Oops....
I've neglected the blog a bit, haven't I?
Apologies, but I've not had anything inpriring to say!!
The training is getting harder, not easier and rather than losing 5 stone, I've managed to put on a few pounds...I fear its going to take longer than I imagined.
So, rather than listen to me moan, Ang is going to update us on her progress ....
Ok so it's been a while since I last weebled along. I think it's probably fair to say that for a number of reasons I haven't been quite as dedicated to my training as I should, luckily I have a Beth to call me out on this. I suppose it's just as well I've done some running in the past, although even I was shocked when I looked back at my diaries and discovered it was pre-Milan which was 2010!! (I don't do dear diary stuff, I just have a gig diary, Milan was Muse)
So, time to get back into the running trainers, hoick up the leggings (I've ordered some new proper running ones, extra support for my feeble weebly pegs) and dug out my old runners world stuff. More importantly, time to take stock of me, myself and I. Unlike some (Rhydd) I can't run properly on a diet of curries and BBQ's so farewell to the rubbish I eat (including alcohol) and hello to good quality, home cooked food - did I mention I bought a smoothie maker too!
It's actually going better than I though and I'm pushing on, although turns out I need the human equivalent of WD40 daily to keep my joints from creaking like the Titanic these days. I'm confident I will complete the 10k, and I'm confident it won't be hot on the heels of Rhydd and Marc, but I will do it, I mean come on, a 10k will cause a little pain, but fighting cancer, that is way harder. I'm still training on the treadmill, my lack of dedication naturally led to my weight going up not down, but, I am pleased to say after a new weigh in I'm actually 10lb less than I expected, so a few more treadmill sessions to shave a stone off and I should be balanced enough to hit the roads again - feet first hopefully ;)
Ang x
Back to me :
Anyway, my lovely friends, even though we've been quiet, rest assure we are working our wobbly butts off to complete this run.
If you would like to sponsor any of us, please follow our Just Giving Link on this page or if you dont like donating on-line, all of us have a sponsor form.
Please dont forget that despite the laughter, the tears, the pain and the mocking, the reason we are doing this is to raise money for Cancer Research, and to support our friends who are fighting this horrible disease.
I'll be quiet again for a couple of weeks, but if you need reminding of the journey we have made so far, please re-read some of the earlier posts and have a right LAUGH AT OUR EXPENSE,
and SHARE< SHARE< SHARE!!!
Thanks
Deb xxx
24 July 2013 - Words to the wise
To the horrid little chav in his souped up golf, and ridiculously loud exhaust.
Yelling : 'Get your tits out you fat cow' at me, when I'm running is actually highly unlikely to inspire me to get said tits out.
In fact, taking into account that I have had three kids and so my tits hang nearly to my knees, I fail to see why you would want me to get them out.
I can only conclude, therefore, that you don't actually want me to get my tits out, that you in fact think you are insanely hilarious showing off in front of the little barbie dolls giggling in the back of your car.
What is actually likely to happen is that one of your silly little girlfriend's gives you crabs and your tiny dick falls off (hopefully).
Just saying.
Day 1 thousand - Calamity Rhydd
Well, THAT'S never before.
I went out for my usual 8 mile run on Saturday morning and ended up coughing up blood at the side of the cycle path.
And things had been going so well.
Two weeks ago I remembered that my officially licenced, rare promotional Fantastic Four watch has a stopwatch on it.
Up until then I'd been monitoring my running times by checking the time on the clock in the
kitchen when I left and then checking it on my phone when I'd reached my destination. Hardly an ideal arrangement I know, rendered even more void once I'd realised that there is a 5 minute disparity between each clock.
So anyway, now I had a stopwatch and could accurately gauge my progress.
Two weeks ago I ran my 8 miles in 59 minutes. Last week I did it in 55.
Wow! I was getting somewhere!
And what's more, last week I was beginning to feel like a machine again when I was running. Just like I did during my marathon days. Where I'd settle into a good, solid pace and feel like
I could keep it up all day. I'd zone out and the pain would disappear and nothing could get in my way.
Awesome.
And then, this week........
.
Even though I left the house at 07:30 it was hot, but I was doing it. I was keeping up a good pace and I was watching the clock and I was set to knock a couple of minutes off last weeks time.
Then, about half way along my route on the cycle path, something flew down the back of my
throat, causing me to gag.
I wretched up phlegm and thought that I'd gotten rid of it, whatever it was. So I started running again. A minute or two later I gagged again and coughed up more phlegm.
Jesus, it hurt.
I had a drink and tried to carry on but something was still causing me to gag. This time I was coughing up blood. Not just phlegm with some blood in it, but actual blood.
