Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: My Great North Run
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: My Great North Run: Sunday 16 th September Distance: 13:1miles Time:3:01:16 Avg Speed: 4.34mph Avg Pace:13.82min/mile Calories burned:1130 The Grea...
My Great North Run
Sunday
16th September
Distance:
13:1miles
Time:3:01:16Avg Speed: 4.34mph
Avg Pace:13.82min/mile
Calories burned:1130
The Great North Run
Well!
All those months ago when in a moment of drunken weakness I suggested that
Jonny entered the Great North Run -ultimately he didn’t but I did. Since
January I have been trotting out every Saturday morning at 6.30am and covering
varying distances from an early faltering stop start 2 miles up to my most
recent 9.7mile Otley runs.
Finally
after 9 months of training the week of the run arrived. I had been to the
Paralympics at the weekend previous and watched these amazing humans who did
not let the fact that they had no legs prevent them from running, or being armless
as a bar to swimming, or blindness prevent playing football, in short I knew
that there was no reason why I should not trot along through 13.1 miles of the
North East.
As
the date drew nigh I was unable to do any running during the last 2 weeks
before the big day due to complexities of life, working, and general
unwillingness to go out. I won’t say I was running scared but there was a
certain element of pre-race collywobbles. These only served to grow as the
final week went on. I spent the week carb loading as I knew I was going to have
to call on my energy reserves. My mind set was not so much low but anxious I
suppose it was fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of letting everyone
down. Fear itself.
My
Raison D’etre, son and heir and myself travelled up to Durham where we met up
with the son and heir’s long suffering girlfriend who had just flown back from Spain.
We were booked to stop overnight at a training college. The room was cheap and
clean with very basic amenities yet all I needed was a bed and the chance to
sleep, or at least that was the plan!!!
“To
sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;” Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1. Could I sleep? Could I jiggery?
We
had been out for something to eat and due to appalling service it was after 9pm
before we ate. Too late, the words of my wise old mum came to mind “Never eat
after 7pm it will keep you awake” that was factor 1 in the list of reasons why
on the night before a half marathon I didn’t see a wink of sleep until 3.30am!
·
Factor
2 twin beds. Me and my Raison d’etre are snugglers and I need the proximity of
him to soothe me. We eventually solved this factor by pushing the beds
together.
·
Factor
3 pillows. I had taken my foam support pillow with me which I generally use
under a softer pillow. The one provided here was dead to say the least.
·
Factor
4 the drains. The shower in the en suite had an aroma to say the least. Now one
thing I do have is a hyper sensitive nose and if I get a bad smell up my nose
then it can have a powerful effect on me. Cue me stuffing moisturiser up my
nose and covering my face with my towel that smelt of my own washing, all to no
avail. I could still smell it.
·
Factor
5 my brain was buzzing and all sorts of endorphins and adrenalin were coursing
through my body. I counted sheep, I counted runners, I counted counting. Still
no sleep.
·
Factor
6 because I was so restless I was keeping my Raison D’etre awake and because I
was keeping him a wake my guilt at doing so played with my brain and kept me
awake = vicious circle.
·
Factor
7 the more I tried to sleep the more I stayed awake. Cue a variety of sure fire
tried and tested nodding off schemes. I had finished my book earlier in the
evening, so that was out (with hindsight I should have just started it again).
I plugged my ipod in and listened to my smooth songs that normally have me in
the land of nod by track 6. By track 8 I was singing along in my head and
waiting for the next song! Next ploy was to tune the ipod into Classic FM I
figured that classical music would smooth my twitching brain. It did initially
but then as each track came to an end the voice of the presenter caused me to
spark up and listen to who composed it, why, where, when and who was playing
it. A couple of other sure fire methods also failed.
·
Factor
8 the dawn chorus started. Man those blackbirds are noisy little buggers!
·
Factor
9 my bladder went into hyper drive sending me to the loo every 20 minutes or
so.
Cue
the scene of me sitting on the bed crying. “I won’t be able to do it (sob) my
legs will be too tired (sob) how can I run 13.1 miles on no sleep (sob) I won’t
be able to do it (sob) all those months of training (sob) all those people who
have sponsored me sob, sob, sob.” At this point I think my Raison D’etre was
exhausted with both the situation and me. He gently told me I had to try and
settle and get some rest. So we swapped beds and I set myself down. I remember
3.30 but think that I was asleep –if fractious- but asleep soon after. I was
then awake again at 6am with all my systems pumping and ready to go. I don’t
think I was tired but I was nervous.
So
the day that I had been working towards for so long was finally here. The
college provided a runner’s breakfast, I picked at yoghurt and nibbled a banana
but I did not really want to eat. At 8am I bade a fond farewell to my Raison
D’etre and the son and heir’s long suffering girlfriend, both of whom I and my
son and heir would not see again till the end of the race. Me and my boy
boarded the college mini bus which was full of chatty runners, we two were both
less than chatty as he like me had had trouble sleeping for him it was factors
3 and 4 that affected his visit to the biblical place known as Nod. So we sat
together and tried to zone out the bus banter. Although I was amazed to hear
one woman say she had done no running just that she walked to work and rode a
bike sometimes! Ah ha I thought I won’t be last! The bus delivered us to the
metro station where we opted to catch the bus. Once on, the bus then drove us
to a drop off place where we simply joined the crowds and made our way lemming
like to the start line.
We
walked for what seemed like ages to get to the start line I had a 40 minute
queue for the portaloo! The run is so very well organised that you find the bus
with your code number and leave your bags on it the only trouble with this is
that you are then exposed to the elements in nothing but your running T shirt.
