Weekender

Okay, very quickly. Coming off the back of a pretty successful weekend so here it is in all its glory.

Saturday and Sunday: 20 miles with full load on. Just over 3 hours on both occasions.

In a funny way Sunday felt slightly easier.

Even went out Saturday night with a few friends but was very disciplined and had 1 pint of beer and a couple of Cranberry juices. Yes, people did make fun of me. But they don't look as good naked as I do. Got it?

hard and fast

Good hard 10 miles or so last night. Not done this kind of run for what feels like ages. I would be more specific on distance but my GPS gadget let me down....nevermind, it felt good!

Certain muscles struggled a little because I have not used them on my long slow runs but overall I felt strong and capable. Plan a good core workout this evening and then a curry with a few beers. What? Its mt Birthday! 31 today.......I know, I know the years have been kind.

Chillaxing

Bonjourno boys and girls.

After feeling a little more tired than I expected on Friday after my run I decided to take a little bit of time off running so went for a lovely nice ride on Saturday morning and it freaking rocked!!!! To be honest I was not really in the mood for cycling hard but it was such a beauty morning that just cruised around for about 3 hours. A bit of sunshine makes all the difference ay?

Anyway for my loyal reader I have a week summary and some pics for you! One is from a run around London in the Summer with my big brother.

Sat: 32 miles run with rucksack

Mon: Core workout

Tues: Hill session (5 miles)

Wed: Running club (7 miles - hills again!!!)

Thurs: Rest

Fri: 18miles with rucksack

Sat: 3hours on bike (fairly gentle)

Sun: Rest

So all in all a pretty good week and taking a few days off running feels correct.

bunking off

It was a lovely afternoon today so I decided to bunk off work at about 1pm and go for a run instead. Knocked out a cheeky 18miles (planned on 20) but was bored so trimmed a bit off!

It was actually pretty tiring and when I finished I really felt it. I had planned on doing 20 tomorrow as well but my left foot and ankle seems to be struggling a little at the moment. Nothing serious just a little bit of soreness. As seems to be the norm lately the rest of me has recovered in double quick time though. Happy days.

Instead I am going to get out on my bike for the first time in a while. I am actually really looking forward to it, got my camelbak sorted and packed with bits and bobs and all my clothes sorted. Not usually so organised......normally in the car driving to pick my girl up so at a loose end.

Anyone else watching the Sunday night project? Lilly Allen is Hot! Never really seen it before but..... Wah wah wee wah!!

Him upstairs

I hate the weather in the UK. Got that?

Today it has been seriously toilet. Its still seriously cold and it rained solidly all day. Minging. It struck me a while back that I started this blog and 'mds project' a little over 2 years ago. In that time we have had the two wettest summers on record and now the coldest winter in 20 years. Confirmation, if it were needed, that there is no god!

I am sat here after a relatively enjoyable day gagging for some fresh air, but it is still raining and I cant be arsed with it. I have done a core workout this evening though but my heart was not really in it.

What do you mean your bored reading this drivel?

Saturday

This is an easy report to write! Cold, long and painful.

fell over on the ice 30mins in and it hurt. Heavier rucksack than normal made my legs ache earlier than last couple of weeks and it was bloody cold still....the ice on some of the back roads was still a couple of inches thick in places.

I did 32miles (approx 51km) in total and really felt the second half. Despite the discomfort I could certainly of trudged on and once again my recovery has been convincing. Amazingly so. Thankfully I had the iPod with me for a change and it came in handy for the second half of the run. I listened (audiobook) to some of 'god is not great' by Christopher Hitchens but there is only so much mental bombardment you can take when your pain receptors are firing like howitzers. For the last 5 miles I switched to something a little lighter.

It was a slowish run at 6 hours but glad I did it.

it all started so well

I started this blog so well and the last 6 months it has just been just another thing in my life that has been ignored. Oh well, no sense in getting down about it!

Training got way off track towards the end of last year and then, when I actually hauled my arse out of bed for an early morning marathon I fell in the dark and hurt my ankle. I managed 20miles on it but by the time I had finished, it had swollen up like a balloon. I was rather concerned. It was OK though and the physio was not too worried about. This was just before Xmas so I made the most of my inactivity and got drunk for a couple of weeks instead. This was also fine because I managed to pick up a sinus/chest infection which lingered for most of Jan! Happy days.

The fear was really descending on me and I knew I had to get a Marathon under my belt to push some of the fear away. So, on Sat 24th of Jan I got up and ran just over a Marathon with my rucksack on. I felt great! How could this be? I should be dying! I concluded that the chesty/sinus thing had been dragging be down more than I had realised and it must finally be out my system. By the time Monday came round I felt 100% recovered. No stiffness, no fatigue. Nada. So I did some cycling, core work, some upper body work and hill sprints throughout the week and ran another Marathon on sat 31st of Jan. Once again I had my rucksack on and this time I did it in around 4hrs 15mins. Once again I felt great and come Monday I felt 100% again! The run hurt a bit more but who cares? Its the recovery that is going to be all important.

So, after that it has all been about sledging in the snow with my daughter! What with all the falls and knocks and throwing snowballs I was more stiff than I was from running a Marathon. I am just not as young as I was!

Anyway, if anyone still reads this then please, please donate a few quid through the link on the left. Over and out.

I would like to make it clear that in no way do I endorse Obama, even though I have stolen his ad campaign. He will not gain my respect until he sponsors my sorry ass!!!!!!!!!!!