Author: Jess Guth

Dr Jess Guth is a Legal Academic. She blogs at jessguth.com She also doesn't really run - reallynotarunner.com

Post Covid Running

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Well I had Covid again and it wasn’t nice. It sparked the 100 Days of Wonder blog series on my other blog so that’s something fun and light to come out of it but running wise – meh.

Honestly I am quite scared to run. What if my lungs just really don’t work? What if getting ready for Dopey is now completely impossible? Well being too scared to run isn’t going to help with that is it! We went for a walk at Bolton Abbey once we’d both tested negative and that was ok but we were soo tired afterwards and maybe we went too soon because we both felt crap again for a few days after.

Then I put off trying to go out for a few days. Then I went to a work thing in Worcester and somehow the idea of a little tourist run was easier to wrap my head around than just a run. I woke up early anyway so it’s not like I had to drag myself out of bed. I stood outside the hotel for ages waiting for my watch to pick up the GPS signal but it didn’t so in the end I just set Strava to track. I ran down the road towards the Cathedral. It was still dark so it wasn’t your usual tourist sightseeing run. I ran in intervals but skipped the odd one here and there but also stopped to take pictures.

After the cathedral I went a bit random but was vaguely thinking to head to the river and see just how dark the path would be and make an assessment as to safety at that point. Once I got there, the path was light enough but it seemed deserted. I hesitated for a second but then thought that I was on my own anyway and whether I went down a well lit path along the river or a not well lit narrow street probably made little difference. I saw another runner going the opposite way but that was it. I stopped to say hello to the Kleve Swan (donated by the town Kleve in Germany which is twinned with Worcester) and then made my way back through town and to the hotel. It was only a short 2 miles loop but that was definitely enough for my lungs. It felt positive to be out though.

Today we went to Bolton Abbey again to try a run. My lungs still feel heavy (don’t know how else to describe it really) and I was a bit worried about the slopes. Running on the flat is one thing… We set off, each doing our own thing and Kath soon disappeared out of view. I was struggling mentally. On reflection I was actually physically fine but as I was running my mind raced about worrying about how my lungs felt, how high my heart rate was and was that a niggle in my knee? I struggled to settle down and then I saw a couple walking ahead and for whatever reason I absolutely did not want to have to run past them. Anxiety levels were suddenly sky high. I did another walk and run interval and then I turned round. As soon as I did I settled down a bit. I told myself I could just run/walk back to the car and then stop.

After a little while I started laughing at myself. I turned round because I didn’t want to run past people on a wide footpath. What an idiot. I settled into the running more and forgot to worry about how I felt physically. I then decided that I would do at least 2 miles. That took me just a bit further than the car so I thought I might as well keep going a bit and go to the end of the car park. I ran on the grass and despite the damp creeping into my shoes it felt nice to be on the softer ground. I looped round watching a heron fly off into the distance. when I got close to the car I was still a bit off 3 miles so I kept going a bit, headed over the bridge over the Wharfe and turned back. 3 miles was fine. The lungs are still a bit heavy, it was slow and ploddy and clearly I am having a slightly mad phase but I got out and that’s progress. I waited for Kath to complete her equally positive loop and had a chat with a curious jackdaw.

Hadrian’s Wall or not -Day 4

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My feet, or specifically my little toes are more painful than I ever imagined they could be. I maybe slept a couple of hours and it’s clear really that my Hadrian’s Wall walk adventure is over. We talked about what to do for the best for us both and agreed that Kath would walk on. Here she is setting off in Chollerford.

The B&B we stayed at was lovely and we got a lift down to Chesters Roman Fort this morning where Kath collected her next stamp. Then I hobbled with her to Chollerford where I’m now sitting in the cafe I was in yesterday sipping coffee. I’ll walk back to Chesters shortly, have a look around and then get the bus to Hexham.

Well Chesters was quite interesting for a short visit and is probably worth exploring more fully with functioning feet. I didn’t walk down to the bath house or round the whole site. I stuck my head in the museum- a room full of old stones basically and then I got on the bus.

