Thur 26th Jan '12 - Four miles under starry skies

Total so far: £720.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

Just four miles on the plan tonight as I am supposed to taper for big mileage at the weekend.  When I say 'supposed' to taper I mean I 'am' tapering.  When I say 'big mileage' at the weekend I mean 'some mileage' at the weekend.  Honestly, not laziness.  Just lots more pain. This is new pain with a subtle twist. Same muscle, different leg. Now I feel pain in exactly the same spot on my left leg that I've had on my right leg.  My right is also quite painful tonight.  So I haven't yet finally decided on my training for the weekend. I have some ideas; running to Wrexham to start my collection (I probably will do this because I like the poetry of it); running up and down Moel Famau near Mold to get used to the hills.  I'm not sure yet.  I will decide at bed time on Friday night.

So on to tonight's run. As the mileage was low I figured I'd compensate by piling another 2 litres of water in my pack, taking the weight up to 12.5 Kg. It sounds such a small number but by 'eck it takes some carrying when you're running up and down the lanes.  Right from the outset I could feel a huge difference in my form and a far greater sense of impact on  my feet.  I expect to start the MdS with around 10 or 11 Kg in my pack and so if I train with 12.5 Kg then I should be better adapted.  But of course, that is easier to say than to do.  Especially when I want to stay injury free from here on in.  An injury now would be a massive blow and that loss of form and heavy impact makes injury more likely.

It was a beautiful night to be running.  Cold for sure, but clear and crisp with a beautiful starry sky.  I ran first in a North West direction and scanned the horizon for any sign of the Northern Lights but saw none.  If it was there it was probably somewhere behind the orange glow of the industrial estate on the horizon.  But I enjoyed looking for it and saw a wonderful fizzy shooting star heading out of the east and burning so briefly northwards.  I made a wish - yes, same one as always. After a good, downhill, two miles I turned and headed back up the hill facing vaguely South East.  Running at Orion's belt and the bright beacon of Sirius.

On the fundraising front, I was delighted with a great write up in the Whitchurch Herald and saw a reasonable spike in hits to the blog.  One new sponsorship (thanks Claire!).  I have a meeting with Tesco in Ellesmere this morning to see if they can help me and then tomorrow is 'Collection Day' in Wrexham once more.  Please call in and see me if you're in the area.

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 78.9 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 4.12 miles
Time  0:46:30 hrs
X-Trainer 0 hrs
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 391.52 miles
Time  72:58:22
X-Trainer 17:41 hrs
Press-ups 620
Swimming 13,000 m
Sauna  7:15 hrs

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

25th Jan '12 - Six miles of cow-less lanes

Total so far: £700.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

Back on the road tonight.  Away from the gentle bouncing of the treadmill, and instead on to a butt-whooping from the unforgiving tarmac.  No science behind this decision, I just couldn't be bothered to drive to the gym.  I really should be putting more thought into this!

Anyway, it was on with the head torch and lovely high-vis yellow jacket and out of the door.  It was odd being back on the lanes; almost six weeks since I last ran around here at night.  It hasn't changed much.  Obviously not as many Christmas lights as there were in mid-December.  And oddly far fewer cows and sheep by the hedges with their scary glowing eyes.  Even though they spook me a little I felt quite sad about this because they've probably gone to a place so wonderful that no animal ever thought to come back from.  Namely a butcher's.  I did see a cat hiding in a hedge though.  Cats never end up in butchers shops despite the fact that no animal would deserve it more.  (Cat lovers: I'm joking, I love cats... honestly!)

Anyway, this is a running blog so I'll talk about that.  Just six miles on the plan and I did a boring out and back to Tallarn Green.  It was a nice evening but no sign of the Northern Lights.  Only the orange glow of Wrexham Industrial Estate on the horizon.  I had 7.5 Kg in my pack and I wasn't all that comfortable despite the slow pace.  One of the lessons from the Anglesey Ultra was that I need to get more used to weight in my pack.

On the fundraising front I got a 20 Euro donation from a colleague visiting from Germany.  I'll pay this into Just Giving from my account and credit his name on it.  I'm very grateful for it.  Things have stalled a little again on that front over the last week but hopefully I'll be able to kick some life into it this weekend when I do another town centre collection in Wrexham.  If you're in the area then please come over and say "hi" and put a pound in my pot!

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 78.9 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 6 miles
Time  1:09:19 hrs
X-Trainer 0 hrs
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 387.40 miles
Time  72:11:52
X-Trainer 17:41 hrs
Press-ups 620
Swimming 13,000 m
Sauna  7:15 hrs

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Tuesday 24th January 2012 - 10 miles treadmill

Total so far: £700.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

So, after two days of rest following my failed attempt at the Anglesey Ultra I got back onto my feet for a treadmill session.  Not much to say about it really.  It was on a treadmill so the pace was quite consistent.  As was the view.  Actually if I turned my head to the right I could watch TV.  Which I did.  Until they showed open heart surgery on Casualty and I decided I'd rather watch the wall.

I had a lot of pain in my legs and a lot of fatigue.  I could probably have done with at least one extra rest day but rest is a luxury I won't have in the desert so I guess it was a reasonable thing not to rest any more now.  I was pretty pleased actually to have been able to do the ten miles without breaking down.  The pace was definitely slower than I'd have liked but it's not about pace for me.  It's all about relentless forward motion and I did show that.

I didn't really talk much about injuries in my post about Saturday so I'll mention the state of play here.  The site of my torn muscle survived the ordeal pretty well and is still holding up OK.  It hurts when I poke it but there's a pretty simple solution to that.  Don't poke it.  I don't think it's a problem because my shoulder still hurts if I poke it and it's been ten months since I fell over doing a ridiculous Dad style hand stand.  Perhaps there are some things that will always hurt when poked?  Eyes for example.  Nothing wrong with my eyes but they do hurt when poked.  Other parts of me did hurt a lot though.  My back hurt from the pack bumping around.  My thighs and calves hurt everythere.  My knees too.  Oddly, also my elbows hurt from keeping them in that crooked "running but could be about to shadow-box" posture that makes me look so athletically challenged.

