Day 106 / 119
2014:
I'm not sure why, but that was the worst night's sleep I've had in ages - no way was I doing Pilates this morning
It was a 40 minute jog this morning and I traipsed my tired body to the gym
My back was hurting, my knees were hurting and my right thigh was chipping in too
The jog was slow, though and after a few minutes it all started to feel better
I was then able to fully concentrate on the odour of the guy to my left and the stamping of the feet from the girl to my right
Pure bliss - made all the better by my phone losing my regular Running playlist while taking the mere 3 hours to upgrade to ios8
It really was the perfect storm
At least I got through it without pulling anything - less than 2 weeks to go before I properly punish my body - kinda wishing I'd spent a little more time on nutrition as well as exercise - still - I'm bound to lose the remaining flab before the 5th ..............
Start Weight - 84.4 kg
Last week Weight - 79.6 kg
Current Weight - 79.2 kg
Weekly Loss - 0.4 kg
Overall Loss - 5.2 kg
2011:
Trying to be more positive today - but it's not easy. Tried wearing a knee support at work but you just can't wear them sat down, they all bunch up. Went and bought a matching knee support after work and wore both at the gym. You know sometimes you see people in the gym that you think ahhh bless - he obviously can't dress himself. Well, today that was me. More strapping than robocop, I caught a view of myself in a mirror and just winced - but it was too late by then. So, I cycled for 30 minutes and then jogged for 10 - it doesn't sound long but I really believed that 1 minute jogging was going to be too long so quite chuffed. Finished off with a monster stretch session and that's it for me - apart from the hot bath and then ice pack to the knee - I'm taking no chances now
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Day 107 / 119
2014:
Another day, another walking with Zombies' audition
I slept well enough, just not long enough
It was a 30 minute x-trainer today and when I eventually got to the gym, Joss was the only one on a whole row of x-trainers
I, of course, did the right thing - and took a machine right next to her
To be fair it worked well for me - I needed the motivation
She was only doing one level less than me and she was really powering through it - you've just got to admire her effort
I wish I could say the same for myself as I felt myself going through the motions
Yes I did get a sweat on and yes it does mean that I should be good for tomorrow's marathon paced run but I still feel I should be doing more - I just don't have the energy
It's an early night tonight and tomorrow will be a brand new day - time to refocus and realise I HAVE come a long way and the dream of a 4 hour run is still alive !!!!
2011:
You know what I love - leaving work early. I'm seriously thinking that changing my hours to come in and go early. Just how good to you feel when you've had lunch and there's not long left - priceless!! Annnnyway - it was a weights session today. Lots of upper body and leg exercises. On the one machine I didn't even have the strength to pull the lever to adjust the seat height so had to pretend that I didn't really want to move it. When I got home I made myself, from a rolled up yoga mat and a roll of gaffer tape, a strong hard tube that you are meant to roll over to simulate deep tissue massage. Well, I didn't think it would work but gave it a go and as I rolled my calfs over it the pain surged through me just like when I had the sports massage - so maybe there's something in it. I did the same for my thigh muscles and it really hit the spot - which is just as well because the position you have to get into to have an effect is more than a little inappropriate - can't wait to do it again ;-)
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Day 108 / 119
2014:
Bed at 8:15 meant that when the alarm went off at 5am I was feeling pretty fresh
I downed my cocktail of banana, energy bar and paracetamol and was off at 6:15 for a 5 mile run at the marathon pace of 9 minute miles
I sprinted off and my GPS watch clearly got the shock of its life because it went haywire
First I was running 15 seconds too slowly, so I sped up
Ten seconds later it was showing I was going 15 seconds too quickly, so I had to slow down
I continued this erratic pattern - the VERY worst way to run, for about 1/2 a mile until the watch's panic attack subsided
I then was able to run at 8:55 pace and it was.......easy!!
So easy in fact that I tried to ease the pace to get up to 9 minute miles and I actually sped up!!!!!!
