1. Day 700 and the roller coaster ride continues - think it's fair to say I'm in a bit of a slump at the moment.
2. It's hard when it is the most glorious morning, the type that make running in the freezing rain worthwhile, and instead of donning your trainers and hitting the open road, you're playing running support (again) and watching Al and parkrunfastfinisher head out for their first half marathon training run.
4. Hard too when you can't then join your friends in Leeds for a nice trot along the canal followed by beer and curry, or that you know your running buddies who accompanied you on the seventeen mile wet weather killer are taking the East Hull 20 miler by storm and the best you can manage is to sit at home applying some anti rheumatic cream borrowed from your eighty six year old mother!
5. Five weeks. I CAN do this and I WILL get there. Not exactly sure how, BUT if you're at the bottom there's only one way you can go... time to get this on the playlist!
London - 35
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Saturday, 19 March 2016
Day 699
1. Another parkrun, another day not running....
2. But no timekeeper disasters to report, so perhaps I'm getting better at something!
3. It was hard watching Al and Dougal head off to run there.... I'm not adjusting to my role of runner support very well!
3. Speaking with fellow volunteer LR afterwards I was saying that the worse thing about volunteering was getting your parkrun text, forgetting that you hadn't run and just being a little on the disappointed side when all it says is thank you, your efforts are greatly appreciated.
4. On returning home I then received a lovely message from her which read as follows...
"Well done on volunteering for your umpteenth parkrun. A new PB in number of smiles given to runners, your claps per minute remains at 125. Thanks for volunteering. Well Done..... sponsored by aql"
This is more like it - perhaps I need to suggest it to parkrun HQ!
London - 36
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
2. But no timekeeper disasters to report, so perhaps I'm getting better at something!
3. It was hard watching Al and Dougal head off to run there.... I'm not adjusting to my role of runner support very well!
3. Speaking with fellow volunteer LR afterwards I was saying that the worse thing about volunteering was getting your parkrun text, forgetting that you hadn't run and just being a little on the disappointed side when all it says is thank you, your efforts are greatly appreciated.
4. On returning home I then received a lovely message from her which read as follows...
"Well done on volunteering for your umpteenth parkrun. A new PB in number of smiles given to runners, your claps per minute remains at 125. Thanks for volunteering. Well Done..... sponsored by aql"
This is more like it - perhaps I need to suggest it to parkrun HQ!
London - 36
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Friday, 18 March 2016
Day 698
1. My ultra running facebook friend posted a link to a pod cast today about feet, and how to fix them... just what I needed.
2. So I set off to walk Dougal and instead of anything that might have been useful to my current predicament I got over an hour of discussion about blisters and how best to lance them and callous and what to do about it, and a very short sentence about sticking your feet in Epsom Salts to aid recovery!
3. That and the suggestion that the pain in my feet is most likely being caused by my shoes and I should spend time finding the right pair for me.... BUT WHERE DO I GO TO DO THIS?!! Every shop has a different opinion and will ultimately sell me something else that until I run in I have no idea if they will make things better or worse!
4. Meanwhile I have temporarily turned my back on my vegetarianism and purchased some fish oil, as I have been advised that Omega 3 will help, and although you can get Omega 3 from seeds the quantity advised to get the same intake makes it prohibitively costly. This does not sit easily with me, but I am pulling out all the stops here (or clutching at straws?!).
5. Despite it's lemon flavour it is revolting and regurgitates on a regular basis (nice!) so between this and the thought of scabby feet it's fair to say I've spent rather a lot of today feeling a little sick!
London - 37
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
2. So I set off to walk Dougal and instead of anything that might have been useful to my current predicament I got over an hour of discussion about blisters and how best to lance them and callous and what to do about it, and a very short sentence about sticking your feet in Epsom Salts to aid recovery!
3. That and the suggestion that the pain in my feet is most likely being caused by my shoes and I should spend time finding the right pair for me.... BUT WHERE DO I GO TO DO THIS?!! Every shop has a different opinion and will ultimately sell me something else that until I run in I have no idea if they will make things better or worse!
4. Meanwhile I have temporarily turned my back on my vegetarianism and purchased some fish oil, as I have been advised that Omega 3 will help, and although you can get Omega 3 from seeds the quantity advised to get the same intake makes it prohibitively costly. This does not sit easily with me, but I am pulling out all the stops here (or clutching at straws?!).
5. Despite it's lemon flavour it is revolting and regurgitates on a regular basis (nice!) so between this and the thought of scabby feet it's fair to say I've spent rather a lot of today feeling a little sick!
London - 37
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Thursday, 17 March 2016
Day 697
1. A little story to start with today, courtesy of Jim Kirkwood...
" Once upon a time a psychiatrist had twin sons age eight. One was an incurable pessimist - the other an incurable optimist. Their father became alarmed and decided to try an experiment. Christmas Eve he filled the pessimist's room with everything a boy could wish for; and he filled the optimist's room with horse manure. Early next morning he went to observe their reactions. The pessimist sat among the toys, books, clothes, sporting goods - just sat there - eyeing the presents suspiciously, trying to figure out what the catch was. His father sighed and walked towards the other boy's room. When he peeked in the door he saw him standing waist high in the middle of all the manure, shovelling it up in the air over his shoulder and laughing. 'Son' the father said, 'What's the matter with you? What are you so happy about?' The boy turned, still laughing and replied, 'Gee Dad, I figure with all this horse sh*t - there must be a pony!'"
