Project ‘Good For Age’ Week 16 of 30
Goal : Automatic Entry Into the London Marathon
How? : Run a 3:15 Mara @ Manchester Mara in April (Current PB 4:45)
First Step : Run a 45 Minute 10k @ Windmill 10k race on 12th November (achieved) (10k time at start of project : 58 mins) www.fyldecoastrunners.com/uploads/5/2/4/9/52490083/w10k3_overallresults_classic.pdf
Next Stop : Blackpool half mara in Feb – Target 1:37 (Current PB 1:58)
First off, happy new year to you!
Hope 2018 brings everything your heart desires!
2018 has not started well for me..
In fact, I am seething with myself right now.
In order to explain why I am ‘seething’ Let me give you a ‘related story’ (go with me on this)….
Imagine, if you will, that one of your friends has just bought a brand new fish tank and filled it with fish.
You go round to his house all excited to see them and whilst he is making you a brew, you deciede it would be a good idea to put your hand into the tank to ‘stroke’ one of the fish..
As soon as your hand goes into the water, a fish swims up to it and bites one of your fingers clean off..
Let me ask you a question…
Next time you go round to his house, would you put your hand back into the tank?
No!….
Of course not..
Only a person with serious mental issues would do that…….right?
So can you tell me why I went out and got pissed on New Years eve?
You see, every single time alcohol touches my lips I want a fag so I go buy some, If it’s a social situation (ie not tins in the house) I don’t just have one pint, I have ten before merrily helping myself to the top shelf, I then end up eating loads of crappy foods and as a result of such debaunchery any exercise scheduled in for the next day gets well and truly binned.
I deciede to give myself the ‘day off’ because I ‘deserve it’ which quickly turns into a weekend off and before I know where I am I’ve had a week off.
Once the party is over I continue to smoke pretty much all week, have a pint whenever I fancy one and eat bad foods because they taste delicious but I tell myself that it’s all OK because I am giving my body ‘a rest’ and anyway, it’s ‘treat week’.
At some point I have an ‘awakening’ (usually when I step onto the scales) and i’m like ‘Rookie what the hell are you doing?’
I finally make my way back onto the treadmill where I instantly regret the shenanigans of the last seven days and always end up saying to myself ‘Why the fuk did you do that?’
But I never learn…
I keep making the same mistake over and over again.
I keep putting my hand into the tank…
‘All of the above’ went down this last week.
That’s twice this has happened during the last 15 weeks.
This is exactly why I turn down any social invitation involving alcohol when I am training for a fitness goal…
But 3 solid days staying with family over new year is enough to drive many a man to drink – that’s why everybody goes to the pub – literally everybody – I mean what else is there to do?
Besides, it was New Years Eve, what am I meant to do, lock myself up like some sort of werewolf?
I would love to know what Farrah does on NYE…
He probably goes for a bloody run at midnight….
Anyhow, here is what happened when I got back onto the mill…..
15k on the mill at target race pace (speed setting 13) – managed 12.5k www.strava.com/activities/1345718490
So the last time I did any running was the Thursday after boxing day, exactly 10 days ago.
That is unacceptable.
Also, as you know, I haven’t exactly been living like ‘Mo’ during that time have I?…
Further, I have started a new job, so this project is no longer a priority, but life has a wonderful habit of getting in the way of your fitness goals, if you let it.
I got on the scales Friday to see them read 13/9 which I was pleased about, this was only 3 pounds over my pre xmas weight, but make no mistake, that diet needs sorting.
I packed in the smokes once again Saturday evening and awoke Sunday nervous but also intrigued as to what would happen when I got back onto the mill.
I couldn’t find one of my trainer socks and for a split second I thought ‘fuk it’ but thankfully I ended up at David Lloyd – I am fairly certain that, had I not gone today, this project would be over.
Anyhow, Fires up the mill and away we go.
The first kilometre was OK, but after that, it was very tough going.
My body, more specifically my muscles, felt alright, but everything else just felt ‘awkward’
I somehow made it to 6.5k at which point I accidently pulled out the emergency cord so the treadmill stopped, which pissed me off.
I then set about a second attempt.
Once I got to 3k (9k overall) that magical feeling of strength flirted with me but it didn’t last long, it was almost if it was saying ‘here is what you could have won’ just like they do on bullseye.
My revised target was to get to 6k on this second session to make 12.5k in total, 3-4k was very tough, 4-5k I was struggling and into the last kilometre I was simply holding on.
The week before xmas I got up to 15k at race pace and it was a far more pleasurable experience.
Thanks to me pressing my self destruct button multiple times over the last 7 days, I only made it to 12.5k today and pleasureable it was not.
To all those who ponder the effect of a ‘treat week’ containing alcohol, smokes and poor diet, let this post be your warning.
But I aint gonna wave the white flag just yet..
It’s still 6 weeks until the Blackpool half Mara in Feb..
A lot can happen in 6 weeks.
One thing is for certain….
Rookie is back in the game…
Next update : 13/01/18
To your amazing journey!
By the way, I have written a book, it’s all about how I went from zero fitness to completing an Ironman triathlon, it’s only just come out but it has got some fantastic reviews already!- you can check them out here: (also available on Amazon in the US but please read the UK reviews first!)