I finished the run averaging 8:50 pace and felt GREAT
First time in ages I finished with confidence
I completely appreciate having to keep on running at that pace for another 21 miles will be "tricky" but although the 4 hour goal is still going to be the toughest thing I've done - I genuinely feel that I have a shot at it
Onwards and upwards..............
2011:
Right - today's the day - a 5 mile run at marathon pace. This will decide whether this is the last run I have before the race of not. So, with 2 knee straps on the left, 1 knee strap and 1 thigh strap on the right I set off looking very much like an impoverished robocop - none of that would stop a pea-shooter let alone a sniper. Approximately 2 seconds into the run I realised the thigh strap makes no bl$$dy difference at all - still painful. But I carried on even though I felt like I was running sideways, dragging my chocolate leg behind me. At 2.5 miles my left knee kicked off - but to my relief it didn't get as bad as Saturday. Part of that might be that I knew there wasn't long to go but I'd like to think maybe there was an improvement? What I do know now is that when you're carrying an injury, it's not just the pain - running is actually HARDER - ie more effort. 5 miles completed and I was cream crackered. The thought that on the day I'd still have 21 to go just doesn't bear thinking of....
Still, I'll be running this Saturday
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Day 109 / 119
2014:
After a late night last night I surprised myself by getting up for a 30 minute jog
The idea of daily pilates has gone right out of the window, however - I just hope it's not something I regret sometime down the road (pun intended)
I have to admit to a couple of overpriced plastic glasses of wine last night so it was true to say I wasn't really "feeling it"
What didn't help was that yesterday I had to go to work suited and booted and the "new" experience of not wearing supportive trainers hadn't gone well with my knees
Both felt like there wasn't a cushioning ligament between them and the bone on bone feeling had me doing my lunchtime Poole Park walk looking like Steptoe - anyone else mentioning the myriad of other similarities between me and him gets a slap
The jog itself started fairly painfully for my knees but within a few minutes my body created enough bone slipperyness to allow the pain to subside
The music helped too and I rewarded myself with an extra long stretching session
I could have done with the last remaining stretching mat NOT being almost part of the coffee area but I'm sure the ladies that breakfast were more embarrassed by me being almost under their table than I was.....probably.....
2011:
I woke this morning hoping that there were no side-affects from yesterday and that's no too far off the mark. Sure there are niggles but I would expect no less. I put my knee support on my left and this long surgical stocking like thing on my right. Very, very uncomfortable. The tube thing was especially uncomfortable with no dignified way of adjusting it - so I spent most of the day in trap 4. Rest day today - another one of my famed read between the lines sessions because in the book it said a 30 minute jog - but I just don't want to push my luck too much.
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Day 110 / 119
2014:
Last gym session of the day and I decided to do something different by having a go on the bike that makes you feel like you are lying down
My thinking was that the x-trainer was a bit too much like running so at this late stage I don't want to tire my legs too much
Of course I am an idiot - what was I thinking?
All I managed to do was not work up a very convincing sweat and strain both achiles
Remember them?
I haven't mentioned them for ages but today they let me know that they are still here and DON'T like the bike
The noises I made while stretching them afterwards cleared everyone out of the stretch area - I sounded demented
I think (hope/pray) that the whining was worth it though because I haven't had any more pain today but my run tomorrow will be my true barometer - last run of my training run - let's just hope it's not my last run full stop
2011:
It was a cycle at the gym today. I got there and realised that I hadn't already taken off my 50cm leg tube off and so was hoping for an empty changing room. Well, you can guess the rest - full to the rafters of blokes comparing muscle definition. Great - being in a room with a load of posers is bad enough but having to get changed out of something Miss Marple would be ashamed of is another level. I did consider stalling and hoping that they'd leave but there's only so many times that you can check your bag for contents before people start to wonder what exactly you're up to. So, after that embarrassment I went to the bike that had the least amount of fresh sweat and boiled sweets on it and settled down to an audio book and 30 minutes of cycling. After that it's time for stretching. Now in the gym, there are about 6 mats. On there, was a bloke with a personal trainer and they had decided that rather than just use 1 mat, it was perfectly acceptable to lie across 4. The other 2 being busy - I walked up to them and stared until they begrudgingly gave one over - the sweat laden one. I put my stuff down and went and got some paper towels and cleaning spray and made a point of cleaning it in front of them while slowly shaking my head. They had the decency to look a little abashed but I couldn't care less - so i then picked up my stuff and dragged the mat to another spot across the gym. You know what - the older I get , the more tolerant I think I'm becoming....
