  I have always said I would start one and after a year of injury the last couple weeks seem like a good place to start.

My name is Heather Calderwood, also known affectionately to some as "The Flying Pig".

A not-so-quick & boring synopsis of where I am today:

Like most runners I entered into the world of Ultra Marathons after being the WHW support runner for my brother in 2010 (22hr 22min).

After completing my first (and only) ultra in April 2011 - The Highland Fling (53 mile trail ultra marathon) where I debuted as 3rd Female in 9hr 42min and also took 3rd in Scottish Champs and UK Trail Champs - not bad eh?! I ran a 10k a week later with a friend, at around 7/8k I felt something around my inner thigh and inside knee. Despite progressively getting worse and worse, I of course, plodded on.

My leg deteriorated in the weeks following the 10k, to the point I was walking with a limp. Months of physio and a MRI scan revealed severe groin and hamstring injuries. So severe that despite months of not running, the areas were still showing severely inflamed and damaged in the scan. With a hip and pelvis also out of alignment these were unable to heal.

Banished from all exercise whilst things calmed down I effectively did nothing but ate junk food and drank red wine until February 2012 when I was given the O.K to start back training. Fling and WHW Goblet glory still a possibility I threw myself back into training.  Training runs with Craig, John Kennedy and David Gow meant there was A LOT of swearing, falling, tears, snotters, percy pigs and hot baths but...I was getting there! There would be no good times but it would be do-able. The Goblet looked to be within my sweaty grasp. 2 months of running I decided I had established enough of a base fitness to return to my running group.

1.5 weeks in and my leg felt "off" one Saturday morning run.  The following Monday night's 2 mile warm up was relegated to a walk back to the carpark and hitching a lift home. Emergency appointment at physio made and banished again for 8 weeks. Give or take some weeks, and empty bottles of wine, this roughly leaves me where I am today.

Dumbarton 10K - 44.15

Despite only being back for 4 weeks and swearing to take things easy, my brother beating my Highland fling time (not enough credit is given to sibling rivalry in the sporting world) and watching the Clydebank 10k was enough to reignite my racing fire and I promptly went home and entered the Dumbarton 10k.

I had a game plan of getting to 5k and feeling good. 5k came and went and I felt great. Brilliant. So executed the next part of plan which was to push the last 5k.  This is where my lack of fitness showed.  At the 8k point I was, what can only be described as, "done in". Nearly relegated to walking I realised that if I started to walk I may not be able to start running again, therefore had not choice but to slow down last 2k.

If my face wasn't already a deep purple, I am sure my cheeks would have went a shade of red with embarrassment at my amateur move to fly past people at 5/6k, who then appeared to sprint by me at 8/9k. Training point? Learning to pace myself...again.

Even with my slow final 2k, I crossed the line in 44.15 - DELIGHTED! Not near my PB (40.24) but personally I am delighted with this result!

Medal as proof :-) 

Before I broach on novel length - I think I'll leave my first post at that!

Heather