Its not often I'll positively recommend a company but the placed the GUCH Walking Club stayed this weekend was so good I'll make an exception!
http://www.closetotheedgepeakdistrictaccommodation.co.uk/accommodation.aspx
Centrally located, very nicely equipped, warm (almost too warm for some GUCHs!) and not outrageously priced.
Anyway on to the walking - this was the end of my 2 weeks recovery from my marathon distance exploits - so the last 2 weeks have been 2 night time 5kms and a 5 mile stroll.
The Peak District is where the GWC started, and going back is always an absolute joy - getting there with one a day early also means that as well as a long walk to a couple of my favourite walking shops (14km) I could tailor a walk just for them... ok, slightly extended by the stepping stones over the Derwent being underwater, but still tailored to their wants.
Then it was off to another GWC favourite - Chatsworth House - a good solid 7km around the woods (no cabinet ministers this year though!), seeing the aqueduct that feeds the gravity fountain and then undoing the good work with a pasty!
I'll be sending the recipe for the GWC pork and peppered cheese to the CHF for their recipe book - as its easy to cook, tasty (and its not just me who says so) and just what you need to warm your innards! http://www.childrens-heart-fed.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/75881/Cookbook_poster_Final.pdf
Continuing the theme of food, the Sunday breakfast was award winning sausages, Chatsworth cured bacon and sauteed potatoes... The GWC may walk, but we also eat!
A gentle potter and then it was off home - another good weekend had, with plenty of plans for the next 2 years.
TTFN
Paul
Time Left to complete 1000km
Distance Completed - 1000km is the target
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Sunday, 8 November 2009
sometimes its all about confidence...
A better week - I'm now 38... and got 3 decent runs in - 3 runs that I was able to smile through and enjoy...
The first 5 km, was in the dark - work got in the way of a lunchtime jog, so around the the local part did I take my partner in crime - nice and gentle, avoiding the pot holes and dog mess by the force (or the smell!).
The second was a case of "charge the bl**dy GPS watch if you want to know how fast you've been" - the route is 5 miles, and on Thursday it was a very very wet 5 miles - probably took just over an hour.
Friday was Xmas shopping - almost all done:-)
Saturday was the dreaded day itself, and with an eye to what I did today (actually with no eye to it at all) I had a fry up, burritos and then sausage and mash - well its your birthday only once a year!
So an evening at the Liverpool Catholic Cathedral - don't worry, no sudden conversion! Carmen Barina... No, I had no idea whatever until a more classically minded friend said it was the full version of the music from The Omen!
All good fun, and then there was today... One of the issues I face is my little demons sitting on my shoulder and telling me what I can't do... The voice of many a PE teacher, the odd doctor and so on over 30 years telling me what I can't do... And so I occasionally need to do the distance just to prove that I can do it...
So off I set today to do 26.2 miles, the watch was set up to give me 7hours and 30 if I kept to the pace... However, I turned around after walking the 1st 13.1miles and felt remarkably good and saw that there was a outside chance of bringing it in under 7 hours... all that it would take is about 5 miles of running in the last 10... After 16miles, not the best of prospects but it was a go-er...
And it went well - dragging the last 500m at a run was a little tiring, but work - 6:59:43 isn't much under 7, but it is under 7:-)
So confidence is built, I have 28 weeks to shave 30 min off this time to finish before the close the gates at Edinburgh.... And if you believe that I'm going to be happy with only knocking 30min off you haven't read enough into this blog!
and the run - here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/18315557
Right off to find the deep heat!
TTFN
Paul
The first 5 km, was in the dark - work got in the way of a lunchtime jog, so around the the local part did I take my partner in crime - nice and gentle, avoiding the pot holes and dog mess by the force (or the smell!).
The second was a case of "charge the bl**dy GPS watch if you want to know how fast you've been" - the route is 5 miles, and on Thursday it was a very very wet 5 miles - probably took just over an hour.