The other thing I noticed on Saturday was that other ultra-runners tend to be a little taller than me (not much I can do about that) and generally a little slimmer than me (something I can do about that).  So I am now on a diet.  The first one of my life!  Early views on dieting?  Miserable.  I'm always hungry.  Even writing this I'm thinking that I would find the words much easier to come by if I was eating a Snickers bar.

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 78.9 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 9.94 miles
Time  1:51:00 hrs
X-Trainer 0 hrs
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 381.40 miles
Time  71:02:33
X-Trainer 17:41 hrs
Press-ups 620
Swimming 13,000 m
Sauna  7:15 hrs

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Saturday 21st January 2012 - It's all fun and games until someone runs the Anglesey Ultra

Total so far: £700.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

Well, it's taken me almost a week but I think I'm ready to write about my first ultra-marathon attempt. I went into it quite blindly and didn't really know if I was prepared or not.  I guess I got the answer. I wasn't prepared. I was organised and on top of things, arrived early, hydrated and with a belly full of food. But physically, I was not ready. 

I shouldn't be too down about it.  After tearing that calf muscle in December I had actually only run twice in almost a month.  And both of those runs were on the treadmill with no weight on my back.  So to step out to the start line of a 33 mile off road ultra-marathon in a hilly location with an 11 kg pack on my back was always going to be a big ask.

I started out feeling awkward under the weight and treading gingerly  with my right foot; always waiting for a tell tail stabbing pain.  I didn't have a chance to easy myself into stride because by mile 2 we were climbing and mile 3 was basically mountain climbing!  I did a 17 minute mile, recorded a HR of 178 and was largely goosed by the time I crested a 500 foot climb.  However I negotiated the descent with relative ease and finally hit some form.  Steadying my pace around 11 mpm; even coming down to sub 10s on mile 8.  I kept it around there for the first half marathon but if I'm honest I never felt comfortable.  I just had enough strength and determination to push it.  This began to bleed away after mile 13.

I started to walk more and to find it harder to lift my feet under the weight of my pack. My pace began to drift out, 13s, 14s, and by mile 21 I was clocking 15 minute miles with long spells of walking.  But still I was dragging myself forward despite me knowing that I simply hadn't been prepared to carry the weight up that hill and over that distance.  But I still harboured a hope of making the cut at 5:45 to allow me to finish the ultra.

And then mile 25 happened.  A look at the course profile and my pace record below shows pretty clearly what went wrong.  It was three things at once.
- Firstly I 'bonked'.  I'd had a bad stomach throughout the event and this meant I hadn't eaten enough food (though goodness knows I was carrying enough!) nor had I drunk enough water.  I suddenly lost all energy and became deliriously empty and exhausted.  Just desperate to stop. 
- Secondly my legs cramped up.  I'm pretty sure it was the combination of the weight of my pack, the severe climb right at the start and most of all, the time away from running due to injury.  So now every step was agony to my thighs and my calves.  And I mean every single step.  I buckled many many times and stumbled over the slightest obstacle.
- Thirdly a mountain happened to me.  At 25 miles in we turned off the road and ascended to the very top of a very big mountain.  I could barely walk over the flat let alone climb a mountain.  I did a 30 minute mile which is surely a record for anyone who writes a running blog??  Coming down the mountain, mile 27, was a blistering 22 minutes.  Honestly I could barely move.

So that was my first attempt at an ultra marathon.  I learned a huge amount and my weaknesses were brutally exposed.  But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I now have a very strong idea of what I need to focus on in my training.  I will attempt the distance again shortly but for now I am working on my strength.  Strength to lift the bag and strength to lift myself up big climbs.  That is what killed me.  My aerobic fitness is good.  At the end of the day I did 27 miles with an 11 Kg pack and didn't die.  So cheer up Jacobs.  There's still time to turn it around and meet my goal.

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 78.9 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 26.98 miles
Time  6:20:50 hrs
X-Trainer 0 hrs
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 371.46 miles
Time  69:11:33
X-Trainer 17:41 hrs
Press-ups 620
Swimming 13,000 m
Sauna  7:15 hrs

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Friday 20th January 2012 - Anglesey Ultra Preparation

I wrote a bit yesterday about my preparations for the Anglesey ultra; mostly in terms of what I've bought for it and what I intend to eat.  Today I'll bang on a bit about my approach to it and about what I think will happen.  If anyone is reading this for tips to help their own ultra-marathon experience then you should probably look away now or at least take all this with a pinch of salt (or other electrolyte) because I've never done this before.  My preparation might be fine.  Or it might be recklessly incompetent.  I should have a fair idea which it is by this time tomorrow.

To start my preparation, earlier in the week I began carbo loading.  That is eating lots and lots of carbohydrates at every meal.  So the result is that now, on the eve of the event, I am feeling a bit heavy and sluggish.  But that's no bad thing considering what I face.  Actually, I should be honest with you.  I didn't start carbo loading earlier in the week.  I started carbo-loading in 1976 and now, after 25 years of preparation I should be just about ready.  I've had an early tea tonight of liver, spinach and swede mash. No real science about that, I was in tesco and liked the look of them!

Sleep wise it hasn't been a good week.  In particular last night was a really disturbed night and I have been tired all day.  But I'm not too worried because hopefully that fatigue will allow me to sleep early tonight.  I intend to be in bed by 8pm with lights out by 8:30.  My alarm will be set for 3am so hopefully I can get something over 7 hours tonight. 

