Strengthening the Core and Disappointing News

As I am serious about completing this marathon I have decided to take the advice of my Jogging Guru and do some regular exercises to strengthen the core of this aging body of mine. ( I am 52 and remain determined to be jogging cycling and even kayaking till I am physically unable to do so.)

Like me you may be wondering why it is important to strengthen the core.

 ' Core exercises train the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony. This leads to better balance and stability, whether on the playing field or in daily activities. In fact, most sports and other physical activities depend on stable core muscles.'

And this is why I have bought the exercise ball. I will do a quick warm up with a little bit of skipping, as recommended by another fit friend, and then roll around on the ball.

The London Marathon is on April 21st, the good news is that I am rest day, the bad news is that I am nights on the Saturday. I will finish at 7 am so hopefully I will be able to get the day off.

So my cunning exercise plan is  - 40 mins exercise and then a walk into town. A brisk walk and hopefully this will all help prepare this body for running without injury. Wifey has left me for a few days to go on holiday with her parents. The bad news is that my eating has gone to pot. To protect me She lovingly hid the tin of chocolates we kept for visitors. 

After much effort I found the tin of roses and then regretted my actions. I overdosed on coffee creams and went into a chocolate induced coma.

14.45

Whilst rotating my hips the mobile rang and it was H from the HDA. She was very apologetic but she informed me I did not get a place in the Marathon. I am surprised at how disappointed I am. I assumed, because of my unique fund raising to date I would have got a slot but I assume the spaces went to those who have a track record of raising funds and completing the course. 

I could go for the Luton Marathon. It is considerably easier to get to and there is no pressure on raising funds but it does not feel me with enthusiasm or passion. Bit like Luton - does anyone get excited about going to Luton.

http://www.lutonmarathon.org.uk/

I think my knees are grateful that I have not got the pressure to raise funds as they remain in a slightly swollen state and after the exertions of skipping and the exercise ball they do ache

Oh well, what do I do now. Give it some thought and get back to you.

running when I do not want to

Home life and work life has been very busy and consuming of emotions and strength. Tonight I am due to go to the pub with the boys and the plan was a 10 mile run. I am not up to that, I just want to eat, watch the iplayer and be picked up. So my compromise is the 6 mile run to the pub. I just do not want to do it but feel if I am serious about the marathon it is days like this I need to push my self out the door.

I do not have my camera as wifey has taken it with her on holiday with her parents. So there will be no pictorial record. Just my words. It is nearly 7 pm and dark so I need to get changed and go.

"But I don't want to?"

"Just do it! and run like Dutch, a fast pace"

"Okay."


3 October 2012

I ran 2.5 mile last night at a quick pace from a friends house and today I have a trustees meeting the other side of town so I thought I'd run the 6 miles there and have a hair cut on route. I need to be there for 12 so may try and increase the mileage. I am not disciplined in my training schedule as I am due to do a 10 mile run but this is the best I can do with my busy life.

( The 6 mile run to the pub did not work out because after half a mile I checked for my keys and they were missing. I assumed the worst and that my fast striding run had caused them to pop out my back pocket. Thankfully after a slow jog back with eyes fixed on the pavement I found the keys left in the door. It was so late I had to ask for a lift.)

I am sure you are thinking, "A trustee, what charity is this?"

It is discovery centre - a children and young peoples training centre in Uganda. I am sure you want to know more so please check the web site out. (Please note the Olympic Marathon Champion is from Uganda.)

http://www.discoverycentres.org.uk/introductionpage.htm

I have taken Cod Liver Oil capsules and Glucosamine Sulphate  capsules as together I hope they will support my knees joint health and comfort and make flexible my 51 year old body. I will keep you informed on my flexibility and knee pain. 


16.00 I have returned after the 6 mile run aching but okay. My hips do ache as I jog along. I think, as I mentioned before, I need to strengthen my core muscles. I must start getting into the routine of using that ball. Perhaps this evening.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bl_core.htm

When I got to the meeting room other attendees asked if I had a shower. I didn't need to I said - good use of baby wipes and clean set of clothes should suffice. And if I did smell it was not my problem.