More seasoned runners go in old hoodies etc and discard them as they cross the
start line thus keeping their body heat in. As novice I didn’t have this
insight and consequently I had a 90 minute wait to get going , a wait that was
not only chilly but wet due to the drizzling rain. My son and heir and I had
parted company at the start gates as he was designated to be in a different
gate due to his race time prediction. He had predicted 2- 2.5 hours I had
predicted post 3 hours so I was in the last pen. However you know me I had no
intention of being in the last pen. I watched as the marshals turned away
people from the wrong gates so I waited for the opportunity as they were
distracted and walked in behind another group and hey-ho no longer in the last
pen!
I
waited for an eternity before I eventually shuffled forward towards the start
line. It took me over an hour to pass the start. I tried to avoid getting into
chummy chats with other runners, not normal for me I know I would normally chat
to anyone but my sleep deprived state and nerves made me anti-social. I wanted
to focus, not make running buddies. By the time I got going the elite runners
had all finished I did manage to hi-five Greg Rutherford and Nicola Adams at
the start post and I spotted myself doing it on the TV coverage later in the
day.
Eventually
I got going. 40,000+ runners and me, all trundling upwards through the North
East. I repeat UPWARDS! I had been warned that the course was hilly. HILLY,
HILLY! It was absolutely relentless. I no sooner got to the crest of a hill
only to be greeted by the view of yet another one looming. There seemed to be
no point where I was going downhill. I kept thinking ‘OK! At the top of this
hill I will be able to make up some time and go down a bit.’ Ha! How wrong was
I? My poor, little. old legs. They kept going, they kept carrying me onwards ever
upwards. At about the 4 mile mark I needed the toilet again. I always need a
wee after about 3-4 miles today was no different I looked at the queue for the
portaloos and decided that I did not want to waste that amount of time so I ran
on a bit and spotted a cabin behind one of the music tents, there was a short
queue of 4 people however the one in the cabin was taking an eternity and as I
looked towards the road all I could see was runners passing. So I did what any
self-respecting distance runner does and I popped into the bushes!
The
weather was cool, breezy and showery, yet we all kept going. We are all issued
with a race number that is pinned to the front and you also get one for your
back, upon which there is room to say why you are running. I was struck by just
how many charities were represented particularly cancer ones. However there
were countless other ones I lost count of how many but they included, Shelter,
Christian aid, Oxfam, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone, Guide Dogs, NSPCC,
RNIB, RNLI to name but a few. I passed other MD runners like myself, there were
130 of us. Along the way the charities have cheer points were supporters can
gather and generally make a noise. This cheers you along; there are also music
points where bands play all adding to the atmosphere which is so supportive.
The crowds are fabulous they read your name from your bib and cheer you on;
others stand there with oranges, sweets, biscuits and hold them out to you. One
lady was stood with a loo roll and at that point my nose was running and I was
very grateful for it. The children stand by the road with their hands held out
waiting for the hi-fives from the runners, St John Ambulance are in position at
first aid points and also by the road with tubs of Vaseline for those runners
blistering or chaffing. I was surprised by how many people were wearing new
trainers, not a wise move consequently there was a lot of folk in the first aid
tents applying plasters.
The
most amazing thing was the variety of human types taking part. All ages from
18+, one man was in his 80’s and doing his 30th run, there were
little old ladies, even older than me, people in fancy dress which for some
folk must have been unbearably hot, some people were pushing wheelchairs up
those hills, blind runners with guides, heart patients with support runners,
some very large folk who had to be admired for putting themselves through such
a traumatic day and every one wearing their hearts on their backs. ‘I am doing
this for my mum…my nanna… my dad….my son… my daughter…. Every so often I read
one that brought the tears, ‘I am doing this for my daughter who would have
been 20 today’
The
bibs you wear identify you not only to the crowd but to the cameras too and
along the way they take your photos and video your progress which you can
purchase after the race, this along with the computer tag you attach to your
shoes all serve to monitor your progress. I was checking my own progress on my
tracker but due to the rain at the start it was not working properly. At one
point I looked at my watch and thought I was already at 3 hours and felt
deflated that I was so far off target. I checked my watch again a little later
and realised that I was at 2 hours not 3 a quick calculation had me realise
that I was on track to do about 3 hours which was 30 minutes better that I had
originally predicted. Once I had worked out that I was in good time my legs
found new enthusiasm. At the 9 mile marker I knew I was almost there and I knew
I would finish my legs felt good, my feet were strong, no aches or pains. I
could see other runners struggling but I knew I was strong enough to finish.
I
ran on and I ran on. I finally reached the point where I could see the coast
line of South Sheilds a very welcome sight as this was the first time I
actually felt I was running downhill and it felt good. I was now trotting along
the coast line and in the distance I could see the 12mile marker and I knew
what that meant. 12 miles was the point where the MDC had their cheer point so
my heart lifted knowing that I may see familiar faces. Sure enough as I
approached I spotted my neighbour and her 7 year old son who had very
generously travelled to support ‘Team Lewis’ which along with myself and my Son
and Heir also included our two neighbours, both excellent runners. The sight of
a familiar face was wonderful and I felt myself filling up. We had hugs and I
went on then I heard a little voice call ‘Bun!!’ I turned to see my Raison
D’etre up on the bank. I had nearly missed him how could I? We had a huge hug
and I felt his huge release at seeing me. My neighbour later informed me that
he had been fretting and worrying and had watched out anxiously for every
orange T shirt. His relief at seeing me was emotional and for me the reason I
had got this far was standing there hugging me and telling me how proud he was.
Invigorated I ran on in the distance I could see the blue BUPA finishing gates.
