Post 6: Back to the Beginning via Mumbai - October 2011

Hi,

Let me start this month’s entry by setting the scene of where I am sitting whilst writing this. I am currently in Goa, spending a few days here with Katie having visited the new Joanna Brown dormitory at the Magic Bus centre just outside of Mumbai – more about that later. We are staying at the Casa Colvale, a beautiful secluded boutique hotel in north Goa. If anyone is looking for a relaxing holiday I wholeheartedly recommend coming here.

Anyway, thanks as always for taking the time to read my blog. I’ve been thinking about what to write in this entry for a while as there seems to be a familiar pattern forming. To start with I write about something more interesting than anything to do with my struggles to get fit, then I’ll briefly mention that training is hard, how I’m not really enjoying it and that I had hoped to make more progress that I actually have. Unfortunately this month’s blog won’t do anything to move away from that tradition.

Our trip to India has been amazing. The hotels, the food, the people, the scenery, just the whole experience really has been wonderful. The main reason for the trip was to visit the Joanna Brown dormitory and officially open it. Needless to say that it was very special and emotional. Part of me feels strange about enjoying coming here and seeing what we have achieved. Due to reasons why The Joanna Brown Trust was founded I think there will always a bitter-sweet element to everything. Having said that, it definitely doesn’t stop me being incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and even more grateful for the support people still continue to show. More details, photos and videos about the dormitory will be available on our website, Facebook page and Twitter account over the next few weeks.

Right, time for the training update. It’s been hard (as usual) and I haven’t made the progress I was hoping for (as usual). One of the really nice things about coming away, especially to such a quiet relaxing place like the Casa Colvale, is it has given me a lot of time to think about things. Having been to visit the Joanna Brown dormitory I’ve obviously thought a lot about Jo and what is next for The Joanna Brown Trust. It has also allowed me to think about my training and the year I have in front of me. I realised that, although I’m under no illusions about how difficult it will be to complete a marathon, I have got carried away with the story of it all. By that I mean joking about being an ‘international runner’ and thinking that taken my trainers on holiday with me (yes they are here) and doing the odd jog round the block somehow makes a big difference. Since starting my training I haven’t really been hard enough on myself, especially with my eating, and that’s why I haven’t seen the improvements I was hoping for. My mate Hoops is doing his best to keep pushing me, but I’m sure he’s getting frustrated. I certainly would be if I was him.

Having had time to reflect on the past few months and fearing that moment when it is less than a year until the New York Marathon has really focused my mind on what I need to do. I am also anxious that my birthday, Christmas and New Year are coming up on the horizon and I know I’ll be able to enjoy it more having made so good progress. I also want to be able to start 2012 in a confident mood. To do all that I feel I need to go back to the beginning, work on my general fitness and be harder on myself with my eating.

Cheers,

Rich

Post 5: The Ups & Downs of an International Runner - September 2011

Hi,

I can’t believe this is my 5th entry already as it means I’ve been doing this for 5 months now! The one thing about doing this blog does is it makes you realise how fast time flies. Thanks, as always, for visiting this blog. If you are new to it the other entries can be found below.

Following the not so productive month of August, I was really looking forward to making some big improvements this month. With Katie going back to work (she’s a primary school teacher) the hope was with a more structured routine I’d make some good progress. On the whole I think I have. There have been times in the gym when I’ve felt really good and have been able to push myself that bit further, particularly on the running machine. However, there have been times when I just can’t do it and feel worse and more unfit than when I started. A few weeks ago I started to let it get to me and was becoming quite down and stressed about it. It seemed like the more I tried and the more I went to the gym the worse I was getting. So I decided to have a few days off and not worry about it. This was definitely a good decision as when I went back I felt a lot better.

The one thing I’ve started to notice and make an effort with is what I eat the day I go to the gym and how it affects me. I’m sure there is advice out there but part of this whole journey I’m going on is about discovery. When we did the bike ride last year I really enjoyed learning about it all and going on that journey. I’m sure this is going to be the same.

The JB Trust continues to move forward and when I come to write next month’s blog I’ll be in India! The dormitory The JB Trust has funded the construction of at a sports centre outside of Mumbai is almost finished. Katie and I are going out there over the October half term to visit the centre and learn about how children from the slums of Mumbai benefit from attending the residential camps. The centre is run by a charity called Magic Bus (Twitter names: @MagicBusInida & @MagicBusUK) and it’s been a real pleasure working with them on this project. I am undecided at the moment whether or not to take my running trainers with me. On one hand it will mean I’ve run in 3 different countries in 3 months. However, on the on the other hand running in that heat might not be the best thing for moral and confidence. Tune in next time to find out what happens.... (suspense!).

Overall I haven’t made the progress I was hoping for this month, it’s been a bit up and down, but the signs are there (hopefully).

Next stop, Mumbai!
Rich