Its been a while.

Its been an exceptionally busy few weeks, every minute of my time has been taken up, so something had to give and that something was my blog (it can take up to an hour to write). So here’s a quick catch up of what’s been happening in my world.

Me: I've been burning the candle at both ends, still working full time, caring for Oliver and Joanne and working in my kitchen until 11:30pm most nights. I'm absolutely knackered but I have to keep going. The kitchen, I think, with all the disruption has been stressing Oliver out and upsetting his routines, so Im doing as much as I can. I'm starting to feel the exhaustion creeping in around me, like water soaking into wood. Its starting to saturate me getting closer to my core every day. I'm going to take tomorrow night off when I get home from work and chill out. Ive had to chop my training right down too and it feels like Im just keeping my fitness topped up for now. Im really enjoying going out with the lads a few times a week and getting me away from it all though.

Love Barrow Awards: I mentioned last week that I had been nominated for carer of the year, well Ive been shortlisted to the final 3, which means I get to go to the awards night which is held at the theatre where I work. A bus-mans holiday or what!! Im still really unsure and overwhelmed by it all. The awards are in March so I will update in due course.

Oliver has been really upset the other week as the pressures of the two minutes silence for Armistice Day finally got too much for him. After a chat with his teachers we finally managed to get him excused from it and he was fine after that. He’s been Ill all last week suffering from self-inflicted constipation. He had a poo last week and it must have really hurt him. He got it in his head that he never wants to go again and has been holding it in ever since, consequently giving him major stomach cramps and sleepless nights, poor thing. I’ve tried everything to get him to go and I hope it’s not going to become a massive issue in the future. After a phone call to the doctor, I managed to sort him out with a suppository and he went, but its been a few days again since then and hasn't gone again. Im getting worried.

Joanne’s hasn't had a good few weeks either. She had been very tired and her arthritis flared up again, probably with the change in weather. It was  a tough few weeks on us all, topped off with the fact we still have no kitchen, the stress levels have been massive! Her medication has started to make her snore too (some medication relaxes the muscles like alcohol). She will kill me for saying it but its driving me mad. I have had hardly any sleep all week and finally bought some industrial ear plugs from B&Q when I was there. It feels like sleeping underwater but at least I can’t hear anything! I have had to turn my alarm clock up though!!!

So Ive been plowing every minute into the kitchen to get it finished and I’m just about there. I was held up waiting for the worktops but they’re in now so its full steam ahead with the tiling and I can get finished this coming week.

Training:

Tuesday – Steady 7 miles

Thursday 12th – Tempo Session 6miles, 1x 8min/mile, 1x 6 min mile and repeat.

Friday 13th – hill Repeats with Ricky - 6x Cemetery Hill and a jog home.

Weekend: I decided to forgo the training at the weekend in favor of finishing my kitchen. I managed to get all the tiling finished and can now put everything back so I've got a kitchen again.
Also with all the storms over last weekend it wasn’t worth going out and battling the weather. I’m all in favor of bad weather training and often go out in the wind and rain but when it’s a full on storm I don’t feel it’s worthwhile and would probably have been a bit risky with very strong winds and flooded roads.

Wednesday 18th - Tempo session with GB Bootcamps lads.
Thursday 19th - 7 mile steady run
Friday 20th - Hill Repeats with Michael and Ricky in the rain and hail (at one point there was definitely a moment where I questioned the fine line between dedication and madness)

Food Diary:

Ive been eating as healthily as possible but its been a hard few weeks without a full kitchen. Ive got the kitchen up and running now so I can get back to some better choices.


Thanks for sticking with me on my journey. I will post more blogs as soon as things get back to normal, or whatever counts for normal in my crazy ass life! :)

A tough little day

I had a rather fitful nights sleep again. Joanne isnt sleeping well and is quite restless in the night. I woke at 5am, 30 min before my alarm was set. I got up and went for a run, came home and made breakfasts and lunches then walked to work.
After work I walked home and Joanne looked awful (poorly awful, not just awful!). She was exhausted and in a lot of pain and was quite stressed. Oliver had a bad day at school today and was getting very worried and anxious about the two minutes silence tomorrow. He had a meltdown at school and was very upset. It might not sound like alot but the thought, to an autistic child, of having to control everything for 2 minutes is hell. His mind spirals out of control and he starts to worry about the consequences (of not being quiet in this instance) and his anxiety levels go through the roof. Poor little guy, I wish I could take it all for him.
I made tea last night so it was just a matter of re-heating it then I got stuck into tidying up, washing, did the pots and half a basket of ironing. I will be so glad when my kitchen is fitted. A new dish washer awaits and its something we've never had before so it should be a help.
After all that I got Oliver to bed and I did my strength work before bed. Im looking forward to some speedwork with my friends tomorrow night so I need a decent nights sleep....fingers crossed.

