Back in the Saddle

Weeks of nothing have now started to cease as I am cycling to work! Ankle seems to have mended so am trying to get back into exercise again, even my running shoes were getting bored. It is quite amazing how damaging an injury can be to confidence and motivation, so I think I have far more understanding of what some people have already gone through.

As a result I have officially given up playing footy until the run is done, some would say I should have given up years ago but then they'd.....be right I guess!

Hope not too much training was undone at Dan's barbie......

Highs and Lows

The good news is that I have managed my first 40mins of non stop running.

The bad news is that everything hurt last week and motivation was at an all time low. After the high of finishing 40mins nonstop, my next run was a disater and my confidence then hit an all time low. I also managed to hurt my foot, but after lots of ice packs and heat patches (15 mins of each, the heat straight after the ice - this was recommended by my trainer at the gym and really works) my foot appears to have decided it is back in the game.

At least my husband/running buddy has finally returned and will be staying put for the next month. Early morning running is very eerie sans mon mari.

An albatross about my person...

My daughter has decided that I am not training hard enough and now thinks that it is her duty to sit on my back and make me do press ups all the time shouting "Come on Daddy, hurry up!" Bloody slave driver keeps insisting that she doesn't want to go to nursery either but would rather "go running with Daddy. I am very fast." this is usually followed by a sudden burst of speed down the corridor/across the lounge etc. I haven't got the heart to tell her she can't come because she would show me up. I think I have got away with it, just, so don't anyone tell her okay.

Hopping Mad Cow and coff-knee morning fund raisers

Salut

Well, like Rus I have been seeing limited improvement of late, partly due to being on holiday in Jersey and not getting around to it and partly because my training plan kicks in 12 weeks before the race, which is... ummm... some time soon, but not yet.

I have also had dodgy knees which Nelson, the air traffic controller, diagnosed immediately as a problem with my ITB.  Not wishing to doubt Nelson I checked with a physio who confirmed this and I now have a load of stretches to do which seems to be helping.  I knocked out a 5K run and 10K on the bike without pain today.

It almost came to an end at the weekend however, as me and my eldest, Tom where charged by a cow on the Town Moor, and it happened like this....

The Hoppings is the local fair that comes to town and parks itself on the Town Moor at this time of year.  I don't frequent fairs of any kind anymore, since adult logic and reasoning at some point suggested that entrusting the safety of your very being (and that of your offspring) to the engineering ability of a bunch of people of no-fixed-address, who swill cider and live in caravans is probably not the most sensible of plans.  With this in mind one would feel very silly flying of "Disco Phoeba" in a sitting position because someone had omitted to tighten the sprocket lever bolt on the whizbang inducer that connects the Iliotibial band to the hooge-hadge.  Added to which the locals always talk of stuff "going missing" at this time of year.

The upshot of the Hoppings visit is that it has freaked the cows and whilst they normally bugger off as soon as you get within 12 feet, on Saturday one particularly narked one took exception to Me and Tom and stood it's ground.  Tom was on his bike and I was running behind and we had a bit of a pace on.  We stopped about 3 feet away which irritated it (in a female hoof stamping type way).  Whilst considering a Crocodile Dundee type move she ran towards us.  I picked up Tom, who didn't let go of the handle bars, and we ran!  

It was at that time, for the first time, that I have seen the benefits of being fitter, leaner and stronger and the last 9 months of training came in quite useful!  Through extensive and creative explanation Tom doesn't seem to have been scarred by the event.

And Finally... my in-laws, Pat and Bob are today setting out the tables in the communal room of the apartments of which they live in Weymouth, to host a Team Atko coffee morning fundraiser.

Pat has got 30 or so neighbours to turn up and has also contacted a similar development in Dorchester and 16 or so are heading over in a mini bus.  It's £1 to get in, coffee is free, and there is security on the door, but trainers are allowed.  Pat has been baking and they have got some raffle prizes and a bring and buy stall.  

I will let you know the fundraising total as soon as word comes in but Pat is hoping for £50.  

A big thank you in advance from me!!

Mojo not working

A handful of peaks (which sounds like fun now that I think about!) and a whole lotta' troughs this last week of training. I seem to be able to put in one half decent run a week and then a bunch of Bellozanne-tastic short jaunts the rest of the time. I am trying to vary my routine etc. but am not making any significant progress which, to be frank, is a bit depressing.

Hotel Gym (be the death of me)

Salut Bloggeurs and Bloggeuses.

Have been a bit mobile of late - last week in London, this week in Istanbul, now in Provence, and next week in Kenya. Fun fun fun - and explains the limited blogging. But, I have managed to stay out of the hotel bar and get in the gym, and did my first ten k run this week, for which I am 'appy.

