Well February started the same as January ended with a stupid calf strain. I had been resting it throughout the week and had my favourite race coming up which is Great Bentley Half Marathon. This was my first ever half and i seem to have an affinity with it. I knew because of the calf strain  wasn't in any shape to get a PB or come anywhere close to how i would like to run. This was more of a fitness test ( see NOTE ) to see how the calf was going to hold out. 

NOTE: As your all aware i work closely with Arron from Back 2 Best who i regularly send clients to for sports massage and physio. Arron looks after me also and pretty much has the worse job in the world trying to keep me in one piece. Although i do repair pretty damn quick, on the odd occasion injuries just lurk around for ages, this was one of those occasions were the calf was being more stubborn than me. The week before Bentley myself and Arron were talking on the phone regarding my return to running and he said if i could pass the hop test protocol which he provided me with then i would be good to attempt a run 48hrs after. so test on Tuesday run on Thursday to see if it was ok then we could see if the half marathon was possible or not. Well stubbornness or stupidity even a mixture of both translated that in my head as, " Right, if i use the half as a fitness test then i don't have to wait 48hrs to run and i get a bit more rest because the race was not for another 7 days. Just for the record and because my clients will of course be reading this. YES YES YES i know if you done that i would moan at you until you couldn't take any more and YES i should lead by example, but on this one occasion i am allowed to be wrong. Enough said now move on. So anyway that was my plan going into Bentley.

The morning of the event was here and i was driving everyone there. I love race morning. I get up early and annoy everyone on facebook and just generally have a buzz about myself, i end up being a bit mischievous like a small child, but i love it and it makes me smile sharing that with everyone on race morning. Not so sure others share the same enthusiasm as me on race morning but hey ho. So the drive up was pretty swift and we were soon at the village green. I think out of our group i was the only one who had done this event before and lead the group to the village hall where we had to collect our numbers. We got out numbers and soon enough the hall was filling up with other runners. The Hall is normally a hive of activity and today was no exception. 

Soon enough we were walking outside to gather at the start point, myself and Tim went and done a little jog warm up and done some general stretches to ready ourselves for the 13 miles ahead. At this point i felt very indifferent. I normally go into a race ready to give it full beans, but this occasion was not about that. This was about making sure my little calf ( maybe not so little ) would be ok. I was confident it would be, but have been bloody wrong before.

So the race starts and were off. Steady without pushing at all was what i was trying to achieve and to not get caught up with the adrenalin rush of the start. I settled down to what would be Middle Zone 3 and thought i could hold this now and toward the end of the race it would creep up just through fatigue, but i knew i wouldn't be risking too much intensity staying within that zone. All good while running and what soon become very apparent was the fact that i had NO run fitness at all. It was as if i had stepped back 5 yrs, it shocked me a bit to be honest but on the same token i couldn't expect to be running like i was 12 months ago. That feeling of putting the effort in and it not transferring into speed was frustrating and depressing at the same time. If i were my own client i would be saying "Dont worry that speed will come back" - "what do you think happens when you don't run for a long period" and "your not going to get it back overnight so be patient". All sound advice, but now i have to take my own advice quite literally.

As i plodded on through the race i got to exactly 17km and for the first time i could feel my calf, nothing wrong but i could just feel the old injury. Then at 17.95km the infamous calf went very tight, i thought of carrying on but i stopped to stretch it quickly. At this point i thought right i am done, i can save it and walk back to the finish. But you know what, something in me just didn't like that. I knew the calf was not that bad and i knew it hadn't torn or anything like that. So i thought "Right lets make this run as easy as possible and just keep the tempo nice and light and coax this leg of mine through to the finish". I rand out onto the final 2km and was confronted by the little hill the train line runs under. That was taken quite slowly and cautiously, but once over i felt ok again, the calf hadn't got worse so onwards i went. On arrival of the final 300m i started to see the others from the Tri Club and they were shouting out and geeing me along to get me to run fast, i just held my ridiculously slow plod and run through to the finish as if i dint have a care in the world lol. Job Done and calf good. Another Bentley Medal too. 

ASTHMA WTF

So at this point i had written the above race review about Bentley and saved the space for my race report for Thorpe Park Half Marathon, Brighton Marathon and Graffman Half Ironman. Well some interesting things happened during that time which has lead me to delete some race bits and bobs and replace with whats below. So here goes.

Thorpe Park Half marathon was a great event, i found the course pretty damn interesting and although not as flat as advertised, it was a good race to do and i would highly recommend it. My time at this event was 1hr 59mins which given the course wasn't a bad effort, considering of late i just couldn't hit my threshold and hold it like i had before. 

