Well I'm back in training...can't beleive it and I've made great friends with my Pro V1 golf ball of a sports hernia....and the art of 'popping it back in' as the Doctor advised.( too much detail for some ! ...apologies ).
Redundancies at work.....a difficult couple of weeks but had to be done for the well being of the business and team within.....banks and Mr.Brown need to sort themselves out, make decisions and get the lending off the ground......really hurts though when you have to let loyal, quality, acs people go.....knowing how it will impact them and there families......and all due to the behaviour of the banks and government.
On a more cheerful note a needed family holiday. We went to Portugal, Prai del-Rei, for my 40th Birthday with my wife, Lisa and gorgeous daughter, Isabelle. We were blessed with the weather....no wind and 24 degrees on the Silver Coast ! The Townhouse we stayed at was literally, ' on the beach', and one of the greatest golf courses in Europe.
My birthday started with a 5 mile run on the golden sandy beach against crashing Atlantic waves, warm sun and steep red cliffs behind......this was my training each day.....a really tough start to the day !
Birthday lunch at the 'Fishshack' beach restaurant......a 5 minute drive....a wooden hut on the beach where 'What they catch is What you eat'....prawns followed by sea bream...service simple,food fantastic!
We play frisby on the beach and build more sandcastles which Isabelle and I are becoming quite creative with.
Onto Obidos - lovely, local 14th Century Medieval town....walked the cobbled streets upto the stunning Castle where the Annual Chocolate Festival was taking place......Lisa and Isabelle are in paradise albeit Isabelle is wearing most of her chocolate.
Sorry for waffling but a truly fantasticly, chilled, needed, laid back holiday for the family - can be rented at http://www.oceanviewportugal.com/ .
Anyway, the Marathin training.......arrive back and next day do the Silverstone Half Marathon with Lisa Ross ( my great work colleague and Marathon running partner ). It's mid-day, hot and hard to run on the reinforced concrete of the F1 circuit....Copse Corner at 7 miles an hour seemed like fun but at 10 miles my hamstrings and calves tighten and I find myself walking in pain. I finish in 2 hours and Lisa shortly after but were both disappointed......no way we can do 26.2 miles, double Silverstone with how our legs of lead felt today !
Back to work on the Monday and a letter has been received from one of our partners, Claremont Office Furniture in Glasgow. Brendan, John and the company have given £ 1000.00 in sponsorship for Lisa and I.....and a further £ 500.00 if Lisa beats, I quote, 'old man Thorpe !'
We are in disbelief, a huge gesture and a huge motivation to pick up the training, grin and bear the discomfort of the hernia and knee and focus on the task ahead and remember why,why,why were doing it.....for the nurses at the local, Northampton Cynthia Hospice and Bury Hospice in Manchester - great nurses, great men and women doing an amazing job for those with cancer and other illnesses. They find the right words and give dignity and hope in difficult times ( Bury nurses looked after my Mum's 7 year fight with cancer and still help support the old fella nearly 2 years later ).The other Charity is local, MKSNAP....a great, inspirational MK Charity for young adults with learning difficulties.....the staff giving them encouragement, a purpose and much,much more.
Come on - if you haven't sponsored yet.....help Lisa and I raise over £ 5000.00 and sponsor us....a fiver, tenner, £ 50 or £ 500 it all adds up....... a big thankyou and it really helps others make a difference for those in real need.
Fast forward to today......just did 16 miles around Brixworth Country Park....aching I am but feeling a little more confident about the last 4 weeks to what is considered the World's greatest road race, The London Marathon.
Next weekend is the 20 mile test before the training slows down in preperation for the Big Day !.....I'll let you know.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Lights blown....Hernia....but...?
A tough week on the work and training front. Sunday I do 45 minutes of my 2 and a half hour run and stop in pain...my left knee hurts but now also discomfort in my groin.
Monday night I get home and feel a tear in the groin as I get out the car, I then pick up Isabelle ( my lively, lively 2 year old daughter ) and feel even more discomfort in the groin....get changed, look down and a new found friend....what I can only describe as a 'golf ball' has presented itself ! Panic...I'm not good with surprises and ask the wife, Lisa, for a second opinion......'YEP, Doctors as soon as.....Hernia love....no Marathon for you !'