All of a sudden I spotted my Son and Heir’s Long Suffering Girlfriend shouting
my name and cheering me on then I was scoped up into the arms of my Son and
Heir who was by now wearing his finisher’s medal (time of 2:05:40) but had come
back onto the track to wait for me. He took me by the hand and held onto it
tightly as he dragged me to the finish line. By now I was a blubbing wreck
wrought with the emotion of the whole event. In his usual brusque manner that
he reserves for my emotional outbreaks I was told in no uncertain manner to “stop
crying mother they are taking your photograph” So sans tears and clutching my
baby boy’s hand I managed a grimacing smile through tear stained eyes and
crossed the finish line in a time that I was more than surprised with at
3:01:16. I have mussed since that had I not stopped to wee I would have
finished in sub 3 hours. Today though that was not to be, 3 hours 1 minute and
16 second was my recorded time and one that I am hugely proud of.
Once
past the finish post I was presented with my finishing pack containing my
medal, T-shirt, body rubs, sweets, nuts and tinfoil cape. I and my boy headed
to the Charity Village where all the charities had tents. I was greeted by the
sight of the MDC tent full of food, drink and the massage table (of which I
waited my turn for a much welcomed rub down). Shortly after the sight of my
Raison D’etre, the Long Suffering Girlfriend, my neighbour and her son walking
towards the tent was a sight that warmed my heart, our own personal support
team. Sometime later we were joined by the neighbours who had finished in very
respectable times of 1:43:58 and 2:09:00 however once past the post they had
headed off and found the nearest pub fitting to the last!
We
travelled home wrapped in blankets tired but buzzing. It had been a day I shall
not forget. Will I do it again? Well yes I probably will I would like to enjoy
the pleasure of finishing sub 3 hours. For now though I have the task of
collecting in all my sponsor money. People have been so hugely generous I have
over £500 pledged on line and £900+ on my sponsor forms along with the others
of team Lewis we have raised about £2500+.4 Money has come from all parts of
the world, from friends and family alike and also most generously from people I
do not know but who are friends of my online friends. I am eternally grateful
to you all. To anyone who still has not sponsored me… you know who you are!!!!
The online account is still live for a few more weeks so please if you can do
it, do it. I and the MDC will be extremely grateful. Let’s help raise money for
the charity that works so tirelessly to raise awareness, to raise funds, to
sponsor research, to support sufferers, to be there for people like my Raison
D’etre. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org
and see why I am did
this. If
you feel you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just
Giving’ account and give as much as you can. www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you
who have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Thank you for your support
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: The Perfect Man
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: The Perfect Man: Saturday 1 st September Distance:9:61miles Time:2:13:45 Avg Speed:4:31mph Avg Pace:13:55min/mile Calories burned:1712 Run Well...
The Perfect Man
Saturday
1st September
Distance:9:61miles
Time:2:13:45Avg Speed:4:31mph
Avg Pace:13:55min/mile
Calories burned:1712
Run
Well
folks this was probably my last big run before the big day. I may not be able
to fit another long run in before 16th September – the day of the
Great North Run. Having done the Otley run last week and had problems with the
GPS I decided (3 miles in) that I would continue on and repeat the run of last
week in order to get a more accurate reading. My legs started a little sluggish
and the second mile was hard but once I got going, I kept going. The weather
was a lot more giving than last week where I was running in heavy morning smog.
Today the air was clear, in fact it was quite windy and this served to blow
away any early smog. No vicious dogs to attack me today just me and the road.
I
am struck by how many groups of men are up cycling between Headingley and Otley
every week and since the Olympics I am sure there are more! These Lycra clad
chaps pedal on chatting as they do and I generally get cheery ‘G’Mornings’ from
most of them. I feel as if I am part of some special Saturday early morning
risers club and some regulars I now recognise and they me, although I am quite noticeable
with my day-glow orange jacket! I feel a small camaraderie with these fellow
athletes (ooo get me ‘athletes!) yet in some small way I feel I am now an
athlete. I did my run to Otley and I ran most of it I walk very little now especially
as the run goes on and I find my rhythm. When I think back to the me who
started this endeavour back in January. Back then I would have to stop for a
rest every mile or so. Now I do not stop at all I slow down to a walk pace
every so often but I do not stop and this gives me hope that on the 16th
I know I will finish. I am in the 3+hours starting group- the last group to
start! I think it may take me about 3hours 20mins but I have set myself the
target of trying to finish in less than 3 hours. I hope this will be doable. I
am all set. My head, heart and legs are finally in unison. I am filled with
trepidation but I know what I have to do. More importantly I know why I have to
do it.
I
have one and one only reason for doing this. I have never been a distance
runner I was always a sprinter, a short body built with the power for short,
fast bursts not a lean, long distance machine. However I have a body that
although aging and overweight, with a few little niggles creeping in here and
there, is still a body that if treated with respect is in full working order
and will remain so hopefully for many years to come. I suffer from few
ailments; I am incredibly healthy and strong both physically and emotionally.
Both of the latter factors are vitally important as I know that in the coming
years these reserves will be called upon. My Raison D’etre of course is my
inspiration and it is for him that I am doing this.
Who
is this man who I dedicate my all to? In life we meet many people some of them
good some of them bad, some of them ordinary some of them exceptional. Some we
carry with us for ever others are instantly forgettable. Our lives are a
revolving door of relationships. Every now and then into our lives comes a
person, a person who implants themselves in our heart and resides there in
perpetuity.
Such
is my Raison D’etre. I call him my Raison D’etre as he is my reason for being.
He came into my life 22 years ago and from the first minute I set my eyes on
him I knew that he was sent for me. At that time my life was just beginning to
recover from a deep well of sadness and into that dark time of my life came
this beacon of light. A man so wonderful his smile can light up a room. His
heart is so tender that he warms the very core of my being. He is gentle, witty,
giving and handsome; he would do anything for anyone, he is good through and
through. He is a kind and generous man whose presence in my life not only surrounds
me with love but gives a reason to my life.