As for right now, well once I've finished writing my blog I'll pack my bag.  Then I'll decide that I've packed it wrong and pack it again.  And again.  And again until the final time when I decide to leave it as it is without realising that something crucial has rolled under the sofa and will be missing tomorrow despite my certainty that I packed it.  It is by such events that my life remains continually on edge.  I have my torch batteries charging, my phones charging, and my watch charging.  The Sat Nav is programmed and the car is full of fuel.  I am scarily organised for this!

So, a 3am alarm call tomorrow.  I'll have some Barocca with water to start my hydration off the right way and hit the road for 3:30.  Even with a few inevitible toilet stops this should get me there for about 6am.  Enough time to light my cooker, make some black coffee and be ready to go for registration at 7am.

The race goes off at 8:15.  I haven't found any information about cut off times but I think I will make an initial grab for a 9 hour finish so I come in before the head torch is needed. Assuming the 33 mile distance is correct that makes for an average of about 16:20 mpm.  I intend to walk up the hills and run down them and over the straights.  It's quite an undulating area so I hope that this tactic will give me enough rest.  If not then I will walk some straights too.  I will aim to run around 12 mpm pace; nice and slow and certainly sustainable.  The sections I walk (realistically probably walking most of the last 5 or so miles) will be around 18 mpm on the uphill and 15 mpm on the flat with some run/walking.  I'm estimating 1/3 of the course to be uphill and that would give me 11 miles at 18 mpm, probably 15 at 12 mpm and then probably 7 run/walking at 15 mpm.  The arithmatists amongst you will see that this would bring me in around 8 hours; with an hour spare for toilet stops etc to meet my 9 hour target.  I have a bad feeling that last place beckons but to be honest I don't care.  If I finish it then I have won it in my own mind.

If I get a mobile signal I might tweet some updates as I must carry a phone for safety.  If you're interested in my progress then follow @miffjacobs (or click the follow button on the sidebar - it's easier).  I won't bother with a hashtag because I know I'll forget it so just check my feed.  I have noticed that once I'm beyond about 18 miles my brain starts to become like mush and I can't work out my split times.  It'll be interesting to see what happens to me tomorrow and I probably won't enjoy reading the tweets back on Sunday!

Right then, time I got that bag packed and thought about settling for a very early night.

Keep everything crossed for me to tomorrow folks.  I have a feeling I'll need all the luck I can get!

Peace, out.

Thursday 19th January 2012 - Anglesey Ultra Kit Prep

No training for me today.  I'm on a two day taper in readiness for the Anglesey Ultra on Saturday.  I've never been beyond marathon distance before (well, other than by plane, train, car, or bike at any rate) and it's fair to say I am approaching it with some trepidation.

So far the Marathon des Sables has seemed like a jolly adventure; an excuse to get myself fit and to lose sleep over some charity fundraising.  (Incidentally, I am losing a LOT of sleep over it... if you have a few quid please sponsor me because I'm getting desperate!!!)  But with a tough 33 mile off road ultra-marathon looming in my very near future suddenly things look a little more serious.  I am, of course, treating this as simply a training run.  But it's a big step up and I have plenty of worries.  What if my leg doesn't hold out?  What if my fuelling or hydration plans are way off mark?  What if my stomach plays up and I'm caught short in the wild?  Biggest of all though.... what if I am not even close to being fit enough for it?  I've done a lot of training but not enough to make me confident of achieving this.  I'll give it my very best though.

I guess the only thing for it is to make it to the start line and then put one foot in front of the other over and over again until I either finish the race or it finishes me!  I have, for once, put my laid back haphazard approach to life to one side and am getting myself organised.  As illustrated in this photo.

This is the equipment and food I have ready so far.  It looks a lot but I'm still a little worried it won't be enough and may supplement it today or tomorrow.

Listophobics.... look away now.  Listoholics.... time to rub your thighs.... this will be a doozy!

ANGLESEY ULTRA MARATHON KIT LIST
Food for the race:
500g mixed fruit (1500 cal)
24x Belvita breakfast biscuits (1392 cal)
2x PowerBar (312 cal)
2x Clif Bars (390 cal)
3x Energy Gel (295 cal)
5x ISO sports drink (705 cal)
5Ltrs Water
    [Total calories for consumption in-race: 5,594 cal]

Food for recovery:
2x Wild West Beef Jerky (300 cal)
1x packet Cous Cous (555 cal)
1x pot noodle (383 cal)
1x All Day Breakfast in can (450 cal)
    [Total calories for consumption post-race: 1688 cal]

Emergency food:
1x packet Dates (696 cal)
1x Protein recovery shake (262 cal)

Clothing:
Brooks Ghost 4 trainers
Socks
Compression shorts
Normal shorts
3x T-shirts/tops
Jogging bottoms (in case of cold)
Gloves
Hat
Beanie
Water belt
Phone carrier
Windproof jacket

Safety kit:
First aid kit
Pea-less whistle
Foil Blanket
Head Torch
Spare Batteries
Ankle and calf strapping
Stretch fabric tape
Mobile phone

Creams and tablets:
Berocca
Electrolyte tablets
Vicks rub
Vaseline
Deep Heat
Nurofen
Deep Freeze
Halls vapour tablets
Ibuprofen gel

Miscellaneous equipment:
Swedish army cooker
Metholated spirits
Matches
Air Zone 35 backpack
Water bottle
Fork
Heart rate monitor
GPS watch
Tin opener (not pictured)
Sleeping bag (for after the event - not pictured)
Duvet (for after the event - not pictured)

All told I will have about 7,500 worth of calories of food in my pack when I set off although this can be added to by simply having more of the isotonic drink supplement I will be taking.  I will also start the event with a good breakfast in me that should carry me through the first couple of hours.  I hope that this will be enough.  I have a real fear of feeling hungry and empty as this will affect my mental stamina too so I may add one or two more 'fatty' items to my pack before I start.  The advantage of having some fat in the diet is that it produces a feeling of satisfaction and fullness that you just don't get from these high impact, low volume energy bars etc.