And I do feel so good after my run. It is all worth it, but it takes me about 3 miles to get into the routine. I do not use ipods but just think and pray. It helps me relax. Be interested to know if anyone else has similar experiences. Tomorrow it will be the regular 4 miler with photos.

The pain of a long distance runner

It never ceases to amaze me how time goes so quickly. It is over a week since my last blog and I have returned to the carb diet with vengeance. It is a shame that I have to eat to much of a good thing. However the good news is that I am continuing to run.

On Thursday I took my son in law Pete for my favourite 4 mile run. It was a good time and I pushed myself after the run with Dutch a few days earlier. I feel there is a need to increase my pace, not only to burn the calories but to reduce the time out on the road.

Then on Monday 24 Sept I did a nine mile run. It was on this cold windy day that I had my first experience of a chaffed nipple and man was it painful. Why do men have nipples anyway. I blame the soreness on the  Ugandan football top I was wearing. I bought it in a market in Jinga Uganda last year and I was promised that it was a genuine Adidas shirt.

Apart from the sore nips I also had a recurrence of the dreaded JT's. It was a difficult run as as well as the pain in the chest I was stung, by nettles, in places that one should not be stung.

I was pleased that after the nine mile jog I did stretches and the next day was able to do a brisk 3 mile walk. I carried shopping from town so was unable to jog.

 Tonight I will do a run. A quick four miles. I haven't applied for the Bedford Half Marathon. This is something I must do prior to the next blog

22.39 hrs

Just completed my 5 mile run in 50 mins. That is, according to my calculations 10 min miles. Which is not that bad. My time was reduced as I helped a teenager who was riding his brand new scooter (mod like) and dropped it going round a corner. I heard a bang and ran to his assistance, actually ran quicker. He seemed more concerned about scratching his bike than anything else, so after a few words of wisdom, don't corner too fast or else you'll fall, I continued on my jog. There is little likelihood of my cornering too fast.

I need to change the title of my blog.

Last couple of days I have been suffering from the Saturday morning run with aching thighs. Despite the pain I have been doing short runs. 

I did the usual run and took photograph at the same location which I will hopefully make into a calendar for the year 2013.

Today despite being a rest day I went for a 3 mile run with my mate Dutch. It will do no harm I thought but Dutch's pace is a lot faster than mine and it was a hard work out. This made me think that perhaps my running programme is a bit soft. I jog the distance but do not work hard enough on the run and this may be the way to lose weight

And with regards to weight I am now at 12 st 8 and after two days I have given up on the Wifey diet. My flesh is too strong and my spirt is too weak. After an essential trip to Tesco's I gorged on a pasty and packet of cheese and onion crisps. And later that evening I drank a pint of beer three cheese rolls and packet of steak crisps. I am on a seefood diet. I see food and eat it and hopefully with the quicker pace the weight will come off.

On the run the highways agency kindly placed a speed detector outside tesco which, although did not record our speed, gave us something to play with. The man inside the landrover did not seem too impressed but we provided a few minutes distraction on what must have been a boring day.

Please note my speed is 19 miles an hour which is record breaking pace for the marathon.

And concerning the marathon I am going to apply for the Bedford half marathon that takes place on the 9 December.

Tomorrow I will rest and on Wednesday my son in law will be here so the CT training will be kayaking. Kayaking to a pub and eating carbs. 

Fatigue and Failure and Fortitude

Well here I am after 3 days away with Wifey and daughter no2.  I did not do the 7 mile run, I did not even get close. And on a trip to Gatwick and Hastings I took my running gear in the case and that is where it remained. I gorged on carbs and by the time I returned home on the scales I was 12.11 stone.

Instead of running I slept on the beach and planned jogging and diet programmes.

