Extreme Knitting Redhead: Rubbish Running!

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Rubbish Running!

The last couple of weeks have been quite a challenge as my heart really hasn't been in my running at all. My training has been OK, but lacklustre. Last weekend I ran a decent 10 miler on Saturday and a 20 miler on Sunday and I should have done it again this weekend. Did I? No, no, no! My head really was not in the zone, so much so that after 10 miles today I abandoned the idea and headed for home. Now, instead of tapering (that's cutting back on my mileage) ahead of the Beachy Head marathon at the end of October I shall have to do it next weekend. Hey ho.

2 comments:

TutleyMutley said...: AHA! Your human after all. (I had my suspicions!); October 1, 2007 at 5:03:00 PM PDT
Susie Hewer said...: LOL Tutmuts! Congratulations to you on completing your half marathon and in a respectable time too. There are lots of wonderful races I've yet to sample in your neck of the woods. Now how about the Dartmoor Discovery next year?...........................

You must have celebrated your 50th by now as I seem to remember you said it was in September so many happy returns.; October 2, 2007 at 3:23:00 AM PDT

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.