No. Not a crime. Today's the day I'm committing to doing this challenge. It's three months to go and my training is going well. Various long distance hilly, slow and steady jaunts in the bag. The knee is holding up. Back-to-backs and triple back-to-backs planned. 190 miles ticked off in February. Quite frankly, up until now, there was always a grey doubt-cloud hanging over me with my knee. I can't believe how far I've come, both in distance and confidence, from only a few months ago. A few days in Scotland on the Applecross Peninsula. 18 miles over the pass in the rain, making new friends with the animals.... ...to be rewarded with a lovely view of Skye as the rain clears and the run ends. This is why I do it. Another 26 miles back near home, running down memory lane as I do a loop around the Washburn Valley, up and along the Chevin, down to Menston (where I grew up) along the moors to Ilkley, and back to Timble. Su...
I stagger as I jump off the treadmill or the static bike after a hard session. It's not because I've pushed it too hard. It's motion sickness - but it only lasts for a couple of seconds. It's a weird sensation due to the brain thinking the running/cycling action is actually propelling me forwards. Then the reality kicks in as I dismount the motionless machine and the inner ear and cerebellum realises and resets. It feels like I've taken something spacey that I shouldn't have, and I look like something out of the Wolf of Wall Street.
Heavy.
Its not helped by the techno beating sound that's pumped into all gyms - certainly all the ones I've ever been in. The moment you open the door it's 'Oontz. Oontz. Oontz. Oontz', mixed in with the TV blaring out something like Bargain Hunt.
I've been trialling different headphones to try and block it out and get to my own state of nirvana whilst pounding the treadmill or pedals. Over-ear head phones last about 40 minutes before they start to slip off. The frictionless warm sweat just too much for the tension in the headband to keep them in place. Yuck.
In-ear headphones don't stay in unless I use those ones with a clip that goes over the ear. The large squidgy plug thingies are too big. They hurt. The medium ones are perfect. Too perfect. They plug the ear canal so that I get a build up of sweat behind them that's released when I take them out like a volcano spilling out hot lava. Yuck. The small ones allow some ventilation though. I'm able to listen to music or podcasts that allow me to transcend all the distractions, become semi-conscious and time travel the hour or so I'm doing the exercise for.
Heavy.
My knee is behaving on and off and I'm feeling more hopeful. I've even been running outside more. This phase of my training programme is all about building the base fitness, increasing intervals, and lifting bigger weights with fewer reps to build strength. There's hinge exercises for my hips, push and pull exercises for my upper body, squats and calf raises for my legs, and core exercises for my, well, core. It gets harder and harder. The weights are getting seriously heavy.
Gym life - it's heaveeee, man
Stumbled on the Claro website and was captivated by the pic of the English countryside, read your blogs and was hooked. Apart from very much admiring the challenge you have undertaken and your support of such good causes I am just thoroughly enjoying your writing. It is so relatable. Have to admit I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that all goes well for the run (partly for selfish reasons) as I am very much looking forward to your trip through England but also because I love to see older people achieving and silencing the "why would you want to do that" people. My family moved to Australia when I was 7 and I have never been back. I sincerely hope you don't mind me mentioning that I have a cousin with the same name as yours in England. His Mum (my Auntie Audrey) is my Dad's (Gerald, known as Jud by the family) youngest sister. Sorry for the rather cryptic information (I am not particularly trusting of the internet). Any connection?
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