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

The most activity of the morning was John, Naixi Liu and me cutting and clearing the grass from round the edges of the pole vault area, the grounds team had clearly not done their jobs. So all in all a quiet couple of mornings with no big headed or pretentious athletes just a bunch of very focused unassuming professional people preparing for the biggest moment in their lives. Go 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.

Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: God Bless You Your Majesty!!

Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: God Bless You Your Majesty!!:

Wednesday 18^th July         Saturday 21^th July             Monday 23^rd July

Distance: 375m                Distance: 6:06miles             Distance: 1.20miles
Time: 25 min                    Time:  1:23:4100min          Time:  14:37min
Avg Speed: 0:066mph       Avg Speed 4:34mph            Avg Speed: 4:93 kmph
Avg length: 1.66min         Avg Pace 13:49                   Avg Pace: 12.09 min/mile
Calories Burned: ?            Calories burned 1083          Calories Burned: 227
Swimming                        Run                                    Run

Wednesday 18^th July

 

Distance: 1:78miles                  
Time: 55:41 min                       
Avg Speed: 1:92mph        
Avg length: 31:16min       
Calories Burned: 290
Walk

Good morning world it’s a brand new day. As I write it is Monday and I have just been for a quick blast up the street and right down to Hyde Park corner and back along Victoria Road. Just a quickie as I have things to do today (painting the bathroom!) My commitment to up the ante is beginning to follow through. Since my last blog I followed up by going swimming on Wednesday, having not been for a few weeks it was ok… not as hard as I thought it would be. I am not a strong swimmer and I do the breaststroke with a ‘screw kick’ which I think means my legs are not symmetrical, I cannot do freestyle, or front crawl as I still call it, as I just end up going diagonally across the pool which tends to piss off the other swimmers.   So I leave my broken windmill style of freestyle in the changing room and plod on with my tried and tested breast stroke. Although not efficient at it I am not one of those old ladies who swims with a cranes neck never getting her hair wet I do get down under the water but cannot quite do the whole breathe–duck-emerge-breathe thing, nevertheless I am aware that I am a stronger swimmer now than I was years ago, which of course is all down to the regular practice that me and my Raison D’etre did 3 years ago. Yet I still go in the slow lane as that is my comfort zone and although stronger than previously I am still slow. All that said I managed to clock up 15 lengths which I was moderately chuffed with. I like going to the baths early mornings as you get there before anyone under the age of 40 has even got out of bed and I am in awe of the older ladies, one I know is 94, who are there 3 or 4 mornings a week at 7am swimming…. Freda you are a marvel! So that was Wednesday morning.

Later in the day, having seen a news report about the UK being the laziest nation in Europe, probably the world! I decided that we were having none of that! Now as you all know my Raison D’etre has difficulty walking and he does so very slowly, measuredly and with a stick, that said he, unlike other MD sufferers, can still walk and while he can I think he should! He at the moment is working longer and harder hours that he has ever done in his life and all so often comes home, eats and either works more or falls asleep in front of the TV. THAT IS NO LIFE! So my bossy hat went on and I declared that we were going to start going for a walk after dinner a couple of nights a week. So tonight we did just that we wandered up North Grange Road, down by The Ridge, along Wood Lane onto Alma Road and ended up enjoying a pint in Arcadia, which was a lovely way to spend the evening. We were home by 9pm and he was obviously refreshed as he the stayed awake till bedtime and didn’t doze off into one of those awful ‘sofa snoozes’ which I actually think are really bad for your natural sleep patterns. One down √ job done!

Thursday turned out to be a monumental day for me. Regular readers of my blog will know what a royalist I am and how much I love my Queen. Well on Thursday she came to Leeds on her Jubilee Tour. I’d known for weeks she was coming and had got the fine details from the Evening Post, so by 8am I was in place at the top of Briggate just opposite Swan Street. As she came out of The City Varieties she headed straight to where I was standing (tactically positioned next to a group of school children) She stopped right in front of me and stared at my T shirt, the one from our show earlier this year, and as she looked at me I lost the power of rational thought and all words vacated my brain, I have since thought of so many things I could have said, however to the total amusement of everyone who knows me the only words that came out were ‘God bless you your Majesty’ Not, contrary to my Raison D’etre and his Dick Van-Dyke/Mary Poppins interpretation of the phrase, said in a cheeky chappie cockney accent. The woman was awesome she had such a presence that all the people around where I was ended up in tears. I genuinely meant it though, may God truly bless her.

