For my birthday, my partner Martin bought me a wonderful pair of Innov8 Mudclaws. Initially he got quite upset as I didn't wear them for the first race after he bought them, nor my next training run and I had to calmly explain that Mudclaws are quite an aggressive shoe and need a certain type of weather and terrain to get the best out of them. I wore them for the Cross Country match and then through December the weather came.....
I didn't race in December. In the first full week I had a few night shifts then got quite ill with a virus that made me wheezy and run horrible temperatures as well as making me exhausted. My Brighton marathon training which had started promisingly in November took quite a step back here, and I fought through a series of illnesses and issues. That first week also coincided with some of the coldest weather I had ever experienced in the UK, and during a trip to Oxford, the world was completely white. Fortunately the weather had been dry before hand and so the pavements were mercifully unaffected.
By sheer luck, I managed to miss travelling in the worst of the snow and Manchester wasn't too badly hit. I think Oscar and I had one trip up Rivington to see the snow, and at this point the Mudclaws came in to their own. That week I think pretty much every club run, including the headtorch run, was called off.
But then the rain came and the frozen pavements caused it to freeze on impact creating sheet ice and the next long run was abandoned due to impassable pavements and terrible stomach issues. Martin's Nana also went in to hospital which was very stressful. I tried not to worry about it too much but this was another long run down the pan after the illness the week before.
One good run in this period of unhappiness, which also nearly didn't go ahead, was the Christmas club trail run. We nearly nearly cancelled as the roads were so icy and we were worried about the footpaths, travel and everything. But actually, heading up to the Pennines above Rochdale, the roads were better and the snow meant the footpaths were passable. We actually had some snow fall on the Christmas run. I was dressed as Father Christmas with Mudclaws, and had a bottle of rum stashed in my pack. It was a magic run, and, despite all the stress it caused me to help organise it (I didn't do much but it always causes stress) I was quite proud how it turned out.
Christmas being at the weekend seemed to throw everyone and I spoke to lots of people who felt super manic over this period. I worked Christmas weekend (probably the second worse Christmas ever for me, thank you NHS crisis) but managed ot get one decent, 15 mile long run in beforehand so I could enjoy what I had of the festive period. I did some running over this time including a trail ish half and a bit of tempo before trip up to the north Pennines to see High Cup Nick over New Year.
The first long run of the new year went relatively smoothly taking me up to 16 miles but then it was work work work up until the annual ski trip a week later. Weirdly, there seemed was less snow in Austria than there had been at times in the UK, but we had a good week skiing and spending time with my parents, and I managed to get out for three short runs including a temp session and session on the Austrian trails (something I'd love to do more of one summer).
Arriving back in the UK I was signed up for Delamere half marathon which I will try review separately but given I'd spent the day before travelling, it is perhaps not that surprising it wasn't a golden performace. It also wrecked my legs, which were already a bit tense from skiing. Given this, perhaps it is not surprising I had a terrible weeks training off the back of it, with the return of snow and ice meaning there was no long run again that week. There was a trip to Rivington for a trail run with the dog however, and once again the Mudclaws were out.
After the last crappy registrar weekend at work, I was down to just two nightshifts of my junior doctor career to go as we started this week. It was actually quite a trail heavy week, with hill reps at Rivington, my intervals done on the loop line cycle path (joys of being off in the day), a night trail race and a run and roast, plus a trail (ish parkrun). The long run was a disaster however, with terrible hamstring pain then cramp after mile 13. The parkrun, race and run and roast however, were all enjoyable. I even finished fifth woman at the parkrun, and first CR for the club champs (all a bit skewed by the attendance stats but taking those wins where I can). The Run and Roast took us to a hill I had always wondered how you got up, and now I know! Love a run where you discover a new place, and the eatery at the end needs another visit.
Now all my trainers, plus my walking boots (I went to Macc forest for a walk on Friday) are drying in the hallway and I must confess, the Mudclaws are currently the faves. After the incident where the sole fell off my Roclite mid race, and the Terraultras that gave me tendonitis, I had given up on Innov8s. But I am back where I belong in them; the grip on a Mudclaw is pretty awesome on soft ground or snow. They are pretty comfy on rock too. You don't want to do too much road in them but for a proper winter trail run they are cracking with good sensation of the ground through the sole and lugs that hold you steady. They even seem to have laces that stay tied (a problem I have with Innov8s, which is weird!). So long live my Mudclaws, that I suspect I will be using right through the muddy, boggy spring when not marathon training on the road.
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