Ultrarunner fighting Atrial Fibrilation (AF)

This blog has pretty much always been about running ultras, mostly Hardrock. It still is but now it is also about running after AFib. I was forced to miss Hardrock in 2011 due to the onset of AF but my long term goal was to get back to running milers. And hopefully help any other runners with AF who stumble upon this site. I never made it into Hardrock in 2012, or 2013, or 2014. I didn't have a qualifier for 2015. I ran Fatdog in Canada instead. That was tough. I finished my 4th Hardrock in 2016 and now I'm back to try for the magical number 5.

If you want the history of my AF the heart problems all started back on May 25 2011: http://howmanysleeps.blogspot.com/2011/05/out-of-hardrock.html

Friday, October 13, 2006

Niggles and going soft

The entry is in for Brindy. If I worried about every pain I got I'd
never run. Someone suggested the soft option of doing the half-Brindy.
Not likely. That's just not Mellum. Next they'll suggest I should do a
track race! Or worse: join a squad and get a coach! :P
Won't be doing much between now and heading up to Canberra but hey, do
I ever? This will be my last big hit out before GNW. That is the focus.
Finish the year with a big one. GNW or bust.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Brindy or not to Brindy?

Ran tired tonight. But was more concerned about my knee. It was OK on
the run but has been worrying me all day at work. And to make matters
worse my boss has come back from leave and I'm sure he's mashed his
meniscus. Too close to home......
I have to lodge my entry tomorrow if I'm going to Brindabella. Where
are those dice?

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Count?

Oh yeah, only 258 more sleeps.
Hang in there knee.

Kniggles

Managed 3 hours of solid trail today. The knee niggled again. Not itb.
It's intra-articular. Never a good thing. The question is do I risk
pounding the crap out of it with 50 kms of downhills at Brindabella or
save it for GNW? I need the hit-out before GNW and I just won't get it
training on my own. And if it's gonna go then it's gonna go. And I've
wanted to run Brindy for years and never been fit (ie uninjured) or
been able to get there or the course was changed for the fires. So this
is it. Now or never. I'm beginning to look at each run as potentially
my last on that course so I have to give my all. When have I not?

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Perils of track

While out on my evening run I was pondering the recent 24hr track race
and puzzling how some of the regulars had had such bad runs. I was
thinking I shouldn't criticise as I haven't run one. Then I got to
thinking: how hard could it be? Maybe I could just do one so that I can
cast judgment from experience. And I was thinking how far could I go. I
was running effortlessly on the open grassy fairway of a golf course
under a full moon contemplating these possibilities when a sharp pain
jabbed me in the knee, almost collapsing my leg and me with it. I
stopped and walked. Damn track. Even just thinking about it is bad for
you. The trail gods were not happy. I reaffirmed my pledge to not run
track and gingerly started running again. My knee gradually came good.
Amazing.