Very Long Post (VLP) alert.....
Piccie above: Tomas and myself at the Hull 10K last weekend, myself at the Mersey Tunnel 10K, associated medalry and me just before the Mersey Tunnel 10K.
Hello one, and indeed, all. I thought it high time I got myself back on here and gave you all an update of what I've been upto recently. And introduced myself, as there's lots of new faces here that I'm unfamiliar with, so if we don't yet know one another, hello! I've been running since the start of April last year, when I started C25K, graduating in June of last year, being a regular here and posting a great many updates. Since graduating, I've done a good few 10Ks and two HMs, with more 10Ks coming up, including the Belfast Half Marathon in September, the Yorkshire Marathon in October, and ultra and the Brighton Marathon early next year, and my name is in the (huge) hat for next year's London Marathon too.
So, as a few of you here may already know, being connected to me on Garmin Connect, I've been a bit quiet due to taking four weeks-ish off running due to a suspected calf injury. Also going on at the same time, I'd inexplicably suffered a massive and sudden drop in running performance. I'd done the London Winter Run in February, meeting up with many good folk from here, and getting a great new PB, to suddenly struggling massively, having no energy, and every run being a horrid, breathless affair. Not brilliant at first but was progressively getting worse and worse, to the point where I had to abandon a run home from work midway through as I had absolutely no energy at all, prompting the few weeks off.
Coming back to it, you'd think the rest would have helped, but no, energy levels still the same, runs still atrocious. I had to miss the Leeds HM, though I did somehow manage to get through the Sheffield HM, with the help of a good friend who I was running with, giddying me along. Now, as a few of you may recall, I had an anaphylactic episode in February, while running, and ended up in hospital. The cause of which was never found, despite a visit to the allergy clinic a few weeks ago. But what was interesting was the blood tests I had both times, showed I was anaemic.
The week before last I had a phone call with my doctor to discuss it, and was told to go in for another blood test, which I duly did a week ago on Monday. So, fast forward to the Friday just gone, and my 1750 appointment (which actually turned into an 1820 appointment, but ne'er mind) with my doctor. He looked at my blood test results on the computer and thoughtfully announced "hmmmmmm, you're anaemic...". Now, my blood count should be 15-16 (whatever that is) or there abouts. It's 10, and is lower than it was on my last blood test, the one in February. So there's a definite problem somewhere along the lines. I've been referred to a specialist to see what the cause could be and if there's an underlying issue, and I've been prescribed iron tablets, and have been told it'll be around a month or so before I see an improvement. Also advised on what foods to eat to help increase my iron intake.
My red blood cells, apparently, are smaller and paler than they should be and that my oxygen intake and management won't be as good. And how. Now, in everyday life I don't really notice. Out of breath sometimes when walking and lifting stuff, but other than that it doesn't affect me. Apart from being really tired a lot of the time. Running though? Dear goodness. Where to start? As I say, my times have dramatically been affected. Breathing is very difficult to properly manage. Lots of gasping; bright red beetroot face too. Tight chest, and whether it's related or not, I'm not sure, but really tight and achy calves.
Horrible is not the word. So I stop running, right, at least until the medication kicks-in?
Do I hell. Rested already, it didn't work. So I keep on running, as grotesquely unpleasant as it is at times. Most of the time. All of the time.
After my few weeks off, I did a run on the Monday, then Wednesday, then Friday, then decided to do the Mersey Tunnel 10K on the Sunday, the 7th June, which I'd signed-up for before Christmas and didn't want to miss. So, there I am in Liverpool on the 7th June, first week back after almost a month off. Red hot sunny day. Wondering what the hell I'm playing at doing this when I'm not in the shape for it. (Didn't realise then just how bad the anaemia was as I'd not been officially diagnosed) So glad I did it though as the race was a total blast and has become one of my favourites: starting in Liverpool, going straight into the Kingsway Wallasey Tunnel, with a downward incline, then about a mile or so of uphill to get out, and then, after a few turns and twists, around 5K straight down to the amazing and beautiful finish in New Brighton. Such a great race and such a great day: I highly recommend it. I did it, I got through. And ran under the Mersey!