Tomorrow I'll talk a little about my other preparations, carbo-loading, sleep, plans for the day etc.

Until then, thanks for reading!  Peace, out.

Wednesday 18th January 2012 - 90 mins X-Trainer

Total so far: £700.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

After getting some pain after 15 miles in two days on the treadmill I decided to go back on the elliptical.  Or, as I have realised in the last day or two, the Cross-Trainer.  It seems I am the only person in the world to call it an elliptical trainer.  Or maybe there is such a thing as an elliptical trainer but I have not been on it.  What I have been on is the cross trainer, or X-Trainer to save space.  Anyway, whatever it is or isn't, I spent 90 minutes on it tonight. I find myself zoning out when I'm on it and I used the time to read some more (I'm reading a book about Shackleton's ill-fated mission to Antartica).

My legs were tired and weak by the end after three days of hard work but I feel good.  I did a quick set of 15 reps on some machine that you sit on and pull things down to you.  I won't attempt to name it.  Then I went down and did 20 minutes in the sauna, unbroken. Usually I have to get out at about 15 minutes and cool down but I saw all 20 through.  Then I jumped in the pool for 30 lengths and then back into the sauna for another 20.  I didn't do this second twenty unbroken, I had to get out and grab a cold shower and re-fill my water bottle.  By the end of the 20 I was drizzling water over myself from my bottle and feeling pretty dreadful.  But I'm glad I pushed it a little and got to the 40 minutes.

That's the last training I'll do before the ultra on Saturday.  My thoughts are now bending entirely to the challenge ahead. I bought my provisions and have made my plan but more about that in the next post.

All quiet on the fundraising front. It's been a week since my last donation so I need to step things up a little.  I will spend some time today contacting more businesses and maybe see if I can use my Linked In or anything like that to promote it.  I was supposed to be in the Whitchurch Herald but they didn't print the article.  Oddly I did see a spike in hits to my blog but no donations came of it.

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0 hrs
X-Trainer 1:30 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 500 m
Sauna  40 mins

TOTAL
Distance 344.48 miles
Time  62:51:43
X-Trainer 17:41 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 620
Swimming 13,000 m
Sauna  7:15 hrs

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Wednesday 18th January 2012 - 6 miles treadmill

Total so far: £700.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

A solid 10Km on the treadmill tonight to give my calf another workout.  I felt some soreness in my legs through the run and also afterwards but just tiredness, not injury (I hope!).  I do have some pain in my right ankle and I think I will invest in a support for the ultra on Saturday.  Before the treadmill I did some core strength work. I put more effort into this than I normally do and my heart rate was high even before I started on the treadmill.

Over the last week or so I've focused a little on my kit list.  Most of the equipment I need has a pretty obvious safety function and some of it will be helpful on Saturday.  I have bought a foil blanket; anyone who has ever wrapped one around themselves at the end of a cold marathon will testify how warm they are!  Also, a pea-less whistle (great phrase!); a desert hat with neck shield; and a tiny first aid kit that seems to weigh only fractionally more than the air that surrounds it.  I've also bought some gaters to keep the sand out of my trainers.  This is an essential precaution as I am told that having sand in your shoes is a sure fire way to rip your feet to shreds in the desert.

The exotic nature of the Marathon des Sables is evidenced by the fact that I've also had to buy an anti-venom kit to suck out snake or scorpion venom quickly in case of a bite.  The possibility of being bitten by a snake or a scorpion fills me full of dread and yet also a sort of boyish excitement.  I hope I never have to use it but you have to say, it's kind of cool to need one.

I intend to write much more about each of these precautions as I get closer to the event (and learn how to use each of them!).Tonight I may go back on the elliptical just to give my calf and ankle a full three days to rest before the 33 mile ultra on Saturday but I'll see how I feel when I get to the gym.

On the fundraising front I emailed the PR departments of all the companies listed in last week's New Scientist recruitment special (random I know, it was the first thing that came to hand!).  I have also listed out all the companies in the FTSE100 and the FTSE250 and over the coming days I intend to write to the PR departments of all of those firms asking for sponsorship.  If you work for a company who might be willing to sponsor an honest and hardworking Welsh boy to do something a little useful with his life then please get in touch!

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 6.25 miles
Time  0:59:15 hrs
Elliptical 0 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  15 mins

TOTAL
Distance 344.48 miles
Time  62:51:43
Elliptical 16:11 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 620
Swimming 12,500 m
Sauna  6:35 mins

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Monday 16th January 2012 - 9 mile treadmill

Total so far: £700.53
Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

Another big step on the road to recovery tonight.  And also a big step on the road to the Sahara perhaps?  I gave my calf a proper test in the gym, running 15km.  I wanted to run 10 miles and my usual combination of confidence and ignorance meant that I didn't check how many Km it was.  Turns out it's not 15.  It's a little more.  So in the end I only did 9.32 miles but I didn't know it until just now when I checked.  Never mind.  I'm happy with 9 miles at roughly 10 mpm pace.

My leg held out pretty well.  I had some pain in my right ankle before things got warm and loose.  Then, at about the 70 minute mark, I got a growing pain directly at the site of the muscle tear but it only lasted about five minutes and it eased off as I slowed the tempo a little to prepare for my warm down.  I'll wait and see how it fares over night.  Right now (about 2 hours after the end of the run) it feels fine and I have no pain :)

I'll have another short run tomorrow and Wednesday but then I intend to take two full days off before the true test on Saturday.  The 33 mile Anglesey ultra-marathon.  It'll be the longest event I've ever competed in and I'm really looking forward to seeing how my body copes with it.  I'm targeting a time of 10 hours to finish although I don't know if there are cut off times that are quicker.  Ten hours works out to about 18 mpm and I think I can maintain that as long as I don't linger too long at the checkpoints etc.  It's nice to have a target but of course my main focus is just on finishing it at all!

