Ice Challenge & Other Things

In Which I Get Iced, And More (Tossers)

Yesterday morning I woke up and checked Facebook (as is the norm for the time I’m living in) and I had a notification.

An Ice Bucket Challenge notification.

Things like this normally pass me by, I didn’t do that necknominate thing and no one wanted to see my make up free selfie pic, so didn’t expect this. I work with some wazzocks though, so should’ve seen it coming…

No doubt you’ve seen celebrities do the challenge, dunking a bucket of ice filled water on your head, to raise awareness of… (and I’m a bit ashamed to say I’m looking this up right now, because I’ve watched heaps of these vids but have no idea…) so I’ve nicked this from Wikipedia:

For a few days my Facebook has been filled with 45% ‘Yay, ice bucket! Raises awareness for charity!’ And 45% ‘Boo, ice bucket, does nothing for charity!’ (Also 6% Wrestling news, and 4% comedy pics.)

I’m not sure why people decide that stuff like this is something to have a go about, but the charities themselves say they’ve raised EIGHT TIMES the amount of donations that they normally do, so can’t be all THAT bad.

Anyway! Sean Ridley (Captain Cheese String) from work nominated me, and that nomination is the notification that nominated my… notific… Challenge…

First though, I had a ten hour shift at work. Went by easy enough. I then decided to run home so that I’d be all nice and sweaty, ready for a (n)ice shower.

Got changed, handed in my radio and keys and signed out then set my Nike+ going and got going. Ran my usual route home, 5km with half of it uphill. I’d not long started on the uphill stretch, so was maybe about 2km into the run with my mind on the Bucket of ice waiting at home, when BAM! Felt something hit my backpack as a van sped by.

I stopped and looked behind me. Egg shell in the road. I then noticed some raw egg on my backpack which I found odd because I almost NEVER put raw egg on my backpack.

Hang about…

I’d… I’d… I’D BEEN CHUFFING EGGED!

CHUFFING EGGED IS WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS WHAT HAD HAPPENED!!

Did I live in the mid 90’s?! I’ve not heard of anyone getting egged since I was at school, in the mid 90’s!

Why me? I didn’t order any eggs! It’s not like I walk around with a target on my back!

K, maybe a bit of a target, but I’d imagine for helicopters if anything…

But yeah! Some Tosser tossed a chuffing egg at me! Tosser!

I carried on with my run, up to the roundabout (is it true there’s only like 3 roundabouts in America?) and then over the other side for a nice 1/2km downhill. I don’t know whether it’s because I wanted to get the Ice thing done with, or because I was… *ahem* egged on… but I ran my quickest 5k run home yet. (Bear in mind 2.5km is uphill)

Anyway, I got home and Sarah had thoughtfully bought a bag of ice. Easiest way to describe this, is to show it. (My video blog debut!)

And to prove my donation:

So there you go! Busy day! Both Rob Novis and Ironman Tony have done their ice bucket challenges too (Ironman Rob did one too) and Sarah’s been nominated by Rob Novis, but she’s not in the slightest bit chuffed…

Next Event

Skipton Triathlon on Sunday 31st August. I put my swim time down as 15mins (not a good swimmer) and they must agree as I start at 8:50am and am number 25!

Long Bike Ride!

In Which I Ride, Get Wet, Ride, Get Wet And See Roadkill

Last week I worked six days at work, a total of 58 hours, and so on my one day off I relaxed in front of the tv and did bugger all.

I wish.

What actually happened was that last week I worked six days at work, a total of 58 hours, and so on my one day off went out for a bit of a cycle with (4 x) Ironman Tony.

I knew it was gonna be a fair way so on the morning of the ride I had some coffee and porridge (caramel flavour.) Tony got to mine about 9am and he gave my bike the once over and inflated my tires to the right… inflatage… and then, watches and Strava activated, we were off.

We first rode down into Shipley and through to Saltaire, heading towards Skipton then Settle. (We only goto places beginning with ‘S’, it seems…)

After we’d riden through Keighley (Skeighley?) it started to rain. Bad day to wear shorts and short base layers, but it was sunny when I got dressed so it’s not my fault really.

There was another cyclist who Tony chatted to for a bit (I could hear the distances of Ironman disciplines being mention I’m sure) and he (the other cyclist) pulled out a waterproof jacket and just sort of let it flap behind him for a while, getting an arm of it VERY close to his back wheel. I backed off a bit incase it got caught up, but he turned off to Halifax as we carried forwards.

Got to Skipton easy enough, averaging 14.5 mph, and we stopped for an energy gel and a Tracker bar. Still raining. Setting off again a few minutes later we followed the signs for Settle, and after a mile or so the rain stopped.

Settles a small market town in North Yorkshire (near the brilliantly named village of Giggleswick) and was where we’d be making our halfway stop before coming back.

Halfway between Skipton and Settle Tony pulled over to the side of the road and asked if I needed another energy gel. I said no (foolishly) and away we went. It’s pretty much small villages and country roads all the way after Skipton and quite a lot of hills, mostly small but some a bit of a challenge. (For me.)

About four miles before we got to Settle my body went ‘shame you didn’t have that other energy gel, you wazzock’ and decided it didn’t want to pedal much anymore. On the hills I dropped to around 6mph and my brain wasn’t being much use either.

There’s a nice uphill climb from the main road into Settle which was just what I needed, but then a few minutes later we arrived at the cafe, our halfway point and lunch time.

I had a bacon and sausage sandwich and a cherry bake thingy and a can of full fat coke, which was so nice I went and got another can of full fat coke. We sat outside in the sun (sunny in Settle) and then after about 25-30mins pit stop it was time to head back home.

