Last Post?

To those of you that have read this blog from the beginning:- my heartfelt thanks.

Personally, I think my blog has become a little boring, more like a training log than personal experiences which was how I think I started it. The Blog will stay online for posterity and maybe to inspire the occasional reader who finds it. I will maybe post an occasional entry but I have decided to make this the last entry (for the moment anyway - I will post my half marathon time at the end of July).

Since I started my journey to get fit, albeit in a little unusual fashion, I have had many experiences. Swimming in water as cold as 9C; taking 20+ minute baths in 3C water; long cold showers on winter days; playing naked in the snow; and always running shirtless (and sometimes shortless - i.e. naked - too) in any weather (summer, winter, dry, rain, snow, hail and wind)! The coldest temp I ran shirtless in was -12C and the hottest around 32C.

My fitness level has increased from being able to run barely 100m to the point where I feel I am ready to run a half marathon in July without walking any of the way. I took part in my very first road race a few weeks ago and despite coming 287th out of a field of 1600+ runners managed a respectable time of 36m33s for the 5 mile distance.

My longest run to date is just over 10 miles and in the past month alone (May 2010) I have run over 100km in preparation for my first half marathon in July. I consistently run a circular trail route of 7.1km from my home through the local woods and with some steep gradients in approx 36 minutes.

My weight has come down from just over 75kg in January 2009 to a consistent 67Kg now with a fluctuation of up to 1kg either way on a daily basis.

On a different, mental, level I feel less stressed, able to cope with a variety of stresses and situations that come along both from a work and personal perspective. I have made a few new friends and am starting to explore the limits of my body in other ways too (pain control for example).

I don't have any before and after pictures to illustrate the difference but I can assure you that it is real.

Right now, I want to sit back and enjoy the summer sun (which finally arrived in the UK), get a good tan (not a politically correct thing to do, I know) and enjoy myself. Maybe do a bit of camping swimming and cycling in the great outdoors too.

I hope all my readers have a really good 2010 summer season.

All the best.