So returning home I put behind me the excesses of the last few weeks and went for a 7.8 mile run. I completed 6 laps of a 1.3 mile route planned near my home. This was in response to the dreaded JT's and it was a good plan. I made life a lot easier although stopping did add time to the run. I took me 1hr 20 mins ish to complete the run. Not good but I did manage an run of approaching 8 miles. Next weekend it is an 8 mile run and the plan now is to do the run after working an 7 x 7 shift on Sunday. 

I would go Saturday but I am going to play with my camera that evening.

And whilst jogging around I thought that I would be serious about changing my diet and move to the wifey diet seriously. No real carbs just lots of veg and nuts. Not too sure how this suits a joggers diet plan but I will give it a go and hoping it may reduce the effect of the JT's

And another thing - the mile and a third circuit has a hill on it. Which obviously means I have to run up and then run down it. (The Duke of York principle.) The unfortunate result of this incline is aching thighs. Something I have not experienced for a long time. So a good stretch is essential.

See you later this week with an update on the daily jogs and stretching exercises. I must finish as I am being called to tidy the kitchen.

A Critical Run

This morning is a key day in my training programme for today I am due to run 7 miles. Actually it was due yesterday but I got up late, struggled to put in my contact lenses and Wifey had to drive me to work. I did 2 km on the treadmill, had a shower and lost my watch. (I have just remembered where I put it on the running machine.)

For me 7 miles is a phycological barrier, it is a bloody long way and takes commitment. If I want to do the marathon I need to start putting in long distances. And next week it is 8 miles. 

Using distance calculator I have produced a route and it is quite pretty and interesting and plenty of toilet spots so here we go. 

And I still weigh 12.6 stone. This is so annoying, I strongly believe I am eating less but and exercising more but the fat remains. Even spent an hour sitting on the exercise ball but it is no good. It must be all the rubbish I am eating but this is not my fault I blame the shift work for this. There must be something I can do about this. 

Watch this space

Happy jogging

The Wifey Diet and beyond

28 August 2012

This morning I weighed 12.7 stone. (kilo 80.5) After my carbohydrate binge at the Green Man Syresham  yesterday I am not surprised. So today as I prepare for the marathon I start the wifey diet. Let me explain, after being on antibiotics for a few days my wife lost a lot of the sense of taste and many foodstuffs such as carbohydrates in any form, including bread, became distasteful. So after several weeks living on boiled eggs, yogurt, fruit and veg she has dropped a dress size and states she feels so full of life and healthy.

As I too want to drop a dress size I have decided to follow her example and start taking the antibiotic diet. 



3 September 2012

T

So much for my diet. I still weigh an obstinate 12.5 stone. I must admit I have not truly given up the carbs but I have cut down and I do continue to run but the weight remains the same.  I will persevere!

On Sunday 3 September I went for a six mile run. I really enjoyed it after the first mile. I ran to Mick Billinghams house to give him a mobile phone. I do find it easier to run when I have someone to run with or a task to do. Caroline came to pick me up and hence the photo

I am conscious that the mileage is beginning to increase and next week it is a 7 mile run. The thought of which is quite daunting.  


6 September 2012


Today I am running to work, I am working a rest day so there is no rush to get there early. So as my mentor and inspiration Michael W was off we went for a four mile run. It was good to run with someone. I was concerned about the dreaded joggers trots so I took an imodium before we set off. And thankfully the symptoms were quite minor. I do really need to get this sorted prior to the marathon. 

My weight has gone up to 12.7 stone. I blame working shift work as it disrupts eating, sleeping and running habits. In the early hours it is so difficult not to go on a Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisp feast.

Caroline continues on her diet, not a potato in sight on her plate. I am doing my best but have recently succumed to a french stick with cheese salad filling. 

My next running day will be Sunday. It is a 7 mile run which I plan using Google Distance Calculator, this will done before work, when I start at 9 am. 

.htmhttp://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm


So I have been doing this blog for a couple of weeks, I continue to run well but my diet is not doing well and 12 stone remains an inspiration.