Fully fed and watered, we did the same route but in reverse. Riding back felt a hell of a lot easier, and I was in a better mood too now that I’d eaten.

Time went quickly, and we were back in Skipton after some miles and so we had a small break for an energy gel and a Tracker bar. I got another coke. As it’s Skipton, it started raining again so we set off back towards Keighley where I had another energy gel and could feel the finish line approaching.

On pretty much the second to last climb before home it started to rain. Proper rain. Proper full on torrential rain that flooded the roads and made rivers at the sides. Pushed through it though, back through Saltaire, Shipley and then the last mile climb. Top of my road, near my house, outside my house, done.

Knackered.

Before this ride my longest ever was 40 miles. This one was 35 miles.

IN BOTH CHUFFING DIRECTIONS!

70 miles in total.

Here’s the proof:

I was tired, but not as tired as I thought I’d be. For the rest of the day I had junk food, beer, and watched The Hobbit Desolation of Smaug (very good!)

My legs were a bit sore the next day, but nothing major. Just my thighs ached a bit. Must be getting better at this recovery stuff!

Now I know what you’re thinking and I know why you’ve read this til the end, you want to hear about the roadkill. Lucky for you, I’ve made it into pie chart form for ease of understanding:

Enjoy!

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Just A Little Info

In Which I Take It To The Next Level

Just a quick update today because I have a long blog update coming in the next few days, which will be a prequel to this sequel or a threequel or just another one I guess..?

Whatever, me. Anyway! Today I went to Eccleshill swimming pool to do a bit of swimming. (Obviously.)

I’m not the best swimmer in the world (if I was I wouldn’t be a security guard, I’d be a swimmer full time showing off my swimmers) so needed to time myself for 400 metres.

Whys that? You ask.

And I’ll tell you if you let me get a word in!

Its because I’ve entered my first ever triathlon! Skipton triathlon on the 31st August. (Next chuffing week!!)

The course is a 400m swim in a pool, a 20km (12mile) cycle, then a 5k (3.1mile) run. Its only the swim that’s slightly worrying me (only learnt to swim last year) but I’m sure I’ll be fine.

As a reward for… err… Wanting a reward, this is tonight’s entertainment. (You’re damn right that says 3D!)

In Other News
My official, lanzarote ironman hemingwayrun training top arrived, and I love it!

Front:

Back:

If you see me in this, come say hello! (Or throw stuff. You might be that kinda person.)

Let’s Have An Update!

In Which I Run Quite A Bit + Cycle Quite A Bit

Hang on, I’m thirsty. Need a drink.

Right I’ve got a drink. (Lemonade.)

Monday 21st: I ran the 3 mile route home that I normally run, uphill mainly. About halfway up the hill there was a woman in her pyjamas who started cheering me on and slapping her stomach with both hands. Made me run faster, I can tell you!

Tuesday 22nd: Went a longer way round after work (mainly to avoid stomach slappers house) and so ended up doing 4.4 miles.

Weds/Thurs/Friday – Nothing. There was a party in those days somewhere so what with drinking too much and having to recover, was lazy. Thus (thus!) I made up for it on:

Saturday 26th: I ran to work because I wasn’t starting til 11 which meant I had plenty of time for a shower when I arrived. 3.3mile, mainly downhill, meant an average pace of 8:42 per mile.

THEN! I ran home after work. But didn’t go my usual way, I ran into Shipley where I got on the canal (the canal path, wasn’t swimming) and ran to Apperley Bridge, and I then ran up Hemingway Road (named after me! Possibly not.) then ran back towards Shipley for a bit and the mile uphill towards home. Total distance – 10 miles. Total for day: 13.3miles.

Sunday 27th: I ran a recovery run home of 3.3miles which brought my weekly mileage to 27.3 miles! Nice!

Monday 28th: Day off today so decided to go out for a proper bike ride. Pumped my tires, filled my water bottle with energy drink and taped an energy gel to the bike frame. From home I cycled up to five lane ends roundabout and then went down towards Bradford town centre. My fastest ever speed on a bike is 38.7mph so did my best to beat that, but due to traffic the speedometer only got to 39mph. However, when I got home I checked my Strava app and it registered 40.3MPH! I actually broke the chuffing speed limit!!

I navigated through town, then got onto Thornton Rd which is a steady, slight uphill for 2 miles and then the next few miles have some climbing.

One long drag of just over 8 miles of uphill

Getting to the end of the road I turned right, heading towards Keighley. Having never gone this way before I was pretty much having a guess as I kept forgetting to look at road signs. A long stretch of road with its ups and downs, getting up to 36mph in a 30 zone (rebel) and before long I was in Keighley town centre where I’d decided I’d treat myself to my Mixed Berry Energy Gel Warm Jam Tasting Goodness. Oh goodness, it’d fallen off. Didn’t even realise. If you’re even in Keighley and you find an energy gel, keep it, it’s yours now.

I was a bit chuffing put out, but there wasn’t anything I could do so just carried on. A shame though, that from Keighley to home is mainly uphill and my energy was getting low. I got to Shipley before long and then began the two miles uphill to my house. It was tough, but didn’t stop or get off once. Finally, the last turn. Little down hill, then home.

28.4 miles done in 2:13, averaged just under 13mph with 1’740ft of uphillness. Not too shabby!

So now its 10 weeks until the Yorkshire Marathon in York, (which means no beer until after that) followed by a week off (LOADS of beer!) and then just 30 short weeks until Ironman Lanzarote 2015. Times going by waaaayyyy too quickly!!

Want To be Friends?

Facebook: HemingwayRun
Strava: Marc Hemingway
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Twitter: @zepalm