Friday was Xmas shopping - almost all done:-)
Saturday was the dreaded day itself, and with an eye to what I did today (actually with no eye to it at all) I had a fry up, burritos and then sausage and mash - well its your birthday only once a year!
So an evening at the Liverpool Catholic Cathedral - don't worry, no sudden conversion! Carmen Barina... No, I had no idea whatever until a more classically minded friend said it was the full version of the music from The Omen!
All good fun, and then there was today... One of the issues I face is my little demons sitting on my shoulder and telling me what I can't do... The voice of many a PE teacher, the odd doctor and so on over 30 years telling me what I can't do... And so I occasionally need to do the distance just to prove that I can do it...
So off I set today to do 26.2 miles, the watch was set up to give me 7hours and 30 if I kept to the pace... However, I turned around after walking the 1st 13.1miles and felt remarkably good and saw that there was a outside chance of bringing it in under 7 hours... all that it would take is about 5 miles of running in the last 10... After 16miles, not the best of prospects but it was a go-er...
And it went well - dragging the last 500m at a run was a little tiring, but work - 6:59:43 isn't much under 7, but it is under 7:-)
So confidence is built, I have 28 weeks to shave 30 min off this time to finish before the close the gates at Edinburgh.... And if you believe that I'm going to be happy with only knocking 30min off you haven't read enough into this blog!
and the run - here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/18315557
Right off to find the deep heat!
TTFN
Paul
Sunday, 1 November 2009
A 37 years and 51 weeks blog - AKA why am I doing this?
Or so I've been told...
The running is slowly, and hopefully surely, picking up - to test (probably to destruction) my base fitness next weekend I'll be walking 40km - the walk I did a little while ago, so flat and fast, but this time turning around at one end and coming back.
Just to add to the commitment levels needed to do this, it'll be the day after my 38th birthday. So limited alcohol (1 pint and a short) and healthy eating on my birthday - oh well I'll make up for it before hand.
I was always told by my Mother that I had surgery on my birthday (not quite true, but close enough!) so its a time I always sit back and reflect on things...
Doubly so this year as it would seem that this challenge, and the awareness raising, isn't being loved by all. Recently its been suggested that I'm doing this for publicity for me, and that hurts. It also prompts me to sit in the gym, and wonder if its true...
I don't think it is, if it was the people who've commented on this blog, on the Heartlines messageboard, the GUCHs who commented wouldn't have been so positive. But still the doubt remains in me, am I fooling myself...
And then I look back over the last 4 months and remember all of the miles trodden, the number of people I've spoken to face-2-face, via twitter, facebook or while striding across the plinth and the number of people who've contacted me when my ugly mug, or even worse sweaty body, has appeared in various magazines and asked about where they can get support and help for themselves or for their kids...
I also look back at all the stuff that most people don't see; the trustee meetings on CHF, the monthly ECHG (the european GUCH meetings), the planning that goes into events for GUCH PA, the papers read and written, and telephone conferences... and reckon that if I was vainglorious enough to be doing all this for the greater glory of me, then I'm damn fool for doing so many things for which there is no glory!
The one aspect of this accusation I will agree with is that there is something in this for me - its a personal challenge, a commitment from me to get from A-B by walking and running 1000km and I'll enjoy as many of those kilometres as I can!
Think that's officially a rant... so back to the running
A week disjointed thanks to a cold in my nose, which is still lingering... But 12km done, indoors and out so just enough to keep my system ticking over for the coming week!
TTFN
Paul
The running is slowly, and hopefully surely, picking up - to test (probably to destruction) my base fitness next weekend I'll be walking 40km - the walk I did a little while ago, so flat and fast, but this time turning around at one end and coming back.
Just to add to the commitment levels needed to do this, it'll be the day after my 38th birthday. So limited alcohol (1 pint and a short) and healthy eating on my birthday - oh well I'll make up for it before hand.