On the fundraising front I got knocked back by tesco locally.  I have to go through a central organisation in London to collect at a tesco so I'll give them a call.  I also want to find locations for some collection boxes this week and get them in place and collecting money as soon as possible.  As I've mentioned before, if you know of anywhere suitable to house one for a few months please let me know!

Thanks for reading folks! Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 9.32 miles
Time  1:34:22 hrs
Elliptical 0 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 338.23 miles
Time  61:52:28
Elliptical 16:11 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 620
Swimming 12,500 m
Sauna  6:20 mins

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Thursday 12th January 2012 - Another treadmill test

Total so far: £695.53

Text "MIFF70 £5" (without quotes) to 70070 to donate £5 to Mencap.  Change the amount to whatever you are comfortable with.
Click on the "Donate Now" link in the sidebar or visit www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet.
Thanks!

Well I gave my legs another tester on the treadmill.  This time I did a mile at roughly 11 mpm pace.  The good news is that I did it.  The bad news is that I felt some pain in my lower right leg.  I just don't know if this is a sign that the leg is not healed or whether it's just that I haven't run on it for a month and that I'm now stretching around the scar tissue after the muscle tear.  I wasn't limping and the pain wasn't severe and didn't linger long after I finished.  I have a rest day today and I think I will avoid the treadmill at the weekend and stick to the elliptical just to be safe and then next week I'll test it again.  However, I have booked myself a "do or die" challenge the following weekend.  The Anglesey ultra-marathon.  It's a 33 mile off-road course.  I know, I know.  I never was the sharpest pin in the cushion but it's all off road and I intend to walk a lot of it and use it to test my kit out (cooker, dried food, etc).  I will probably have three or four days of complete rest afterwards and see where I am after that.  Keep everything crossed for me!

So anyway, after the mile on the treadmill I did 77 minutes on the elliptical (eqiuvalent to 7 miles at 11mpm) and then went home.  I didn't even shower at the gym because I was worried about my legs so instead I got home and sat in a deep hot bath for a while.  As I write this (7am the following morning) I have no pain and can stand easily on my toes.

On the fundraising front the fund I got another £41 in donations.  Thank you Zoe & Pyme and thank you to the two folks who donated via SMS.  With the uncounted money that is sitting in the collection pot I'm using for leafleting I know I now have over £700 in the total.  Thank you :)

Lastly, I got my photo taken for the Whitchurch Herald.  Hopefully they will feature it in next week's edition.  I made some changes for the photo though after the unflattering one that was in the Leader.  I lost the hat! Fingers crossed that it generates some more sponsorship.  I also sent some text to the "Essentially Yours" magazine and with any luck I'll be in the next edition.  Rest day tomorrow!

Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 1 miles
Time  0:11 hrs
Elliptical 1:17 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 328.91 miles
Time  60:18:06
Elliptical 16:11 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 620
Swimming 12,500 m
Sauna  6:20 mins

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Wednesday 11th January 2012 - Back on my toes

I ran tonight.  For the first time since the 17th December I got on my toes and ran.  OK, it was only for half a mile and it was on a treadmill and it was very slow.  But I ran!  I had a few natural twinges and pains but nothing specifically in the area of the torn muscle and nothing that has lingered to the morning (I'm writing this the day after).  I think tonight I will risk taking a mile of my plan and doing it on the treadmill to see how it goes.  If I can get off the elliptical and back on my toes it will do my confidence a lot of good.  For all the nerves I had stepping on the mill; it felt fantastic to be running again!!!

The rest of the workout seems a little irrelevant but I'll relate them anyway.  I started with some core exercises (bridges etc - how boring they are!), then the treadmill for half a mile, then an hour on the elliptical (I finished Lord of the Rings!), 60 lengths in the pool, and finally a quick ten minutes in the sauna to finish off.

On the fundraising front I contacted a couple more newspapers and also one radio station to see about publicity.  Oh, and I asked Mencap for a branded t-shirt to wear when collecting so I look less like some dodgy geezer embezzling fag money from passers by and more like a dedicated and hard working charity fundraiser trying desperately to meet his target!  The fund went up by £35 today.  Thank you Joe and thank you Joanne (great advice about my feet!!).

Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0.5 miles
Time  0:06 hrs
Elliptical 1:00 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 1500 m
Sauna  10 mins

TOTAL
Distance 327.91 miles
Time  60:07:06
Elliptical 14:54 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 620
Swimming 12,500 m
Sauna  6:20 mins

Contact me: miffjacobs@hotmail.com
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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be cool and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Tuesday 10th January 2012 - 2:48 hrs elliptical

Fourteen miles on my plan tonight so I translated that to 2hrs 48 mins on the elliptical.  I forgot my ipod and so it was gym dance music all the way again.  Like alcohol, I think your tolerance increases through exposure so the impulse to claw my ears from my head was lessened this time around.  Although the version of "With or Without You" they played should be criminalised.

Anyway, I took my kindle and so I was able to take my mind off the effort and the music by reading more of Lord of the Rings. Gollum fell into Mount Doom with the ring last night so to be honest the time absolutely flew by.  In fact I came to the end of the session before I came to the end of the book and was a little disappointed to have to leave it!  But on the whole I was very pleased with the work I did. I found it much easier than the 14 miles I did last week with no 'wobbliness' when I got off the machine like I had had on previous sessions.  One problem I did have though is that my jogging bottoms have rubbed the front of my thighs so much that they are red raw and stung like crazy in the pool.

After the elliptical I went down to the pool and eeked out 20 minutes in the sauna although I had to have several cold showers to get me through it because my body was still hot after the workout.  Finally I threw in 10 lengths to cool me down.  It might have been 12 though, after the depressing realisation that I had lost count. Quite a feat considering I was only counting to ten!!

