Exercising, but no cycling…

Day 36, 36 days already gone! Only 20 to go! I guess, I’m only between half and two thirds of the way through my elective, but still, every day makes me realise that I’m not that far away from coming home! Today, I could have easily been anywhere on a summer holiday… I don’t really want to go back to learning tomorrow, but know that once I get into it, I’ll enjoy myself at the hospital.

I got up early this morning and got in another 5km run. I took the advice of my dad and actually took a couple of puffs of my inhaler. I’ve always been sceptical about whether I actually have asthma or not and don’t use it, although I do take the steroid inhaler every day. So, I thought, as a little experiment, I’d try it out this morning. I felt like I had a third lung. It was noticeable. Strava failed to pick up GPS for the first km, but taking the time of that kilometre on my last run, I would have run a 5km time of just a smidgen over 22 minutes. The other day, I was impressed with my time of 23.40…. So, that’s me taking my inhaler before exercise from now on then! I should probably start taking it before cycling as well! As soon as I got back in this morning, an almighty storm erupted, and as I put my feet up back in the office, I was fairly smug that getting up early was all worth it, as the rain continued for 3 hours, non-stop.

Another incredible day

Well, after yesterday, I was due a good one today. And blooming hell, was it! To be honest, today more than rivalled my weekend trip to Awassa, and to top it off, the weather was absolutely incredible, although, I’m am slightly pink now, woops!

This morning, I once again, after a bit of a struggle with my body and head, got up at 6am to get another run in. I had decided that I wanted to set a 5km time to compare myself to before I go home, and then when I am back at home. I only know a 6km route, so I ran the first 5km as fast as I could and then used the last km as a warm down, something that I have been neglecting previously and been paying for as a result! In the end, according to Strava, I clocked a 23.40. Not fantastic, but a good place to push on from. Although when I told my dad the time, I was a little less impressed, as at 49 (no offence…) he smashed out a 21.38 this morning, and has a PB of 21.13, all with one dodgy leg still after tearing a cruciate ligament quite a few years ago. He’s asked me to join him on a run when I’m back.. I might have to get a little better before I can do that, added motivation on top of revolution I guess!

Running, paediatrics and eating alone…

I got out for a run, about time! This morning I got up early once again, despite wanting to fall back asleep. I wasn’t tired as such, it was just early! I went a bit shorter this time, quite aware that I didn’t want my feet to take such a battering. I got in just under 6km, in just under 30 minutes, which I guess isn’t that bad for a bit of a hilly run at altitude! At one point, I actually caught up with an Ethiopian guy who was running. Whether it was fitness or just because he was late somewhere, I’m not sure, but I showed him a clean pair of heels… my inner competitor never rests! Because of this, I went too hard, and really suffered in the all uphill last km, but oh well, it was well worth it! The strava link to my run can be found below, if it’s not on strava it didn’t happen right?

I hate running

I hate running. I hate not being fit even more though. So, adding the two together, if I can’t cycle, I like running. That’s kind of logical right? Yesterday I said that I had planned to go running with Habtunu this morning. Unfortunately, he rang me last night and said he could no longer make it. Undeterred, and determined to do my first run in 2 year, 3 months, off I set at around 7am this morning.

Now, it must have been the early waking that sent my mind slightly crazy. I set out on a route that was around 12.5km. About 1km in, I remembered that I’m pretty sure I have never ran more than around 6km. Oh and that I was an altitude of 2000m, compared to about 100m back home, if that. What could possibly go wrong? Well, I’m back home, I’m alive, but boy, was that tough. I had to stop a couple of times around half distance, just to make it round, and at points was very tempted to introduce the café stop to running. Is that a done thing? I don’t know. But, as I started to get back in to town for the last 3km or so, it was surreal, I wasn’t quite sure if I was just out for a jog or in the Olympic marathon. The locals could clearly see I was in a bad place, and the amount of encouragement I got was unreal. A couple of people even ran with me for a bit, pushing me on. It must be a bit of a novelty for a white guy to be running around their town, but still, it pushed me all the way home!

I now have two great big blisters on both of my insoles, something that made it even harder… my trainers are only pretty basic, but I hope that my feet will ‘harden up’ a bit after a couple of runs. I’m now laying on the floor righting this, thinking ‘never again’. But maybe come midweek I’ll probably put myself through it all again. We’re an odd bunch, cyclists, runners, swimmers etc – We almost enjoy the pain. Weird.

I’m just waiting for the internet to come back online, which hopefully won’t take all that long, and I’ll post the strava map of where I went on the link below once I can upload it! But for now, time for a shower and lots of food!

http://www.strava.com/activities/174329341

Tom

Paranoid

So, it would appear that I’ve become rather paranoid about becoming ill again… I don’t want to go through the whole toilet, bed, toilet, repeat, routine again! Last night, I was very restless, and didn’t sleep well, cuing myself wondering if I was coming down with something again. Erring on the side of caution, I decided to take the day off from placement to make sure I didn’t come down with anything too bad. I did actually feel pretty rough this morning, but once I got going and got some comfort food down me (cheese pizza) I actually felt fine. Maybe its time to man up a bit…

Because I had already told the people at the hospital that I wouldn’t be there, to be honest, I just decided to take the rest of the day off and enjoy it a bit. I wondered into town, got some money changed, got a few essentials and just took my time. I tried learning a bit more Spanish, and did some more cycling related admin, which is more exciting than it sounds! I also went and had a massive meal at one of the hotels, and I’m suitably stuffed now. And its a good job, I’m going running tomorrow morning.

I have arranged to go for a run with Habtunu from the office. I haven’t been for a run in over 2 years, but whatever, I need to keep fit! At first, I was expecting a little 30-40 minute jog, but I think I might be a little wrong. He’s told me where to meet him, its about 4km away, so there’s 8km done already, and I don’t even know what he has in store for me once we’ve met. I am going to suffer, a lot. And to top it off, I’m setting off at 6.30 in the morning. I’m going to use strava to track my run, so hopefully I can post up tomorrow with proof!

Other than this, I have nothing on for the weekend. I think I may sleep for the rest of tomorrow, but on Sunday I am considering going to find lake Hora, the biggest lake perhaps around Bishoftu, but one I have yet to find! Then I’m going to go about planning something a bit more exciting for the weekend after, I feel another day trip coming!

Not a big post today. But I didn’t do a lot to be honest! Hopefully I can talk all about my run, and rest of the day, tomorrow!

Tom