I was always told by my Mother that I had surgery on my birthday (not quite true, but close enough!) so its a time I always sit back and reflect on things...
Doubly so this year as it would seem that this challenge, and the awareness raising, isn't being loved by all. Recently its been suggested that I'm doing this for publicity for me, and that hurts. It also prompts me to sit in the gym, and wonder if its true...
I don't think it is, if it was the people who've commented on this blog, on the Heartlines messageboard, the GUCHs who commented wouldn't have been so positive. But still the doubt remains in me, am I fooling myself...
And then I look back over the last 4 months and remember all of the miles trodden, the number of people I've spoken to face-2-face, via twitter, facebook or while striding across the plinth and the number of people who've contacted me when my ugly mug, or even worse sweaty body, has appeared in various magazines and asked about where they can get support and help for themselves or for their kids...
I also look back at all the stuff that most people don't see; the trustee meetings on CHF, the monthly ECHG (the european GUCH meetings), the planning that goes into events for GUCH PA, the papers read and written, and telephone conferences... and reckon that if I was vainglorious enough to be doing all this for the greater glory of me, then I'm damn fool for doing so many things for which there is no glory!
The one aspect of this accusation I will agree with is that there is something in this for me - its a personal challenge, a commitment from me to get from A-B by walking and running 1000km and I'll enjoy as many of those kilometres as I can!
Think that's officially a rant... so back to the running
A week disjointed thanks to a cold in my nose, which is still lingering... But 12km done, indoors and out so just enough to keep my system ticking over for the coming week!
TTFN
Paul
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Why I do the events I do
I was asked an interesting question by a mate at work today... Why do I pick the events I do?
It comes down to 2 or 3 things...
First will I enjoy them - yes despite all at pain, injuries, time and cost (of which more later) I do this for enjoyment and to keep myself fit and sane
Classic examples - Santa Dash, local 5 and 10 k
Second are those which are a "challenge", where its not just turn up and run but I have to plan for the training and build up to
Classic Examples - Great North Run, Liverpool, long distance walks
New example - Edinburgh Marathon, other Marathons...
Third are the ones that capture my imagination... No rhyme or reason, they just gel with my mojo...
like this one https://shine.cancerresearchuk.org/ - the idea of walking all night to do a marathon, no running allowed, just makes me smile.
I've also asked how I'm paying for all of my events - simply I'm paying for them, and my equipment (other than a couple of logo'd running vests) all of my travel and hotel costs are out of my pocket - so anything you donate goes straight to the CHF.
So what next - 2 weeks off (other than climbing Snowdon, swimming twice, climbing 3 times) and my legs are feeling a lot better. So its off to Cambridge to work out the routes for the GUCH PA awareness event in Feb - staying with good friends and seeing a town I've never seen before:-)
Why now, because to deliver a safe event for everyone we'll be checking out the locations for meeting up with each other, working out the routes of the walk, mapping these in such a way that we can clear them with the local council and police.
TTFN
Paul
It comes down to 2 or 3 things...
First will I enjoy them - yes despite all at pain, injuries, time and cost (of which more later) I do this for enjoyment and to keep myself fit and sane
Classic examples - Santa Dash, local 5 and 10 k
Second are those which are a "challenge", where its not just turn up and run but I have to plan for the training and build up to
Classic Examples - Great North Run, Liverpool, long distance walks
New example - Edinburgh Marathon, other Marathons...
Third are the ones that capture my imagination... No rhyme or reason, they just gel with my mojo...
like this one https://shine.cancerresearchuk.org/ - the idea of walking all night to do a marathon, no running allowed, just makes me smile.
I've also asked how I'm paying for all of my events - simply I'm paying for them, and my equipment (other than a couple of logo'd running vests) all of my travel and hotel costs are out of my pocket - so anything you donate goes straight to the CHF.