We
met 22 years ago and married 18½ years ago. I can say with heartfelt honesty
that there has never been one single moment of those years that this man has
not filled my life with joy and love. In all those years I cannot remember more
than a couple of occasions where we have argued. Don’t get me wrong we
occasionally disagree but never for long (he normally gives in and sees things
my way!!!) He is my very best friend, my confidant and he can finish my
sentences and I his. We know each other’s thoughts and frequently do not need
to speak to know what the other is thinking. We laugh together; he laughs a lot
and will do so heartily when something amuses him, his laughter twinkles
through my soul and lightens me. When I look at him I see this warm, open,
beautiful face, a face upon which I never tire of gazing. When I first saw him,
the very first time, which was in church I nudged my mum who was sitting next
to me, and said ‘He has nice eyes’ to which she replied ‘he has lovely teeth
too!’ the die was cast from that point he was always going to be mine. My heart
knew from that very first moment and in the words of the song ‘it only took a moment to be loved a whole
life long.’
Into
every life a little rain must fall and for us the clouds started gathering 6
years ago, although with hindsight it had started long before that but we just
did not string the incidences together. He started falling and had always been
prone to falls over the years. As a child he was clumsy and although he could
move around well enough he could never run fast or really keep up. Yet six
years ago the falls became more frequent, they were for no reason, he didn’t
trip or slip he just fell because his legs would simply fold beneath him for no
apparent reason. This came to a head when we were doing some work in the garden
and whilst building a patio we were moving concrete slabs down the garden and
he had a fall which resulted in him crushing his fingers. So she who must be
obeyed packed him off to the doctors expecting them to say that he had a bit of
arthritis in his knees and that at the worst he would need his knees fixing. We
were not ready for the doctor’s prognosis and to his credit he diagnosed
quickly and correctly that my beloved had Muscular Dystrophy. There was no
toing and froing and no procrastination, the diagnosis was confirmed and the
strain of Becker MD was established. Effectively the muscles in his upper legs
and buttocks have wasted away and walking is a huge physical effort.
We
have been lucky with the medical profession we see an excellent specialist and
have been helped by Occupational Therapists although the Physiotherapist was
not very helpful. We do ok. We have each other and so long as I have strength I
will be there for him to lean upon. He still has his falls but walking with a
walking stick frequently two sticks, does help. The main consequence of this
condition is his limited ability to do things we all take for granted coupled
with fatigue, which he finds frustrating. Ultimately he will need a wheelchair
but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Today he can still walk and I
can run and for him I will run. He may not have fully functional legs but he is perfect and I adore him.
He
does not deserve this condition (no one does) but have it he has and for him I
will run. For him I will run. For him I will run. For him I beg of you please
sponsor me and help raise money for the charity that works so tirelessly to
raise awareness, to raise funds, to sponsor research, to support sufferers, to
be there for people like my Raison D’etre. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel
you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’
account and give as much as you can.
www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you
who have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Thank you for
your support
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: 50 Shades of a waste of time
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: 50 Shades of a waste of time: Saturday 25 th August Distance:9:74miles Time:2:23:02 Avg Speed:3:99mph Avg Pace:15:43min/mile Calories burned:1218 Run T...
50 Shades of a waste of time
Saturday
25th August
Distance:9:74miles
Time:2:23:02Avg Speed:3:99mph
Avg Pace:15:43min/mile
Calories burned:1218
Run
Today
I again begin my missive with the appeal that I usually place at the end. I do
this to bring to the forefront, dear reader my reasons for writing as the date
of the Great North Run, which I am training for gets closer with every passing
day. I am running to raise funds for The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and I
write to bring awareness to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and if any of you
good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can follow
my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, its work, outreach, campaigns and
research. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org
and see why I am doing
this. If
you feel you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just
Giving’ account and give as much as you can. www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you
who have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Ok
so when I left you last I had had a couple of bad runs with legs that really
did not want to work. What to do? I pondered. The action was simple I would
apply the great Kenyan runners strategy and sleep!! Now those of you regular
readers who read via my Facebook status links will know that I am not prone to
early bed times and can often be found trawling the murky depths of the
internet at ungodly hours of the night. I am one of those people who can get by
on minimum hours sleep, however I do enjoy a siesta and often curl up mid-day
for a nap, I have even nodded off in class before today only to wake from my
all too brief reverie to find a startled pupil standing before me with a page
of sums to be marked, and a quizzical expression on their face! None the less
being the dedicated person that I am, having decided upon a course of action,
to wit that I would have a rest week, I threw myself into it with gusto. Not
sure if gusto is the best word to describe a week of catnapping and dozing that
would have given any narcoleptic a good run for their money! Conversely, doze I
did. I took every opportunity to rest my legs and decided that I would not run
at all from Saturday to Saturday. I embarked upon a week of very little and
decided that I would catch up on a bit of reading.
Having
chosen a week of literature unfortunately the book I chose to read first was
one that I had been avoiding for ages and one that I find it hard to equate
with the term ‘literature’. I
suspected I would not like it and I didn’t. Yes you’ve guessed it I caved and
read 50 Shades of Grey. I felt that I had to read it in order to comment as
being quite an opinionated person … “no not
you, opinionated surely not!” I hear you cry. Yet as it is such a hot topic
with the very definite love it versus loath it campaign I wanted to know what
all the fuss was about and would I fall for this mythical Christian Grey? Well
dear reader in the battle of the love it v loath it I fell most assuredly into
the latter. I found myself reading just so I could finish it and file it with
the other ‘well I shan’t be reading that again’ books. I pride myself on
finishing any book I start no matter how bad, having only given up on one book
in recent years, I ploughed on to the end spurred on by my inner goddess to get
this crap filed away asap and oh my I
got to the end quickly and with the feeling of relief that I would not be
wasting any more of my sleeping time on such a poorly written, badly
constructed, limited yet verbose, effusive pile of horse doo-doo!