A week later and I decided to do the Hull 10K too. It's part of the Jane Tomlinson series of races, which I'm signed up to as part of the biggie, the Ultimate Season Ticket, which encompass the: Hull 10K, Pennine-Lancashire (Burnley, this Sunday) 10K, Leeds 10K, York 10K and the Yorkshire Marathon. Also doing the same is Tomas, another fine member here. I was out at Hull fairly late on Saturday night, due to being busy here in Sheffield earlier in the day, so I sent Tomas a message when I got to my hotel saying hello and that we should try to arrange meeting up the next day, race day. It'd be great to run together, even.
Race day had that usual chaotic but fun vibe to it and sadly I never was able to arrange to meet up with Tomas before the race. Now, if you've ever done a Fairly Large Race (FLR) you'll know how mad the start can be: thousands of people milling about. The chances of bumping into someone you only vaguely are aware of what they look like, are fairly slim. So, imagine my utter astonishment, if you will, when who do I spy in the massively busy start pen in Hull that Sunday morning? There he was, the man himself, Tomas! Completely by chance! Handshakes and chatting away, we ran the race together and had a blast. The Hull 10K is an interesting one: tight and narrow with plenty of twists and turns, and good fun, and it was a pleasure to run with Tomas, a fellow C25Ker. 
Highlights of this race include: one man asking event staff to "throw him a bottle of water" - he was in the middle of the road. 
Yeah, great idea, pal. And a table and chairs, outside a house, with champagne and glasses on it: luxury for some spectators! Despite the rain and breeze, there was a really good turnout of spectators, which was brilliant. Oh, and overtaking the 60 minute pacer was pretty cool too, in the last bit of the race, and pretty motivating!
Red-facedly gasped my way through the race, but I enjoyed it. The 10K in Burnley next, on Sunday. Won't be particularly pretty for me, but it should be fun.
Other runs have included an 8.32 mile run on Saturday morning. I enjoyed it but it was very, very hard work. Breathing a complete mess. Energy levels absolutely all over the place. And it wiped me out completely - I spent the rest of the weekend in bed. Did a 3.54 mile recovery run this morning and bloody hell fire, that was even worse! Nooooo energy. At all. Not even a little teensy bit. Breathing a disaster and was a good while after. Tight chest too, but it was another run done. There's no predicting how a run will go at the minute as they vary vastly and can change suddenly whilst on the run itself.
So, if ever you experience a sudden drop in performance and lack of energy that won't right itself, get a blood test done. Last thing I ever thought it would be was a medical condition. I put it down to overtraining or suddenly becoming rubbish for whatever reason. After all, what do you do, go to the doctor and say: "doctor, my times have got worse and running has become tougher! Help!" ?! Yes, as it turns out. All the signs were there, I just missed them. A great deal of my time off wasn't so much injury, but lack of motivation, and also fear, fear of how bad the first run back would be. I had no idea it was anaemia and that it was so bad and in many ways, finding out has been a relief, as it can -and will - be fixed. I'm finally back into it now and even though most runs are hell at the minute, I always feel better afterwards, eventually, and don't intend stopping now!
So, dear folk, thanks for reading all that. I've been busy, and really tired lately, and very frustrated too, for obvious reasons, so haven't been about much, but decided I needed to come back on here and share all this with you, and keep you updated on my Anaemic Running Woes. (ARW) I look forward to catching up with you all and to meeting those of you I've not met yet. Nice to see so many new folk about.
So, happy running to everyone. Always.
Do you take B12? Apparently that plays a roll in all this red blood cell stuff. It might help! Perhaps a course of B12 injections just to see what happens. How you respond to them may even give the doctors some insight into the type and cause of the anaemia becasue apparently there are MANT types.
But, I'm sure I can adapt the recipe to make it me-friendly; thanks for the link! 
First race entered !! *excited* !!
Nearly time for first 10k race
Never underestimate your potential! My story... C25K and beyond! 
💥Aha! moments of my C25K-er to ultramarathoner journey 😊