Along comes Saturday. Now all you Brits out there will know what a glorious summer we are having this year!!!!! (Laughs ironically!) To say it has rained a little is the biggest understatement since someone said the bankers are a bit untrustworthy! It has rained here in biblical proportions and even I, who loves summer rain, am well and truly sick of it. So when I woke up to sunshine I was inspired - on with the kit and off I went. I managed 6 miles out to Adel and back. I wanted to go further but I knew I had things to do so I came home. My legs and breathing are still not yet back at 100% after my cold but I am optimistic that with a lot of PMA and frequent opportunities to run I will be match fit by September. I was not quick today my best mile was a slow 11:13 but I did it and that is what counts.

Later that evening we went to a surprise dinner for my BGF’s 25^th wedding anniversary. Her daughter had arranged a dinner in Leeds where all the close family and friends turned up as a surprise to the couple who just thought they were going out with their children. This included her sister and nephews from Ireland who had said they could not get over for the weekend! So the picture on her face, once she had squinted and realised just who she was looking at was priceless. Sunday was spent with the same people at a pre-arranged BBQ. Consequently copious amounts of alcohol were consumed on Saturday and a little less on Sunday along with tottering about on 4inch heels this was not the best pre-run preparation so by the time Monday came I needed to run to start a body cleanse.

Monday morning I set off up the street at the same time as my raison D’etre for work I went right he went left …to open the Hall gates. He then passed me about 5 minutes later and tooted as he went off to the world of work. I am now on summer holiday and have no work till September and no money till October! However what I do have is 6 clear weeks in front of me to get myself ready for September 16^th. I am beginning to get excited now as all around me the nation is thinking sport. Bradley Wiggins just did awesome things in France on his bike, the world athletes are beginning to arrive for the Olympics, this week I am volunteering at the Chinese athlete’s camp, next week I will be at the Olympics as we have tickets J then it is full speed ahead with my running schedule. So watch this space for how it is all going.

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.

God Bless You Your Majesty!!

Wednesday 18^th July         Saturday 21^th July             Monday 23^rd July

Distance: 375m                Distance: 6:06miles           Distance: 1.20miles
Time: 25 min                   Time:  1:23:4100min         Time:  14:37min
Avg Speed: 0:066mph       Avg Speed 4:34mph          Avg Speed: 4:93 kmph
Avg length: 1.66min         Avg Pace 13:49                 Avg Pace: 12.09 min/mile
Calories Burned: ?            Calories burned 1083        Calories Burned: 227
Swimming                        Run                                 Run

Wednesday 18^th July

Distance: 1:78miles                  
Time: 55:41 min                       
Avg Speed: 1:92mph        
Avg length: 31:16min       
Calories Burned: 290
Walk

Good morning world it’s a brand new day. As I write it is Monday and I have just been for a quick blast up the street and right down to Hyde Park corner and back along Victoria Road. Just a quickie as I have things to do today (painting the bathroom!) My commitment to up the ante is beginning to follow through. Since my last blog I followed up by going swimming on Wednesday, having not been for a few weeks it was ok… not as hard as I thought it would be. I am not a strong swimmer and I do the breaststroke with a ‘screw kick’ which I think means my legs are not symmetrical, I cannot do freestyle, or front crawl as I still call it, as I just end up going diagonally across the pool which tends to piss off the other swimmers.   So I leave my broken windmill style of freestyle in the changing room and plod on with my tried and tested breast stroke. Although not efficient at it I am not one of those old ladies who swims with a cranes neck never getting her hair wet I do get down under the water but cannot quite do the whole breathe–duck-emerge-breathe thing, nevertheless I am aware that I am a stronger swimmer now than I was years ago, which of course is all down to the regular practice that me and my Raison D’etre did 3 years ago. Yet I still go in the slow lane as that is my comfort zone and although stronger than previously I am still slow. All that said I managed to clock up 15 lengths which I was moderately chuffed with. I like going to the baths early mornings as you get there before anyone under the age of 40 has even got out of bed and I am in awe of the older ladies, one I know is 94, who are there 3 or 4 mornings a week at 7am swimming…. Freda you are a marvel! So that was Wednesday morning.

Later in the day, having seen a news report about the UK being the laziest nation in Europe, probably the world! I decided that we were having none of that! Now as you all know my Raison D’etre has difficulty walking and he does so very slowly, measuredly and with a stick, that said he, unlike other MD sufferers, can still walk and while he can I think he should! He at the moment is working longer and harder hours that he has ever done in his life and all so often comes home, eats and either works more or falls asleep in front of the TV. THAT IS NO LIFE! So my bossy hat went on and I declared that we were going to start going for a walk after dinner a couple of nights a week. So tonight we did just that we wandered up North Grange Road, down by The Ridge, along Wood Lane onto Alma Road and ended up enjoying a pint in Arcadia, which was a lovely way to spend the evening. We were home by 9pm and he was obviously refreshed as he the stayed awake till bedtime and didn’t doze off into one of those awful ‘sofa snoozes’ which I actually think are really bad for your natural sleep patterns. One down √ job done!

