41 days to go and I still havent run 1/2 the distance I need to!

As the title has hinted, I have just realised that I now have only 41 days until the half marathon.  Had I managed to follow my training plan then this would not be daunting at all, however I lost track of my training and have been concentrating on my swimming.  Now not doing the half marathon is not an option, but I may have to adjust my aim from finishing within 3 hours to just finishing in one piece. This does however leave me with three pre-race options:
1. Continue with the level of training I am doing and just accept that I will get round in my own time and use it as a bench mark for next year.
2. Up my training NOW, forget about weights and swimming and just concentrate on running, risking a recurrence of the dreaded shin splints.
3. Stop running all together, negate the chance of an injury before the race and increase the chance of an injury during the race.

No brainer really, its got to be the first option.  Just got to remember its not a race for me.

For those of you in or around Sussex if you fancy a morning out and laughing at/supporting me then feel free to email me and I'll pass you details of where Team Lawrence Gold Challenge (Mrs L and my parents) will be meeting that morning. 

I'll keep you all updated on how things are going!!!

Hopper war

Here we are, Thursday and already the plan has gone out the window, courtesy of the great British weather!

Monday was indeed circuit training night.  To celebrate the new school term, the circuit was called "Back to school".  This entailed various different stations loosely based on school activities.  These included swapsies (pick a card, reveal the exercise on the card and carry this out), sprint home (sprints on a spin cycle), sit up straight and listen (sit ups) and about 16 others that had us doing all sorts of exercises ranging from free weights to star jumps on a trampoline.  It was really good, and hard work, until I came to my Nemesis station.  Yes, the dreaded space hopper had once again come out to play.  As you may have gathered from previous posts, me and the space hopper have come to a mutual understanding.  That understanding being that it stays under me when it insists on being used and in return for not being humiliated I wont pop it or wallop it with a golf club.  Monday night the space hopper agreement was broken.  It may have been partly down to my new grown confidence on the space hopper having managed a few minutes one handed, when all of a sudden the space hopper shot out from under me and left me in the space hopper position (a kind of squat) with the space hopper about 3 foot behind me.  This is now war with the space hopper, i looked stupid.

For several reasons (namely some dodgy food I ate on Monday) there was no running this week.  However having looked out the window and seen the weather I think it would have been more a swim anyway and was quite thankful for the evenings in!  The weather is meant to be rubbish over the weekend, so the sailing and rowing is going to have to be cancelled and will be replaced with a few runs and maybe some gym work.  Its starting to look like the rowing and sailing sections may not be done this year and may have to wait until spring, but I can keep hoping.  I think I may have to look at my sports and schedule again. 

End of the week, the plan was followed and there's no injuries.

Its come to the end of the week and I'm back to work tomorrow.  This weeks plan went better then I expected.  I managed a record 250 metres in the pool front crawl, found my running wasn't as bad as expected, lifted more weight then  before and managed a round of golf!  (Okay, it was roughly called golf with the way we were playing.)

The plan for next week has been written up, and includes more running, some swimming and also some sailing (weather dependant) next weekend.

Also in the planning stages of the cycling section, which looks like a 27 mile ride.

Great, back to work. 

Running and lifes lessons.

This evening I went to a local running club and ran with them.  It has to be said, the group were really really welcoming and supportive, far more then I thought they would be.  The session lasted about an hour, and was formed by a 1/2 mile warm up, interval running around a football pitch and then a 1/2 mile run back to the club.  The football pitch is 1/4 mile around it, and including the the warm up/down I estimate we covered about 6 miles.  This has taught me several life lessons:
1. There is a reason every one else was wearing running tops and not airtex t'shirts.  Runners nipple hurts!
2. Like wise there is a reason every one else was wearing shorts and not tracksuit bottoms.  Less weight is good!
3. Remember to pack your running trainers.  I didn't, wore the trainers I wear for circuit training and now have a bruise underneath a toe nail.  I didn't realise you could bruise under a toe nail! 
4. There is no need to put hair gel in your hair to go running,  It is not a fashion show and tastes rank when you sweat that much it goes in your mouth (oh yes, a delightful image and a taste to match!)
5. When the trainer says "stride out" that does not mean sprint as if you are being chased by a bear!  I did spirit for the first few lengths of "striding out" and suffered for it later.

Apart from these lessons, I also found that my training has been paying off.  My fitness isn't as bad as I thought.  I managed most of the training session, okay I had to walk some of it instead of jogging it, but didnt stop. 

1 hour of running training done, bring on barns green half marathon!

I have a plan, which normally means an injury round the corner!

Work has settled down now (helps I'm on leave) and most of my injuries are all healed up, including my running injury caused by my dog (have quite a scar now on my knee curtosy of my dog.  Got to think of a more impressive story then my dog knocked me over!)  so I have planned this week.

