Watching out for complacency

Its been a mixed week, its been a while since my mood has changed so frequently; I don't like it but I think exams are just a major stress at the moment, as I know they are with many of my friends studying. My training has been fairly inconsistent as well, on the one hand I ran two of my fastest 10km times, and on the other I did not run the 40km I set out to do at the start of the week.  I need to ensure that I don't get slack on my training as I see improvements in my speed over shorter distances. I need to keep putting in the miles and really stretching myself; however it is difficult trying to fit that around exams, but I will do my best to run further this week, remembering I'm training for a marathon which is over four times further than a 10k!
My two runs were great, the first one on Tuesday I really felt I was pushing myself a little bit harder and managed 10km in a respectable 46:30, I was really pleased with that. The next day I had company for the very first time on one of my training runs, Ricardo came along and it was nice to talk and run at the same time; I'd fully expected to run slightly slower given I thought I'd pushed myself the previous day but we managed to go round in 45:35.
I purchased a Garmin Forerunner 305 Sports watch this week, which is rather exciting; it uses GPS to map my runs, showing the routes I've taken and the incline. It also records my Heart rate and as I run will give my my current pace which should help to avoid complacency in the middle sections of my running; as I have tended to drop off the pace slightly without realising, so the watch should help me to improve my consistency. However it does make me look like I should be on Star Trek.

It would be fantastic if you were able to sponsor me this week, my total is progressing well and I look forward to breaking the £1000 barrier! I was speaking to some friends over dinner the other night and they were unsure of the options available when sponsoring; the Giving page does allow you to donate anonymously if you so wish so that your name cannot be seen by others, or it allows you to hide the total money you have generously sponsored. Please do not be put off by thinking that because its supporting online that you cannot remain anonymous; of course I would welcome you to let me know If you have sponsored me as I would really love to thank you!
Hope you all have a great week.

Hit the ground running.

This is to be a slightly shorter blog than usual as exam season is well and truly here! Since being back at Uni the time has flown by, I cannot remember a week which has passed by more quickly; exam preparation, running, football and job interviews  all in a few days. I managed to get out running a couple times at the start of the week, managing 8.6km and 10km in consecutive days, not a great week but there are other things which I've needed to concentrate on in the short term. I travelled up to Birmingham for a job interview on Thursday, which proved to be worth the travel, being offered the position; so if I manage to attain a 2.1 degree I will be a Brummie from September! I played football on Saturday and apart from that I've been preparing for my first exam which is tomorrow, so lets hope it goes well.
I hope to run 40km in the week ahead, and may even have some company for a run which would be a first!
Please consider sponsoring me, your money is going to a fantastic charity, HOPEHIV, and it will help to save and transform lives and communities in Africa! So I urge you to dig deep and be generous today. I have heard back about the bucket collections at London tube stations, and it looks as if we will be given Euston station on 5th April which will be very exciting.
Wishing you all the very best of weeks, and to those others sitting exams or with deadlines, good luck!

So what should I spend my student loan on?

So, most of our student loans have now arrived (for the students among us obviously), and that pay packet for all your christmas overtime is due to come in any day now. So the age old question of what to do with all that money that has appeared in your bank account arises, there are a number of possibilities.

Save it for a few big nights out after exams?
Buy five dresses from ASOS.com as they have free returns policy and you'll probably only like two?
A few new DVDs or games?
A mint condition polaroid camera?
Pay the rent and a big tesco shop to start the term?
A 24 carat gold macbook pro?
How about giving some of that money to a cause which will really make a difference?

Now i'm not suggesting that you all starve and get chucked out of halls/home for not paying your rent. However I know in the past I have used a chunk of that money just to splash out on some of the items which were on my christmas list but didn't quite manage to fit in Santa's sleigh. Please consider sponsoring me and giving to HOPEHIV, it really will make a world of difference to young people in Africa, the projects you will support don't just provide care and support for those affected by HIV/Aids, but also enable individuals to live out their potential, through training and education, transforming both their own lives and their communities! Changing communities for generations to come, making Africa's future one of HOPE, rather than despair.
My trainings gone very well this past week, I managed to run 15.6 miles on Wednesday which I was super pleased with! Its well over a half marathon and I was relatively happy with the time. My lycra shorts are so comfy and am having to stop myself wearing them all the time, they are strictly for running. I'm back in Loughborough now and my disciplined regime starts back again, early starts, eating better and regular running (and revising). My resolutions haven't gone well as I keep forgetting about them, I had 1 beer a few nights ago for a meal round at a friends house and accidentally ordered the fudge cake tonight at spoons. However I will not give up, I'll not just give in simply because I have failed once or twice, but will keep trying to be healthier. Hope you have a great week, and thanks for reading!