Christian
Grey is a horrible controlling freak who the writer attempts to sugar coat in
descriptions of his outward beauty and his ability to wear a pair of trousers
well! I have to say that whilst reading it my inner goddess filed her nails and
did a Sudoku puzzle as my sub conscious yelled at me in her ‘mercurial’ way ‘I warned you, I told
you so, I know you, you will not like this.’ I need my literature to put me there, to feel
the character, to be the character, to love the character, to cry with the
character, to laugh with the character and of course to share the characters
apogee. Yet this book left me sad that so many can find this man anything other
than a creep. If his name was Kyle and he was an unemployed Chav then he would
have been demonised and put on an ASBO. By making him mega rich and dwelling
(over dwelling) on his physical appearance, his clothes and his smell.. of body
wash - yeah I got that he smelt of body wash you don’t need to rewrite it every
time you mention him- the writer ( I don’t use the term author for a reason as
that would imply someone who writes books!) tries and tries and tries to make
him appealing. Well not to me I hated him with every fibre of my being. I
particularly hated the scene where he turns up, stalkeresque, while she is
visiting her mother and the mother comments that he must love her because he
dropped everything to travel to where she was. NOOOOOO obviously the mother is
as vacuous and inane as the daughter. ANNND as for that whimpering, simpering
female Anastasia, oh don’t get me started. She is an anti-heroine who just from
start to end annoyed and irked me so much that I wanted to slap her face and
yell at her.
Yes
dear reader I hated that book and I will not be reading the other two
thankfully I did not pay good money for it a BGF loaned it to me with the
endorsement ‘It is the biggest pile of poo that I have read.’ I am amused to
note that a lot of my Facebook friends who I went to school with feel the same
and as a consequence I find myself thinking of my dear old literature teacher,
the fabulous Miss Brent, of my old Alma Mater, Abbey Grange. I realise how
influential she was on my reading choices and the way I view characters. She
taught me how to look deep into the words and see beyond the pages, she also
had an extremely driven sexual literature desire which causes me to wonder
about how she would view the 50 Shades books. You can bet your sweet ass that
had it come out in 1977 she would have made us read it; she was the Jean Brodie
of old ‘Scabby Abbey’.
Another
literature teacher I had at my middle school was the quiet, bookish Mrs Cripps
who engendered in me a need to see written words as powerful and rich in
meaning, she made a class of 12 year olds read Shakespeare and George Orwell’s Animal Farm and write deep
political analysis. Still to this day I remember my opening sentence of that
essay ‘Animal Farm is a biting satire
upon dictatorship….’ Of course I cannot mention teachers who had an
impact on me without paying respect to the first teacher who stirred in me a love
of books the sweet and gentle Mrs Backhouse who read Beatrix Potter and Enid
Blyton to the 6 year old me. A teacher so warm and loving that I still 44 years
later send her a Christmas card every year and she to me. Mrs Backhouse, Mrs Cripps, Miss Brent I thank you for your passion
and for teaching me how to truly read a book beyond the surface.
So
after all that literature annoyance and a week of rest how did my legs last out
on my next run? The answer to that is brilliant. I set off on my usual route
and contemplated how things would feel. A mile in I realised that my GPS was
not working and had only record one mile as 0.04 of a mile so I was not best
chuffed to say the least. The GPS continued to be irksome for at least another
mile and a half until eventually it sparked into full action. By this time I
was running on legs that felt stronger than they have in a long time and
although the weather conditions were poor, low smog that at points precluded
vision of more than 20m, I plodded on.
I
had an interesting encounter with a black Labrador who whilst on his morning
walk in Adel took a dislike to my running and launched himself at me with teeth
bared I had to check that he had not broken the skin as I had felt this teeth make
contact. Fortunately I was only bruised, his owner made a feeble apology and I was too into my run to stand and have a
go at him for having a dangerous dog, thankfully on the lead, can’t imagine
what would have happened had it not been!
Since
starting this running endeavour I have had it in the back of my mind that
before the day of the Great North run I would run to Otley (a nearby market
town) as a foretaste to the main event. Otley is about 10 miles away. I have
done ‘there and back runs’ that have equalled 9-10 miles but never done a
straight 9-10 mile run. As I ran on past 3,4,5 miles I felt my confidence
growing and decide that today was the day I would go for it. At about the 5
mile stage I rang my Raison D’etre, waking him from his slumbers, and announced
that I was on my way to Otley and would meet him at the auction mart in about 1
hour. I said 1 hour as I calculated that I had 4 miles to do and I generally
move at about 12 minutes to the mile, I also built in a ‘tiredness’ factor so 1
hour seemed reasonable. 40 minutes later I arrived at the specified meeting
place on legs that were fit to go much further and a feeling of glowing pride
and self-congratulation. Now my Raison D’etre is a man. A man of literal
interpretations and as I stood there by the meat market (romantic I know) I
began to realise that if I said an hour then an hour is what he would take and
that I was in danger of catching a chill at the very least as the rigours of
running do tend to make one perspire! So here I was with muscles that were
aching to do more but standing wreathed in their own ‘glow’ so I did the only
thing I could to preserve myself I started on the journey home as I figured
that I would pass him on the way. Now unbeknownst to me he had decided that he
would come the back way into Otley so as not to pass me on the way and put me
off (Yeah Christian Grey that’s what a real man does and how a good man
thinks!) he had also prepared a recovery pack of hot tea and blankets. Have I
ever mentioned just how much I love this amazing man? So after about half a
mile I called him again to see how far away he was only to find he was now
waiting at the meeting point having arrived there on the dot of one hour as
arranged. Minutes later he pulled alongside me wrapped me in a blanket an
apologised for not having had enough time to line it with tin foil, handed me a
cup of tea and drove me home.
