Countdown to the Great Manchester 10K Run – two weeks to go

Middleton Rotary club member Keith Trinnaman is now only 2 weeks away from competing in the Great Manchester Run, here is the penultimate article of his documentation of progress towards it.

Thanks for coming back. I’m now really looking forward to the day of the run, 18 May, and meeting up with all the other runners and actually doing what I’ve been training for over the last 12 weeks or so. Training continues to go well and I know I am ready now; I just need to avoid any injuries over the next two weeks!

Unfortunately as I have built up strength in the last 12 weeks my sister Joy’s health has declined quite steadily - and in fact over the last 2 weeks quite rapidly to the extent she has now been admitted into a hospice over in Vancouver. She is, as I write this, just about hanging on in there but it really is now just a matter of time. No matter how you try to prepare for this, and this terrible disease certainly gives you time to prepare, when it gets this close it is never out of your mind.

When I phoned last Tuesday she had just slipped into a coma, and since then has rarely opened her eyes, just the occasional flicker of the eyelid or very faint smile.

Brian and their two sons have moved into the hospice to be with her; these are really very tough times for them, but they are being supported by a truly magnificent network of friends who are maintaining a rota of visits every day. Being so far away we, on this side of the family, feel a bit helpless really and certainly frustrated but it is so heartening to know that they have such great support over there, we really do appreciate it.

It has been hard to train with this on my mind, however I have managed to harness the sadness in a positive way. I dedicated to do the run for Joy, and to raise funds for those in the future who will unfortunately go through the same heartache, and therefore I am determined not to let her down on this. I feel that she is with me in spirit and that is what will drive me on.

I have been asked what, in my view, are the important aspects of running, and I thought I’d give you all my answer. I’ve found that pacing yourself within your limitations are very important, start off steady and increase your pace as you begin to settle into a rhythm. If you start off at a fast pace you may well burn out before the end, I’ve experienced this in the gym where I’ve gone off fast and after 40 minutes found myself struggling with still another 30 minutes or so to go.

I find it key to get a good steady breathing pattern in time with your strides, once this has settled down you feel as though you could run forever (well almost!). Your state of mind is important, it is not good to start off on a 75 minute run thinking ‘only 74 minutes to go’, far better to break it down into little time segments setting yourself mini targets like 10 minute sections, before you know it those sections add up to half way there and then only 10 minutes to go. If there is something to take your mind off the running it helps, I have Joy to think of (and to draw strength from), and also I listen to music. So I think ‘I won’t check my time until the end of the next track’ and then the next one, etc. Before you know it the time has gone and you're cooling down. Hope this helps.

Please don’t forget that I am running to raise funds for Macmillan cancer support, who do such a wonderful job to care for those affected by cancer. I have now exceeded my £1000 target but would like to raise more to help Macmillan, you could help by visiting the following site then donate any amount you fell able to, every little helps:

www.justgiving.com/keithtrinnaman

Well that’s about it for me, my next and final article will tell you all about the day and how it was for me, I do hope you’ll come back. In the mean time, thanks for reading and keep thinking exercise (it is good for you).

Trinni