Iseult and running

Week ending 26^th February

Midterm in school at the moment so a handy time off work. Normally we disappear to London for a break to celebrate a whole range of anniversaries ( our wedding anniversary in 2011, our first meeting in 2001, Aoiffe’s birthday, Valentines). It was one of those trips that last year that begat the process to us having our baby daughter in our life so I guess that’s a sort of anniversary too !!!!!!

Iseult is 20 weeks old and is thriving. I won’t lie the first 11 weeks were pretty horrendous and for a lot of it very difficult.( In fact it was awful and miserable) Not only were we novice parents but Iseult was struggling with reflux. Her little tummy was unable to suppress stomach acid and it was leaving her in a lot of pain and discomfort. Every second feed was vomiting up and some nights were marked by 6-8 hour crying marathons. I think we are over the worst of it and the little mite is getting stronger, has started on solids and is sleeping a lot more. There is still one or two issues she has to deal with and she is on medication to suppress the reflux (LOSEC) but there is no comparison to where we are now and where we once were. Perhaps the lowest point (amongst many) was spending the 30^th November in the A and E in the C.U.M.H (maternity hospital) with Iseult from 6.30 pm to 2.30 am in the morning awaiting a visit from the doctor in paediatrics. I seem to have spent the last 18 months in hospitals for one reason or another and I was getting well sick of it The place was full of sick babies and old people many of them lying on hospital trolleys, sitting on stools or standing up awaiting to be seen. By the time the doctor got to see us she looked at Iseult for 10 minutes and said there was nothing she could do. Off we trudged home again back to Charleville, I won’t deny I got emotional with my faith in the medical system in this country eroded even further. In fact there was many times where the last 20 weeks has been emotional.

So what was that got to do with running? It was in A and E I received my confirmation mail for the Berlin marathon in September 2017. I owe to myself and to Iseult to do my best there. No shortage of motivation there.

Training has gone well enough in the last week. 5 easy miles last Thursday week (16^th February), 8 miles with a 5 mile tempo at 7.16 pace on Friday, 12 miles at 8.20 pace on Saturday, Monday 7 miles at 8.20 pace, Wednesday 7 miles with 6 X 800 repeats at 6.50 average mile pace. Hopefully a few more sessions at the end of the week with a 10k race on Sunday.