Good to hear from RSRD and The Large Runner on the blog, and loved the photo of Tom and Edd at Radio Jizzy - they both look suspiciously at ease... Good work troops, keep gannin'.

We are at my folks' place in Provence, and we're off to see Radiohead in a Roman Amphitheatre in Nimes tonight. Just had a good run through the vines with Christina and Sam - it is a seriously beautiful place down here. We have some photos of the Morris Sub-division of Team Atko , and if I (or more likely Sam..) can work out how to do it, we'll post them on the blog.

I was toying with the idea of doing a Zola Budd and running in Kenya with no trainers on, but on reflection decided that this might be a bad idea. I doubt very much that a six foot, skinny ginger bloke running around the streets of Nairobi will attract any attention at all - I'll just blend in! I think I'll just stay in the Hotel Gym, again.

The Roaming Runner

Yikes

Am most impressed Mr C...I have gone in t'other direction and am struggling with even the shortest and least demanding of runs now. I am trying not to worry too much about it but even so it has not been a good development. Any suggestions for inspiration?

I'm Still Here!!

Heloo from the big runner,

Despite the lack of blog i am still here, would have loved to have been with all you guys on Liberation Day etc, but unfortunately someone has to show the donkey's how to run their airport!! I very satisfying task from a Jersey boy's point of view and one Uncle Fluff would have loved to have been involved in I'm sure!!!

Anyway back to the important stuff..... I have had a action packed weekend of walking, running and cycling not to the pub as some of you are thinking although i did have a couple of "lite" refreshments on Sunday.

I went out and covered the hand some total of about 17.8 miles all in of which i am chuffed. I was with a chap who is about to embark on the itex and he commented on how brisk my training pace was...how's that for a fat bloke? ( I stopped kissing and thanking him after half an hour)!

Anyway the bikes out and been used regularly and i am starting to see bits disappearing from me not sure that was part of the contract.

Keep up the good work troops, only FOUR (4) months to go till i cross the finishing line with another twenty odd like minded nutters and sup a well deserved drink. First ones on me by the way if i finish...so now you will all have to make sure of that!!!

RAB.

xx

Red eyes

You aren't suffering alone, Russ. I've just been out for a run this morning down by the beach. I don't know what is flowering down there but I've spent the last half hour frantically blowing my nose, rubbing my eyes and searching for the antihistamines I know I should have left over from last year.

Plus for the next hour at least, I'll be constantly asked if I'm ok because I look like I've been crying. Joy.

The joys of summer

Hayfever has come again and now running out in the wild is even less fun than it was before what with the streaming nose, weeping eyes and the rash down one side of my body from running too close to the pre-branchage fields. I will be switching to the treadmill for the forseeable or else I fear I may fall back even further in performance terms.

Have run out of drugs to try and vaseline around the nostrils and glasses aren't helping much so short of running in a big hamster ball (which may be a bit warm!) I am out of ideas.........

Je suis une Rock Star....

Cats and dogs and RNLI open days...

I am delighted to report that the early morning runs have continued. Well, I'm not delighted about having to get up at 6am, but I am pleased that I am fitting an appropriate amount of training in each week as a result.

Up until recently, I have been very much a fair weather runner. Running in rubbish weather isn't much fun and I am so accident prone that the risk of slipping on a wet pavement has seemed too high (a long time ago I actually broke my ankle walking down the street - I rest my case!!!).

This changed last Tuesday morning. Having made a huge effort to haul my lazy backside out of bed that morning, I looked out of the window and it was raining cats and dogs. Having already made the effort to get up and bearing in mind that the weather in Newcastle in October could be less than perfect, I decided to continue with the run. It was miserable and I returned to the flat looking like a drowned rat (a strong look!). But hey, at least I did it. In fact, I have had to run in bad weather a couple of times since as the weather in Geneva has been horrible. It was either that or no training at all because falling off a treadmill seems like a bigger risk.

My fair weather running attire seemed inappropriate and I got really hot running in a water proof. So team, any tips for running in the rain?

I felt a bit sad on Saturday. Simon and I would have loved to have attended the RNLI open day to have a nose and get our picture taken with the team. We also heard that Tim and Mr E did a fantastic job with the Radio Jersey interview that morning - well done boys. To add insult to injury, I was at work that morning which did nothing to lift my mood. But we were with you in spirit and I look forward to reading some posts letting us know how it went.

Simon and I went for a run on Saturday afternoon and it went well - I can now run for 30 minutes non stop, which is a huge improvement from the two minutes I could manage when I started all of this. I've still got a long way to go, but onwards and upwards...