Monday 7th November 2011

Eeesh - I didn't enjoy the 5am alarm this morning!  I was very tired and docile and didn't make it out of the door until 6am.  Cursing myself for being slow and thinking that had I intended to leave at 6am I'd have set the alarm for 5:30 and got an extra half hour's sleep!!

Anyway, I did get out the door and that's what counts.  I left in pitch darkness and got back in daylight having run 6.4 miles through a dawn which seemed to arrive from nowhere.  It was a beautiful morning, clear skies with a sharp ground frost and some patchy fog to run through.  I was running under trees, in thick fog and darkness and a car came towards me on high beam... the car passed just at the moment that I broke from the trees, and out of the fog, and into daylight!  Very odd but the sudden appearance of dawn gave me a boost.  And it allowed me to remove my head torch which is always psychologically uplifting!  I wished I'd taken my camera because once the daylight had arrived there were many beautiful moments.

As for the running - smooth and easy but COLD!!!  I need a better hat (my snoopy beanie just isn't warm enough and doesn't cover my ears!).  I also need some warmer gloves and something to keep my neck warm.  Don't say a snood because I'd rather be cold.  Generally I was freezing the whole way around although it was worse when I walked up the hills and my HR dropped a little.

Later in the day I treated myself to a cool 50 lengths in the pool and a hot 15 minutes in the steam room!

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 81.2 Kg

Today 
Distance 6.42 miles
Time  1:05:07
Kcal  658
Elevation 369 ft
Press-ups 80
Swimming 1250 m
Sauna  15 mins

Total
Distance 97.53 miles
Time  17:14:02
Kcal  9944
Elevation 3536 ft
Press-ups 160
Swimming 4750 m
Sauna  1:30 mins

CHARITY HURTS!!
OK.... so it might not sound like the worst thing that could happen to me but anyone who has cut (no.... sliced!!) their thumb on a can lid will know how much it hurts.  I don't care if it only looks like a scratch it bled like mad and it's right on the bendy bit of my thumb which means it hurts even more than if it were somewhere else.  Apart from that, well sore calves again and a bit of back ache after yesterday's core workout.  Oh and an ugly spot on my nose which hurts my vanity.

FUNDRAISING

I'm up to £296 on my sponsorship page (www.virginmoneygiving.com/pitymyfeet) and the ad click revenue from here is up to £82.94!!  Thank you to everyone who clicks the ads.  Every click brings in a little money so if you just click a few ads a day it will all mount up through my training and every penny goes to Mencap.

DONATE

Please remember that I'm inflicting all this pain and misery on myself for a cause greater than just having a good story to tell over a beer. I hope to raise over £9,500 for MENCAP; an amazing charity who help those born with learning difficulties to live a normal life and to enjoy the same opportunities and choices that the rest of us take for granted.

Be an awesome human being today and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.

Thank you.  You really ARE awesome.
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