Challenges and Disappointments

I am happy to report I did NOTHING over the weekend that could have been classed as exercise. I drank lots of prosecco, ate a lot of cake and had a ruddy marvellous time on Saturday at the afternoon tea party to celebrate my birthday. I asked everyone to suggest a challenge for me to complete before my next birthday, on the condition they committed to doing it as well and there were some crackers suggested. I've been challenged to:

• Play 9 holes of golf
• Cycle all of the routes in Swinley Forest
• Try wing walking
• Go waterskiing
• Go sailing
• Complete the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge
• Take part in a non-sprint duathlon
• Row a marathon
• Go camping with a particular friend
• Spend a day in Bluewater without spending any money
• Meet my dad in New Orleans
• Go gliding
• Have a day out in Brighton

I've started researching some of them already. As much as anything it was fun to see what people wanted to do but needed a little encouragement for.

It's been a bit of a mixed week. My actual birthday was on Monday and I was working in London so got home feeling pretty tired. A few calculations revealed I could skip my run as long as I studied and packed for my long weekend away instead so I did that, whilst eating more cake :) That made it 4 days since I last worked out... such a slob!

On Tuesday I coached J through another strength session and then went out for a 9 mile run. It was a really strong run, at a faster pace than I remember doing that sort of distance in the past. On Wednesday I swam in the morning and meant to do a run at lunch but silly girl forgot her iPod with the intervals program on it and also her Garmin and then didn't get a lunch break as such anyway so it was all a bit of a wash out. I attempted my 13 miles but it was a bit of an epic failure. Firstly my iPod had failed to synch properly so I didn't have much music, no biggie, I can cope with that. Here's a breakdown of the run:
Mile 1 - stitch
Miles 2-3 - felt sick
Mile 4 - walked a bit, continued to feel sick
Mile 5 - felt trainer start to rub
Mile 6 - came very close to being physically ill, had a sit down
Mile 7 - discovered a burst blister on ankle, decide to go home
Mile 8 - was almost ill again, got home, sat on doorstep feeling hacked off

I know why it happened. I ended up eating lunch very late and didn't have much to eat at all before then and didn't leave enough time between food and setting off. What really annoyed me was that it feels like wasted effort. The distance I did isn't to be sniffed at but it doesn't fulfil the aim of the session which means I'll just have to try again another day. I had the day off work so had plenty of time to do the run. I ended up in Bluewater with mum buying a lot of new run and swim gear (clearly it wasn't our challenge day) so I was all psyched up for a great run too. Feel rather undeserving of it now. But it is gorgeous kit :) I got some new goggles as both pairs I already owned leak on the left. Apparently my face is so narrow I had to have children's ones! I'll report back on them next week.

Sweaty Betty

Sweaty Betty

Nike

Speedo Hydrofocus

I'm off to France tomorrow for a long weekend taking in a food and music festival in the Loire Valley. The study notes and trainers are packed so I can do the interval session I missed (plus one to keep the legs ticking over) and catch up on some study. Then when I get back next week I've got my Jet Lev experience which I'm really excited about!

How's everyone else's week of training been? Better than mine I hope.

P.S. I did get a rainbow cake for my birthday cake :)