14 Oct – The Search For Red October Goes On

 

or more precisely red October’s migraine source. Sunday morning, Mr JCR is off cycling at ridiculous o’clock despite us not getting home until after 2am. I wake up and the red mist has already descended, not anger – but another effing migraine or maybe it is the remainder of yesterday’s making itself felt once more, with hazy sight and an icepick attacking my retina.

Having vowed off the rose, my total alcohol consumption as the self-designated driver last night, was three sips of prosecco and one sip of sweet fizz, to toast the birthday girl. This is hardly the stuff of conspicuous consumption or an alcohol dependency, but clearly something is not agreeing with me.

I’ve stopped the HRT, which seemed to help. I’ve cut down on my alcohol consumption, to the point where I feel both virtuous and virtually teetotal, yet the sledgehammers and pickaxes are  still attacking me.

I didn’t eat chocolate yesterday, nor cheese – two of the favoured food migraine triggers. Maybe it is just one of those things, I am miffed, really miffed. I don’t understand why all of a sudden it’s a problem. Had the MRI scan – nothing, had an eye test only this week, in case it was a case of eye strain/similar – nothing.

Or is it just a case of WMAS? Whatever it is, I do wish it would go away. Losing half your day to a pounding head is a complete and utter waste of time.  Okay rant over – I did manage to get out and fortunately I only had a planned 5km to do.

A quick route to the café saw me take in Royston Vasey Ridgeway, where out of the village I spotted road markings for the local running club’s annual 12km/5km/dog walk/fun walk event. The arrows indicated the 12km route – they were pointing uphill to some particularly nasty gradients. Luckily for me my plan was more modest and not up those pesky hills…

I took it slowly to avoid increasing the pounding in my head and entered fish shop village, where to my embarrassment the finish gate for the event was still in place. I snuck around the back of it, so it didn’t look like I was a running ‘bandit’. There were quite a few fit looking folk carrying their medals and goodie bags, which we were told contained a pair of running shorts and a bag of pasta.

I managed to pootle off without attracting any attention and continued a gentle pace to Bin Lane and beyond. At the café I met Mr JCR – he’d kindly dropped by to rescue me from the walk home up the Bitch of a Pitch – funnily enough she doesn’t seem quite as bad in the car.

6kms done, despite red October’s provocation – and a dry week beckons in the name of finding out whether being virtuous gets rid of migraines.

Playlist

Planet Earth – Duran Duran

Glory Days – The Boss

See You – Depeche Mode

Rumour Has It – Depeche Mode

You Love Us – The Manics

Night Fever – Bee Gees

All Those Things I’ve Done – The Killers

Let’s Stick Together – Bryan Ferry

Let’s Go Crazy, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry – His Purple Highness

Stats

Distance 6.42

Time 43:45

Average Pace 6:49

Elevation Gain 12 metres

Alzheimer’s Challenge

Kms Run 1654.48

Kms to run 363.52