I
was so proud of myself for having met one of my pre-race targets, for having
run well and for setting my mind to ‘go’ for the big day. Yet more than that I
felt so loved by this wonderful man who on the way home spoke of his pride in
me, his desire to prepare my recovery pack but mostly his wish that he could
run! My eyes well with tears as I write this now, he is a wonderful, intelligent, kind,
gentle, thoughtful, funny and handsome man who I love more than life itself. He
does not deserve this condition (no one does) but have it he has and for him I
will run. For him I will run. For him I will run. For him I beg of you please
sponsor me and help raise money for the charity that works so tirelessly to
raise awareness, to raise funds, to sponsor research, to support sufferers, to
be there for people like my Raison D’etre. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel
you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’
account and give as much as you can.
www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you
who have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Thank you for
your support
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: Head,Heart and Legs in Unison
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: Head,Heart and Legs in Unison: Saturday 11 th August Monday 13 th August Wednesday 15 th August Distance: 6:02miles Distan...
Head,Heart and Legs in Unison
Saturday
11th August Monday
13th August Wednesday
15th August
Distance:
6:02miles Distance: 2:00miles Distance: 1:15miles
Time:
1:25:07 min Time: 27:29min Time: 14:07minAvg Speed: 4:25mph Avg Speed 4:37mph Avg Speed: 4:87 kmph
Avg pace: 14:07min/mile Avg Pace 13:44min/mile Avg Pace: 12:19 min/mile
Calories Burned: 1065 Calories burned 359 Calories Burned: 215
Run Run Run
Saturday
18th August
Distance:7:13miles
Time:1:47:29Avg Speed:3:98mph
Avg Pace:15:04min/mile
Calories burned:1218
Run
Today
I again begin my missive with the appeal that I usually place at the end. I do
this to bring to the forefront, dear reader my reasons for writing as the date
of the Great North Run, which I am training for gets closer with every passing
day. I am running to raise funds for The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and I
write to bring awareness to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and if any of you
good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can follow
my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, its work, outreach, campaigns and
research. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org
and see why I am doing
this. If
you feel you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just
Giving’ account and give as much as you can.
www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you who
have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
This week I am suffering from POSD – Post Olympic Stress Disorder- having invested so much emotion into my viewing both live and via TV. I now find myself bereft. I am returned to my normal round of TV even my favourite ‘The Big Bang Theory’ seems dulled by the lack of glory and human endeavour in my vista. I spent 2 days ironing and was drained by the dull monotony of daytime TV with its relentless round of DIY, house shopping, 3rd rate soap operas and repeats all peppered with adverts for mis-paid insurance claims, comparison web sites, accident and injury claims, payday loans and insurance for over 50’s. I am waiting with baited anticipation for the start of ‘The Superhumans’ the paralympians.
As for me and my own Olympian endeavours I continue towards the date of 16th September when the Great North Run takes place. I have been on my little training venture since 1st January and since then I have tried to run every Saturday and for the most part I have managed to stick to that pledge. I have had good days and I have had great days and I would have thought that by now my legs would be used to it. However this week I have endured 3 HARD runs. Saturday was difficult and my legs felt leaden I was annoyed because my head was in a good place and I wanted to do a long run but my legs just would not comply. I managed 6 miles, which on reluctant legs was an effort.
So
I ventured out again on Monday morning after I had waved my Raison D’etre off
to work. I actually went along the route that was one of my first runs and was
pleased that I could now run up one of the small hills that I previously
walked. That said, the rest of the run was ok but again my legs were not happy
so I headed home and ventured up another of my hill nemesis’s, again I managed
it but it was hard.
Along
comes Wednesday so today after I had waved my Raison D’etre off I too set off.
My plan was to repeat Monday’s route but extend it. Yet once again my old legs
let me down. I started but I felt leaden and sluggish. My breathing was hard
and my head felt a little woozy too. So I took a cut and headed home after just
one mile. I had thought about going for a swim on Thursday but I decided
against it and instead I had a rest day and put my legs up! I want to run well
on Saturday so I will rest for two days.
As
I write now it is Sunday. I did run yesterday but again my old legs were
unwilling and I am carrying a niggling twitch in my left ankle which I have
taken to strapping up, this helped and my left ankle was compliant to the
strapping however someone forgot to tell my right calf and thigh, which came
out in sympathy with my left ankle and decided to ache throughout the run.
Notwithstanding the niggles I carried on. I walked quite a lot and clocked up
one of my slowest miles to date – 19.19min I also managed a good one of 10.49minutes,
this was on the return route so I suppose I had warmed up a little and gotten
into the run. When I first started this adventure I got excited when I broke
the 12 then 11 minute mile. I have as yet been unable to break the 10 minute
mile that would be a confidence boost as the date for the GNR draws ever close.
My head has always been committed to this race. My heart has been steadfast in
its assurance of solidarity to my head, however my legs have been blasé to say
the least. Their initial attitude was
‘What the hell are you playing at? Closely followed by
‘OK Yeah we know what you want to do we can do that’ however they are now at the ……
‘You do realise just what you are asking us to do, don’t you?’ stage and I think a little panic may be setting in. I just need to get my head, heart and leggies talking to each other.
