Poor Little Evie...

I’m not sure if I have many weeks that aren’t busy, but this week has been busy for numerous reasons. Being busy can be both physical and mental, this week has been a particularly busy mental week. I went back to work on Monday, we always start the new term with a ‘training day’. So after a couple of meetings and a session on child protection updates, I had a department meeting, then it was lunch time. Although I could have found plenty to do in the afternoon I decided to get some ‘training’ in and headed home via a 3 ¼ hour ride. That morning I woke up to freezing temperatures and a cm of snow, I gingerly rode in on the crunchy stuff. I thought it would be as much as I could do to get home let alone ride that afternoon. The little snow soon cleared so riding was fine, however unprepared for a long ride I had no food. I grovelled for the last hour in the dark, quite hungry and very envious of Tom and Helen in Lanzarote clocking up plenty of miles in the sunshine. Congratulations Tom for winning the award for Male Single Performance of the Year at the Leeds and Bradford Triathlon Club Presentation Night, thoroughly deserved.

I managed to catch up with my mate Ben who lives in Seattle on Tuesday, great to chat with him. He’s my best man, a great friend and a fellow triathlete, and is now earning his $$$’s coaching. Sounds like he’s really making it happen in Seattle, after setting up his coaching company VO2Multisport, he’s close to his coaching capacity. Having watched Ben be successful at a diverse range of jobs (financial advisor, gym instructor, Halifax Call Centre, Men’s Fashion Shop Manager, Personal Trainer) he has finally settled (I think) to where his energy, excitement, skills and enthusiasm lies, that of Triathlon. It’s great to see him being successful. I will be heading to Tuscon in February to spend a week on Ben’s Training Camp, can’t wait to see you buddy. We talked about training and he recommended looking at the ‘Daniels Running Pace Formula’. This I did.

I set about putting theory into practice on Wednesday with a tough ‘T’ (Tempo) paced run. Dialling in 1:30:00 for my ½ marathon pace Daniels formula has me running my ‘T’ runs at 6.44min/mile. I was a little dubious as to whether I could hold that pace, even for the short 3 mile session I’d planned. After a mile warm up I picked it up and 20 minutes latter I had held 6.34min/mile pace for all 3 miles, it was tough with a HR average 170bpm, but it’s supposed to be. I was chuffed to bits, and had held on to a big smile as I cooled down. The idea with Daniels is you have an ‘E’ Easy paced run, which for me comes in at 8.24, an ‘M’ Marathon paced run (7.09) a ‘T’ Tempo Paced run (6.44) and then two interval pace’s. Ben has been using it himself and with his athletes, seems to be working for him so I will give it a go. If nothing else it really gets you to focus on the pace of your run and to focus on the outcome of the run session, being more honest when you run. It’s a match made in heaven with Mr Garmin!!

Ellie started big school, pre- school on Thursday with a taster morning. She missed out on going to school proper last September by 18 days, and is really ready for it. Luckily our local school have a January intake for those children in this situation. It’s really only a pre-school available each morning if wanted, but unlike her other nursery it’s on the site of the big school and she gets to wear her school uniform. She is very excited and every time we drive or walk past the school she tells us “that is my Big School”. Next week she starts for real, 3 mornings a week, school uniform and packed lunch, exciting times. When she tried on her uniform both Sarah and my Mum had tears in their eyes, she does look very sweet.

The rest of the week unravelled with Sarah slowly getting well, but struggling to shift her cough. Then at 5am Thursday Evie woke up crying, and on a closer inspection I realised she had Spaghetti Bolognese in her hair and all over her shoulder. A pretty quick clean up act followed with a bath and clean PJ’s. She wouldn’t go back to sleep so Sarah sat with her downstairs. She spent the rest of Thursday being sick, so obviously had caught some kind of nasty stomach bug. Even water wasn’t staying down. By Friday morning she was not any better, and was looking quite unwell, so Sarah took her to the doctors. The doctor gave her some rehydration powder which she would not drink. I came home from work early to look after Ellie and Sarah took Evie to York Hospital. Cutting the longest 24 hours in history down to a short paragraph, the doctors put her on a fluid drip through the night, before letting her come home Saturday afternoon. She is still not herself, but hasn’t been sick and is slowly starting to drink juice, water and milk and eat a little food. Ellie has been a fabulous big sister making cards (see photo above) and trying to get Evie to drink and eat, but it’s been a long few days. This is where the mental tiredness comes in. Not being able to do anything through Friday, and then worrying that she wasn’t eating or drinking much takes its toll. Throw ‘an Ellie’ in the mix who has enough energy to do a Deca Ironman, and a questioning approach to life where ‘Why’ starts every sentence, I’m feeling quite cream crackered.

Seeing your daughter looking so sad and helpless, with her usual zest for life and energy for exploration totally gone is heart breaking. Both Sarah and I had moments these last few days where we feel totally helpless. Knowing she has got to start drinking fluids but getting a total refusal every time we offered a drink is difficult. However on Sunday tea time, after a day of sleep and cuddles she ate a fair amount of Spaghetti Carbonara, and drunk a cup of water, this was joyful to witness. She is now sleeping peacefully and hopefully will wake up tomorrow a little bit better.

Today I needed to get some fresh air and clear my head so I ran an ‘E’ paced 10 miles (bit quicker, holding 8.24 was very difficult) it felt very comfortable. Next Sunday’s Brass Monkey ½ Marathon will provide some evidence as to how far my running has progressed. I ran 1:29:58 last year off of very, very little running. Next Sunday I expect to run faster, and be more comfortable in the final few miles. If I am not then I can only conclude that last year’s race was one of those perfect days, because I know I am in much better running shape.

The start of a New Year brings such high expectations. In some aspects of my life it’s been a good start, but in the aspects that really matter I think I may start the year again on the 1st February. Hopefully then colds, tummy bugs, coughs and flu symptoms are long forgotten, get well quickly Evie, Sarah and Dad and good health for the rest of the year. Have fun at Big School Ellie. Have a healthy week all, see you in 7.