So what next - 2 weeks off (other than climbing Snowdon, swimming twice, climbing 3 times) and my legs are feeling a lot better. So its off to Cambridge to work out the routes for the GUCH PA awareness event in Feb - staying with good friends and seeing a town I've never seen before:-)
Why now, because to deliver a safe event for everyone we'll be checking out the locations for meeting up with each other, working out the routes of the walk, mapping these in such a way that we can clear them with the local council and police.
TTFN
Paul
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
The die is cast... well the money spent, and the training plan half worked out!
And so the fates have decided...
My first marathon will be next spring, and will be in 215 days, 23rd May in Edinburgh.
Part of me is happy, part of me is going "OH MY GOD AM I REALLY THAT MAD"!!! To which the answer is yes, I probably am.
30weeks is a long time, and should be enough for me to lift my game again to take it from doing half marathons to doing full ones. Oddly, I'm more worried about managing the type II diabetes than the heart... Mainly cos I can feel and even on occasion hear my heart and know when to slow down, the diabetes is invidious, I can't feel my blood glucose being too high if I over correct.
So wish my diabetic nurse well, she's going to earn her crust in a couple of weeks:-)
TTFN
Paul
My first marathon will be next spring, and will be in 215 days, 23rd May in Edinburgh.
Part of me is happy, part of me is going "OH MY GOD AM I REALLY THAT MAD"!!! To which the answer is yes, I probably am.
30weeks is a long time, and should be enough for me to lift my game again to take it from doing half marathons to doing full ones. Oddly, I'm more worried about managing the type II diabetes than the heart... Mainly cos I can feel and even on occasion hear my heart and know when to slow down, the diabetes is invidious, I can't feel my blood glucose being too high if I over correct.
So wish my diabetic nurse well, she's going to earn her crust in a couple of weeks:-)
TTFN
Paul
Sunday, 18 October 2009
A rather large hill:-)
Snowdon, a hill I've done before... But only once and the next 6 times I've been rained, snowed and clouded off! However, yesterday was near perfect conditions for a jolly little romp up the Pyg track and down the Miner's track.
With the carpark being full if was an extra couple of kilometers from the the cars to the top and most importantly more ascent!!!
Up and down is just under 7hours isn't bad, though my legs were complaining all the way up that they had done a lot the last couple of weeks, and wouldn't move out of second gear until on the flat coming back along the Causeway.
Throw in a 6km gentle stroll this morning and I've hit the 30% mark - 300km. My legs are feeling this months efforts (a halfmarathon, a 10km and training in between) so another gentle week coming up - all day climbing tomorrow, swimming on Wednesday and then off to Cambridge to map out and plan the GUCH PA awareness event for next February.
TTFN
Paul
With the carpark being full if was an extra couple of kilometers from the the cars to the top and most importantly more ascent!!!
Up and down is just under 7hours isn't bad, though my legs were complaining all the way up that they had done a lot the last couple of weeks, and wouldn't move out of second gear until on the flat coming back along the Causeway.
Throw in a 6km gentle stroll this morning and I've hit the 30% mark - 300km. My legs are feeling this months efforts (a halfmarathon, a 10km and training in between) so another gentle week coming up - all day climbing tomorrow, swimming on Wednesday and then off to Cambridge to map out and plan the GUCH PA awareness event for next February.
TTFN
Paul
Sunday, 11 October 2009
It's not all about running... seriously
Well, the rest week begins!!!!
It was the GUCH Annual conference this weekend, a chance to catch up with old friends and tell tall tales. To meet the people who inspire me to try new things, to keep doing what I do... If I ever do one of these drunk I may even name names...
However, for now, just enjoy the fun!
TTFN
Paul
It was the GUCH Annual conference this weekend, a chance to catch up with old friends and tell tall tales. To meet the people who inspire me to try new things, to keep doing what I do... If I ever do one of these drunk I may even name names...
However, for now, just enjoy the fun!
TTFN
Paul
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