I have this week received my race pack. So it is official and my legs had better get their act in gear. I have a sheet to pin to my tee shirt both front and back with my name and race number on; I have a map, a book of instructions and a timer tag to fasten to my shoe. I have also booked our accommodation for the night before, I had previously booked a hotel which was going to cost £100 per person for our party but the lovely girls at the MD Campaign have organised cheap board at a college hall at a fraction of the cost so I unbooked the hotel and booked the college, the college also arranges transfers to transport to the start and finish so I am now fully sorted. My sponsor money is coming in I have had most generous support from my on line friends, my family and my church friends and work colleagues. If you have not sponsored me yet I would be grateful for your support.
So
I end where I began I am running to raise funds for The Muscular Dystrophy
Campaign and I write to bring awareness to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and
if any of you good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours
you can follow my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, its work, outreach,
campaigns and research. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel
you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’
account and give as much as you can. www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you who
have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Thank
you for your support
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: 2012 Awesome Olympics
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: 2012 Awesome Olympics: Saturday 28 th July Thursday 2 nd August Saturday 4 th August Distance: 4.02miles Dist...
2012 Awesome Olympics
Saturday
28th July Thursday 2nd August
Saturday 4th August
Distance:
4.02miles Distance: 2:52milesc Distance: 7:13miles
Time:
58:10 min Time: 47:89min Time: 1:41:33min
Avg Speed: 4:15mph Avg
Speed 3.22mph Avg Speed: 4:22 kmphAvg pace: 14:27min/mile Avg Pace 20.9min/mile Avg Pace: 14:14 min/mile
Calories Burned: 704 Calories burned 428 Calories Burned: 1257
Running Walking Run
Monday
6th August
Distance
: 2:01miles
Time
: 26:39Avg Speed: 4:53mph
Avg pace: 13:15min/mile
Calories Burned: 366
Running
Today
I begin my missive with the appeal that I usually place at the end. I do this
to bring to the forefront, dear reader my reasons for writing as the date of
the Great North Run, which I am training for is one month away. I am running to
raise funds for The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and I write to bring awareness
to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and if any of you good blog readers out
there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can follow my link to the
Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, its work, outreach, campaigns and research. Just
log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel
you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’
account and give as much as you can. www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you who
have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
As you can see from my stats I have been a little more active since my last entry. I have had a couple of runs and I recorded a couple of walks on my way to the Chinese athletics camp. Had a good day last Thursday when the British and Chinese media paid a visit I did an interview for Chinese TV all about why I volunteered and what I had been doing. So somewhere in China a lot of people will be baffled by the ravings of this mad Yorkshire woman!
My run of Saturday 28th July was done in London up to and around Alexandra Palace where the Dutch Olympic team have been based. My reason for being in London was simple. I was there to go to the Olympics. We had been fortunate to win tickets in the ballot. Having bid for hundreds of pounds worth of tickets (would have cost us a fortune if we had won them all) we got tickets for Beach Volleyball (BVB). I cannot begin to tell you how pleased my Raison D’etre was when he realised those were the tickets we had won. The thought of all those buff bodies in bikinis was enough to set his poor old ticker racing. Beach Volleyball was not in the Olympic Park though it was to be on Horse Guards Parade. So with that in mind I kept scouring the internet and re-applying for Park tickets for any event just to ensure access to The Park. My persistence paid off and eventually I was successful on a bid for hockey.
Sunday
29th found our little group excitedly venturing forth. Our BVB game
began at 9:30am so we started our travels at just after 6.30am. We wanted to be
sure we got there and as my Raison D’etre, for obvious reasons, cannot move
very quickly we built contingencies into our transport plans including avoiding
stations with steps and taking a taxi to a further station in order to avoid
too many changes. Our careful planning paid off and we arrived at the venue
unflustered, calm and ready. We were one of the first to take our seats and
watch the rest arrive. The atmosphere was electric with loud music playing and
audience participation encouraged all along the games. The athletes were
stunning the women had fantastic bodies absolutely beautiful, curvy and
muscular, athletic and honed. The men were a sight to behold the Czech boys
were a sight to behold one was 6’8” the other 6’4” giants of men again with
beautiful bodies but sadly, unlike the ladies in their sports bikinis the men
had long loose shorts and vest tops. Now you all know me, I love equality of
the sexes so come on Bach Volleyball organisers if bikinis are kit for the
girls, then bare chest and speedos should be de rigueur for the boys, the sport
is great but eye candy helps. We saw 4 games Italy v Russia (women) Czech
Republic v Spain (men), Holland v Spain (ladies) and Austria v Brazil (mens)
with Italy, Spain, Holland and Brazil victorious. We had a fabulous time we
clapped, chanted, cheered and gasped. The sun shone for most of the time but
there were a couple of heavy showers later on that sent the less prepared folk
running for cover, not us we travelled with rain ponchos that not only keep you
dry but can also cover your seat and bags too!
Later
on in the day after a walk to Green Park we got ourselves into a good position
to see the ladies cycle road race fly past. Those girls certainly move at
speed. This race saw GB’s first medal, a silver for Lizzie Armistead. Weary but
exultant we made our way home.
The
following day was our day in The Olympic Park. Once again our journey there was
planned meticulously and was embarked upon early, thus enabling a smooth and
event free journey. The first exciting part was on the train as it approached
the park I spotted the stadium on the horizon and was virtually overcome with
giddiness. I was jumping up and down on my seat and pointing things out to
children on the train who were, to say the least, indifferent to my excitement
and the occasion. We were greeted at the station by an army of ‘Games makers’
the cheery, smiling army of 70 000 volunteers who ensured that no one got lost
or did not know what to do. We then passed, without issue, through security
which was slick, cheerful and efficient. All that scaremongering by the doom
merchants of the British press pre games just dissipated into a haze of
excitement and efficiency.
