A year ago I took part in the Tough Guy race up near Wolverhampton. It was -5c and a blizzard at the start. 3 and a bit hours later I trundled over the line. It was hard.
A year later I'm sitting in a hospital while my wife has suffered contractions for 15 hours now. I now know what expectant fathers mean when they say they feel helpless. You just want to stop their pain. This is the girl I love going through this.
I know which is tougher....
"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it."
T. Alun Armstrong
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Jon's soapbox - Child Health issues
I rarely get on my soapbox, but there are some issues that really do make me dust off my soapbox. This morning one such topic was on TV.
Watching BBC Breakfast this morning there was an article about high cholesterol in families. While I agreed with the GP being interviewed that children of such families should be tested for high levels, I was surprised for her then to say that they should be treated with statins She followed this up by saying. "they could also try healthy eating and exercise, you know.. all the boring stuff!" Now this was said flippantly, but people put their trust in GPs. Educating parents into healthy eating and exercise should be the first port of call for GPs presented with children with high cholesterol, not giving them statins.It's a case of treating the symptoms without getting to and treating the root cause.
And in other news I'm still a Dad to be (no Baby Elliott). Wifey is being very positive still, but over a week late now. Come on youngster......
I'm exercising more now as well. Since the bout of chronic fatigue last October I've not really pushed myself I guess in the fear that it's still lingering. I've been pottering along. Thankfully after a nice muddy mountain bike ride on Sunday I met up with Tim, a top lad who I last saw when we raced Ironman Switzerland in Zurich last July. It was the longest I'd been in a pool since last October. I realised that I hadn't been pushing myself enough. It's always good to train with people, and especially people who'll make you push your own perceived limits. You soon find out you can exceed them.
Well that's all for today. Let me know your thoughts on the statins issue.
Catch you all soon..
Watching BBC Breakfast this morning there was an article about high cholesterol in families. While I agreed with the GP being interviewed that children of such families should be tested for high levels, I was surprised for her then to say that they should be treated with statins She followed this up by saying. "they could also try healthy eating and exercise, you know.. all the boring stuff!" Now this was said flippantly, but people put their trust in GPs. Educating parents into healthy eating and exercise should be the first port of call for GPs presented with children with high cholesterol, not giving them statins.It's a case of treating the symptoms without getting to and treating the root cause.
And in other news I'm still a Dad to be (no Baby Elliott). Wifey is being very positive still, but over a week late now. Come on youngster......
I'm exercising more now as well. Since the bout of chronic fatigue last October I've not really pushed myself I guess in the fear that it's still lingering. I've been pottering along. Thankfully after a nice muddy mountain bike ride on Sunday I met up with Tim, a top lad who I last saw when we raced Ironman Switzerland in Zurich last July. It was the longest I'd been in a pool since last October. I realised that I hadn't been pushing myself enough. It's always good to train with people, and especially people who'll make you push your own perceived limits. You soon find out you can exceed them.
Well that's all for today. Let me know your thoughts on the statins issue.
Catch you all soon..
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
A watched kettle and all that...
Yep, 2 days after the due date and still no Baby Elliott. Now statistically only 5% of women have their baby on their due date so I read somewhere. I know that within the next two weeks I'll be a Dad. That still seems very surreal. Exciting, but surreal.
So I'm trying to keep as much of a sense of normality as possibly. My exercising has continued:
A nice 5km run with Chris at the Black Park on Saturday in a little over 27 minutes. Unbeknown to me at the time, a little slip on the way to the run has resulted in a now rather sore knee. Last night's club run left me in agony last night.. ok, maybe not agony but darn it was sore. I'd booked in for tri club spinning tonight and was rather tentative. However, by the time I got going in the class I felt great.
I've still a long way to go, but every little step. Finally got a new battery for the bathroom scales and weighed myself; 12stone 5. That's a stone heavier than I was a year ago, so I know I've got a bit of work to do there starting with better and more sensible eating. I'm going to lay off the running for a week and concentrate on cycling and swimming (baby permitting). I've a feeling they may be slightly scuppered.
So on to what will be an amazing few days!
So I'm trying to keep as much of a sense of normality as possibly. My exercising has continued:
A nice 5km run with Chris at the Black Park on Saturday in a little over 27 minutes. Unbeknown to me at the time, a little slip on the way to the run has resulted in a now rather sore knee. Last night's club run left me in agony last night.. ok, maybe not agony but darn it was sore. I'd booked in for tri club spinning tonight and was rather tentative. However, by the time I got going in the class I felt great.
I've still a long way to go, but every little step. Finally got a new battery for the bathroom scales and weighed myself; 12stone 5. That's a stone heavier than I was a year ago, so I know I've got a bit of work to do there starting with better and more sensible eating. I'm going to lay off the running for a week and concentrate on cycling and swimming (baby permitting). I've a feeling they may be slightly scuppered.
So on to what will be an amazing few days!
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Playing the waiting game
D-day is approaching (Monday) and Wifey is nesting. She loves her DIY and is planning to build all the baby furniture before mini Elliott turns up.
I'm loving exercising again. I've no set plan yet, just to get out and do something most days. This week that has included a few short swims, bodyweight exercises and a couple of runs. Trundled around Black Park parkrun in a comfortable 27.13. It isn't easy to hold back but I know I have to just to give my body a chance to recover. Active recovery I think the call it.
If you've not heard of Parkrun they are free 5km runs for all abilities held every Saturday at 9am in several locations. All you do is sign up on www.parkrun.com then download your barcode, turn up and run. When you finish you are given a number which corresponds to your finish time. Later in the day, the results go up on their website. It's a fun friendly morning out.
Go on, give it a go. You won't be disappointed.
"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it."
T. Alun Armstrong
I'm loving exercising again. I've no set plan yet, just to get out and do something most days. This week that has included a few short swims, bodyweight exercises and a couple of runs. Trundled around Black Park parkrun in a comfortable 27.13. It isn't easy to hold back but I know I have to just to give my body a chance to recover. Active recovery I think the call it.
If you've not heard of Parkrun they are free 5km runs for all abilities held every Saturday at 9am in several locations. All you do is sign up on www.parkrun.com then download your barcode, turn up and run. When you finish you are given a number which corresponds to your finish time. Later in the day, the results go up on their website. It's a fun friendly morning out.
Go on, give it a go. You won't be disappointed.
"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it."
T. Alun Armstrong
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
New Year, New Challenges
2011 is going to be one amazing year. Rewinding to 2010 I completed a 2 year journey to complete Ironman Zurich in 14 hours 24 minutes and 30 odd seconds. And more importantly I found out I was to become a Dad.
To my detriment I also found that due to my overtraining I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which by October had made me stop all forms of exercise.
Fast forward to now and baby is due any time and I'm starting to exercise again. This blog will document being a new Dad and training as I embark on my next challenge which is aiming to get good enough at triathlon to make the GB squad by my 40th birthday in 2016.
So here goes.....
To my detriment I also found that due to my overtraining I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which by October had made me stop all forms of exercise.
Fast forward to now and baby is due any time and I'm starting to exercise again. This blog will document being a new Dad and training as I embark on my next challenge which is aiming to get good enough at triathlon to make the GB squad by my 40th birthday in 2016.
So here goes.....
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