I did get out for a short Walk on Thursday and Friday. Living right on the course route has it’s advantages as I know what to expect and can go and training on it, but on the other side we don’t have may street lights in Connemara so at this time of the year I have to get out in my lunch hour or straight away when I get home from work.
But again, as I try and get something positive out of everything, I always feel much better and energized after a brisk walk – house is very clean and I’m definitely more productive in work. When I walk, I go at a good fast pace. I find that Ministry of Sound helps keep my pace up and if possible I borrow a mates dog for the trip, always nice to have some company along the way.

Fridays walk was probably a bit of a milestone for me. I knew that if I didn’t get out during lunch time then it wouldn’t happen – the call of the after work Friday pints had started nagging at me from about 12 that day!
Just as I headed out, it started to pelting down hail stones! But I had the gear on and knew it was now or never! The weather did calm down and I was flying with the walking, so I thought that I would push it a bit more and try a slow jog. I tried to push myself a little bit further than I thought I could go distance wise and then and would return to fast walking. My friend’s poor dog didn’t know what was going on!
In all I probably only jogged about 500 metres but for me that is huge. Having not purposefully gone for a jog in about 15 years, when I played Basketball in school, it was a very strange filling. I think I find jogging quite boring, even though it is really just faster walking! I’m hoping that with company along the way on race day, that I might actually enjoy it! There was a definite feeling of satisfaction on returning to the office, knowing that I had made that first move towards jogging – I won’t say to becoming a jogger yet!

I ended up with a chesty cough for the weekend so didn’t get to go out training with Colm & Sinead, but brought them around the route on Sunday. I have been along the route 100s of time but I have to say that this time I was looking at it with different eyes! I’m not worried about the course and know that it is very achievable, if anything it probably made me more excited about it!

Anyway enough waffle for today. My cunning plans are working well to recruit more people to take up the challenge as a good friend of mine who has been saying for years that she is going to take part has entered!

Till next week!