You may have noticed a distinct lack of updates recently. This was mainly due to a shoulder injury where I think I overloaded my shoulder swimming and a cold (more of man flu, but I beat it!!!). My shoulder is almost better now (I can move it around with out a lot of pain) so its time to get my act back together.
Its now only 14 days until my half marathon, to say I'm getting nervous is a little understatement! I still haven't run 13 miles yet, and have kind of resounded myself to the fact that the day will be the first time I do it. There's so much to think of even before the "will I manage to get round in one piece?" question.
In an effort to try and keep my mind occupied I have planned this week with some activities, including a return to circuit training tomorrow and some swimming later in the week. This is all, of course, depending on my shoulder holding out, which I am sure it will if I'm just sensible.
After careful consideration, I have also decided that I am going to swap archery for Judo. I have a Judo club nearby that have said that they are happy to help me, so watch this space for judo updates (will probably be December I start this.) I did contemplate archery as well as judo, but none of the local archery clubs got back to me when they said they would. The judo club sounds fun.
I have also decided that I want to do a open water triathlon, as well as a pool based Triathlon, and am in the process of registering for the London triathlon in September 2012. I'm not going to be completely dumb and try a full triathlon, but the super sprint or sprint looks doable for me. I know that this wont go towards any points for the Gold Challenge triathlon section, but I need something to aim for, now my swimming coaching is starting to become more tri orientated. I mentioned this, along with the plans to start some open water swimming next year (too cold at the moment, I know I'm a wimp!) to my parents. I also have a birthday coming up and have been brought a wetsuit for my birthday by my mum and dad. Its not a new one, but its ideal for me. What better time to get one, then in the end of season sale!
This then led to the trying on of the wetsuit. I have never really worn a wetsuit, so took the instructions upstairs with the wetsuit and followed them. 2 minutes later Mrs L got the shout of "Hunny, I think I'm in trouble" She came in the room to find me stuck in this wetsuit. I had misread the instructions and tried to get both my arms into the wetsuit at the same time. My hands then had become stuck half way down the forearms and I couldn't move my arms either back out the wetsuit or out the arm holes. I looked like a creature from Dr Who. When she finished laughing at me, Mrs L helped me get one of my hands through the sleeve hole, which then made every thing so much easier! Lesson learnt, one arm at a time.
I am an instructor with the Sea Cadets at Worthing Unit and have seen how much the cadets get out of the activities they do. I have also seen how much these activities and all the surrounding admin costs. The sea cadets are a charity, and I felt this was a fantastic way of raising money for Worthing in particular and also to encourage some of the cadets to try something different. If I can do it, so can they!
The gold challenge is based on the sports in the Olympics. Some of these sports I can do with the sea cadets, and I have purposely chosen several of these to illustrate the variety of activities that can be done, whilst also doing something that I think will be fun.
My challenge is to do the following activities.
1. Swim - Learn to swim - again. For those that have seen my swimming style, it has recently been described by Mrs Lawrence as "directional panic in water". DONE
2. Canoe - Learn to canoe. I have canoed in the past, but again this was a long time ago and all the new stuff I have learnt has forced this skill out! DONE
3. Boxing – Learn to box. I needed another sport and someone I work with can train this! DONE
4. Weightlifting – For those that know me, they will know how therapeutic gym time can be for me. This is a great opportunity for me to focus some of my energy on something different in the gym. DONE
5. Triathlon. This is a personal goal, to do a half triathlon. I have never done one and this is the one element that I plan to do in 2012. This will link my swimming and gym work together. DONE
6. Athletics - sprints. I was given the oppertunity to race at the 100m olympic stadium. DONE
7. Wrestling - in the process of doing the Judo section I managed to also cover the wrestling challenge, so it seamed approapraite to include it - DONE
8. Cycling. Take part in a cycle ride or three. I'm training for a triathlon. This incorporates a cycle leg, so why not do a cycle challenge too? DONE
9. 1/2 Marathon. This is similar in theory behind the cycle ride. If I'm doing a triathlon I might as well develop it further and do a half marathon. I'm not expecting to be fast round the course, just finish and not die on the way round would be a bonus. DONE
10. Judo - Try judo. To be perfectly honest, I needed another sport, as its in multitudes of 5, and this was suggested by some one at work. DONE
The challenge is to do them by the end of 2012, but I am aiming to have most of them done by the end of 2011.
Please feel free to add comments of support to this blog, and please sponsor me at - http://www.justgiving.com/alan-lawrence-SCC
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