I got off at Hexham bus station and walked very slowly towards the Abbey. I stopped at Boots and bought ibuprofen and then looked round the Abbey sitting a little while and lighting a candle for peace. Then I went for coffee.

The B&B had ‘strict’ check in times of between 4pm and 6pm. It said to call if you thought you’d be outside those times. I tried a few times to see how early I could get there and if Kath could get a lift from Heddon. No answer. So I decided that my feet were too sore to wander round Hexham and I was better off getting the train to Wylam where the B&B is.

Once in Wylam I called again and got through. They seemed slightly irritated even though I was careful to note that I knew it was early and I was just asking what was possible. She suggested we could check in at 3pm as they’d be back home then. Kath was walking into the village and I found a cafe for another coffee. Kath then discovered that there was a bus and jumped on that and I picked her up at the bus stop.

Her walk was mostly along the road and fairly uninspiring but I still enjoyed the photo updates

The B&B seems nice and we’ve rounded off the day with food at a local pub. In spite of trying to stay off my feet I’ve still done just over 14000 steps. Now for feet up, random tv and an early night.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 3

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It didn’t go to plan. 7 miles in I couldn’t cope anymore. I’m not sure with what or why but I just couldn’t. The pain wasn’t really any worse than it had been all morning. It was there as a constant but not worse. The terrain was much more challenging but I knew it was going to be hard. I was ok for a little while and then confidence on any ascent and descent vanished- tricky when most of the route is up or down. Eventually brain and body said ‘nope, not today’. There were another 2 miles to navigate before a way off. We agreed Kath would carry on and I would head to the Sill and figure things out from there. So at 9 miles we split and I walked slowly down the road.

Anyway, I’m disappointed and cross and sad and sore and need time to process. I found some joy in the day, a lovely scenic bus ride, people who helped, a room with a bath…

We re- asses tomorrow.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 2 – Carlisle to Gilsland

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Just a very quick post because I’m tired and need to process today. We left Howard Lodge in Carlisle just after 8 am after an average breakfast but nice overall stay.

Today’s route was varied, more undulating than yesterday and actually a lovely route.

There were some muddy bits and some of the road sections were actually welcome after having spent a chunk of time thinking carefully about where to put our feet.

We had the path completely to ourselves for the first 5.5 miles and after that we met others coming in the opposite direction every couple of miles or so.

My feet are sore. The walking shoes were still soaking wet so I obviously wore the trail running shoes. They’re actually much better and fabulous in mud but they are quite tight. Those pressure points already tender got worse and I was in low level pain from early on. facilities are basically non existent so eventually we had a wild wee.

The sunshine was lovely and it was nice not to be rained on! But I started flagging quite early. We decided to push on to 10 miles before lunch. I sort of made it but I was struggling. We sat by the roadside and had some pasta we’d bought from M&S. I struggled to get going again and in Walton we thought we’d stop at the tea room for coffee. We didn’t have coffee because we couldn’t get served as the guy running it seemed more interested in chatting to locals. He seemed cross that we left with me just having had a pee but in all the time it took he hadn’t taken an order from Kath.

We saw the first bits of stone wall today. It’s quite a staggering wall and must have been tea imposing in its time.

Around 14 ish miles I lost the plot. Everything seems to hurt worse. There was a narrow muddy section that just made feet and hips throb with every step. I had a little cry. I got in my head. It definitely felt like I had taken on too much. I was cross that I didn’t feel better. After all we were just walking and not walking fast and the terrain was mostly fine and while there had been a hill or two it really wasn’t a strenuous route.

So today has been tough. Dacre House, our B&B is really nice and I am happy to just be able to rest. My feet are really tender, my little toes are blistered to hell and let’s just not talk about the chafing along the knicker line – let’s just say I screamed in the shower and Kath’s response to seeing it was ‘fucking hell that’s horrendous’. Vaseline has been liberally applied, the toe blisters popped and I’m about to do some stretches and then sleep.

Tomorrow is another long day. It has much more up in it and is described as moderate to strenuous. I don’t know how I’m going to do it. But I want to.