2. So, time to think about things from a different perspective...
3. I was ignoring the issues I was having with my IT Bands and running regardless. Perhaps I should be grateful for my foot injury as it has actually made me stop and take a break, and in the long run it might actually do me some good. (But it could do with getting better soon!)
4. I am determined to remain optimistic. It WILL all come good in the end.
5. To hell with the pony.... I'm putting the theme tune to Black Beauty on my playlist! Then if all else fails I can play it and gallop through the streets of London like Miranda Hart - Such Fun! (Fast forward to 32 minutes 11.....)
London - 38
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
" Once upon a time a psychiatrist had twin sons age eight. One was an incurable pessimist - the other an incurable optimist. Their father became alarmed and decided to try an experiment. Christmas Eve he filled the pessimist's room with everything a boy could wish for; and he filled the optimist's room with horse manure. Early next morning he went to observe their reactions. The pessimist sat among the toys, books, clothes, sporting goods - just sat there - eyeing the presents suspiciously, trying to figure out what the catch was. His father sighed and walked towards the other boy's room. When he peeked in the door he saw him standing waist high in the middle of all the manure, shovelling it up in the air over his shoulder and laughing. 'Son' the father said, 'What's the matter with you? What are you so happy about?' The boy turned, still laughing and replied, 'Gee Dad, I figure with all this horse sh*t - there must be a pony!'"
2. So, time to think about things from a different perspective...
3. I was ignoring the issues I was having with my IT Bands and running regardless. Perhaps I should be grateful for my foot injury as it has actually made me stop and take a break, and in the long run it might actually do me some good. (But it could do with getting better soon!)
4. I am determined to remain optimistic. It WILL all come good in the end.
5. To hell with the pony.... I'm putting the theme tune to Black Beauty on my playlist! Then if all else fails I can play it and gallop through the streets of London like Miranda Hart - Such Fun! (Fast forward to 32 minutes 11.....)
London - 38
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Day 696
1. 'Keep your goals in front of you and your fears behind you' read today's top tip from the Business Bakery.
2. So with this in mind it was off to the gym to cycle away from them as fast as I could - not an easy task on a stationary bike!
3. Half an hour, cardio workout - GO! Man it was harder than I thought it would be! To keep your heart rate at the predetermined level the resistance in the bike alters automatically to the point where I could barely push the pedals round!
4. Half an hour?! It felt like five! And then just as I was thrilled to reach the thirty minute mark, the bike launched itself into a five minute cool down phase... if I'd known that was going to happen I'd have set the bike for twenty five!
5. Getting myself off at the end of it wasn't easy. The second time on a bike in a week after not having been on one for possibly five years, there are parts of me that are not happy!
London - 39
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
Day 695
1. Sh*t forty days to go!!
London - 40
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
2. Today has not been a good day. It is a week since I hurt my foot and it is showing no signs of recovery.
3. Car in the garage I had to walk four miles today and every step of it hurt.
4. I don't know what to do for the best. I've tried resting it as much as I can, now I'm wondering if I ought to try some manipulation see if I can't ease it off a bit. This has lead to me standing on one of the dogs toys (you know which Mrs J!) and pushing my foot down into the ball at the end. Said dog is less than impressed!
5. I am however not alone in my injured state - several fellow Barnardo's runners are also suffering and shifting their focus from when they'll finish to just finishing! I hope the Baranardo's supporters at the 24.5 mile mark have a lot of patience- they may be in for a long wait!
London - 40
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
Monday, 14 March 2016
Day 694
1. Trying very hard to do my exercises twice a day as prescribed.
2. But I think I am going to have to try and find a different time to do them other than first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I'm just too tired when I finally make it up the stair to bed to face them.
3. I thought exercise was supposed to kick start your metabolism and give you energy?! Mine seems to be draining out of me faster than I can replenish, despite my best efforts to rest!
4. I have an Audioslave track on my playlist (made from someone else's running playlist) which contains the line "is this a cure or is this a disease?"
5. The more I think about it, the more I think it is for this line that it was included in the first place - perhaps I'm not the first person for whom the line over whether running is doing me any good appears to be a little blurred!
London - 41
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
2. But I think I am going to have to try and find a different time to do them other than first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I'm just too tired when I finally make it up the stair to bed to face them.
3. I thought exercise was supposed to kick start your metabolism and give you energy?! Mine seems to be draining out of me faster than I can replenish, despite my best efforts to rest!
4. I have an Audioslave track on my playlist (made from someone else's running playlist) which contains the line "is this a cure or is this a disease?"
5. The more I think about it, the more I think it is for this line that it was included in the first place - perhaps I'm not the first person for whom the line over whether running is doing me any good appears to be a little blurred!
London - 41
Total Distance covered 1185.2 miles
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