Head,Heart and Legs in Unison

Saturday 11^th August                Monday 13^th August         Wednesday 15^th August

Distance: 6:02miles                 Distance: 2:00miles         Distance: 1:15miles

Time: 1:25:07 min                   Time:  27:29min              Time:  14:07min
Avg 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 18^th August

Distance:7:13miles

Time:1:47:29
Avg 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, 3^rd 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 16^th September when the Great North Run takes place. I have been on my little training venture since 1^st 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