Into the home- stretch...last week of 5x50, how's the team?

[gdeann]

Almost 50 days dusted! Wanting to check-in and see how the team is doing. It has been beyond challenging for us! We are continuing on as planned but truthfully, we are both ready for a break. Steve has an injury he is coping with, we have family ill, and our work/family schedule has been beyond busy! That said, the challenge has made us realize how it is possible to fit in some form of exercise daily. I hope the team is going well and who knows? The 20,000k is within reach!!! Gayle

[thinnerandfitter Graduate]

Hi Gayle,

Great to hear from you! You and Steve have done really well to keep going always running and walking. I can tell you I'd have found that regime very difficult. I can sympathise with the home/work pressures as well. Sometimes it's hard to fit everything into a day.

To tell the truth this week (so far) has been the hardest of all for me - it was always going to be difficult as I knew from the start I'd have a project deadline on Friday so I'm working all hours to get that done. Add to that the niggling old ailment that flared up last week (still not great but strangely I'm OK when exercising) and some seriously un-springlike weather and things have been tough.

In fact (and I've been wondering when/if to admit it so I guess I may as well) this past Monday was my first and hopefully only day without logging any km at all. I have had a couple of low (2-3k) days that I've made up again quickly but this Monday even that just wasn't going to happen. We got up to dinner time and I said "must get out on the bike - 5k will only take 20 mins" - then it started raining hard with strong wind. Then I said "OK - Wii Fit it'll have to be" but everyone else wanted to watch TV and I was secretly not that disappointed. However, I got back outside yesterday with a 5k mixed walk and quick run and today with a half hour swim. Thinking of swimming again tomorrow as it's a quick way to get the 5k done - 5 min walk each way and you come home ready to work having showered at the pool. Then Friday I usually do aerobics but have been invited on a longer (group) bike ride which I think would earn quite a few km if it's not raining (I will NOT bike in the rain). That one depends on the work progress though. Yes - I'm only running twice a week at the moment but that seems to suit me quite well.

For the future - who knows. One of the best things for me about 5x50 has been doing new things - notably the cycling and swimming each week. I'd like to continue with those and even have tentative plans to improve as a) I'm not confident on roads on a bike - all my rides have been on the same cycle track which is lovely but getting a bit "samey" and b) I'm a very, very slow swimmer. I've quite enjoyed doing them though - probably at least as much as I like running (for different reasons).

Oops - that turned into a long confessional but there we go. Thanks again everyone for your continued encouragement (especially all who replied to my Parkrun blog and I never managed to reply to). We've been and are a wonderful team - make those last few days good ones!

[greenlegs Graduate]

I'm lucky in having an easy week work-wise, so plenty of time available, and I have been amazed to discover what I can fit in when I have the time. I've run on three consecutive days, with a 5k on the third day (yesterday), which although hard work, gave me a personal best (by 49 seconds, but still a PB!) Today I didn't run (shin twinging a bit, and I don't want to be out of action) but walked 5k (it takes so long - mind you, only 8.5 min longer than running it!), then did 36 min yoga/strength and flex (6k) and then decided to get the bike out again to see if I could edge it up a bit further.

it was raining, so thought I'd just do a couple of km, but then the rain eased off, and I was rather enjoying myself, and kept doing a wee bit more, until I'd got another 10k in the bag. So I think that's my best total so far - 21k! 315k total so far, target 350, which I hope to reach.

Before this week, I'd tended to do run/walk or yoga/stretching or bike - interesting to find I can do all of them on the same day and still feel fine! Well, a bit tired, but OK.

Hats off to Gayle and Steve though, for all that running and walking - really very impressive stuff. Hope Steve's legs hold up - not worth causing real damage just for the sake of the challenge. The point is supposed to be to get us fitter, not break us!

Hope everyone else has a smooth last week, and nobody pushes themselves into injuries.

[Rollertoaster Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Well done on the PB, 49 seconds off it is a big achievement!

[Rollertoaster Graduate]

After a great week last week, I am having a more difficult week now. Work is hard and the mental drain from that makes me want to just curl up on the sofa after work. Add in bad weather and it's really tough. Having said that, I still have to get to work every day, so still doing the daily commute, even in the rain now I have waterproofs! Also I had a great run yesterday and really worked off some tension.

Like Ann because of this challenge, I am enjoying swimming again. I forgot how much I like it and also forgot how sporty I used to be at school (but never running!). It makes me want to get back into tennis and netball!

We are doing so well and I hope we can make the 20,000 target, but even if not we have done amazingly well and everyone seems to have a story of how they have been surprised by their bodies and how they have surpassed their own expectations. We rock!

[oona Graduate]

It's great to hear how everyone has been getting on and to track our progress on the Malcymeter!

I must admit I'm really enjoying the challenge and would like to keep it going for at least another 10/20 days. It's made me get out on nights I feel like curling up on the couch and once I'm out I could stay out for ever (not run forever, but just be outside!). Most of my distance has been on the bike, I think I've run on average twice a week. The other day I had a sudden rush of blood to the head (or I'd just read Swanscot's blog!). I cycled 12k to some lovely woods (bluebells just starting to bloom), ran 5k alongside the loch and cycled 7k home. It took me the same time to cycle 12k on the journey out as the 7k journey home - the wind was really strong, even the seagulls were flying backwards! I saw two red squirrels and lots of geese as well as all the usual suspects - deer, rabbits, various birds etc. Lovely!

Best of luck to everyone for the grande finale, whatever you're doing! Btw - I've raised about £350 for Marie Curie so I'm well chuffed!

[PastyMan Graduate]

I'm definitely counting down to Day 50 too!

As I'm on leave this week I've tried going up to 10k runs for the final 7 days. 1st day was great, 2nd was horrible and 3rd was fine when run as 2 separate 5ks. I'm still really pleased with the way the 50 days has really improved my fitness though and I'm keen to try running 10ks for the last couple of days too

[Poppy2010 Graduate]

After football training on Monday evening for an hour and a quarter with a bunch of teenagers and 20 somethings and having had only 3 hours sleep after my night shift; then yesterdays 7k bike ride at 9,30pm in torrential rain (with daughter moaning like a drain behind me even though she had volunteered to come with me!) today she decided to start c25k as she wants to sign up for the Race for Life with me in October. So I ran week1 day1 with her then set off as she headed for home and did c25k+ Stamina; total time 1 hour 5 minutes and 7.1k! That's the longest and furthest I have run so far; and makes me think about the 10k in July my new son-in-law has been talking about doing!

I did think about going out for a bike ride to make up the kilometres for the team effort but after getting home then ironing uniform for an hour my hips just aren't up to it; so kit is in the washing machine ready to dry overnight; alarm set for 4.40am in the morning, 12 hour shift then it will be time for the bike ride again!

I am going to miss the challenge and the camaraderie it has generated between us on these blogs, but am going to carry on with TJ to the end of her 5x100 then see what happens!

[George42 Graduate]

Got pretty sore knees this week and few other aches. Still going though, because I was getting my foot looked at this morning I had some free time so I fitted in a 5K run and a 6K walk before work.

Got a lot of new excercises to do for my foot, which seems to hurt when I do lots of standing or slow walking.

Running doesn't seem to hurt it at all.

I am looking forward to being able to take days off if I want to.

[avensis Graduate]

As others have said i am amazed i have fitted it in having always been "too busy" before and how quickly the family accept i disappear for 30-60 minutes each evening.

I have signed up through work to do the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) for 16 weeks starting 23.5.13 -10 000 steps every day. After 5x50 I hope it will be a doddle!