[18ck]

Hello Frenz

 

I've been feeling reluctant to come on here since I have been fairly feeble in my commitment to training and it's depressing coming in day after day and reporting that I have done naff all again. But I've managed to get into a groove, albeit only a few days so here I go, trying to keep the wheelie up... 

 

I'm doing a 15km race in a warm climate on sand in 9 days' time. I'm not in especially great condition. I mean, I'll finish it, but I've seen the organisers' Facebook page and they look like they are pretty professional. Road racing is a big deal in Portugal apparently. I'm going to struggle to keep up! 

 

Taking part in an organised race in. Portugal has been on my bucket list for ages so I'm excited but apprehensive for a few reasons I won't go into. I'm. Going to spend a few days there and Flyer is coming with me and we'll have a sort of weird working holiday. It's going to be an adventure. 

 

Anyway, between now and then I have scheduled in daily exercises to lose weight and develop my stamina a bit. Tomorrow I'm going to row, and do a short fast run home. Then on Sunday I'm going to run the 15km using a camelbak to get used to using that. After that it's mainly weights and swimming to let me legs rest a bit. 

 

Also diet control and daily potuguese of course. The usual. It's a routine I can do when I have my shit together but my shit is so often all apart these days. 

[Strickland5]

[Elastigirl]

Here to cheer you on!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

You got this.

[Salinger]

You will do great!!!! xx

[fearless 2.0]

thats cool, running in Portugal, will be pretty hot too I guess! We want all the pictures of your white legs beating the Iberian streets!  happy to see you crash your goals!!!!!! GO YOU!

[18ck]

Smashed it today. 

Rowed to the pink house and back #notaeuphemism

Did some work at the allotment 

Ran home in speedy mode. 

Then in the afternoon walked with Flyer and her friend to the park and we sat and read our books - me on a bench, then on the grass, pausing to discuss the various failings of authors in terms i wouldn't understand in a month of Sundays. 

Ate well within my calories and did some portuguese reading but admittedly not loads because I was trying to finish a book in English. 

 

Oh god, Flyer's just finished the book and from the sounds she's making she's not happy with the ending. Oh well, there's a sequel. 

[18ck]

23 hours ago, Strickland5 said:

That's motivating AF! 

[18ck]

22 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Here to cheer you on!

Thanks for the support! 

[18ck]

20 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

You got this.

Hope so! 

 

Oh bloody hell, posting this too soon after the last one 

 

*Drums fingers*

 

 

OK now! 

[18ck]

17 hours ago, Salinger said:

You will do great!!!! xx

That's the plan. Hello! 

[18ck]

10 hours ago, fearless 2.0 said:

thats cool, running in Portugal, will be pretty hot too I guess! We want all the pictures of your white legs beating the Iberian streets!  happy to see you crash your goals!!!!!! GO YOU!

My legs are pretty pink these days. I'm feeling a lot better after my energetic day. Let's hope the feeling lasts through a full work week and then feeling terrified about being on a fucking plane. 

 

 

[18ck]

The 15k run went OK. I was absolutely battered by the end. I was even feeling the delayed effects of yesterday's rowing. 

 

Back home, work work work. I've eaten well inside my target. Half watched England win the cup. Nice! I don't really follow football but I like it when everyone's happy and it made me feel all warm and glowy for 5 seconds before I reverted to my hard-hearted not-caring-about-sport façade.

[18ck]

Oh and I've finally got the hang of the camelbak I think. Glad I practised that. It takes a bit of getting used to. 

[Everstorm]

On 7/31/2022 at 5:41 PM, 18ck said:

Oh and I've finally got the hang of the camelbak I think. Glad I practised that. It takes a bit of getting used to. 

I can imagine...

 

[Salinger]

Hows things? x

[Terinatum]

Hey CK,

Glad the run went fairly well. I can't imagine running in this heat, even back when I ran a lot!

I hope you are doing well back home and enjoying yourself and the family.

Lots of virtual hugs!

Cheers

[18ck]

On 8/3/2022 at 12:19 PM, Everstorm said:

I can imagine...

 

That looks pretty good actually 

[18ck]

19 hours ago, Terinatum said:

Hey CK,

Glad the run went fairly well. I can't imagine running in this heat, even back when I ran a lot!

I hope you are doing well back home and enjoying yourself and the family.

Lots of virtual hugs!

Cheers

Oh the run I was describing wasn't *the* run. We only got here yesterday.

Thanks though. Virtual hugs back. Well, handshakes. I'm not a big hugger. 

Hi fives? Meet you half way? 

On 8/3/2022 at 12:25 PM, Salinger said:

Hows things? x

Amazing thanks! 

[18ck]

Lads! The race is tomorrow! Flyer and I are in country. There was a bit of a scare this morning when I got an email saying "hey, looking forward to seeing you. Don't forget according to the rules of the Portuguese athelitcs association it is absolutely obriga-fucking-torio that every runner have a race number, a mobile phone, a thermal blanket and a whistle" 

 

And so began a crazy scavenger hunt to find a thermal blanket and a whistle in a strange town with no notice. Luckily we have a hire car. It was annoying because everyone but me seemed to be on the wrong side of the road but we managed it. Oh and I've done 18000 steps in the day before a race, all of them uphill. Great strategy. 

 

OK see you tomorrow if I haven't fallen into quicksand and been eaten by an iberian lynx because my whistle wasn't loud enough. 

[Everstorm]

Good luck!

[Salinger]

How did it all go?? Hopefully you are happy and feeling good and safe and dehydrated ❤️ xx

[Terinatum]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:07 PM, 18ck said:

Hi fives? Meet you half way? 

Sounds like a plan!

🖐️💢🖐️

[Everstorm]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:12 PM, 18ck said:

OK see you tomorrow if I haven't fallen into quicksand and been eaten by an iberian lynx because my whistle wasn't loud enough. 

Should we be worried? 🤔

[18ck]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:15 PM, Salinger said:

How did it all go?? Hopefully you are happy and feeling good and safe and dehydrated ❤️ xx

 

On 8/11/2022 at 10:57 PM, Terinatum said:

Sounds like a plan!

🖐️💢🖐️

 

On 8/7/2022 at 12:15 AM, Everstorm said:

Good luck!

Thanks all 3.

I don't suppose anyone is still reading this since the challenge is over, but just to cap it off... 

 

It was a really odd day and I woke up and decided... I wasn't going. And on top of that, I found out Chutos e Pontapés (the Rolling Stones of Portugal) were playing at a festival just up the road that same day, and it was only €8 and there were tickets left and.... I didn't go to that either. 

So basically I managed to completely bollox TWO bucket list goals in a single day.  And yet in spite of that it was a really good day, hanging out with Flyer, climbing hills, paddling in the sea, eating toasties and doing fun stuff. So, you know, I don't feel bad about it. But don't ask me why, I don't make the rules. 

 

I spent a few weeks after just wandering around in a daze trying to work out how I'd manage to achieve such a pinnacle of goal non-realization, then restarted running with a significant loss of fitness, but think I probably need something with more direction so I've signed up with an online running coach and going to try that for a bit and see if it works out. First day today. I'll probably come back here at some point in the future but I feel like my nerdfitness engagement has probably run its course for now. 

 

Good luck to the rest of you though. I hope you're smashing all your goals as much as I am unsmashing mine!