MY BLOOD!
What the hell had flown into my gob? And what's more what the hell had it done when it was in there?
Was it a wasp?
No, not that kind. This kind...
Had it stung me?
HAD IT LAID EGGS???
Was I going to go home later that day and have something explode out my chest whilst having my tea like John Hurt in Alien?
By this time my legs had turned to jelly.
This was worrying
I had to get home, and the quickest way to do that was by getting to town to catch the bus. Which was what I was doing anyway. Only now I couldn't run. So I carried on walking
. I coughed up blood maybe three or four more times.
Once I realised that maybe I was finished up chucking I tentatively tried running again. It was slow and painful but at least I was running.
Eventually, I reach Wind Street without any more unpleasantness and checked my time. I had done it in 1 hour and 1 minute, which wasn't too bad at all, considering.
Anyway, my throat is still sore. When I swallow it feels kind of scratched. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this, and if it doesn't get any better I'll have to make my usual decadial visit to the doctor's.
Hopefully next week, barring any more insect/windpipe incidents, I can get back on track and shave a few more minutes off my route. Because the 10K is sneaking up on us pretty damn quickly and want to run a damn good time.
Damn good.
Hopefully then it will be a bit cooler too.
Until next time,
Rhydd.
PS. Later that day I fell out of a tree and cut myself to ribbons.
Just thought I'd mention it.
I went out for my usual 8 mile run on Saturday morning and ended up coughing up blood at the side of the cycle path.
And things had been going so well.
Two weeks ago I remembered that my officially licenced, rare promotional Fantastic Four watch has a stopwatch on it.
Up until then I'd been monitoring my running times by checking the time on the clock in the
kitchen when I left and then checking it on my phone when I'd reached my destination. Hardly an ideal arrangement I know, rendered even more void once I'd realised that there is a 5 minute disparity between each clock.
So anyway, now I had a stopwatch and could accurately gauge my progress.
Two weeks ago I ran my 8 miles in 59 minutes. Last week I did it in 55.
Wow! I was getting somewhere!
And what's more, last week I was beginning to feel like a machine again when I was running. Just like I did during my marathon days. Where I'd settle into a good, solid pace and feel like
I could keep it up all day. I'd zone out and the pain would disappear and nothing could get in my way.
Awesome.
And then, this week........
.
Even though I left the house at 07:30 it was hot, but I was doing it. I was keeping up a good pace and I was watching the clock and I was set to knock a couple of minutes off last weeks time.
Then, about half way along my route on the cycle path, something flew down the back of my
throat, causing me to gag.
I wretched up phlegm and thought that I'd gotten rid of it, whatever it was. So I started running again. A minute or two later I gagged again and coughed up more phlegm.
Jesus, it hurt.
I had a drink and tried to carry on but something was still causing me to gag. This time I was coughing up blood. Not just phlegm with some blood in it, but actual blood.
MY BLOOD!
What the hell had flown into my gob? And what's more what the hell had it done when it was in there?
Was it a wasp?
 |
| Heavy Metal Band W.A.S.P. |
No, not that kind. This kind...
 |
| actual wasp |
Had it stung me?
HAD IT LAID EGGS???
Was I going to go home later that day and have something explode out my chest whilst having my tea like John Hurt in Alien?
 |
| Alien chest burst |
By this time my legs had turned to jelly.
This was worrying
I had to get home, and the quickest way to do that was by getting to town to catch the bus. Which was what I was doing anyway. Only now I couldn't run. So I carried on walking
. I coughed up blood maybe three or four more times.
Once I realised that maybe I was finished up chucking I tentatively tried running again. It was slow and painful but at least I was running.
Eventually, I reach Wind Street without any more unpleasantness and checked my time. I had done it in 1 hour and 1 minute, which wasn't too bad at all, considering.
Anyway, my throat is still sore. When I swallow it feels kind of scratched. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this, and if it doesn't get any better I'll have to make my usual decadial visit to the doctor's.
Hopefully next week, barring any more insect/windpipe incidents, I can get back on track and shave a few more minutes off my route. Because the 10K is sneaking up on us pretty damn quickly and want to run a damn good time.
Damn good.
Hopefully then it will be a bit cooler too.
Until next time,
Rhydd.
PS. Later that day I fell out of a tree and cut myself to ribbons.
Just thought I'd mention it.
Day (I have really no idea) 10 July 2013-Nice day for a wedding
Today has been a special day as today is the day Julie and Andrew finally got married.
Quietly.
With no fuss.
