I'm still here...

What a frantic time! Every single weekend has been spent at one canoeing event or another which is making training unbelievably difficult. I have managed to get out for a cycle on a handful of occasions at 5.30am - no, that was not a typo, but I'm worried it's not nearly enough.

At half term I had a thoroughly evil batch of migraines - 2 weeks of constant illness, which even meant we had to cancel our holiday in Wales. We went to Nottingham for the next regatta and I have to say that a migraine while camping in a tent is not to be recommended! Since then though, I've had 2 weeks clear of migraines - just a handful of minor headaches and a bit of a cold. The last Nottingham wasn't a brilliant event for Marthe who was feeling fairly ropey, but Maddie had another brilliant weekend competing in the lightnings. She and another little girl were going head to head in the K1 and K2 events and fortunately both are equally competitive, so it was great. They're looking forward to the national sprints at Eton in a few weeks!

The girls will also be competing at the national marathon finals in August, just after we return from Paris - then we'll be off to Wales again. More rock climbing and cycling.

Our other big news is the imminent purchase of a small campervan. After MUCH research we have settled on a Japanese import Mazda bongo - big enough to sleep 4 but small enough to cope with English roads. It should be on a boat out from Japan in the next couple of weeks and we will then have it converted. Not knowing exactly when it arrives is holding up our summer plans (originally Guy was going to drive to Paris with the girls while I cycled), but hopefully it will be here for the August holiday. It will make all the weekends away much more manageable.

This weekend I have a couple of cycles planned - a couple of hours on Saturday and if my head is ok, then I'll cycle back from Reading after Sunday's canoeing competition.

Oh - I've also had a go at canoeing myself!! I went to the adult 'have-a-try' session last Friday and loved it ... despite going swimming. Fortunately the Thames was warmer than you might think. This week I wan't be looking round over my shoulder - with my dodgy balance (after my bout of viral meningitis all those years ago), concentrating on sitting and facing forwards is difficult enough. I hadn't realised how much you use your stomach muscles and since mine are non existant it really is quite a challenge. I have new respect for the girls about how physically demanding this sport is. Especially when I think of Maddie (aged 10) doing 6.5k and competing against the adults last Sunday. She came 24th out of 46 (beating a LOT of adults) and Marthe won her division so has finally been promoted to 7. that event was in Oxford - is there any wonder I'm struggling to fit in training???

a month has gone by...

Frantic month! Lots of canoeing events and very little cycling ... but I'm getting back on track again now that the disappointment of the marathon is well over. The migraines have continued, but not at the same intensity as before London. I've finally been given a specialist's appointment - only after going to the doctor about these for years and years - so roll on July 11. Not that I'm expecting a miraculous solution ... but something would be good!
the canoeing has been going well. Marthe was promoted to Girls C after the April National sprint regatta in Nottingham, so she was looking forward to the May event. She did well, but so did young Maddie, who took part in a couple of the U10 Lightening events. She had to compete with the boys, but managed to win the 1000m with a 50m lead and also won the 500m the next day. Needless to say she was on a high all weekend!

At school, the year 11, 12 and 13 students have all gone on study leave, so it's catch up time for me. Getting all the results sent off by the deadline took a major effort, but now I can draw breath and prepare for the year ahead.

Training will be back on track again this week and I'm looking forward to it. I reached almost £700 in sponsorship by May 1 and will soon start on the next push to try and get £1500. Wish me luck...

Marthe's Marathon

I might not have been able to run, but Marthe was still able to compete in the Mini-marathon, running for Sutton.
She did incredibly well - especially as running is not her sport, she runs as part of her canoeing training and for general fitness. In her age group (13-14) she came 107th out of around 300+ and was 303 our of 704 girls overall (across all age groups). I thought she ran really well and she certainly enjoyed herself (once she had stopped throwing up on the finish line - definitely a family tradition). She was 4th in the Sutton team for 13-14 year old girls, which means that her time counts for the borough - something neither of us expected.
She's looking forward to next year already.

For the rest of us, watching the elite runners go by was amazing. Fabulous day, fabulous event, wish I could have been part of it.

From Bad to Worse

This has become more of an illness log than a training log - I've been off work and in bed for a week. I went in on Monday, but had to come more or less straight home and was then bed-ridden for Tues, Wed and Thurs (throwing up constantly for 2 of those days). Friday I was able to get up, but was still really weak and feeling very ill. The doctor has said nothing more can be done (great) and I just need to wait for the referral. I've never had to take time off like this, but there was no choice, I could not move.
Needless to say, I was relieved I had already withdrawn from the marathon.
I'm now just waiting to feel a bit better so I can go out for a walk/jog/cycle ... desperately waiting.