During most events i keep an eye on my heart rate to see how i am and to gauge how hard i can hit the last 5-7km and to my horror i was in zone 4.7 so there was no more room for me to up my game, i was barely in the bloody game at this rate. My speed was about 35-40 secs per km slower than i could run at in the given heart rate zone. Now i know this reading can depend on so many factors, but it just was not normal for me to work so hard with little return in pace. Admittedly i hadn't run as much as i had in previous years and there is no substitute for actually getting the miles in the legs.

We went on our camp to cyprus and done some amazing cycling and running and i had no significant problems there albeit i was breathing really bloody hard during one day when we done a triple brick session. This consisted  of an 18km bike into a 3km run x3. The cycling was not an issue but once again in the running i was working overly hard for my return in pace. I just put it down as not being run fit and dismissed it.

Brighton Marathon was here and my aim was to get a good half done and then drop out the race as i knew i wouldn't be a able to finish the full marathon without the training. The day was a scorcher and to be honest i was again working very hard in my heart rate zone for the given pace i was running at. once again i put this down to lack of training.

Fast forward about a month into Middle of May and a fair amount of us were going to Graffman to take part in the Half ironman distance 1.9km swim ( although this was now 900m due to water temp ) into a 90km Bike and the 21km run. 

Before the event i actually felt really good and was ready to go for it. I had everything prepped, there were loads of club mates coming up to support and the weather was spot on. The race started and the swim was average as per normal and i got out on to the bike without any issues. The bike course was good and i was cycling it ok, i kind of felt a bit lethargic at the beginning of the cycle but i soon got into it and felt pretty damn strong. My nutrition was spot on and i was hydrating really well. Pretty soon i was back at T2 and racking my bike ready for the run.

Once changed i was off, i felt a little tight in the legs, but thats normal after a long ride and once the first kilometre is out the way your legs soon like you again.

Today without any sign and as i got to about 750m into the run i started to feel fairly high chested?? I looked at my watch and my heart rate was in Zone 3.3, all together not that high. With each step my chest was getting tighter and tighter to the point where i was barely running and i still couldn't take a breath. It got to the point where i double over then knelt down and passed out for a moment or so. Having now rolled onto my back i must say that the athletes taking part were bloody amazing, there wasn't one which didn't ask if was ok. Initially i didn't reply because i wasn't sure myself, then i asked in reply for medical help.

Within moments there were 2 bike medics with me and they started going through their assessments etc. My heart rate was fairly high still even though ni had now been laying down for about 2 - 3 mins. I think at this point i was quite calm and things were returning to normal, or what i felt normal and after what seemed like an age i told the medics i would be good to go again, they kind of looked at me as if i was mad, but said as long as i was ok they would let me go. So off i went again attempting to finish my event.

All seemed good and i though i was back on track. To the contrary my dear Watson, my body was havingg non of it, within 500m i was a Man Down again, fainted for a second time and people were calling the medics again. One of my team mates Rosie came to comfort me, which was nice of her. But it was her first Half Ironman and i wanted her to crack on rather than worry about me, so i insisted that she go.initially she wouldn't, but i explained that the medics are on their way and she could do nothing to help...Go i said. Reluctantly she did and Rosie would finish her Race with ease.

The medics where here again and said they knew i wasn't going to make it and kept me within their sight so they could help if needed. This time they took a few more stats and found that my heart rate was down, my bloody pressure was very low 109/60 something and my Blood oxygenation was dropping very quickly, it actually got to just over 50% from my original reading of 88%. The medics called for back up and a car came to take me to the first aid tent, some more tests where done and the Paramedic could hear something on my lung as i breathed out so wanted to keep me in for observation. At this point a few of my team mates who where supporting walked past the tent so came in to keep me company.

So 15-20 mins passed and he redone his tests and said the noise had gone and as long as i drank the fluid he gave me i could go. I drank the fluids and asked if it was ok to go and asked what he thought was wrong. He though i had Stress Induced Asthma, i asked if he meant sports induced, he said no. So i left the medic tent none the wiser, not knowing what that actually meant. 

So all in all a pretty manic day of it. Those that know me, know me enough to think that i am all very blasé about most things and just literally throw caution to the wind when it comes to most things. This episode in my life really really scared me. I was deeply concerned more than i had ever been about my health to be honest. I don't know why. i was trying to put a bravo face on it around my tram mates after the event had finished, i even tied to join in the banter, but i just couldn't. I was some what pre occupied with all the what if's surrounding my little episode.