The rest of the week I am Mr.Doom and Gloom.....no training, no Marathon, the economy is getting to everyone, Brown and banks still need to have a word with themselves.....I'm confident in the journey ahead but my training was part of my stress release to keep focussed and fit for the day job.
Thursday I find myself at a Prince's Trust initiative with 20 local businesses at Kingsthorpe Grove Primary School.
Can you beleive 20% of the children had never been to the seaside ?....we agree to sort this out and take them !
It had been a long time since I'd been to Assembly....the Head, Assistant and pupils were truly inspiring....I will do what I can to support these kids and the school.
Reflecting on the day I had real highs and lows.......it made me wake up to helping these kids and the challenges they face, made me recommit to give wherever and whenever I could and to be there for those most important to me.....my friends and family !
In the same week I also find myself on the pop 2 nights.....convinced.....no Marathon for me !
Eventually, I get into the Doctor's on the Friday....he checks and advises it is a Hernia. I explain my need to do the Marathon....everyone taking the p at work...'is it a ProV1 ?'.....'good excuse not to do it! '.....he suggests if the Surgeon is in agreement and I can put up with the pain and work out how to put the 'ProV1' back in each time then the operation could take place after the London Marathon.
I leave delighted....and then Friday night go to Claire's 30th Birthday bash.....a great party but I'm in severe pain....I leave p*ssed off again thinking....no Marathon for me!
Miss Ross, my co-runner, has joined a running club......she is looking really toned, getting fitter and fitter and more and more focussed on achieving the goal ahead....I'm confident she'll do it !
Sunday night I just go to the gym to see how it feels running.....30 minutes into it I was ok....it hurts but not to the point of making me stop.
Longer runs may be more challenging but I'll kick start my training again and see how we get on.
Monday night I get home and feel a tear in the groin as I get out the car, I then pick up Isabelle ( my lively, lively 2 year old daughter ) and feel even more discomfort in the groin....get changed, look down and a new found friend....what I can only describe as a 'golf ball' has presented itself ! Panic...I'm not good with surprises and ask the wife, Lisa, for a second opinion......'YEP, Doctors as soon as.....Hernia love....no Marathon for you !'
The rest of the week I am Mr.Doom and Gloom.....no training, no Marathon, the economy is getting to everyone, Brown and banks still need to have a word with themselves.....I'm confident in the journey ahead but my training was part of my stress release to keep focussed and fit for the day job.
Thursday I find myself at a Prince's Trust initiative with 20 local businesses at Kingsthorpe Grove Primary School.
Can you beleive 20% of the children had never been to the seaside ?....we agree to sort this out and take them !
It had been a long time since I'd been to Assembly....the Head, Assistant and pupils were truly inspiring....I will do what I can to support these kids and the school.
Reflecting on the day I had real highs and lows.......it made me wake up to helping these kids and the challenges they face, made me recommit to give wherever and whenever I could and to be there for those most important to me.....my friends and family !
In the same week I also find myself on the pop 2 nights.....convinced.....no Marathon for me !
Eventually, I get into the Doctor's on the Friday....he checks and advises it is a Hernia. I explain my need to do the Marathon....everyone taking the p at work...'is it a ProV1 ?'.....'good excuse not to do it! '.....he suggests if the Surgeon is in agreement and I can put up with the pain and work out how to put the 'ProV1' back in each time then the operation could take place after the London Marathon.
I leave delighted....and then Friday night go to Claire's 30th Birthday bash.....a great party but I'm in severe pain....I leave p*ssed off again thinking....no Marathon for me!
Miss Ross, my co-runner, has joined a running club......she is looking really toned, getting fitter and fitter and more and more focussed on achieving the goal ahead....I'm confident she'll do it !
Sunday night I just go to the gym to see how it feels running.....30 minutes into it I was ok....it hurts but not to the point of making me stop.
Longer runs may be more challenging but I'll kick start my training again and see how we get on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)