Biblical ?

When will it stop raining? I've had a bit of a topsy-turvey week and the weekend isn't proving to be much better. My mum and dad have been up for the week, and so I didn't get out in the evenings for anything. After a couple of days off on Monday and Tuesday, partly as I was too busy, I rode to work and back on Wednesday, thinking a short run or two on Thursday would set me up nicely for the Tour of Pendle. But again the best laid plans.

The weather forecasters were predicting doom and gloom on Thursday and some attentiveness to the rainfall radar showed that it did look frightening. so on Thursday we decided it was worth riding in despite the gales and rain as at least we could definitely get home. No car stuck in floods etc.  And boy did it rain. To think we had a fair bit less than Borrowdale is quite something! We left work early when it became obvious that this was a fairly unusual rainfall and got home in the light. Funnily it was actually quite a fair ride home, it didn't rain that heavily and the roads really weren't that bad, but I was glad to get back and relax. It made it even more hard watching the events unfold in Cockermouth and Workington, knowing that although we would probably get cut off in the valley, we were far above any flood waters.

Friday dawned fair, but we couldn't get out of the valley by car in any direction. A day off for us and more to the point another day with my Mum and Dad as they couldn't get home either. We all went for a walk to check out the river and roads. The waters had receded a fair bit since the evening before, but the roads were still barely passable by anything but 4x4s.

With more rain forecast for today, I just couldn't physce myself up to drive to Barley in Lancashire for the Tour of Pendle. I knew I'd be able to get there ( and M&D got out and home), but I'd spend the whole race worrying about getting home again, as more rain could cut the valley off. So head ruled heart and I stayed at home, getting out for a 12 miler over the fells early in order to avoid the worst of the rain in the afternoon. If I had felt like I felt during the run today I'm glad I didn't bother doing Pendle. I felt awful! Very sluggish, weak and tired. It took me a lot longer than I expected for the route, and it can't be all due to a strong headwind on the fells and the water underfoot.

I've been suffering from a lack of motivation recently, partly due to the poor weather, and todays run hasn't helped to be honest. Although it should as I'm unfit! Time to reassess what I'm doing week in week out, to try and find and maintain the motivation. Maybe more shorter runs, and less focus on long ones may help as its far more daunting to get going for a 5 plus hour run on the fells in poor weather than a 7 miler. Time to think....