193. It's not about how fast you go. It's not about how far you go. It's a process.

So I'm not disagreeing with this (not known for my speed) and again not disagreeing (marathon, shmarathon) and then it all goes wrong. "It's a process"?? Never, in the entire world of motivational statements has the phrase "It's a process" provoked anything other than, at best, mild interest. More often, apathy and/or outright despair are the net results of deploying the "process" word. No one, but no one, really cares about processes above all else. And I say this as someone whose job quite possible is to believe in process above all...

And anyway, even if you're doing exercise for fun, it's all about speed and time. Are you faster than before? Can you go further? How do you compare with everyone else? Are you fast? Are you slow? And so on and so forth. Put a bunch of people doing exercise "for fun" in a room and it descends very, very quickly into one-upmanship on time, distance, endurance or degree of difficulty. Which is at least something everyone can take part in...

Tonight was supposed to be a 6-mile run. It didn't rain (drat!) but I was tired and our of sorts and being given new tasks every time I turned around so... Another walk instead. Slightly faster average pace tonight for anyone keeping track of such things...

;oD

6th April's stats:
Walking - 6 miles, 1 hour 25 mins [there was a stone! In my shoe! Or I'd have been faster. Honest!]

192. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Pfffth! Today was very much a "don't do it like this, kids" day. In fact, I think if we're keeping score, I'm at Motivation 0: Sloth 2.

Motivation is what gets you started - maybe (blind terror is known for setting people off running, after all). Habit is what keeps you going? Sadly, I've conclusively proved through various 5x50 Challenges (and this is Year 5, people...) that I am immune to the development of any habit which involves exercise. Of any kind. I have a rare and unfairly over-looked superpower which allows me to just stop all this exercise tosh and really be quite happy about it. Nope, not feeling that one. Next!

This evening was supposed to be a 4-mile run (well, jog. Well, fast walk with some jogging thrown in... Anyway, "run" is just shorter to write...). But I was hungry when I got home (sooooo hungry) and decided to eat dinner first. "You can't have dinner until after the run" is supposed to motivate me, erm, do the run. Obviously, it's not 100% effective.

So once I've had dinner there can be no running (just doesn't work) and so this is re-scheduled into a 4-mile walk (at pace, mind, I'm not just strolling around the place in the dark - that way trouble lies...). Admittedly, it took a while to get there, as dinner involved toast and someone forgot that the bread has to not just be put in the toaster but also plunged into the fiery depths in order to produce toast...

Eventually, therefore, as my thoughts were turning to bed (ah, sleep!), I dragged myself out the house for a 4-mile walk using my tried and trusted 4-mile route. Which turned out to be 5 miles long. And, not I come to think of it, the 4-mile route might have been a different one... It appears that I can't be trusted to remember these things accurately (or the tracker has just randomly started making up distances again - it happens). Well, yes, so, all told, not exactly the world's most successful day. Still, it's nearly tomorrow and that's bound to be better what with me doing all this regular exercise and changing my life and so forth...

:o}

5th April's stats:
Walking - 5 miles, 1 hour 13 mins [well, that was a bit longer than planned...]

191. Every day is another chance to change your life

So, yes, motivation... Um, still looking.

En route, however, we can take the time to marvel at and enjoy the wise words of wisdom that are offered up as motivation. Cute pictures and pithy sayings that are intended to inspire...

But as a general rule just send me reaching for the sick bucket or the next available doughnut. I know, I know, it's just me... But, am I really alone? Hmmm??

"Every day is another chance to change your life" is a case in point. I'm sure it is theoretically excruciatingly accurate, but really, even if you wake up on a given morning and think to yourself "today I want to change my life", how likely is it that you will have achieved this goal by the time your return to bed that evening? Really? I mean, even if you do something ridiculously major and life-altering like, erm, filing for divorce or resigning from your job or whatever... That might change your life eventually but, after a brief high, you're generally far more likely to wake up the next morning and sadly discover that your life is pretty much the same as it was yesterday and the day before. Which is, frankly, de-motivating...

So I am against such bold statement as they set up the unwary for failure. Which I'm just not good with.

Of course, my favourite motivational phrase from last year is taken from a sign put up half-way through a half-marathon which stated "Turn back - it's a trap!" so... Probably worth remembering that when taking your own position on motivational statements...