New Year, New Resolutions, New Gear

With 3 months and 7 days to go until the Marathon, i've still got tons of training I need to do and I quite look forward to being back in Loughborough where I seemed to be a more active and disciplined person (slightly) when it comes to early mornings and runs. I've completed three 10 km runs this week in a consistent time of 47 minutes, each of these runs have ended in a sprint finish as well which is always rather satisfying! I went on a run yesterday but tripped over a concealed root, then completely stacked it; I continued running for a bit but had hurt my hamstrings therefore decided to walk most of the way home, my leg will be fine given 1/2 days rest though so not to worry.
I visited Bluewater shopping centre on Thursday with Bex and Kirsty from uni, we even managed a bit of extra training by walking for over 30 minutes trying to find where we had parked! I don't like most of the clothes and fashion in the shops at the moment and therefore decided I was better off buying running gear, which I did. I have wondered about purchasing some lycra tights to keep me nice and warm on those cold morning runs for a while now; however I don't really like the thought of full length lycra tights. They would do nothing but make my legs look ridiculously long if I just wore the tights, much like one of the machines in War of the worlds, but with only 2 legs obviously. Or I could wear running shorts over full length tights, but this makes people look like they are wearing a skirt, which I equally do not wish to look like. But I found a reasonable compromise by purchasing some lycra shorts to go under my running shorts.  Along with a new running top which feels great. Below is a nice little representation of what my new gear looks like on me-ish, as I left my camera sd-cards up north. (there is definitely a career in art ahead)

I've always thought it a bit silly to set new years resolutions, many people only give in after a few days, or its something which you don't do anyway so its hardly a 'new' thing to stop doing it. But I thought one aspect of my training I'm neglecting is my diet, aside from my precision breakfasts I don't really eat well at all. So my decision is not eat chocolate (standard), no drinking alcohol (apart from on my birthday) and have only a little salad dressing with my salads, as opposed to the usual smothering of mayonnaise! I hope I can stick to them between now and race day.
The last week has seen some very generous donations from people which I am hugely grateful for, and I'm almost at the 20% mark for my total sponsorship which is a tremendous achievement considering I haven't started badgering people for sponsorship in person just yet! Student loans come in next week so it would be fantastic if you felt you were able to sponsor me, it really will make a huge difference to HOPEHIV and the work they do. Below is Tom's story, I thought I would share it as it really hit home that this is a young man, the same age as myself, and how his life has been transformed through one of HOPEHIV's projects, not just changing his life, but now also those around him.


Toms Story
Tom is 20. After his father died, his mum remarried and left, leaving him with his sister who had four children of her own to look after. Tom told us that he had to steal and work as a prostitute to survive, and that he used alcohol to help him cope. His life turned around when he was selected by Malawi Presbyterian Church Orphan Project (supported by HOPEHIV) to be trained as a carpenter. After training, he was given his own tools and is now running his own business. As well as supporting himself and helping his sister, Tom has taken on two apprentices who are orphans themselves. 


Thanks for reading, I hope you have had a great start to 2011, and that this year holds many exciting times ahead.

A Change of Scenery

So after a pleasant and eventful train journey, I was finally home for Christmas back in little old Cranleigh; all the worrying about trains not running and bad weather preventing travel were misplaced, and I was very glad. My training has been a bit hit and miss recently what with all the snow and ice which seems to have stayed beyond its welcome. I've tried my best to go running as much as I can, but after slipping in to a hedgerow and falling in to a gate I have decided to put my safety first if its looking a bit dodgey.
I've now run out and round beacon hill two times which is a run I really enjoy doing, not least for the fantastic view at the top which can be seen from the point below, although when I've ran to here it has been a bit more snow covered.

