As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Nineteen

The hardest day. Not in effort. But in trying to find the time to fit anything in. I have work, after work meetings, a dog to walk and a toddler to entertain so the only choice was to try and fit a swim in before work. I could have got up earlier but this is a challenge to run, bike or swim every day and not a challenge to get up early in the morning. That would be mental! 🙂

How was it? Still tired but my pace shows that it’s not through physical effort, as while I felt tired I was still keeping a decent pace for me, but rather the mental fatigue of 19 days in a row. Today’s swim was helped by having water leaking into my goggles and having to stop at the end of a length to adjust them. I soon lost track of how many laps I had swam and ended up swimming 1k when I thought I was at 750m.

As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Eighteen

My pace was good but the first few minutes were a struggle. After the first couple of minutes I thought the only way to get through it was to start exploring new streets, and a few minutes after that I thought “why no start running every street in Larbert?” and now I’m running every street in Larbert.

For more on running every street see – Glasgow.

The effort to work out where I was and what streets I had to cover meant I forgot that I really didn’t want to be running. But now I have to run every street because I can’t stop now I’ve started. While I may have won the battle with my psyche I have now lost the war as while I competed today’s five miles, I now have many, many more to do in order to run every street.

How was it? Physically I felt fine, strong even, but I had to really push myself to start. The mental fatigue is getting stronger as my body says “this is good” while my mind says “can I get a break?!?”

As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Seventeen

When Mark Beaumont cycled the world in less than 80 days he had umpteen ‘Garmins’ to ensure he didn’t miss a single minute or mile. If one failed then another would be recording so he wouldn’t lose the record just because he forgot to press start after stopping for a comfort break.

For this challenge, I don’t have the Guinness Book of World Records checking my figures so you’ll just have to trust me when I say I swan an extra 750m. Honest. I did. Even if my watch said zero because I forgot to press start…

How was it? A swim is as good as a rest. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself as I gear up for week 3.

As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Sixteen

Thanks to Jon Bon Jovi we all know what to say when we’re halfway there – “Woah, we’re half way there!”

Still feeling tired but another good sleep through a Denzel Washington film – this time The Tragedy Of MacBeth – and I felt more refreshed this morning. To celebrate a fantastic clear day I decided to run in the countryside and park at Busby High School and take a circular route through some of the farm roads on the edge of Glasgow. Now, just another 15 days to go.

How was it? Great weather makes all the difference. The first couple of miles were heavy but the combination of sunshine, cold weather and no breeze made it ideal running conditions .

As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Fifteen

Almost halfway and it’s taken to today to realise that my 31 day challenge should say “As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim AND WRITE A DAILY BLOG POST every day in January.”

Today’s blog post is brought to by the letter “T” for tired. Last night I fell asleep while watch the film Training Day, which was an apt title to watch in the middle of this challenge. I felt sleepy before I started watching the film but I can’t solely blame days one to fourteen for the tiredness building up. The film was more overcooked than a egg left to boil for 24 hours and contained more ham in Denzil Washington’s performance than Porky Pig eating Bernard Matthew’s pork pie.

This morning was no better. Still tired. A persistent fatigue rather than the one off ache of recovery from a previous days effort. But, 16 days still to go… back to it.

How was it? Once I started, it was fine. Good even. But as soon I finished I felt more tired than when I started rather than invigorated by post exercise endorphins. Luckily my wife was trying to learn to make popcorn so for the rest of the afternoon I’ve had fresh popcorn every 30 minutes as she tries to perfect how to make it. Who needs a recovery shake when you’ve got fresh popcorn?

As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Fourteen

An important lesson today. If you own an electric bike, don’t leave the battery part of it in a cold shed and expect it to work in the morning. I was ready to cycle to the pool to swim before work but, when I tried to switch on the bike, the battery flashed on then immediately switched off. Only 20 minutes of resting it against a radiator got it started again, but, by then, it was too late to swim before work. Instead, an after-work swim and a reminder to tuck my battery away at night with a hot water bottle if I want to use the bike first thing when it’s likely to be cold outside.

How was it? Instead of a swim, I went for an extended ride home after realising eight hours too late that… an electric bike is still a bike even if the batter doesn’t work! I could still ride it! D’oh! So, as I only had between 430 and 530 to do anything I switched the battery off and went to the Westend to try and climb the Clyde Tunnel on a small folding electric bike. What did I find? Blimey, Nora, jings, help ma boab, if you want to get thighs like Chris Hoy then trying to climb a hill with few gears and a large battery pack is the exercise for you. It was very tempting to switch it back on…