I cannot put into words the pure excitement and exhilaration of being there. I was just so happy. I have watched and followed the Olympics since 1972 and to now be here and at a home- British one too, was a dream come true. As we walked into the park I asked my Raison D’etre if he wanted a wheelchair, as they were available to hire, or to ride in, on one of the accessibility buggies because I knew we had a hard day of walking ahead of us. His response echoed my own thoughts “No I just want to walk in and soak it all in” and that we did.
The
Park is beautiful the waterways and wild flower beds looked stunning, the
buildings are awe inspiring. The Aquatics centre another feat of engineering
and design. Close by the water polo centre stands at 90degrees to the aquatics
centre and together they greet you as you enter the park. The stadium of course
is huge and impressive although my Raison D’etre who is an engineer, was not
totally won over by it and suggested a few design improvements. The Orbit
stands by the stadium and offers an elevated view of the park, sadly we could
not get tickets as these were booked up until mid-August! The Velodrome is
beautiful beyond words the curve and sweep of the roof is awe inspiring this
was our favourite structure. We actually forgot to check out the Copper Box! My
only very small complaint is that the torch cannot be seen above the stadium it
is inside rather than a top the building. This to me kind of says that only the
events in the stadium are worthy. It should be high above everything but I realise
that the nature of the structure ie the stems and petals, would not withstand strong
winds.
After
a Cornish Pasty (£5!!) we made our way down to the Riverbank Arena, a temporary
structure which was built from so many scaffolding poles that I cannot imagine
there are any left anywhere else in London! Scaffolding poles can create beauty
too!
We
stopped on in the park till dark as I wanted to see it all lit up and was not
disappointed. We had a fabulous day one I know I will remember for a long, long
time. We go back in September for the Paralympic events and have tickets for
the swimming so I am already planning that event as being in that terrific
aquatics centre is already getting me excited.
So
I end where I began I am running to raise funds for The Muscular Dystrophy
Campaign and I write to bring awareness to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and
if any of you good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours
you can follow my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, its work, outreach,
campaigns and research. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel
you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’
account and give as much as you can. www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you who
have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Thank
you for your support.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: Gardening for China!
Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: Gardening for China!: Distance: 2.89miles Distance: 1:81miles Distance: 2:80miles Time: 51:35 min Time: 50:27...
Gardening for China!
Distance:
2.89miles Distance: 1:81miles Distance: 2:80miles
Time:
51:35 min Time: 50:27min Time: 37:50min
Avg Speed: 3:28mph Avg
Speed 2:16mph Avg Speed: 4:45 kmph
Avg
pace: 18.27min/mile Avg Pace 27:49 Avg Pace: 13.29 min/mile
Calories
Burned: 416 Calories burned
280 Calories Burned: 507
Walking Walking Run
Good
afternoon blogworld. Well as I said in my previous blog I have been
volunteering this week at the Chinese athletics team pre-Olympic training camp.
I have a fancy t-shirt to prove it! The camp itself has been very low key with
the athletes arriving about 8.30am each morning then breaking at about 11am
returning at 3pm until 6pm. I have to say it has been nothing like how I
imagined it would be. I thought it would be intense with lots of grunting and
shouting by coaches. I always envisaged that an athlete’s training (from any
country not just China) 2 days before the Olympics began would be very rigorous
and pressured. Yet it is nothing like that. There is a lot of stretching,
weight training and running through rehearsed and practiced performance
routines almost in slow motion to build the muscle memory. The athletes are
ready and honed. I suppose they are storing up for the event not wanting to do
anything that would incur a strain or injury. They simply go about their
routines in a calm and measured manner. We volunteers got quite excited when
one boy got the hurdles out, they could have asked us to do that but these
people are not prima donnas or divas they just simply and quietly sort
themselves, he then walked up and down and stretched for at least another half
hour before he took a run at just one hurdle, he later jumped two! Such
excitement!
 |
| Naixi gardening for China |
As the camp is about 1.2miles from my home I decided to use my journey there as part of my training and rather than get the bus or take the car I walked it and clocked the time and distance on my tracker. Then today I went in my running gear- would have worn my gardening gear if I’d known ahead about the pole vault ‘garden’- and came home the longer way around in order for me to record a mid-week run. It was just a short one of 2.8miles but the route I took, down through Meanwood park and back up to Headingley is a hilly one and not best done on tired legs. Although hard and not one of my better runs there were moments of personal challenge that I met and passed, so emotionally that is good.
Every
time I post these blogs and each time I check them through the week I am always
fascinated to see where you the readers are coming from. There is an option on
the blog site to see who is currently reading, who has read today/this week/all
time. I say ‘who’ it is not as specific as to tell me who is reading per say but it does tell me which countries my
audience is in. Now here is where I get excited, looking at the stats and
seeing just where in the world my simple ramblings are being read is very
thrilling. The majority of my readers are from the UK with the USA being the
second most frequent visitor to my blog. However I have noted readers in China,
Canada, New Zealand all over Europe both east and west, Singapore, Korea,
Indonesia and Russia. The only continent I have not had a reader from is
Africa. I am truly humbled by your presence and I do sincerely hope that you
enjoy my ramblings. Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave the world a fabulous gift when he
said ‘This is for everyone.’ Can you even begin to imagine just how much money
he could have made??? Yet his selfless and totally philanthropic gift to
humanity now enables you to read the words I write. I write them here from my
home in the UK and you my dear readers read them in your homes wherever you
are. I do hope you find them entertaining and I would love to hear from you so
if you read this and would take a minute please leave a comment I would love to
hear from you and from where you are so that I can keep my own little map of
readers.
As
usual I remind you my dear reader of my reasons for writing. I write these
missives to bring awareness to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and if any of
you good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can
follow my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, its work, outreach,
campaigns and research. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel
you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a
donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you
who have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support
Thank you for your support.
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