A great day on the fundraising front too.  The total has gone up to £619.53, plus I have some uncounted money in my pot from the weekend to add yet.  Thank you Bridget, Nigel and those who donated anonymously through SMS.  I'm very grateful.  I got my event featured on my work's intranet and had a long talk to a journalist from the Whitchurch Herald.  I am going on Thursday to have some new photos taken (note to self.... pull tummy in for photo!).  Hopefully they will run a story on me next week.  Fingers crossed!  I also wrote letters to the managers of Tesco, Sainsbury, ASDA, and Morrisons supermarkets in Wrexham, Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch.  The letters ask for donations and also ask for permission to run collections at their sites. Fingers crossed again!

Phew, busy day!

Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0 hrs
Elliptical 2:48 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 20
Swimming 250 m
Sauna  20 mins

TOTAL
Distance 327.41 miles
Time  60:01:06
Elliptical 13:54 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 620
Swimming 11,000 m
Sauna  6:10 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £619.53. 
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet
Text "MIFF70 £5" to 70070
or just click on the "Donate Now" link on the sidebar.
Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.

There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. Most are treated as ‘different’ however with the right support people with a learning disability can have access to education, jobs and an independent place to live. Mencap works with people with a learning disability to help them live the lives they want.

Be an awesome human being today and click on the link below and help make someone's life better.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Monday 9th January 2012 - Evening Leader article

Today is a rest day on my schedule so nothing occuring on the training front (apart from 100 press-ups done to punish myself for more lapses of motivation work-wise).   However it was a very good day for fundraising.  I got my photo and a great write up on page 3 of the paper.  I'm really grateful to the Wrexham Evening Leader for the help they gave publicising the effort.  Hopefully it will lay the ground for when I drop leaflets around the Wrexham area over the coming weeks.  I think I look really fat in the picture but hopefully that will help the sponsorship as people look at it and think that I need all the help I can get!!

I saw the benefit of the leaflets I dropped yesterday with Grace and it pushed my fundraising up to around the £600 mark!  I'm absolutely delighted!  A huge thank you to all those who sponsored me today and yesterday; especially Liz who generously donated £50, increased to £62.50 with Gift Aid - awesome, thanks Liz!!  I'm grateful for every donation, large or small.  They all help me to get closer to my target.

I have the remaining leaflets to drop and then I'll get a new batch made up.  I think for the second set I will try to push for business sponsorship.  I can include the logo and perhaps a small advertising message on the leaflets so that for a sponsorship at a certain level I can give firms a free leaflet drop to 2,000 homes in the area.  If you are reading this and you know of a company who might benefit from this then do let me know.  I would love to be able to help some local firms out at the same time as growing my sponsorship fund.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0
Elliptical 0 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 100
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 327.41 miles
Time  60:01:06
Elliptical 11:06 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 600
Swimming 10,750 m
Sauna  5:50 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £597.53. 
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet
Text "MIFF70 £5" to 70070
or just click on the "Donate Now" link on the sidebar.
Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Sunday 8th January 2012 - Leafleting

Today was leafleting day. I hadn't been too sure where to start really. A part of me was a little nervous of doing it in the area where I'm from because it felt a little awkward dropping leaflets introducing myself to people that I'd known my whole life.  So even as I went to bed last night I was planning to go to an area where I know no one.  However when I woke up I realised that I would get more sponsorship from people who knew me than I would from strangers and it would be crazy to focus on areas where I would get less sponsorship.  And also I knew that once I had done the areas where everyone knows me then I wouldn't be nearly as nervous when it came to leafleting in areas where I don't know anyone.

So it was that I set out this morning and started in Penley.  I was blessed with a very able assistant, my eight year old daughter Grace.  She was a little star and took to leafleting like a duck to water.  However her participation has slightly limited my blogging options.  I had intended to elicit sympathy and admiration by writing about how tough leafleting is and how much physical effort I put in.  But I can't now because Grace stayed with me almost the whole day and her legs are much shorter.  I guess that pro-rata she probably covered nearly double the distance that I did!

I think we dropped around 1,000 leaflets and a look at my Just Giving page tonight shows that it has generated some new, and very welcome, sponsorship.  I also got some donations into my tin.  Leafleting is quite tough work but it's more than compensated for by the lovely folks you meet. We found many friendly and lovely people and I really enjoyed chatting to all of them.

It's a rest day tomorrow but I might do a couple more hours of leaflet dropping if I get a chance.  Then it's back to the elliptical on Tuesday and also on to a 'media watch' to see when they use my piece in the Evening Leader. I forgot to mention in the blog that I got my photo taken on Friday.  Fingers crossed that the pictures are OK.  To be honest I'm not the most photogenic person in the world so part of me is dreading it!  But hopefully it will generate some more interest and thus some more sponsorship.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY
Distance 12.13 miles
Time  5:10:28
Elliptical 0 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 327.41 miles
Time  60:01:06
Elliptical 11:06 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 500
Swimming 10,750 m
Sauna  5:50 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £521.53. 
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet
Text "MIFF70 £5" to 70070
or just click on the "Donate Now" link on the sidebar.
Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Saturday 7th January 2011 - 4:50 hrs Elliptical

My training plan called for 24 miles today but my calf is still in no fit shape to take that kind of distance.  So, how to replace that with elliptical training?  Well, I calculated 12 minutes per mile which works out at 4 hrs 48 mins.  In my planning I had figured on rounding it up to 5 hours but as it turned out I did 4 hrs 50 mins because of a toilet related timing issue. (basically the machine kept re-setting every time I went to the toilet and I ran out of time to stay for the last ten).