So Monday morning i sort my self out a meeting with the Nurse, she stuck me on an ECG and then said that Southend Hospital would contact me regarding this. I heard nothing for a few weeks and to be honest i had forgotten about it. Until, a club training night i decided to hold a Brick session ( run off the bike ) the aim was to ride 15km run 3km and do that up to 3 times through depending on time etc. We started off in a group and completed the cycle, changed from our bike shoes into trainers and off we all ran. I ;literally got 300-400m up the road and i couldn't breath again, that same tightness was there again and for the work rate i was putting in the heart rate was soooo high. I managed to finish but couldn't do any more. Frustrating to say the least.

I was speaking to Michelle and she said that i should try her inhaler, i refused but she insisted that i try and it wouldn't do any harm. I reluctantly tried 2 puffs and almost immediately i could open my airways and take a deep breath. WTF. Michelle has gone through all i am going through and discussed things that she has had done and what she has to do now and to get myself sorted with the Asthma nurse ASAP. 

The very next morning i phoned the nurse and got an appointment, she prescribed me a blue inhaler and to get a peak flow meter to breath into to record my output for the next coupe of weeks. After this period i was then to bring the Peak Flow Diary back and i would receive the verdict on whether or not i was showing signs of Asthma. I also explained that i had never received a call from the hospital and she arranged them to call me. within 20 mins i had a call and was booked in the next day. So a couple of weeks later i return to show Nursey my diary and she pronounces that due to a couple of the spikes within my Diary i am a  good case of sports induced Asthma. GREAT. Below is a pic of my readings, apparently any spike like mine indicates Asthma.

I am still trying to get my head around this Sports induced Asthma and how and what actually triggers it. It doesn't seem to be just sports that trigger the effect of tightness but a combination of Hayfever and undertaking physical activity. i also don't know how to use the inhaler properly yet. I wasn't sure how much to use or how sparingly had to be. 

The North Fambridge half Ironman was the next place i would be tested with regards to managing the Asthma. I thought i would take it just before the swim and then again just before the bike and if i needed to i would take 2 more puffs before i went on the run. All was really well and i had an ok swim and a good bike, i came into T@ and contemplated taking the inhaler but dismissed it as i thought i had already had enough and that would be fine. Lap 1 was good and my legs felt amazing, i got half way through lap 2 and had to run through the Wheat field, well this seemed like mission impossible in the end, my chest was getting really tight and i was having trouble breathing again. This was now doing my head in and really starting to piss me off. Tim who is a club mate and Michelle husband came running past, asked if i was ok, i replied by asking him if he could ask Michelle to get her inhaler ready. The end of lap 2 and the start of lap 3 i took a couple of puffs of Michelle inhaler and off i ran, i got about 300m along the sea wall and had that high feeling again, i was ready to chuck the towel in, i just couldn't be fighting this again, it was frustrating me beyond belief. As i was about to turn around and head back to F**k it all off, i noticed Dave ( another Team mate and someone i coach ) saying right lets go then, i am gonna come run with you. I said don't worry but he insisted and off we went. That 3rd lap was pretty shit to be honest, i found most of it a struggle and i done a fair bit of walking. What i now realise is, that my lungs were still opening up after taking those 2 puffs of Michelles inhaler. As we were finishing the 3rd lap Davide mentioned that Michelle was joining me on the last lap as his legs were totally screwed. After all he did just come 3rd in this very race i was still trying to finish. Much respect to the Man for running with me, thank you Dave. Michelle was now ready to run with me and immediately put her Sargent Majors head on and pretty much told me to crack on with it. The whole way round we were talking about Asthma and what i should and shouldn't be doing and how she copes with her own schedule etc. When things got a bit tough, Michelle got a bit tougher and kept me running. My legs actually felt really good, it was the lungs that were not playing. We got around to the Wheat field and although still troublesome through that area i ran much better. We ran down and through and Michael went left and i ran through to the finish line. Not my fastest ever time in this event but i finished. Thank you to everyone that supported and to Dave and Michelle for running with me and helping me finish. 

So within training now my breathing is better and at the weekend i managed a 50km bike ride then straight into the Southend half Marathon. The idea here is to get a decent half marathon done at ironman pace in readiness for Barcelona in October. The actually run went really well and my breathing wasn't really an issue. The heat was on top form and that caused issues in itself, but altogether i had a great event. I think i am using the inhaler properly now and hopefully this will pass as quick as it appeared. I have got some more heart Tests and lung tests to complete in the next few weeks, An ECG and a Ramp test on the treadmill, to test both the heart and lungs. Lets hope that all goes well eh.

One of the main things that i have found is that life and sports continue after and with Asthma. I like many i suppose think that because i have Sports Induced Asthma, i can't take part. I have learned through talking to people that have Asthma or have had Asthma that exercise does not have to stop, intact it will definately help in the long term. 

Keep it real keep striving forward and stay strong 

Until my next blog take care

CoachJB