Why am I struggling?

JUST BEFORE Lockdown started I went down with a high temperature which put me into self isolation for 14 days.   This led into booked leave and I went back to work with a cough which led to another 7 days of isolation!

As I went back to work (for the first time) I suffered an overwhelming feeling of fatique I had not been running for quite a while but eventually I started again.   Although very tenterativly and slow; somedays I stood there on the start line and thought, "I don't think I have the energy to complete this".

Even though I was doing some harsh shifts I was getting out running on a regular basis for training.   I had entered two events to keep my motivation up.   Surrey and Sussex Healthcare (SASH) though Run Series raising money for the NHS and Haywards Heath Harriers 5km and 10km runs.   All being virtual runs.

I had started to look at cross country routes around Lindfield, Haywards Heath and Cuckfield trying to link them all together with the aim of creating a really good half marathon route around my area using road, foot paths and cross country.

But underneath that I was struggling and found hills that wouldn't normally cause a problem were now a struggle; what had gone wrong?    Could it

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be the result of the illness or the shifts I was working?   I had to stop and think about life before lockdown.   Outside of running I was going to the gym, doing a little swimming and taking part in Hybrid Boxing.   When lockdown occured I lost everything but continued with the running.

And there was the answer.   I had stopped the strength and conditioning exercises and hadn't realised it.   The gym gave me weights and core exercises but Hybrid

Boxing brought everything together into one amazing conditioning session that really helped support my running.   The muscles I really needed to push me up hills from core, glutes, quads down to calfs were not being exercised which was impacting on my running especially on hills.

Clearly some action was required so I got all of the weights I have at home and a scaffolding pole (I got off my dad) and set up my garden gym.   The aim was do a cross between Dame Kelly Holmes core workout, gym and hybrid boxing.   A few days later I was due to go for a run but stuck in the middle of four early shifts so I switched it for a second garden gym session.

Two days later I moved to my last two shifts for the week and I was ready for a test.   I did a clean tempo run round Clair Park and sailed up the hill that I was struggling with.

Never underestimate the positive impact of a strength and  conditioning session can have on your running.   Enabling you to take on the more difficult parts of your course and feeling good at the end of it.