Meeting Ultra-Heroes

Juneathon 2015 – Day 13

• parkrun volunteer – no actual running, but did have the great pleasure to meet UltraBaby & UltraBoy
• evening trail run – 5 miles

 

 

 

Heroes Breakfast

Day 4 Janathon Activity:

• Run 8 miles steady – flat roads
• Swim 20 Lengths – 12 Lengths at 1 min intervals, 8 Lengths with pull bouy
• Cycle 22 miles – flat roads

Hot & Cold was the theme of the day. The run & the ride were both on the chilly side; including patches of near-freezing fog to liven things up. By contrast, the water in Tonbridge pool was way too hot, more suitable for boiling lobsters than lap swimming. Still at least there was enough space to swim lengths without having to slalom around people. All activities were completed uneventfully.

The big news of the day, for me, came between the run & the swim. We took a trip out to Kelly Holmes’ new cafe 1809 in Hildenborough for brunch. It’s not every day you get greeted by a double Olympic gold medal winning hero over breakfast! The cafe was a real pleasure. While we were there, a mix of cyclists, families & couples generated a really happy atmosphere & the serving staff were attentive & seemed to be enjoying their work. If you’re in the vicinity, I would recommend a visit.

Back to work tomorrow. The commute should be “interesting” with the disruption at London Bridge affecting all the Cannon Street trains. However, on the positive side, Jantastic starts tomorrow & I’m signed up for the Tonbridge parkrun team.

The sun did not shine

“The sun did not shine,
It was too wet to play,
So we sat in the house,
All that cold, cold, wet day”
Dr Seuss

Err, except of course it didn’t happen quite like that …
“The sun did not shine,
It was too wet to play,
But through mud & puddles,
We went and we ran anyway

Janathon day 3:

• Volunteering at Tonbridge park run (a couple of the photos I took below)
• Swimming 20 lengths: 10 at 1-minute intervals + 10 with pull bouy
• 3.3 mile run

 

“Did YOU have any fun?

Tell me, what did you do?”

 

Own Goals

It’s a dark, dank & rainy Sunday and I feel quite justified in lolling around on the settee. I got out for a steady 10K run early this morning. A lucky break in the weather meant I got round without getting wet. I’ve also ticked off a 45 minute session on the bike turbo in the garage.

On Monday evening I will see Rachel the physio and find out how much muscle damage the last couple of weeks have caused. I’m feeling hopeful that with some regular sports massages I may be able to start planning for some events in 2015.

So what should my goals be? There are so many choices. I am far from having a finalised plan but I thought I would share some of the considerations. I want to find challenges that will stretch & motivate me, but which are feasible with work & family commitments.

Brighton Trailblazer – one of my favourite races.
A half marathon (Tonbridge?) that I have properly trained & prepared for.
Answer the 10K road-run question: Can I go under 40 mins?
Find a “voice” for this blog & post regularly
A sprint triathlon – because I still haven’t cracked the how-to-swim bogey
SUP Bike Run triathlon
As much volunteering at Tonbridge parkrun as I can fit in
An overseas race or parkrun

I’m going to avoid any events that have to be booked months & months in advance and those where entry is determined by ballot.

In the days ahead, as I make the wish-list into a DO-list I’ll write a separate posting on each of the goals. Cycling is the discipline that is under-represented. The sprint-tri bike leg isn’t really too demanding. I’ve enjoyed sportives in the past, but ironically as cycling has become more popular, these have become less of a draw for me (too many riders with top-end bikes but no road-sense or courtesy). I know I can’t be competitive at races or TTs and I’m not really sure where that leaves me. What is the cycling equivalent of parkrun?

Have you set your goals for next year yet? Feel free to share your favourite 2015 challenge in the comments.