Well that's a first....

As I've moaned about before this "seasons" training plan has not been as structured or an injury free as I would like or indeed want if my Great North Run time is to be anything like what I would like it to be...

However, sometimes things goes well and it gives me hope... Well, an outside chance. Yesterday was a walk run along the length of the Wirral Peninsula, that's the bit that sticks out between Wales and Liverpool. The track is one of the Beeching lines, now converted into a Sustran's cycle track with a bridalway along the side.

Sustran's are a great charity, committed to making the countryside (and the cities) accessible to those on bikes, unfortunately that means the paths are hard and in the case of the Wirral Way are hardcore with a loose gravel top surface... Great fun to run on... NOT!

Anyway, I walked 10km along the route mainly to make sure that the slight strains ane pulls from the previous week had worked themselves out, but also just because I like the walk.

As an old railway it is slowly reverting to nature, with cuttings looking like something out of Lord of the Rings with the draping ferns.

The cutting is through Triassic sandstone, so some of the formations on the right of the shot are fossilised sand dunes:-)

The plan was always to run a bit, and to see how it felt, so I set the GPS watch up for a 5 miles in 75min, not a fast run for me, but quick enough for a warm and humid lunchtime walk/run... However, for once everything worked well and I ran 5 miles... No breaks, no walking sessions, up and down the gentle undulations of the path. Five whole miles, start to finish, up to now my max has been about 5km, so that's me a happy man!

Although its the first run start to finish its not the fastest I've done - the run walk regime is faster overall but less pleasant on body and soul. So in the 3 weeks I've got left my training plan has got to be quality and not quantity of runs...

3 weeks. GULP...

The 5 miler is here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/12088808

Oh, the rest of the walk - it comes in an exact 20km:-) In 3 hours:-)

TTFN

Paul

Grand days out in the lakes

Well,the book said 10km, 750m ascent and 5 and a half hours... The GPS and my feet said 13km, c1000m ascent and 7 and a bit hours... Hmm, I'm going with my feet! In all honesty the ascent was probably in the middle... So I'll say 850m, based on my get more than anything scientific.

Its the end of a heavy week, 40km ran (not much run to be honest) or walked which given I fitted in 2 lots of climbing, a 40hour week at work and a few hours on the charity side of my life isn't too shabby and explains why I'm zonked out:-)

The walk was a lesser known Lakeland classic, up from Haweswater, via Eagle and Heron Crag up the interesting rocky path with hands on in a couple of places, before the broad open vistas of High Street came under foot. Then it was a case of lunch a stroll along the tops and then dropping down Kidsty Pike to retrace our steps.



For one of my mates its was his first Lakeland walk, and as he was flicking through the book looking for the next one I think he enjoyed it.

For me, well it was hard work, I occassionally get palpitations, normally bought on by yawning or in this case by hacking my lungs up after swallowing a fly... Which sort of cut off the top end of my fitness! However, they faded fairly quickly, though not till after the hard bit of the walk - BLOODY TYPICAL!!!!

Oh and I went arse over tit on the way down, but that's traditional... my bulk and fragile paths do result in edges being destroyed and then tumbles being taken. In this case it was an 8 for artistic intrepretation, and 9 for technical ability!!! No harm done though so all good:-)

Next week will have to be slightly lighter, twinges have been felt and this week has proved to me that I'm fit, if not fast!

TTFN

Paul

To the lakes!

Well, not a lot of it has been run, but by the time I'm off the hills on Saturday there should be the best part of 40km done in a week... so that just leaves speed to get right, in 3 weeks or so!

The rest of the week has been a tad busy to, work is work and has to be done to pay the bills. But start throwing in 2 climbing sessions, outline planning a GUCH PA event, booking a holiday for October and organising my travel for september - currently 1st weekend London, 2nd London, 3rd Newcastle (followed by London for work), then I might have a weekend at home- SHOCK!!!

Anyway enough of my moaning - I have tents and socks to pack

TTFN

Paul

Blurgh... Nasty Run...

There are days when it all works, and days like today when it doesn't...

Ok it was hot and humid, my least favourite of conditions, but the body decided it wasn't willing at all and let me run a couple of K and then walk the rest of the 10km, as a walk it was fine (with the getting to the track and back it came out at 17km).

10 miles in a days not shabby, but any thoughts of a PB at the Great North Run are rapidly going out the window, and keeping it under 3 hours is the revised target (early this year I set my pb at Liverpool of 2:41), which is just a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Anyway, day off exercise tomorrow (despite not being able to run today I have walked 35km the last 3 days) as i need a rest. Runs on Tuesday and Thursday and then a trip to the Lakes at the weekend - taking a mate on his first Lakeland hike a gentle 9 miles up and along High Street:-)

TTFN

Paul

10% up!!! Bad news, good news...

Well, I'm past the 100km mark... Which feels damn good!

The last week has been about making sure the back is fine and recovering from the plinth exploits and not rushing straight back into a heavy training program and doing myself a mischief.

All of which is laudable, but don't have drag! So yesterday I walked to the climbing wall and back, which was a nice 10km, laden with climbing gear and today I went out to test how resistant my new water resistant walking trousers (8km), so 18km in 2 days, not fast but at what a friend calls a purposeful pace (11min km's).

