12 week count down

Saturday 9^th June                                                              Wednesday 13^th June

Distance: 5:00 mile                                                           Distance: 200m
Time: 39:50 min                                                               Time:  20min
Avg Speed: 4:53 mph                                                        
Avg Pace: 13:14min/mile
Calories Burned: 408


Oh my! Oh my! The realisation hit me this week that it is only 12 weeks until the big day. This realisation dawned when I got an email from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to remind me of just that. I had hoped that by this time I would have shed a few pounds and be a lithe, honed and toned example of a long distance runner. Oh my! Oh my! I seem to have fallen behind in that plan. Although I have generally developed my stamina and fitness and feel that the distance of 13 miles is a distance that I can complete. However I will not be aiming for a fast time I just want to go out do my best in the best time that I can.

I think that I need to up the ante now and increase the number of times I go running in a week. My problem is I really don’t like to run in the evening I find it so hard to motivate myself after work, added to the fact that the car fumes are so much thicker at night. Neither do I really want to go before school; however I recognise that I must do something. So as I ran this week I determined that I would make a concerted effort to do more. Prior to losing my job 2 years ago I was a member at a gym where I and my Raison D’etre would go a couple of times a week to swim. Swimming is also a good form of exercise for him as his legs are totally supported in the water. Sadly gym membership was a luxury not to be had by a redundant Assistant Head Teacher so our regular little trips to the pool went the way of many of our previous life’s little luxuries. However as we both have Leeds Cards which gain us reduced entry at council pools we decided this week that we would go for a swim one evening after work. Wednesday night was the time we decided upon for our visit. And on Wednesday we met at the pool and were both pleased to find that although we had not been in over 18months, it was not too traumatic and surprisingly neither one of us particularly struggled. We did not do a huge number of lengths as the pool was full of kids having lessons and kids just larking around. We swam for about 20 minutes but we could not do a full length as the end was sectioned off for lessons so we probably did about 200 metres each. We both determined to do more next time, the experience was a positive one and furthermore I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we were swimming together again.

As Saturday came I woke early as usual but decided not to go out as I was, later in the morning, heading off for a ‘Spa Day’ with one of my ‘besties’ as it was her birthday in May and like me she joined the 50 club so this is her birthday treat. Along with the pampering treatments we can also swim and go in the gym so it is my intent to do both of those before I indulge in the facials, massage and nail painting that we have planned for later. I have never run on a treadmill (other than my gait analysis) so that will be an experience. I will let you know how I get on……

I end with my usual appeal never forgetting why I write these missives is 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.



Thank you for your support.