Back to full fitness

Well, I have managed to do a full week of training this week. Found a nice, reasonably quiet road, that has got lots of options for doing longer distances, and lots of hills to build up my stamina. Over 3 days I managed a total of 28 miles this week, with rest days in-between. This seems to be the the best way of training according to the growing mountain of fitness magazines I seem to be collecting, train one day then have a rest day to let your muscles rest and repair. Seems to be working ok. Really tired though, think its just adjusting to my new regime.

Got another problem though, now I'm doing all this cycling, I'm still loosing weight, and I don't want to loose anymore or I'll start looking like a skeleton. So thought I'd try a protein shake to see if it would help with building muscle and keeping weight on, will let you know if it works, but not too keen on the taste of them, tried strawberry this week, but think I'll try chocolate next, so as I get my chocolate fix at the same time.

Received another letter from Action for Charity this week, in it was a list of all the names of the other ladies taking part in Cycle Kenya. Amazingly I am one of, I think, only 4 women in Scotland doing this challenge. Two of them are actually quite close by, one in Hamilton and the other from High Blantyre. The third is from Inverness. Will need to contact them and try to arrange training days and maybe a joint fund raising event. There has been such a huge response about this challenge another date has been added in November, so if you or anyone you know are interested in doing this challenge, just follow the link to their website for more info.

Next week I hope to increase my runs by about 2 miles, and continue on like that until I am cycling about 25 - 30 a run.

Need to find out when the next car boot sale is too, got lots of goodies in my van to sell an make lots of money - hopefully!! Need to email and post copies of sponsor forms to all my friends too, so they can get sponsors on my behalf.

Well it's been a long week, so will sign off now and update you all again soon.

Confirmation and Trip Info pack arrive this week.

Well it has been nearly a week since I injured my Achilles tendon, so going to go for a power walk today to see how it hold out. Been really frustrated not being able to go out for a run or a cycle, but I want to get it better first time round, rather than having the injury re-occur.

I know I have 17 months to get fit for this, and raise the money, but I want to be fit for it well in advance so that I am not worried about doing 110km in a day, then start panicking nearer the time.

I was so excited on Tuesday. Two great things happened, firstly I got a letter form the hospital to say that my biopsy results were clear, just abnormal cells not cancer. Phew!! That was such a relief, I don't mind admitting that I was quite worried about it.

The second great thing that happened was my confirmation that I am one of the 80 women registered to participate in the Women V Cancer, Cycle Kenya Challenge arrived.

Had a quick read through it, but going to read it more thoroughly later today and devise my action plan. Details of which I'll post on my EVENTS page later.

Must say a huge thank you to Hazel Mathews, who has donated 3 large boxes/cases of new and nearly new child's clothing for me to sell at car boot sales. (Note to self - must find out when the next one is!!)

First Injury

Hello again everyone, just a quick update.

Well I am now committed to doing this mad 400km cycle ride in Kenya, sent my registration off on Wednesday, so hope to get all the paper work through quite soon so I can start some serious fundrasing. Can't believe how excited I am about this venture!!

The photo is of me after a 10 mile cycle on Thursday, you can also see Holly (the black and white springer and part of Honey, the brown and white one. Spot, my other dog wasn't being very co-operative and was running around like a lunatic somewhere). Unfortunately, I have suffered my first training injury. Went for a run round Lanark racecourse of Friday morning, and my GPS had just turned the 3 mile mark when I felt an excruciating pain up the back of my right leg!!! Thankfully I wasn't far from home, so managed to limp back and put some ibuprofen gel on it and a tubigrip. Turns out I pulled my Achilles tendon, but thankfully it is a lot better today, so will give it a couple of days rest before I try anything more than walking and swimming. Just need to remember I have a year and a half to get fit for this mission, so I shouldn't try to do too much too soon.

Got my business cards through today, got them free (had to pay for postage) from Vistaprints, and basically they are to hand out to everyone I know and meet to advertise this blogspot so they can come and donate loads of money!!! Here's hoping anyway.

Back from holiday

Hi everyone, hope you all had a good Easter Weekend. I was on holiday last week, went home to see my Dad, and spent the weekend partying with friends and relations, it was my Uncle's 70th birthday party, it was a great night.

But don't worry, I was very good, apart from Tuesday(the weather was terrible), I was out every day, either walking the dogs, cycling or running. Thank you very much Halfords in Lanark for servicing my bike, all it needed was a sprocket thingy-ma-gig for changing the back gears, so it's going a lot better now.

Raided the house when I was home, it's amazing how much crap you hold onto over the years, but it couldn't have been that bad, because I piled it all into my van and took it to a car boot sale, and was amazed to come home with over £70 pounds, and didn't even sell half of what I took, so roll on the next car boot sale!! Also bumped into a couple of people I haven't seen for a while and they gave me sponsors totaling £20, so thank you very much to them.

And a BIG, BIG THANK YOU to my Dad for £100 towards my registration costs, xxx.

So I'm on the road to Kenya now, registration will be emailed tomorrow, need to do it asap coz there are only 29 places left and I am so going to be one of the 80 women doing this cycle ride.

Speak to you all soon.