Happy birthday, shoes!

My running shoes are, rather embarrassingly, 2 years old today.

Following a fairly monumental relationship breakdown, I found myself on a honeymoon for one. I'd spent what should have been my wedding day playing at someone else's wedding, earning a nice fee to be used for a brief holiday to try and get myself back together after my own wedding was cancelled with 7 weeks to go.

I had always wanted to go to Bath, and a particular hotel in Bath, and seeing as life had gone incredibly wrong in a short space of time, I decided this was the moment. It was eye wateringly expensive, but I'd earned the money and my goodness me did I need a couple of days hiding from reality.

I'd looked at going abroad, but for obvious reasons wanted to avoid soppy couples and too many romantic sunsets. I also only had a few days to spare, as I was booked for weddings both weekends either side of my week off. In the end, 3 days in Bath seemed like the perfect option.

It was blissful at the Royal Crescent Hotel. I slept, I read, I soaked in the spa. I slept some more, in a room that made me feel like I was in Pride and Prejudice. I walked frequently from my room to the spa, in the pouring rain.

I had a Reiki treatment where the therapist put her thumb over the chakra between my eyes and everything literally melted away beneath me (it didn't last but it was wonderful at the time). I had a wonderful massage (the best I've ever had in this country). I had an industrial strength body scrub and afterwards was very cross that there was no one else to feel how divinely smooth my bum was. I did a 3 day detox where I ate nothing. Normally this would be torture, but I felt that as everything else had gone so wrong, not eating would be a walk in the park. It was a Beyonce-esque Lemon Detox programme and it was fabulous.

On my way back to the station, I popped in to Running Bath, having decided that this would be the year I started running. I had my gait analysis and tried on 3 pairs of shoes. As is so often the case, the first pair fitted perfectly. They were silver, which was good. Unfortunately they were also pink, which was bad. Things got in the way, and apart from a couple of trips, I hardly used my new running shoes until early this year.

Now I'm out between 2 and 3 times a week in them. I still hate the pink but I am loving the journey they are taking me on. I have had a variety of times in them, ranging from the truly lung-busting to (occasionally) the truly sublime. The latter happens more and more often.

I have 3 weeks left here in Essex. Soon they will be getting a regular soaking in the hills of Scotland. They won't last forever, and while they may be pink, I will be sad when they need replacing.

On another note, I've had a stonker of a cold this week, and sadly missed out on my first open water swim on Wednesday night. I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to swimming in the brown water of Clacton-on-Sea, but the following did give me some hope.... Unexpected playmate

Kitting out

The wetsuit has landed. The first time I tried it on was after a 20 mile cycle ride, and was not a pleasant experience. I really felt this should be an Olympic sport in its own right. The second time, with a few top tips, it was much easier. I am keen to try swimming in it, but ever-so-slightly petrified too.

Since I started my training for Nightrider, and therefore by default, for my Triathlon, my kit has been on the shabby side.

I have a good pair of running shoes (purchased on my honeymoon for one - see other blog for explanation).

My running/cycling top cost me £2 from Matalan last winter.

My sports bra was 5 years old (although not worn much).

My cycling/running tights cost me £15 in the YHA Manchester sale about 14 years ago.

A couple of weeks back, I bought a new sports bra, courtesy of a Tesco clubcard deal with Figleaves. Ended up free.

This week I shelled out for a very blingy triathlon suit - an all in one lycra number intended to go under your wetsuit so that once out of it, you don't have to get changed again. I agonised for ages over it, and only went for it because it was a) in the sale and b) my Olympic Gamesmaker friend gave me some money towards the housekeeping when he stayed. I was so excited, but it arrived and I was distinctly underwhelmed. It cost as much as my running shoes, and was delivered with a mark and a hole in it. It also didn't fit so is going back.

In the post today, I received a freebie running vest from the Lymphoma Association, the main reason for all this triathlon business in the first place.

It's yellow. This is about the worst colour for me, but I'm just going to have to get over it.

Since my last post, the news has been filled with stories of the worst hayfever season in 20 years. This makes my head feel a little better, if not my lungs....

Trying to catch my breath

I hadn't realised it had been so long since the last post. Life has been rather hectic, worse than normal, but I am really pleased that I've been (mostly) able to keep up all my training.

I've done another 5k race, and went a little quicker although it felt much harder. There's another to come at the end of this month, and I hope to get a bit quicker again.

I am really struggling with my asthma. Cycling and swimming don't affect it anywhere near the extent that running does. If my chest feels tight one day, I can still go out for a ride or a swim without any bother, it takes longer to get going but I can still go. Running is a different story.

Conscious of the lack of distance I've run in one go (5km/3 miles), and the distance I need to run at the end of my triathlon (10km/6 miles), I decided I needed to start cranking things up a bit.

Over the weeks though, my asthma has got worse. The only thing I can put it down to is hayfever, as I have bad days and better days with it. I'm using my blue (reliever) inhaler more and more - not overdosing, but the blue inhaler shouldn't need to be used very much at all as the other longer lasting inhalers should keep things under control.

I need to get myself back to the doctors and see if there are is any new hayfever medication I can try that won't knock me senseless. My normal doctor is very active and healthy and I hope he will have some suggestions. He doesn't pull his punches but he has helped me through some tough times and I like his approach to things - drugs where drugs will definitely help, none otherwise.

But there are many things on the plus side. I am actually enjoying all the training. I love the focus I have now. I love the distraction that it brings. I love feeling fitter and stronger. My much hated legs are really changing shape (for the better) If I wasn't eating so much junk food, I would have lost some weight. I love cycling. I am learning to love swimming. When my chest is playing ball, I love running.

A few weeks ago I had some swimming coaching from Lee Hall at Tri and Tri Again in Clacton to help with the disaster area that was my front crawl. This was very successful, and while there is still a long way to go, I am much more confident now.

On Saturday I had my worst ever run. I upped the distance to 4 miles, but a variety of factors collided and I ended up very nearly having a proper full blown asthma attack in the middle of nowhere at 7.30 on Saturday morning. I haven't had that awful feeling in many many years and it was very frightening. I managed to hang on and chill out and got myself back together. But it really put the wind up me and I have cancelled my intended 10k run at Aldeburgh this coming Sunday, just in case it doesn't go well and knocks my confidence even further.

Encouraged by the swimming coaching I'd had,  I decided to ask Lee for a one-to-one session to help with my running. There is lots to work on, and my poor brain really struggled to cope with thinking about a couple of aspects. But many things clicked quickly, and my confidence was restored.

In particular, opening my shoulders out and being a bit more upright gives me a wider space for my lungs to work in and I loved the feeling of this. I'm looking forward to working hard so I can improve and feel good about my running rather than dreading it.

Oh.... and I bought my wetsuit on Saturday. More on that another time.