Yesterday had a 1:1 PT session that focused on back/arms/shoulders.  On a positive note here, my weak shoulder seams to have strengthened up sufficently to match my right.  This is the first time this has happened in about 4 years.  Today my back is sore, my arms are sore and my neck muscles are sore.  I didnt reasilse there were that many muscles in a neck that could ache!  But its all good aching.
Today is a rest day (well, as much as a rest day could be with Mrs L also off and a garage to clean!)
Tuesday - Going to try a local running club, get myself motivated again for the half marathon.
Wednesday - Rest (maybe a swim)
Thursday - Swimming session
Friday - if all things go to plan I will be re-introducing myself to my golf clubs!

Planning has also started for the next fund raising event.  Its in its early stages but looks like a fish and chip quiz night, although I'm trying to convince the organiser (Mrs L) that a karaoke night might be a giggle!

Sailing and rowing looks like it may happen in September too. 

I'll let you all know how this week goes.

Excuses, excuses, excuses......

Last two weeks have been a bit strangle when it comes to PT and my Gold Challenge.  There's been no real running, absolutely no swimming and no planning of the other activities.  This is mainly down to personal and work commitments taking over.  However it has hit my motivation (again!).

I now have 78 days until the 1/2 marathon!!!!!

I've noticed that with the training that I don't enjoy (ie running) I make better progress when I train with others.  With no boot camp training at the moment I'm pretty much left to my own training.  I've been thinking for a while now about joining a running club, so spent a while yesterday researching local clubs.  Having now emailed the local club, I'm visiting them tomorrow or next week and having a training session with them.  Fingers crossed and I will let you know how it goes.

On a slightly different note, the total raised is now over 80%, with £92 to go until I hit my new target.

I've been aware that this blog has had some regular readers, but I have my first follower.  You know who you are and a big thank you for following this.  It does make a difference to know people are reading this and enjoy it that much to take the time to link as a follower.

Joy is ................ a whole weekend of PT!

As I've mentioned before, I'm an instructor with the sea cadets.  I'm starting to get the PT bug properly now so thought I would try a PT instructors course with Sea cadets.  Part 1 was last weekend, so off to Chatham I went.

I was a student for the weekend with 2 other adults and a number of cadets.  The whole weekend was great.  We done 1 1/2 mile runs, circuit training and various gym activities and games.  I done two 1 mile and a half runs, one on the Saturday and one on the Sunday.  Times were 11 minutes 50 seconds and, on the second run to stretch out my tight thighs and calf muscle, 16 minutes 10 seconds.  I ache all over but its kick started the training again.

My attempt at impromtu concrete slidding

This morning, whilst out with my dog, I decided to try and run with him again.  I thought this was a good idea even after last time when he nearly pulled me over just to "visit" a tree.  I thought we would only do a 200m run as part of his walk.  This was potentially the most painful 200 meters I've ever done as yes, he succeed in knocking me over.  

Everything was going well with him running on the left side of me and the road on the right side, when all of a sudden he saw a small dog on the opposite side of the road.  I could almost hear him shout as he pulled straight across me, "Look.  A dog!" I've gone straight over onto the concrete landing on my left side, thinking "This is gonna sting" when I realise I've let go of his lead!  A quick grab later and I had hold of him just in time for him to drag me along the pavement a shirt distance.  He has then stopped, the other dog owner has stopped and is now, from the opposite side of the road, asking me if I am ok.  The first thing that went through my mind was the fact if if I said no, what was he going to do as he had a dog, my dog was bigger and hates all dogs so he couldn't come over and help anyway!  I picked my self up, apologised (I don't quite know why I apologised) and after seeing him look a little shocked at me I walked and ran home (the whole 50 meters away, so all the neighbours saw this)

I was greeted at the front door by Mrs Lawrence, who took the dog from me.  At this point I realised my leg was bleeding quite badly and this was probably what the other dog walker was a bit shocked about.  I've got cuts and grazes all down the left side of my leg, bruising coming out and a really nasty cut and graze across the entire knee that's 2 1/2" by 2" and a bruised palm (I didn't even realise you could bruise the palm of your hand!) When I told her what had happened the dog was made a fuss of and received loads of attention, I got the customary "Try not to bleed every where honey."  Ain't love great!

Little set backs, but still gaining

I thought it was about time I added something as its been a few weeks!

So, what progress has been made?  Firstly, the swimming has been coming along nicely, which meant that this morning I started to learn how to breath both sides, rather then just from my right side.  This sounds easy, and I'm sure after a while it will be easy. However, its not that easy to start with and resulted in me swallowing several mouthfuls of water.  I'm beginning to dislike chlorinated water and the taste it leaves for days afterwards!

Secondly, the planning for the sailing and archery are coming along nicely. 

Now for the setbacks.
   Its now only a few months till the half marathon and I still haven't been out for nearly as many runs as I should.  Some of this, not making excuses, is due to a re-occurrence of an injury from last year and a calf muscle injury.  Don't know what I done to my calf, I think it may have been a strain, but its better now and look forward not back!  Started to look at the possibility of running in the South Coast 5K & fun run in august.  I'll try a 5K run this week and make my mind up!