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Day 111 / 119
2014:
This is it - the last run of training - 8 miles at marathon pace - what could go wrong ?
For the first 5 miles, absolutely nothing
The weather was great, the pace was good, I was running easily and the view over Holes Bay was breathtaking
At that point a tramp ran out of the bushes and caned me across the back of the right leg between the calf muscle and the ankle
At least, that's what I WISHED had happened because the true tale, for me, is much, much worse
It was might right achilles, twanging
I refused to believe it and just carried on running.
The pain was there and to be fair it didn't get any worse but to put it into context, I had only miles to go, next Sunday I'd have more than 21 miles to go - that just can't be done.....
I've gone 111 days of getting up early, training 6 days a week and with 7 days to go, this happens with so little recovery time before putting my body through the hardest challenge I can put it through
I reacted to this in the only way that I could - drinking heavily
Today is a dark day - I just feel the injustice of it all - I don't know what else to say
2011:
It was an 8 mile run today and I was extremely nervous. Joss had been ill this week so I was to be on my own. Yesterday I had bought myself some Deep Heat gel as I couldn't ever feel the spray doing anything. So, with that in mind, I coated both knees, shins thighs and hips - you can't be too careful, can you. Well, it appears you can. I applied liberally and then put on all the strapping that I intended to use. It was at this point I wondered exactly how hot the molten lava of a volcano was, and whether it would be slightly chillier than my legs. How exactly is having your legs on fire meant to help - except maybe evaporating lying water on roads for people to follow in a more safe manner? Joss followed me into the toilet (my place of application) and we are hoping that she will be able to come off the oxygen any time soon. From this run I learnt 3 invaluable lessons: 1 - Just because it hasn't hurt in the past it doesn't mean it can't hurt now. My right leg had eased but my left more than compensated for this. Lesson 2: Good music really does make you run faster. I was listening to some middle of the road songs and noticed that I was a few seconds per mile down. Then on came foo fighters and by the end of them I was 2 seconds under the pace I needed - a miracle. The 3rd and by far the most important lesson is, while running, never EVER wipe your runny nose with your hand unless you are ABSOLUTELY convinced that you have washed all the deep heat off. I looked like Rudolph and was breathing fire for a couple of miles and when you have a nose like mine it's much much worse. Still - live and learn....
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Day 112 / 119
2014:
What a big girl I was yesterday
I haven't come this far just to throw it all away
Sure the chances of my achieving what I want to achieve next week is slim to nothing - but while there IS a chance, I'm going for it
It's a rest day today and I've spent it either on the floor, rolling over my muscle pummeller and the other half resting BOTH achilles on ice packs
Is it doing any good ? Who knows
My fear is that psychologically the damage is already done
I was nervous before, now I'm REALLY bricking it - but I HAVE to try to remain positive
For me, this has now become the biggest challenge I've had to face because in my heart of hearts I know that if something happens on the day, there's really nothing I can do about it
I'm running for Autism Wessex so I WILL be competing - the rest is in the hands of fate
2011:
Rest day today. Went for an hour's walk along the beach and did 2 sets of stretching at home. Finished that off with a mother's day curry and I think you'll agree that this definately was, a rest day
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