8:49am and the first update. I stayed up a bit later than I should have last night, ate a bit too much and had some leftover Guinness and a wee dram. I did this on purpose though. I was experimenting on myself what effect this would have on me today given I’ve had a couple of good days with greatly reduced alcohol intake and healthy eating. My right knee was playing up too and aching a lot so I wanted an excuse to not go running and risk injuring it.
I woke up around 4am as usual and the first thing I felt was pain in my right knee and aches all over. I did think about getting up and going to the rock but I knew I needed to rest and my body was telling me to rest so I had a lie in. Over the past three days I’ve run around 28 miles and climbed 4,500ft and my body was telling me it had, had enough so for once I listened to it and rested. I’ve missed the moors and the crags this morning but if I’m to enjoy them for the rest of my life I need to rest or I might not be able to enjoy them at all. I didn’t have a hangover or feel tired so that was a positive.
I changed my breakfast too. Usually I have fruit for breakfast and I’m hungry soon after and then I eat and eat all day long. I want to change this so I had sausages, burger, egg and mushrooms for breakfast my theory being that if I eat something fuller early in the morning I won’t want to eat as much later on and I can eat more fruit and veg during the day. I’ll have to see how it goes but so far so good.
My right knee has been clicking quite badly all morning too but I’ve had one loud and painful click and it seems to have freed it up. Lulu my little cat is being a proper little madam as usual and sat on the arm of the chair meowing demanding I feed her when she wants. She acts and behaves as if she’s in charge and she is to be honest. My new running shoes should come today via Royal Mail instead of Hermes and this is perfect timing as I’ve only got to go and get my lottery today so I have no appointments to be at and can stop in all day.
Whilst I have Farcebook on in the background I’m not bothered by it and some of the arguments between right and left that get more and more ridiculous every day. Farcebook has its place in society and in my life but there’s far more important things for me to do. I need to make a plan for uni and my new research proposal, read something, have a look at my new idea for my life and find the best tool for planning running routes on my phone. Lots to do today and all the right things. Steps towards a better life. I feel good, last nights little excesses haven’t affected me I have no desire to go mad today and I want to do my best today and see what happens. And I’ve new running shoes coming too so it will be a great day!!
The headaches are still here. I’m not sure if alcohol causes them or magnifies them. Either way alcohol does have an affect on them and how I experience them. It’s important for me to reduce my alcohol intake so that the headaches, for now, have the least effect on me and I can live a normal life. I can cope with the headaches as they are now. Anything more and it becomes more and more difficult to live.
10:40am. Still waiting for my new running shoes to arrive so I can act like a big kid and get all giddy at another pair of running shoes to add to my ever growing collection. I’ve sorted out some reading material for my research and started a plan on using the software at uni so I can monitor my progress. Contrary to what people think I’m a bit of a technophobe but I have to change especially in light of Covid 19 and the implications it has on my future working life. So during the next month or so I’ll be using more and more technology to help me with my studies and logging onto my university account too more often. I’m still using paper and pen to do the basics but becoming using more of the other tools that are available to me too.
11:28am. The new shoes have come!! They seem ok. Light and comfy with plenty of traction. At the price I’ll be keeping them. If nothing else I can wear these instead of my better ones and keep them for special runs and races.
2:44pm and things have taking a turn for the worse. Before I went for a walk the headaches returned with a vengeance leaving me tired, woozy and a bit confused. I went for a walk anyway to see if it made me feel any better and to get my lottery. The walk was pleasant enough but didn’t clear my headache and now I have pains in my chest on my right hand side to contend with. I’ve had something to eat and I’m going to rest now and read a book and watch some telly. I hope this headache and chest pains pass and it turns out to something or nothing. I’m just going to relax until it passes and then I can concentrate on doing uni work or my life story. At the moment the headache and chest pains are stopping me doing anything meaningful and worthwhile.
3:05pm and the headaches are getting worse. I don’t know if the alcohol masks them so I don’t notice them and the running helps me focus on something else and forget them or what but this is the worse headache I’ve had for a long time. Feel shattered and out of breath. Off to relax in my recliner.
6:25pm. I fell asleep in my recliner and then read a bit, some tales from proper Yorkshire folk. I’ve still got my headache and chest pains although I’m sure the chest pains are just trapped wind so I’ve taken some Rennies for it. I’ve sorted out a route round the reservoirs at Widdop including a trip to Gorple Rocks and I’ll be reclaiming Boulsworth Hill for Yorkshire too. Just feel tired and flat but I’m ok.
7:17pm. The skies are darkening ready to drench everything in tears again. I’ve done my first Headache Diary Reimagined. I’ve always wanted to write my life story in some way and on one of my runs recently I was thinking I’m writing my life story now as I live it. What if I went back and added to the diary entries and intertwined them with memories from my past and my continuing battles with the double demons alcohol and mental health? The runs are there, the places I love most are there, my feelings are there my life is there. Why not add to it and see how far I can develop it? It’s similar to the life story I was doing before but different enough too
9:06pm. Time for bed. Headache still there, chest pains still there. Me? I don’t care. I’m good and it’s been a good day. I’m not going to let headaches and chest pains get me down and ruin my day. I’ve got a life to live and I’m going to live it!!
The Autistic FellRunner 