Anyway apart from the exercise, its been a fun week - for the first time ever I'm front page news!!! I've also been in the local evening paper twice and work are running my exploits in the in-house magazine. And I've had the first touch of fame, when someone asked if I was the bloke off the paper.... So seems its working:-)

Its also been a week of mixed emotions, Peter a GUCH from Denmark who I knew through the european conferences died earlier in the week and as ever the GUCH's who knew him are pulling together to remember him for who he was. On the positive side Kieran is going from strength to strength and his transplant so far seems to be working well, and a heart kid has come through his surgery ok - Harrison is a star and its for kids like him that I started this challenge - his talk at the House of Commons said everything about why heart kids should be allowed to take part far better than I can http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWx4ZiKKJM

TTFN

Paul

It's all just got rather real...

Some things are nice surprises... like getting an extra afternoon with your girlfriend. Other's are more of a slap around the face with a wet kipper...

The Great North Run information pack, race number and chip have arrived - I'm number 9722, in a fetching green. So now every mile I do is focused on getting my ever growing backside around 13.1 miles as quickly as possible.

My target is something c2:45... That's 4 minutes slower than my PB but with 50,000 people running even I get caught up in traffic. Getting close to that is going to take a lot of effort over the next couple of weeks, even though my quality runs have been on target for that sort of time the lack of long runs due to the cold and the back is going to be hard graft for the next 5 weeks!

Ho Hum, off to Birmingham tomorrow for the Heart Care Partnership trustees meeting and AGM - the HCP is the patient wing of the British Cardiac Society, and occasionally the medics get me, or other GUCHs and even kids, telling them about what we want!

So, I'm off to check my train times and plot my runs for the weekend

TTFN

Paul

1st "milestone" reached

Well, its was a blast. From being taken up in the cherry picker to the texts (rude and amusing) from my friends to the interest from others and the fact that some awareness raising is happening - the Liverpool Echo has run one story http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/08/08/bootle-man-will-take-to-antony-gormley-plinth-dressed-as-giant-broken-heart-100252-24347048/ and might be doing a follow up today and one of the running magazines is interested.

However this is only the start, I've done another kilometre on the plinth - trust me that 1150m that should get bonus points as it's quite a small space to pace and up and down!



I also prattled on for the best part of an hour about why I'm doing this year and what I'm raising awareness of... and making the point that I'm specifically raising awareness of the need to allow us with heart defects to partake in school sports.

If you want to hear my witterings the full hour is here: http://www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/PaulWillgoss

So the next event - I'll be doing the Great North Run on 20th Sept, and hopefully taking some of the CHF trustees out for jog before the Federation day (12th Sept) - now that could be a sight to see!

I said on the plinth, and I do mean it if there is an event near you you think it'd be good for me to take part in, esp if you can get the message in the press, then let me know. I can't give promises that I'll make it to everyone but I will try!

TTFN

Paul

Getting there...

The back is easing - best part of a week off and rather than rush it back I took it for a gentle stroll this evening - 5 miles in an hour and a half. No bad reactions, so all good for starting to move a bit faster next week... As long as it stays comfy on the trains trip to London then it'll be back to a normal training pattern :-)

My mate who had the transplant is doing well - early days but is awake, hungry, moving a little and complaining about the things he should be... lack of food, needing a shave etc!

At various points in the year I'm hoping to get the CHD community to act as one to make people realise what we go through, and why awareness is important - so if you want to please leave a comment here: http://www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/PaulWillgoss

TTFN

Paul

of back ache and friends

I sometimes wish i wasn't so sensible, the vague plan was to get up to about 10% in time for the plinth, which would've meant doing a decent length run today. However, my little 5km on Thursday has jarred my back... Hopefully nothing major, just enough to make thumping my size 11's down less than comfortable.

Bugger... Oh well, I'll finish off the heart today or tomorrow and dig out my neoprene lumber support out for the office... That'll scare people, me in neoprene in the office:-)

Oh well, has given me the chance to catch up with a decent space opera - think the written version of Star Trek, and have a relaxing day after a friends birthday celebrations yesterday.

The friend, and most of the gang out were GUCHs and we all were a little on tenterhooks as one of the nicest people we know had a transplant on Friday. His wife, one of the other nicest people I know has been keeping us up to date on his progress and so far its been fine - even if he seems to have missed Thai fact that he had the op...

When I say Kieran is one the nicest people I know its not just hyperbole, and the sort of bull people spout whenever someone goes in hospital, its the truth. He may have the unfortunate affliction of being a Spurs fan, but he's a good enough bloke that I can forgive that - which as a Gooner is a big ask;-)

He's one of those people who inspire others to do great things; his madcap drive around the country raising money for GUCH PA, his support for the GUCH Walking Club by being our webmaster and also popping up at places on walks - the sight of him waving Union Jacks as a footsore and weary group of walkers reached the Houses of Parliament lifted the spirits to get us up to the finish line and beyond.

The next days and weeks are going to be tough work for him, but all being well his selection of truly dire jokes will soon be appearing on the GUCH messageboard, and by all that I cherish I hope they appear soon.

Plinth in 6 days!!!!