After they cancelled the last time, they tried to plan it in between chemo sessions, for when Julie was likely to be at least chance of infection and feeling the best she possibly could be. They did not want to wait until after her treatment had completed, because that seemed so far away, but they did not want to announce it to loads of guests in case they had to cancel it again. Also because Julie is self concious of the way her looks have changed and the way her senses have been affected by the tumour and chemo, she wanted it as quiet and intimate as possible.
So they decided to get married with just themselves, and two witnesses present, and that was me and Dean.
Although extremely honoured that they had asked us, I was surprised, but they explained to us that we were the only ones that knew both of them before they met, and as it was us that introduced them, it felt symbolic and right for them. And as it happens, their wedding day was exactly a year to the day that I told Julie about Andrew. Fate or what!!
And so they got married, the bride was radiant, the groom was nervous and the witnesses had a tear in their eye.
It was beautiful and emotional and we had a lovely Italian meal afterwards.
Then we all went home for a nap (not together).
How Rock and Roll!!!....But just the way they wanted it.
Congratulations Mr and Mrs Hamnett...may your luck start changing from now xxx
Quietly.
With no fuss.
After they cancelled the last time, they tried to plan it in between chemo sessions, for when Julie was likely to be at least chance of infection and feeling the best she possibly could be. They did not want to wait until after her treatment had completed, because that seemed so far away, but they did not want to announce it to loads of guests in case they had to cancel it again. Also because Julie is self concious of the way her looks have changed and the way her senses have been affected by the tumour and chemo, she wanted it as quiet and intimate as possible.
So they decided to get married with just themselves, and two witnesses present, and that was me and Dean.
Although extremely honoured that they had asked us, I was surprised, but they explained to us that we were the only ones that knew both of them before they met, and as it was us that introduced them, it felt symbolic and right for them. And as it happens, their wedding day was exactly a year to the day that I told Julie about Andrew. Fate or what!!
And so they got married, the bride was radiant, the groom was nervous and the witnesses had a tear in their eye.
It was beautiful and emotional and we had a lovely Italian meal afterwards.
Then we all went home for a nap (not together).
How Rock and Roll!!!....But just the way they wanted it.
Congratulations Mr and Mrs Hamnett...may your luck start changing from now xxx
Day 6578 (or so it seems) 4 July 2013
I'm in a really bad mood.
No particular reason, I just am. Tell a lie ....there are several reasons, but I'm not going to bore you with them, just be assured
I am in a REALLY REALLY bad mood.
And I have been for a couple of days.
'Go for a run!', Mummy says...'that will make you feel better!'
Yeah, right, sure it will..
.'Go on!, Mummy knows best!!'
No she doesnt.
But part of me thinks she may be right, so I put my gear on.
Now when I'm in a bad mood, everything and everyone annoys me..the dogs are annoying me, the kids are nagging and its annoying me and Dean is breathing. Yes, its annoying me, but despite this he decides to come and keep me company.
Fool.
We walk the other way round the course, to make it interesting.
Its not interesting.
I'm too hot.
'Take your coat off then'..Mr S exclaims.
'I cant, too much fluff under my pits today'.
I've got the wrong water bottle with me. It doesnt feel right.
My battery in my phone keeps bleeping. Its annoying me.
There are too many kerbs, my knees are jarring.
Time to run..
I take one step, but there's an awful burning down my right shin, so I stop.
Walk a bit longer.
The pavements are too narrow,
there are too many people,
the sun is in my eyes,
its too windy,
I feel too fat.
I try again to run....back comes the pain.
I shout at Dean.
He shouts back at me.
Bastard.
I start to cry........ Cos of course it's all his fault.
Run aborted, we fast walk instead.
I think I'll try again tomorrow :(
No particular reason, I just am. Tell a lie ....there are several reasons, but I'm not going to bore you with them, just be assured
I am in a REALLY REALLY bad mood.
And I have been for a couple of days.
'Go for a run!', Mummy says...'that will make you feel better!'
Yeah, right, sure it will..
.'Go on!, Mummy knows best!!'
No she doesnt.
But part of me thinks she may be right, so I put my gear on.
Now when I'm in a bad mood, everything and everyone annoys me..the dogs are annoying me, the kids are nagging and its annoying me and Dean is breathing. Yes, its annoying me, but despite this he decides to come and keep me company.
Fool.
We walk the other way round the course, to make it interesting.
Its not interesting.
I'm too hot.
'Take your coat off then'..Mr S exclaims.
'I cant, too much fluff under my pits today'.
I've got the wrong water bottle with me. It doesnt feel right.
My battery in my phone keeps bleeping. Its annoying me.
There are too many kerbs, my knees are jarring.