Another week, another three migraines and a new boat for Maddie!

Yep, it's been headache city for me over the last few days. Having had an excellent time cycling last week, I've barely been able to do anything this week - but I DID finally give in to all the nagging and went to the doctor. I'm now waiting on a referral to a specialist - a migraine was just getting going when I saw the doctor, so I did have a witness for just how ill I get.

This last weekend was Nottingham (big canoeing event), so I was up there with Marthe. My plans to run on the Sunday were destroyed by the second migraine, but I managed a comfortable cycle around the lake between races. It was a successful weekend for Marthe - by far some of her best sprint results and she's really looking forward to the next Nottingham event in May. I don't know if we'll get such good weather though.

Today yet another migraine hit and this time, despite or perhaps because of the medication, I was not at all well and had to come home from school. That's very rare for me, but I was so dizzy and ill I couldn't really stand properly. It was also a good day, because Maddie took delivery of her new boat (see above), which was a complete shock for her. Although we ordered purple and black, the boat came in pink and black and does look fab. After Maddie had hugged it, she finally took to the water in it and decided it was definitely faster than the club boat she had been using. She was SO excited.

Hopefully I can get in a couple of training runs this week - headaches and medication permitting.

Cycling at last!

Hurrah - having made the momentous decision NOT to run London, but to focus on a series of shorter races instead (see other posts re reasons/headaches etc), it has meant I have been able to get on with some cycling. Last weekend Marthe was doing a trial run of the Elmbridge 1/2 marathon junior canoe course (Wey to Elmbridge), so having dropped her, I drove back to Weybridge, hammered it back down the tow-path to meet them and then cycled back.
After a migraine stopped me in my tracks on Monday, I was well enough to do a quick run on Tuesday and then on Wednesday I did an hour or so from Weybridge to Hampton Court and back. But the big one was on Thursday, when I cycled from cycled from home, all along the towpath to Guildford. It's around 27 miles, but some of it is across hard ridged fields which is unbelievably difficult to ride on. From Guildford (having done some work at school), I cycled back but stuck to roads until the M25, where I re-joined the towpath. There were a couple of mammoth hills on the route back and of course I was on a mountain bike, not a road bike, so my tyres were sucking to the road, forcing a very slow pace. It was around 4 1/2 hours of cycling, but I was so pleased to have managed about 55 miles. For my first proper training ride, I was thrilled and it does go to show that all the running has build a good base of fitness. Although my legs were tired they weren't too bad - the same can not be said for my rear which was extraordinarily painful ... bouncing across all those fields was not pretty.
On Saturday, Wendy and I went for a run and we comfortably completed 1 1/2 hours while the girls all canoed. Which brings me to today - the day of the Half Marathon. I was helping to portage on one of the early locks (managed to completely cock up a portage for Marthe, because canal boats had taken all the available space to put her in) and then was cycling along to support Marthe. It was a tiring day (not least for the juniors who were paddling), but fairly successful. (Results at http://www.elmbridgecanoeclub.org.uk )

Next weekend I'm with Marthe at Nottingham, but hope to get some cycling and running in while I'm up there, supporting all the paddlers. I'm relieved to have managed to get in so much training during this break.

Once I'm back at school I'm going to have to instigate a big push on sponsorship - I'm getting near my May 1 deadline. I should make it ok, as I have a generous amount from my FIL to pay in!

This week: 1 migraine, seen 2 live foxes, 2 dead (on road)

Tough Decisions part 2

To recap - no training, long hours, sick child = very difficult decision to be made. I've long since given up trying to get round the marathon in under 4 1/2 hours, but had been intending on running and walking. Talking to an experienced runner today, they pointed out that they think I'm mad to still try and do it, as I'll almost certainly injure myself and will definitely be ill in the week after the race. He felt I should defer my entry to next year, which will let me build on all the fitness I already have.

I've talked it through with Guy and he agreed with the other runner that I should definitely defer my entry to next year. I was concerned about the 500K challenge, but I have managed to find a solution: I've entered a range of races which will total just over the 26.2 miles.
April 21 - Clandon Park 10k race (run through George Abbot School)
May 7 - Esher Church School 10K (I've done this race before and have loved it)
July 1 - Epsom Race for Life 5K (doing this with all 3 girls, so won't be expecting a fast time!)
September 30 - Windsor Half Marathon

Add to this a 2K swim on June 23 and of course the ride from London to Paris and I'll be covering the 500K.

Although I'm disappointed, at least I'm not wasting the fitness I've already built up and will be able to have a longer more sensible build-up to the marathon next year.

500k challenge starte on April 21 .... here we go!