Thursday turned out to be a monumental day for me. Regular readers of my blog will know what a royalist I am and how much I love my Queen. Well on Thursday she came to Leeds on her Jubilee Tour. I’d known for weeks she was coming and had got the fine details from the Evening Post, so by 8am I was in place at the top of Briggate just opposite Swan Street. As she came out of The City Varieties she headed straight to where I was standing (tactically positioned next to a group of school children) She stopped right in front of me and stared at my T shirt, the one from our show earlier this year, and as she looked at me I lost the power of rational thought and all words vacated my brain, I have since thought of so many things I could have said, however to the total amusement of everyone who knows me the only words that came out were ‘God bless you your Majesty’ Not, contrary to my Raison D’etre and his Dick Van-Dyke/Mary Poppins interpretation of the phrase, said in a cheeky chappie cockney accent. The woman was awesome she had such a presence that all the people around where I was ended up in tears. I genuinely meant it though, may God truly bless her.

Along comes Saturday. Now all you Brits out there will know what a glorious summer we are having this year!!!!! (Laughs ironically!) To say it has rained a little is the biggest understatement since someone said the bankers are a bit untrustworthy! It has rained here in biblical proportions and even I, who loves summer rain, am well and truly sick of it. So when I woke up to sunshine I was inspired - on with the kit and off I went. I managed 6 miles out to Adel and back. I wanted to go further but I knew I had things to do so I came home. My legs and breathing are still not yet back at 100% after my cold but I am optimistic that with a lot of PMA and frequent opportunities to run I will be match fit by September. I was not quick today my best mile was a slow 11:13 but I did it and that is what counts.

Later that evening we went to a surprise dinner for my BGF’s 25^th wedding anniversary. Her daughter had arranged a dinner in Leeds where all the close family and friends turned up as a surprise to the couple who just thought they were going out with their children. This included her sister and nephews from Ireland who had said they could not get over for the weekend! So the picture on her face, once she had squinted and realised just who she was looking at was priceless. Sunday was spent with the same people at a pre-arranged BBQ. Consequently copious amounts of alcohol were consumed on Saturday and a little less on Sunday along with tottering about on 4inch heels this was not the best pre-run preparation so by the time Monday came I needed to run to start a body cleanse.

Monday morning I set off up the street at the same time as my raison D’etre for work I went right he went left …to open the Hall gates. He then passed me about 5 minutes later and tooted as he went off to the world of work. I am now on summer holiday and have no work till September and no money till October! However what I do have is 6 clear weeks in front of me to get myself ready for September 16^th. I am beginning to get excited now as all around me the nation is thinking sport. Bradley Wiggins just did awesome things in France on his bike, the world athletes are beginning to arrive for the Olympics, this week I am volunteering at the Chinese athlete’s camp, next week I will be at the Olympics as we have tickets J then it is full speed ahead with my running schedule. So watch this space for how it is all going.

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.

Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: Olympic Torches and Summer Colds

Following a fat, unfit 50 year old to fitness!: Olympic Torches and Summer Colds: Saturday 14 th June                                       Monday 16 th June                       Distance: 2:50 mile                ...

Olympic Torches and Summer Colds

Saturday 14^th June                                    Monday 16^th June                     

Distance: 2:50 mile                                   Distance: 2.14                          
Time: 35:29 min                                      Time: 28:47                    
Avg Speed: 4:23 mph                                Avg Speed: 4:45mph
Avg Pace: 14:11min/mile                           Avg Pace: 13:28
Calories Burned: 442                                 Calories Burned: 386