For Christmas, my wonderful brother and sister were kind enough to buy me some new headphones and running gloves, which have both been put to good use already. (I sold my old headphones to my mum for a very reasonable price!) It was even a toasty 7°C when I went for a run today so it was nice not to be shivering as I plodded on down the old railway line.
Its been really encouraging to hear a number of friends and family commit to sponsoring me in the new year, I know Christmas is always an expensive time. I've got a lot of fund raising to do between now and the big day on the 17th April as well as much training to be done! If you would like to sponsor me then please follow the link at the top of the page in the description, all money goes to HOPE HIV. Student loans comes in shortly, maybe the money you save from not going out one night during exam time could put be put to better use supporting young people in Africa, not to make you feel bad if you DO go out in January, but....just kidding. Any sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and I apologize sincerely for the delay in updating my blog.

ps. Now completed over 100 miles in training.

I need sponsorship, not conversation

Well this last week I have had the pleasure of being confined to treadmill running due to the snow. Running in the same spot for long amounts of time in front of a mirror, admittedly this is considerably more pleasant for me than most, having my handsome self looking back at me, cheeky bit of pouting if no ones watching. I managed 16km on the treadmills last Friday, I use the plural 'treadmills' correctly as I had to change machine after the one hour mark due to an unavoidable safety feature which stops the treadmill after 1 hour. Safe, if it warned you and didn't just allow you to run in to the dashboard thing. 

I was due to go for my first outside run this morning however I woke up with pains in both my left and right Peroneus Longus, which for those of you who haven't studied structural kinesiology or anatomy is the muscle on the lateral side of your lower leg, and is used in eversion and plantar flexion of the ankle joint...obviously. Heres a nice picture for you.

I think I strained them playing indoor football on Saturday where there is significantly more quick changes of direction than in 11-a-side which I usually play. Hopefully they should feel OK tomorrow after Jenny and Sarah (sports massage geeks) gave me some exercises to do.

The heading for the blog is not me being rude, I was chatting to a friend earlier and realized just how much time I now spend discussing training and the marathon, which is nice and I really like the fact so many people care about how I am getting on, or checking to see if I've given up yet. But I do really need sponsorship, I understand its Christmas time coming up (apparently) so its an expensive time of year, and obviously if you would rather sponsor me after the holidays then there is plenty of time and I would really appreciate that. It would be great if you could sponsor me now though if you are able to help me move closer to my target steadily (link at top of page) . Its so true that without sponsorship, from you all (my friends and family) then I am simply running as a hobby, it is you who is going to be making the difference to thousands of children lives through supporting HOPEHIV's fantastic work. My friend Ricardo suggested bucket collections at London tube stations which I will be looking in to, and maybe taking a few people to do it with me, but I really appreciate his suggestion, and any others people offer. Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a marvellous and snow free week.

Cold Progress

I would assume most of you are aware of the current snow and sub-zero climate making its home in the UK at the moment. Snow and sub-zero temperatures are two things I did not put on my running wish list when I applied for the (London) marathon! And unfortunately good cold weather running gear is not something which companies are handing out for free, however I got paid on Friday by the clothes shop I work in so decided to invest this in some protection from the cold. I opted for a long sleeve running top, and having never bought a brand new running top before I wasn't entirely sure what I should go for. I knew Asics were a good company who know a thing or two about running, so I chose there top without trying it on as I had a 15 minute break from work to go purchase it. I tried it out for the first time properly this morning (after having used it as an extra layer to keep me warm at church last night) and it was so very good, I can't recommend it enough, it kept my arms and chest relatively cold free (at -3°C its hard to be genuinely warm) and definitely made the whole 8am run experience in the snow more pleasant. Heres a picture of the top:

So yer, for those who are interested, thats a pretty good LS running top in my opinion, and not too dear at £19.99.

The last couple of runs have felt really quite good on my legs as well, the first few weeks I would run in the morning and for the rest of the day be complaining about how my legs hurt. Thats not been the case this week, as I now have a stretching routine before and after exercise which has helped immensely. Not just in recovery but also my calves feel much more comfortable whilst out running, and I think this, along with the few weeks training have contributed to me running the furthest I ever have in one bout last Friday and this morning cutting 2 mins 30 secs off the same run from last week as well as my fastest 1km in training so far.So a good week on the training front. 

On the fund raising front I hope to send out letters to various friends and family this week, and I have set up a facebook group this week: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_173588062660809&ap=1 so feel free to join. Please do dig deep and sponsor me, I've tried to make it nice and easy using the link below:

SPONSOR ME HERE

Thanks for reading!