And I'm spent...

Running season is over, for now anyway. last weekend was the final run of my 3 leg September/October jaunt round Swansea, Cardiff and Aberdare(!). Personal Bests tumbled, knee joints crumbled but after a roughly combined 242 minutes of running, I'm done.

As a result of my efforts, Barnardo's has a little more money and I have...

A truly epic collection of event t-shirts and participation medals!

My favourite shifted this year too, usually the Swansea 10k is my fav race, but this year it was Cardiff. This was helped by Swansea being horrifically wet and windy, but the crowds etc in Cardiff did spur you on, plus I wasn't struggling as much as before so could take stuff in! Aberdare? Fuck me, hardest first mile and a bit ever, but quite pleasant apart form that. Think I'd like to do it quicker, but the main issue was my brains unwillingness to let me run quickly down steep hills.

Given my standard of coordination I'd have been picking up my teeth from a rock half way down if I'd gone for it! Still worth a go though and the t-shirt from that was the nicest!  

So what now? Time to sit on my arse over crimbo and get fat... well to a degree. I've classed myself as injured at the moment as I am walking like I've shit myself due to swelling on my foot and a ropey knee, but give me a week and I'll be back in the gym on lunch times, I've kind of agreed with my pointless and demon run co-person to do the 5k 'santa' dash in Cardiff in December. It's 5k, there are no concerns there, but it'll keep me going.

Further more there's then a 8 mile road run in Newport in January (let's face it if I'm in Newport, I'm going to be running, to save my trainers from chavs at least) which looks like a great warm up for the Llanelli Half Marathon in March, which is supposed to be a nice and quite quick course. Sub 2 hours anyone? I doubt it too but I'm going to try.

Long term goal is apply for London 2014... but calm down for 5.

Then next year I'll do it all again! Well maybe!

Either way the slightly smaller version of me is more manageable and less likely to die horribly from a heart attack or related illnesses, so the exercise levels should at least stay the same, and to be fair do need to get picked up further. Particularly on distance, must run further at a time.

But for today... where's me burger?

Return to the gym

I'm pretty sure I've written this before, but the time has come for me to get back to the gym. At my best I was reasonably fit, not greatly by any stretch of anyones imagination, but reasonably. But now not so much.

My body has a habit of conspiring against me, things break, wear out, etc quite easily it seems, and I do have a problem with my knees at the moment which has been stopping me. I'm currently waiting for an apointment with a physio at my lovely local NHS Hospital to help strengthen them, but I thought I may as well carry on. What's the worst I can do?

This year I intend to do the events I missed out on last. Last I was intending to do the Swansea Bay 10k (3rd time) and Cardiff Half Maraton (2nd time) but alas not. So I'll hit the tredmill after work tomorrow and see what I can do and where I'm at. I'm not a moron, if I get pain I'll stop, but with a bit of luck I'll be able to get at least some distance behind me so I can begin to get better.

Oh and cats with thumbs? WTF is that all about?