Friday….Oh goodness gracious me! How hard was that? I have not run for 20 days due to having a rancid summer head cold that had rendered me snotty to say the least. I have suffered all my life with colds that, I think, may also be hay fever linked as well. That said I have just not had the breathing ability to run let alone the leg power. So today was so hard. As I was not working today and have a busy Saturday planned I decided to go this morning. I got up with my raison D’etre and left him working at home for an hour before he left for the office. I did not go far as I knew I was struggling. I managed to run the first mile then walk/ran the rest. I set off up the Otley Road and then realised that I was in danger of bumping into a lot of ex-pupils on their way to Lawnswood School. Now much as I love my ex-pupils….. I don’t want to see them early morning whilst wearing leggings, running kit and bounding along with a red face on wobbly legs!! So I diverted along Glenn Road and headed home managing only 2.5 miles. I have almost finished term now and only have one definite work day booked in, so my intent is to increase the number of times a week that I run and slowly build up the mileage again. It was a hard run, I struggled. I also bumped into a few friendly faces. There was one friendly runner, a neighbour on her way to work and my ‘little’ chum Ashley who I normally see doing his paper round on a Saturday morning. When I say ‘paper round’ clear your head of the image of a chirpy, whistling chap on his bike. Not our boy Ash he is chauffeured by his devoted mum who gets up at 6.30am with him to do his round, although in fairness to the boy I have seen how many papers he actually delivers and he would need a huge trailer attached to his bike in order to transport them. Saw him (not doing papers) today and felt I had to run, once past him, just to justify putting on my kit! So thanks for the inspiration Ash.

My second run recorded on this blog is Monday. Morning world, no work today so a run it is. I waved my beloved Raison D’etre off to work and got on my running shoes. Was not sure where to go, my usual up the street and left route was beckoning but as on Friday I did not want to pass past pupils. I did contemplate going right and heading down to Hyde Park. I almost instinctively turned left and headed up the Otley Road. The car fumes were horrendous so at an opportune moment I turned left off the Otley Road and up towards Beckets Park. I went up round the park and then headed down towards the Headingley Stadium and home just a short little 2.13miles today which was about all I was up to. My breathing was not good due to the lingering remnants of my cold, stodgy car fumes and just to irritate me further the men from the council were out cutting the grass verges and the grass smell triggered my tear ducts and cough reflex so there was tightness in my breathing that hindered my progress. My legs were a tad heavy today and I never really got going so I just headed home. Felt good because I had been, but I need to get out more this week and build up for my Saturday run. Think I may add a swimming trip into the mix this week too.

  

When I last wrote, it was the weekend of the Olympic Torch relay through Headingley. I had volunteered to be a ‘Torch Ambassador’ which basically meant that I was to act as an information point for the crowd and help in marshalling the onlookers. In a ‘summer’ (I use the term summer in its loosest sense) that has seen more rain than a South East Asian monsoon season it was a delight to turn out on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The sun shine meant that many people turned out and Headingley saw thousands of people lining the route. The whole thing was fabulous and there was a wonderful carnival atmosphere. All those doom merchants who are dissing the Olympics and saying that the Brits don’t care are, quite frankly wrong. People are excited and just like the crowds I met at the Jubilee; people have a sense of occasion and feel that they want to see it because we won’t see it again in our lifetime. The organisers of London 2012 have done a FAB job, sending the torch around the country was a brilliant idea it has enabled people to feel part of the whole event. I am lucky as I have tickets for the Olympics. I applied for many but only got one event …. Beach Volleyball! My Raison D’etre is extremely excited about the possibility of sun baked Brazilian/Australian/Californian beauties in their bikini sports kit bouncing around on Horse Guards Parade! Me I am hoping it is teams of buff Australian/ Brazilian/Californian boys in their speedo sports kit strutting around on Horse Guards Parade! Then last week I got an email saying more tickets for other events have been released so having had these emails before and tried and failed to get more I was not optimistic but none the less I went through all the steps and joy of joys I scored some tickets in the Olympic Park for hockey. I am so excited for many reasons 1) I love hockey and have turned a mean stick myself in the past. 2) The venue is in the Olympic Park so I will be able to have a good wander around all the park sites and just soak up the atmosphere. 3) It is for men’s hockey. 4) It’s the bloody Olympics!! How fab is that?

The one venue I really wanted to get into was the pool and I have applied on more than one occasion for tickets for the aquatic centre but to no avail. Then this week my son and heir (who I might add has tickets for all the major athletics events.. jammy little bugger) rang to say that his long suffering girlfriend and her sister can no longer go to the aquatics centre for the Paralympic swimming when Ellie Simmonds is competing, did I want to go? Did I want to go? DID I WANT TO GO? What a question of course I want to go. I intend to have an awesome Olympics and will watch as much as I can on TV as I love the whole spectacle and admire the commitment, dedication and discipline that these super humans endure. I bow my head in humble respect to their awesomeness. I have volunteered to help at the Chinese base camp here in Leeds as the whole Chinese squad have chosen Leeds as their training base and I will be there helping out and hopefully getting a glimpse of the remarkable athletes that China produces.

So in closing this very humble and far from awesome but still committed athlete reminds you all of why I am doing all of this. 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.



Thank you for your support.