Time to run..
I take one step, but there's an awful burning down my right shin, so I stop.
Walk a bit longer.
The pavements are too narrow,
there are too many people,
the sun is in my eyes,
its too windy,
I feel too fat.
I try again to run....back comes the pain.
I shout at Dean.
He shouts back at me.
Bastard.
I start to cry........ Cos of course it's all his fault.
Run aborted, we fast walk instead.
I think I'll try again tomorrow :(
Day 38 - 29 June 2013 - A Funny Sort of Day
Today has been a funny sort of day
It should have been Julie and Andrew's wedding day, but Julie contracted an infection due to her blood count being so low and is in hospital for the next few days. Although bitterly disappointed that they have had to postpone the wedding, they really had no choice, and all that matters is that she is in the best place and is being well looked after.
Jeannette has also got another infection and has also had to go to hospital.
It would be really nice if these two lovely ladies could be given a bit of a break.
So plans have had to be changed, and I need to carry on training. I haven't been doing too bad, but it is oh, so slow. I'm sticking to the running app, but the longest I've been able to run non stop is eight minutes....and it was the longest eight minutes of my life. So it came as a bit of a shock to find out that today, my friends, the app is telling me that I will be running for 20 whole minutes. NON STOP.
The app must be broken.
How in God's name does it expect me to be able to run for 20 whole minutes. NON STOP.
I must be on the wrong week. So I check it. And check it again. Then gave it a good shake, but no. It still wants me to run 20 minutes. NON STOP.
The person who designed this must really hate fat birds trying to run.
So I told Natalie that we have to run 20 minutes. NON STOP. She was sort of fine with it seeing as she had eaten 12 chocolate covered marshmallow gooey things on sticks at the kids prom last night. I had only eaten 4, so I don't really need as much exercise as her at this point, but if the app says we are going to have to run 20 minutes. NON STOP, then that is what we are going to have to do.
We planned it carefully. As we are not ones to shirk, we planned to walk 2 and a half miles first which brings us to the brow of a hilly bit, so we can start by running downhill, back home.
I feel sick. Natalie feels sick. But off we go. And go we did.
I can't pretend it was easy, cos it wasn't. But we kept going, and going and going. Despite not wanting to keep clock watching, I was obsessed with it, and the first 19 and a half minutes felt like forty and the last 30 seconds felt like another 40 minutes, but all I could think of was that if Julie and Jeannette can stay strong and fight this horrible disease than I can bloody well run for 20 minutes. NON STOP. And so
WE DID IT!!!!
I got home and cried and vomited. I'm not sure in what order.
We guessed that we ran for probably about 1 and a half miles. Very slow, but a HUGE achievement seeing as 6 weeks or so ago, I cried after running for 1 minute.
And I've only got to keep going for 4 times longer to complete the 10K!!!!!
Oh and Rhydd has designed our Team LOGO
I introduce to you Team.....
.jpg)
It should have been Julie and Andrew's wedding day, but Julie contracted an infection due to her blood count being so low and is in hospital for the next few days. Although bitterly disappointed that they have had to postpone the wedding, they really had no choice, and all that matters is that she is in the best place and is being well looked after.
Jeannette has also got another infection and has also had to go to hospital.
It would be really nice if these two lovely ladies could be given a bit of a break.
So plans have had to be changed, and I need to carry on training. I haven't been doing too bad, but it is oh, so slow. I'm sticking to the running app, but the longest I've been able to run non stop is eight minutes....and it was the longest eight minutes of my life. So it came as a bit of a shock to find out that today, my friends, the app is telling me that I will be running for 20 whole minutes. NON STOP.
The app must be broken.
How in God's name does it expect me to be able to run for 20 whole minutes. NON STOP.
I must be on the wrong week. So I check it. And check it again. Then gave it a good shake, but no. It still wants me to run 20 minutes. NON STOP.
The person who designed this must really hate fat birds trying to run.
So I told Natalie that we have to run 20 minutes. NON STOP. She was sort of fine with it seeing as she had eaten 12 chocolate covered marshmallow gooey things on sticks at the kids prom last night. I had only eaten 4, so I don't really need as much exercise as her at this point, but if the app says we are going to have to run 20 minutes. NON STOP, then that is what we are going to have to do.
We planned it carefully. As we are not ones to shirk, we planned to walk 2 and a half miles first which brings us to the brow of a hilly bit, so we can start by running downhill, back home.
I feel sick. Natalie feels sick. But off we go. And go we did.