Running: 8.59 miles   8.30 min / mile      1 hr 10min

I stuck my hi-vis running gear on together with my flashing arm bands and set off into the blustery, dark morning. My Ipod gave me a random selection of music as I made my way around my "dark" loop. Its a great loop to run as it incorporates a couple of good hills and flats, all of which is well lit with only a few roads to cross.
I felt light and strong as I ran along, occasionally blinded by the oncoming works traffic. I started to get really warm and striped off a couple of layers in the unseasonably mild temperature. I think it was 15 degrees this morning and the sweat was pouring off me. I pushed easily along the roads and hills and my mind drifted to the next 9 months between now and July, thinking about all my plans, races and the big one itself - the Lakeland 100. Its certainly going to need some thought! Ive got lots of questions to ask of myself before I get there.
Before I knew it I was back home after a lovely mornings run. After a stretch I tucked into a well earned breakfast, ready for the day ahead.

Strength  Work: Here is my routine:

Two or three sessions per week:

Plank PB (Hold the plank for as long as you can, note the time then beat it next session)

Start with 20 reps and add five every week

Press Ups

Sit Ups

Back Extensions

Heel taps (1 rep = both heels)

Superman sit ups

Weighted Squats with a shoulder press

Weighted lunges (Both legs = 1 rep)

Weighted Standing Chest Flys

One minute of balancing barefoot on one foot, eyes closed. Repeat with other foot.

10 minutes deep stretching / foam rolling

I completed my workout unbroken tonight. I felt really good and Im starting to get some of my core strength back again after last months Ultra. My plank for tonight was 4:30 min.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs and Baked beans on GF Toast

Lunch:
Chicken and Avocado Salad with wholegrain rice
Fat Free Greek Yoghurt

Dinner:
 Chicken Curry and Wholegrain Rice

Snacks
Banana, Apple, nuts and seeds 2x satsumas

Drinks:
Lots of bottled water, coffee, pre run espresso.

Rest Day

Ive been at work today and we are having the toilets refurbished , which happen to be directly above my desk. Not on the ceiling!! but on the floor above. The contractors had been chiselling off tiles all day today and my head felt like an axe had been put though it. I just couldn't concentrate and have had a headache all day.
Joanne's been really ill again today and the pain still seems to be getting worse in her chest. She struggles like mad in bad weather so she couldn't get out at all today. Oliver is getting worried about the two minute silence for armistice day and his anxiety is getting higher and higher. I hope he can be excused from it at school as it gets too upset, its taken ages to get him to sleep tonight.

I've finally finished my training plan for the next few months for the Grizedale Marathon. Today is scheduled for a rest day and will be the same every Monday after my long runs. The running group we've got has stated to gather a bit of interest from other members of GB Bootcamps and we are going to be joined by a few more runners, great news. I cant wait to run with everyone.

Im up early in the morning for a run so, night night.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

Porridge with nuts and seeds

Lunch:

Mackerel and Avocado Salad

Dinner:

Salmon fillet with rice and Vegetables

Snacks:

Banana, nuts and seeds, Satsuma

The Force Awakens...

Ive been a busy boy today. I was up early, back in training again with some good friends, then it was straight home for some jobs. Joanne is still quite poorly so she spent half of the day resting in bed. I hope she kicks this ear infection soon, its driving her mad! (and me!!). Oliver was having a chilled pyjama day so I cracked on with the kitchen, getting the last few remaining floor tiles up and removing all the excess adhesive. Im getting the worktops fitted this week then I can get stuck into the tiling and get the kitchen operational again instead of washing up in the garage!! After dinner a pile of ironing awaited and you know how much I love that!

Running: LRS (long slow run) 8.18miles 9:47 min/mi 1hr 20min

The alarm went at 6:30 am and I begrudgingly got out of bed. I had been working until 11pm last night so I hadnt had much sleep. Luckily I had arranged to meet the lads at 7:30am so I had to get up. I had my usual pre run espresso and headed out to the start at Dalton. There were 5 of us this morning and it was great to be back running with my good friends again. We set off on a slow canter along the sleepy suburbs of Dalton and along Abbey road. Everyone chatted as we ambled along keeping the pace as light as the conversation.

Run Route.
 