:o)

3rd April's stats:
Walking - 3.45 miles, 50 mins [desperately wanted to go to bed]
2nd April's stats:
Walking - 3.16 miles, 46 mins [here, there, everywhere, with an inordinate amount of hills]
31st March's stats:
Walking - 3.38 miles, 50 mins [because nothing finishes off a 14-hour day like a quick walk]
29th March's stats:
Walking - 2.13 miles, 34 mins [only have to do 30 mins per day, so there!]
28th March's stats:
Walking - 2.76 miles, 38 mins [oops, starting the 5x50 a day late... Regular shmegular..]
19th March's stats:
Walking - 2.54 miles, 39 mins [... I re-start regular exercise! Doubt me not!!]
Walking - 2.03 miles, 30 mins [... is the day...]
Walking - 2.24 miles, 34 mins [Today! Today...]

190. Well, look at that, it's next year...

Ah, yes, now, where was I...

Well, apparently hot off a bike (possibly quite literally) having finished (last in) the last sportive of the great Proclaimers Challenge. Cue the elaborate celebrations and much partying... Eventually, as there was a half-marathon yet to go.

But get there I did. Challenge 6 done. Tick!

Then a week or 2 off and back to the training, because it would be foolish to let all that hard work go to waste, wouldn't it? Really, you'd have to be quite, quite stupid to train for and complete 500 miles of sporting activity and then just sit down on your backside for months on end...

So...

Here we are, 6 months later. Rather activity-deficient for the last 6 months, as it happens. Lots of doughnuts and cake and reading and generally sitting on the sofa and being glad I don't actually have to do any exercise right now (tomorrow will be fine)...

Except of course, I kind of do now. Technically, I kind of needed to start about 8 weeks ago, but... Pshaw!

And this year's challenge? I think that we might be taking a bit of a look at motivation, but mostly it's going to be about being there for others (awwww!). No, really, I'm giving that way...

;oD

1st March's stats:

Walking - 2.2 miles, 31 mins [there...]
Walking - 2.21 miles, 33 mins [... and back again]

189. Leading from the back

Well, it had to happen eventually - today, I finished dead last in a sportive.

I was still within the time limit, but I was really very slow... In my defence, I was 164th of 164 finishers - not a huge pool to finish behind. Still, behind I most definitely was.

This was partly due to my becoming fed up during a long stage of repetitive climbs, and walking the last few. I don't mind a few steep climbs, but relentless steep climb, short descent, steep climb, short descent, steep climb... Dull. It has to be said also that perhaps 2 sportives in one month might have been a bit much.

Still, I did get to the end, escorted by marshals (who were at the back to make sure everyone finished) and greeted on the finish line by name by everyone. Between being identified as firmly last and finishing, my details (name, the fact that I was doing this as part of the Proclaimers Challenge, the fact that once I had finished I would only have 13.1 miles to go to get to the 500 miles target) had been shared with all of the organisers. Finishing last therefore became rather more like me being the Queen sweeping in for a fleeting visit. Arrive, be acclaimed by all by name, be escorted around and given free food and drink, depart.

As ever, I did feel quite lucky to get to the finish. Not, this time, due to distance and time constraints (hey, if I can do 110+ miles then just under 70 should be a doddle... Surely...). More to do with sheep (do not trust sheep, they are cunning and evil and lurk around blind corners on fast descents to freak you out) and tractors (I shan't discuss that - beyond saying that I really do need to improve my descending skills just in case there are any other tractors lurking round corners on very steep descents) and descents (a 17% incline just is not safe on a bike. It just isn't. Boris gets carried away and "braking" is a very relative term...). Still, got there in the end.

Onward (just a little bit more)!!

:o)

Today's stats:
Cycling - 110 km, 7 hours 24 mins 41 secs [includes stopping at feed stations...]

Yesterday's stats:
Bodybalance - 1 hour [wobble and stretch]

16th September's stats:
RPM - 45 mins [still training for those hills]

14th September's stats:
RPM - 45 mins [there have to be better things to do at 7am...]

12th September's stats:
Bodybalance - 1 hour [ohm...]
Walking - 2.24 miles, 37 mins [there...]
Walking - 1.09 miles, 18 mins [back again, via the cinema...]
Walking - 1.09 miles, 18 mins [cinema to home!]