I can't pretend it was easy, cos it wasn't. But we kept going, and going and going. Despite not wanting to keep clock watching, I was obsessed with it, and the first 19 and a half minutes felt like forty and the last 30 seconds felt like another 40 minutes, but all I could think of was that if Julie and Jeannette can stay strong and fight this horrible disease than I can bloody well run for 20 minutes. NON STOP. And so
WE DID IT!!!!
I got home and cried and vomited. I'm not sure in what order.
We guessed that we ran for probably about 1 and a half miles. Very slow, but a HUGE achievement seeing as 6 weeks or so ago, I cried after running for 1 minute.
And I've only got to keep going for 4 times longer to complete the 10K!!!!!
Oh and Rhydd has designed our Team LOGO
I introduce to you Team.....
.jpg)
Day 34 - 25 June 2013 - Happy birthday, Jeannette!!!
Today is Jeannette's birthday.
I won't say how old she is or she'll have my plums on a skewer. Here she is pre-diagnosis...
I thought today might be an opportune time to remind everyone, and myself for that matter, why we're all doing this.
Jeannette was originally diagnosed with breast cancer. In her first consultation with a surgeon she was told that it was not the most aggressive form of cancer and that they could shrink the lump first with chemotherapy and then perform a lumpectomy.
Then, in the second consultation, we were told that it's more aggressive than they first thought and that they were going to perform a single mastectomy followed by six sessions of chemo.
Oh, and by the way, we've found a shadow on one of your lungs.
The mastectomy was duly performed and was considered successful.
Then we were told that the shadow in her lung was cancerous.
It had spread through her lymph nodes and was incurable.
Treatable, but incurable.
So as things stand right now Jeannette is facing a lifetime of never being given the all-clear from this disease, of constant monitoring and treatment.
But then, who knows what medical science is capable of.
Once upon a time, smallpox, cholera and polio were all diseases which caused havoc across generations, but now they have all been more all less wiped off the face the face of the earth. So when it comes to cancer, who knows what medical science will be capable of in five or ten years time.
And that right there is why we're doing this.
So that in five or ten years time people like Jeannette won't have to sit in an office in tears with their hands being held by their loved ones while a doctor tells them they can't be cured.
That's what needs to be made a thing of the past.
They did it with smallpox, cholera and polio, and they can do it again.
But without money there will be no research, no breakthroughs.
Since then of course, our good friend and colleague Julie, having already beaten breast cancer some years ago, has been diagnosed with something so rare you need a masters degree just to spell it!
So until the day there is a cure, people like Deb, Bethan, Ange, Sharon, Nigel, Marc, Jason, Sian and me, not to mention Karen and Dean will continue to run, jump, shave our heads and generally make fools of ourselves.
Anything just to keep the money coming in.
So happy birthday Jeannette, and here's to many more!
I won't say how old she is or she'll have my plums on a skewer. Here she is pre-diagnosis...
 |
| The beautiful Jeannette |
I thought today might be an opportune time to remind everyone, and myself for that matter, why we're all doing this.
Jeannette was originally diagnosed with breast cancer. In her first consultation with a surgeon she was told that it was not the most aggressive form of cancer and that they could shrink the lump first with chemotherapy and then perform a lumpectomy.
Then, in the second consultation, we were told that it's more aggressive than they first thought and that they were going to perform a single mastectomy followed by six sessions of chemo.
Oh, and by the way, we've found a shadow on one of your lungs.
The mastectomy was duly performed and was considered successful.
Then we were told that the shadow in her lung was cancerous.
It had spread through her lymph nodes and was incurable.
Treatable, but incurable.
So as things stand right now Jeannette is facing a lifetime of never being given the all-clear from this disease, of constant monitoring and treatment.
But then, who knows what medical science is capable of.
Once upon a time, smallpox, cholera and polio were all diseases which caused havoc across generations, but now they have all been more all less wiped off the face the face of the earth. So when it comes to cancer, who knows what medical science will be capable of in five or ten years time.
And that right there is why we're doing this.
So that in five or ten years time people like Jeannette won't have to sit in an office in tears with their hands being held by their loved ones while a doctor tells them they can't be cured.
That's what needs to be made a thing of the past.
They did it with smallpox, cholera and polio, and they can do it again.
But without money there will be no research, no breakthroughs.
Since then of course, our good friend and colleague Julie, having already beaten breast cancer some years ago, has been diagnosed with something so rare you need a masters degree just to spell it!
So until the day there is a cure, people like Deb, Bethan, Ange, Sharon, Nigel, Marc, Jason, Sian and me, not to mention Karen and Dean will continue to run, jump, shave our heads and generally make fools of ourselves.
Anything just to keep the money coming in.
So happy birthday Jeannette, and here's to many more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)