The pace was perfect around nine and a half minutes per mile pace. The long slow runs (LSR) would build up in length over the next few months, cumulating in February for the Grizedale Marathon. It was good to be back running again especially with such good company. We skipped along, addressing important topics as we talked freely. The single most important topic of todays discussion was not the recent plane bombing or tensions in the middle east. No, it was what we thought was going to happen in the up and coming new Star Wars film!

Im not sure if Ive ever mentioned it, but Im a massive Star Wars fan boy and have been since I was 6 years old and saw the most amazing film ever. Its been part of my life ever since and I am so excited, like being 6 again I guess. Ive even got a ticket for the midnight screening! Its only 34 days to wait now WOO HOO!(at this point your probably thinking, he should rename the blog:

“hes not mental, hes a sad Bastard!).

 

Anyway, the run took us through the lanes and over St Helens hill, down into Askham, through the brickworks, St Helens hill again and then back to the start. It was a great beginning to our winter training sessions with the added benefit of spending time with my friends (and talking about Star Wars!!). A nice easy start to the campaign with plenty more to come.

Food Diary: (its a bit random at the moment as I dont have a kitchen!!)

Breakfast: Cornflakes with hot milk

Lunch: Tuna Mayo sandwich made with GF bread, served with a few crisps

Dinner: Roast lamb, mashed potato and vegetables (all supplied by my mother in law and it was bloody lovely!)

Its good to be back



 After a months break, Im back in the saddle so to speak. It feels great to be back both running and blogging. Its been a busy month since my last blog, Ive not been training until this week and I definitely needed the rest (more about that later). Ive also been busy at home, stripping out our old kitchen and fitting a new one which Im half way through. Its been tricky coping without a kitchen and we've had some great help from family and friends. Thank you to everyone who has chipped in.

Joanne has had a really bad month and has struggled with a nasty ear infection to add to the list she already has to put up with, so she been in a lot of pain and exhausted from no sleep.  Oliver has been doing really well at school although his anxiety seems to be getting worse again. Weve had a few meltdowns and hes struggled with doing homework, not the content. He cant get it out of his head that school is for schoolwork and home definitely isnt. Its a common problem with autistic children and we are trying to get him used to it for when he gets to secondary school.

Love Barrow Awards Nomination

Im deeply moved and honoured to have been nominated for carer of the year at our local “Love Barrow Awards”. The nomination was anonymous and came as a complete shock to me. I dont really consider myself a carer, just a husband and a father looking after my family. Im a little overwhelmed by it and not really sure what to think of it all. We will see what happens and how it progresses in due course. You a read the nomination below:
http://lovebarrowawards.co.uk/carer-of-the-year-nominee-lee-winter/

Recovery after the Ultra.

If youve read my race story, you will know I fell on the route. I hurt myself a lot more than i had originally thought and had bad bruising and soreness for nearly 2 weeks after the race. If Im honest, in parts, its still sore to the touch now. So I completely rested, with no running or exercise for nearly a month. Its given my body time to heal and the gentle walks to and from work every day has kept me from stiffening up. Ive eaten loads and put a bit of weight back on ready for my next training cycle, which started on Wednesday. I feel really ready to start again, fresh and focussed.

Whats next?

Ive got a few races and events picked out for the next 9 months: (There might even be a few more in-between!)

December: Ulverston 10k Pudding Run

February: Grizedale Trail Marathon

March: Coniston 14
May: Keswick to Barrow 40miles

July: Lakeland 100 Ultra (100 miles!!)

The Winter and Spring races will give me a good base from which to launch my assault on the Lakeland 100 which is going to be EPIC! and Im really exited about it (if a little nervous!) Ive also got some recce runs in the middle of all that so I can get to visualise the course.

 

Training Cycle:

My next phase is for the Grizedale Marathon in February with the Ulverston Christmas Pudding run 10k in-between. It will keep me focussed over the winter and bring me back together with my partners in crime, Ricky and Michael. We will be starting our early sunday morning runs again this week, starting easy and building up to the marathon in 12 weeks time. I cant wait to get out running with them both again. Heres a preview of the Grizedale Trail Marathon. I can tell you its an absolute beast of a course that surprised me. It wont this time!!

 

Food:

Im going to eat as healthily as I can over the next 6 months then really go clean and lean in the last 3 months leading upto the Lakeland 100. I will still keep a food diary going as its been a good reference and makes me accountable for my choices.

Blog

Thanks to everyone for taking time and reading my posts. I will endeavour to keep posting as much as I can. See you soon.