I don't know if any of you have ever spent that long on an elliptical trainer (or any other fixed exercise machine I guess) but it's a uniquely boring way of inflicting pain on yourself.  The elliptical trainer specialises in causing thigh and buttock pain and thus that is what I am suffering now.  By the time I got off the thing I could barely move my legs.  I was hungry, thirsty, and moving with the grace of a badly constructed robot.  The busy gym into which I had walked five hours earlier was empty and they had turned off the relentlessly optimistic dance music that I'd listened to throughout my ordeal.  I used to like dance music but now whenever I hear it I get a pavlovian response and start limping.

To be fair though, it's a great gym and the staff had no issue with me hogging one machine for so long.  There was always at least one free machine and if they'd have all been taken I'd probably have done the decent thing and got off it to let someone else have a go.  As it turned out I was OK to stay on it.

During the workout I drank 3 litres of fluid; 1.5 of lucozade energy drink and 1.5 of water.  I also ate a flapjack and an energy bar.  I didn't count them exactly but I think it was about 800 calories with something over 2,000 burned.  So hopefully tonight I have 1,200 calories worth of love handle less than I had this morning.

Tomorrow is leaflet dropping day.  If you see me out come and say "hi" :)

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY
Distance 0 miles
Time  0
Elliptical 4:50hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 315.28 miles
Time  54:50:38
Elliptical 11:06 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 500
Swimming 10,750 m
Sauna  5:50 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £493.53. 
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet
Text "MIFF70 £5" to 70070
or just click on the "Donate Now" link on the sidebar.
Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Thursday 5th January 2012 - 90 minutes elliptical

Eight miles on the schedule for tonight so I rounded it up to 90 minutes on the elliptical and read more of the Lord of the Rings with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers playing in my ears.  Definitely a very different experience from slogging along frozen lanes being freaked out by scary cow eyes in the dark.  It was short and sweet though, straight in, sweat it up for an hour and a half and straight out! (After a shower of course!).

Sadly I didn't have time for any of the niceties like saunas or pool splashing.  That'll have to wait.  Oh, I also did some press-ups during the day.  Not really part of my training to do them but I use them as a deterrent to laziness.  Working from home is not good for me because I need some peer pressure to stop me being idle.  So I have a tactic that whenever I catch myself idling I drop and give myself 20 (I'd have made a great drill seargant).  It's a sign of what an idle day I've had that I did 100 of the wretched things through the day!!

I picked up my new leaflets today, ready for a long day of leaflet dropping on Sunday.  They look quite good.  Cheap obviously but that's probably no bad thing considering I'm basically begging for money with them.  If they were too swish people would figure I didn't need the cash!  I also got a box full of collection boxes from Mencap; and some stickers for the next time I'm collecting.  If you know a business that would be able to host one for a few months please let me know!  Ideally
places that trade a lot of cash and have a lot of generous customers!

I also got some text donations through (thank you Vicky and Dan!!).  I hope to get a few more over the weekend when I start dropping the leaflets off.  Oh, and I also finally replied to Wrexham Football Club and to the Wrexham Evening Leader.  Both had offered to help me promote the event before Christmas but I lost so much motivation during my injury that I had followed neither of them up until today.  Hopefully I'll get a positive response from them both.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0
Elliptical 1:30 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 100
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  0 mins

TOTAL
Distance 315.28 miles
Time  54:50:38
Elliptical 6:16 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 500
Swimming 10,750 m
Sauna  5:50 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £483.53. 
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet
Text "MIFF70 £5" to 70070
or just click on the "Donate Now" link on the sidebar.
Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Mencap New Year - New Me video

Hi All,

I know this is a running blog and all that but I was inspired today watching a new video produced by Mencap highlighting the aspirations and hopes that 2012 holds for some of the 1.5 million people in the UK coping with a learning disability.

It's a wonderfully uplifting video showing the human face of this illness.

Follow the link below to watch it.  I hope it inspires you in the way it inspired me.

If you wish to donate please text MIFF70 £1 to 70070 to send a pound to Mencap.  You can change the £1 to any amount you wish to send.  Or you can click on the "Donate now" button on the toolbar to the right.

Many thanks,
Al

Mencap - New Year - New Me video

Wednesday 4th January 2012 - 66 mins elliptical

I was working in Milton Keynes today (about 130 miles / 200 km from home) so by the time I arrived at the gym I was feeling pretty jaded after the long drive.  However I blew away the cobwebs with some core strength exercises and then it was on to see my new best friend.  The elliptical trainer.  My plan said just 6 miles today so I figured at 11 minutes per mile and did 66 minutes.  I upped the level a bit from what I'd done the day before and also upped the cadence by between 10 and 20 reps per minute.  Especially when "Common People" came on my ipod shuffle!

After the elliptical I went down the pool and rested on a lounger (tough life eh?) for a bit before jumping in and doing 60 lengths to finish.  I then chilled out with my calves in the spa for a bit and into the sauna.

One problem I had was that I forgot to take a water bottle so had to rely on the little plastic cups at the gym.  The cup holders on the ellipticals are too big to hold them so I couldn't take any water during my time on there.  I built up a huge thirst and so gulped a lot as soon as I finished.  In fact I found myself gulping cups of water rather than sipping like I would do from the bottle and eventually I had a belly full of water that wouldn't budge.  This meant that I couldn't stomach enough water in the sauna and had to abandon and hit the steam room for the last bit.
 
Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0
Elliptical 1:06 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 1500 m
Sauna  20 mins

TOTAL
Distance 315.28 miles
Time  54:50:38
Elliptical 4:46 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 400
Swimming 10,750 m
Sauna  5:50 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £481.53. 
If you haven't already donated then take a look at http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet and help the wonderful work of MENCAP.  Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored already. I respect and love you all!!! 

Remember that you can now donate by sending a text to 70070 saying (without quotes) "MIFF70 £5" but replacing the £5 with any amount you wish to donate.  I've tested it to make sure it works and it's EASY EASY EASY!!!  Try it!

Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.

http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Tuesday 3rd December 2012 - 2:25 hrs Elliptical

So here's the theory.  I follow my training plan to the letter, except for one thing. I replace running with elliptical trainer, erm, training.  I take an average minute per mile time to work out how long a given run will last and then programme the trainer for the same amount of time.  Ergo, I do the same work, get the same benefit as I would running except that I don't put any strain on my calf. 

Perfect right?  Well yes, except for the fact that when I think about why I love running I think about the fresh air, the scenery, the chance meetings of friends and friendly strangers on the lanes.  A look at clear starry skies.  A battle through wind and rain to bring a triumphant feel to the run's end.  None of this can be re-created on an elliptical trainer.

But I'm a positive person so I'll focus on the things that are better on a trainer than on a road.  Firstly music.  I never listen to my ipod on the lanes because sadly some people are nutters behind a wheel and I need to know when cars are approaching in case I have to leap out the way.  Since starting my training I've had three or four scary near misses and it's simply not safe to run without being able to hear the approach of potential four wheeled doom.  So tonight on the elliptical I blasted a pretty awesome Heavy Rock playlist directly into the part of the brain that makes the legs move.  Secondly, and most unlikely, reading.  Clearly it's not practical to read a book while out running.  However tonight on the elliptical I managed to read about 100 pages of the Lord of the Rings.  In fact I got so absorbed in it that almost an hour of my workout passed by without me even thinking about it!

So that leads me nicely onto tonight's training.  It was supposed to be a 14 mile run so I calculated 14 x 12 minute miles gives 168 minutes, or 2 hours and 48 minutes.  Sadly I arrived at the gym just a little too late to do the entire amount so I only ended up doing 2 hours and 25 minutes.  Even so I'm pretty pleased with it.  No pain in my calf and enough work to leave me feeling tired.  An odd thing, at one point I lost the feeling in both legs below the knees.  It sounds a lot more dramatic than it was but it certainly made for an interesting walk (well, shuffle) to the loo half way through!

Activity on the fundraising front. I got 2,000 copies of the leaflets I designed printed up today (I know... I couldn't believe how quickly they could do it either!!).  So at the weekend I'll be out delivering them through some letterboxes.  I intend to use it as a training day, albeit with no running.  I'll give the backpack a go and take my cooker and some dried food out so I can try to get used to the self-sufficiency thing; cooking my food and hot drinks all day.  If you get a leaflet through your door please be kind to it and please be kind to me and send me a little donation!
 
Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0
Elliptical 2:25 hrs
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 0 m
Sauna  15 mins

TOTAL
Distance 315.28 miles
Time  54:50:38
Elliptical 3:40 hrs
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 400
Swimming 9250 m
Sauna  5:30 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £481.53. 
If you haven't already donated then take a look at http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet and help the wonderful work of MENCAP.  Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored already. I respect and love you all!!! 

Remember that you can now donate by sending a text to 70070 saying (without quotes) "MIFF70 £5" but replacing the £5 with any amount you wish to donate.  I've tested it to make sure it works and it's EASY EASY EASY!!!  Try it!

Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.

http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet

Monday 2nd January 2012 - 75 mins Eliptical training

It's been a great Christmas for fun and time spent with the kids; but as far as my Marathon des Sables training and fundraising is concerned it's been terrible!  The torn calf muscle brought my training to a complete stand-still for over two weeks.  In fact I still cannot run even a single pace on it.  During one false dawn I tried hopping to show my Mum how much better it was and ended up limping for another two days.  With this experience in mind today I decided to eat a full bowl of realism and vowed not to run again until I am confident that it is fully healed.  Even if this takes another two weeks (which would mean a total of a whole month out!!).

However, in spite of this setback I am somehow filled with optimism and energy again.  I think a part of me has decided not to let it beat me and so I'm going to plough on with my training as best I can.  I went to the gym today and learned something very useful.  If I go on an eliptic trainer and keep my heel down on the pad I can use it without putting any strain on my calves whatsoever.  I went today did a 15 minute tester as a warm up and felt no problems at all.  So then I did some core exercises (avoiding the ones that put strain on my calves) and then went back to the eliptical and did a full hour.  I then went downstairs to the pool and swam 50 lengths and spent an age in the sauna and steam room.

And at the end of it all I feel ace!!  It's such a good feeling to be doing 'something' towards my training, even if it won't help with the old 'specificity' thing that I keep reading about.  If I can continue to build aerobic fitness and strengthen my knees and thighs then I will feel like I am making good progress even as I rest my calves.  I suppose it's a risk and maybe I ought to pull out of the event all together but I can't stomach making that decision.  So I'm going to plough on and work as hard as I dare on my training.  I'll also work as hard as I dare on my fundraising and to that end I am going to spend the rest of this evening designing some flyers that I can hand out as I am fundraising.  I intend to spend some days pushing leaflets through doors in the hope of encouraging some people to sponsor me - you never know, one might come through YOUR door!

Peace, out.

JUST THE FACTS!!
Weight: 79.6 Kg

TODAY 
Distance 0 miles
Time  0
Kcal  0
Press-ups 0
Swimming 1250 m
Sauna  1:05 mins

TOTAL
Distance 315.28 miles
Time  54:50:38
Kcal  34,388
Press-ups 400
Swimming 9250 m
Sauna  5:15 mins

FUNDRAISING
The fund is at £481.53. 
If you haven't already donated then take a look at http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet and help the wonderful work of MENCAP.  Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored already. I respect and love you all!!! 

Remember that you can now donate by sending a text to 70070 saying (without quotes) "MIFF70 £5" but replacing the £5 with any amount you wish to donate.  I've tested it to make sure it works and it's EASY EASY EASY!!!  Try it!

Feel free to contact me with any fundraising ideas you have.  You can email me at: miffjacobs@hotmail.com

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.
http://www.justgiving.com/pitymyfeet