35,000 Kilograms

Now that my 10k jog is over, I feel I need a new sporting target on which to focus my training. So I have set myself the target of lifting my weights a total of one thousand times in the next month. And if that doesn't sound like much, at 35kg per rep, that is 35,000kgs! So here is counting...

A Great Run

The Athletes
Originally uploaded by rosscads.

I ran in the 10k Bupa Great Run today. I had a great run, smashing my own expectations by finishing in 46 minutes and 47 seconds! 7,500 people ran in the race, so it was really crowded on the start line, and indeed for the whole race. Negotiating the crowd was quite hard, as I had about 5,000 people in front of me when I started, most of them going slower. In fact, I was running faster than those around me for the entire race, and only found someone running at my pace at 9k. I was glad to find that runner, because it allowed to me to slot in behind him and help me maintain my pace over the final 1k. And at 100m to go, I stepped out from behind him and sprinted past to the line. I felt like I had paced myself really well, and perhaps even had a bit too much left in the tank at the end. My friends ran very well too, Nico and Paul coming in 4 mins after me, and Aisling just a little behind them. All in all, a Great Day.

A First

Today I achieved something I had never done before - I ran 10 kilometres. It doesn't sound like much, but I wonder how many people can say they have actually done it. Even when I won my school jog in high school, I never ran this far in training. But next Sunday is the Bupa 10k run, and I wanted to be sure I could run the distance before I attempted it in the race. I did not find the going easy though. My shins were aching even in the first 2k from all the running I have been doing on tarmac, and by 8k my thighs were in bits! But it was well worth the pain for the satisfaction of having accomplished something new. And my head is still full of inspirational "Eye of the Tiger" music even now.

Carnival Costumes

Carnival Costumes
Originally uploaded by rosscads.

The residents of 122 Chapelgate threw another fabulous party last March, this time with a carnival theme. We had loads of guests (some of which we knew), and most people dressed up in great customes.

Clear Vision

My landlord is making a house inspection tomorrow, and I have been cleaning frantically in anticipation. Today I cleaned every window and every piece of glass downstairs, expending a bottle of Windolene and a whole pack of J-cloths. By the end of which my arm was nearly falling off. But does my landlord want to see his house as a lived-in home, or a pristine investment? Or is what is important to make your windows clean, that when your landlord comes to see his house, he can see out of it?

Online Awareness

Today I got a message from my mother reminding me that she was about to embark on a 6 month cycling trip around Ireland, and she wanted me to help her stepup some online tools so that friends and family could follow her progress. Like most mothers, mine is no technology whizz. So how does one transform from an occasional emailer to someone with a full online presence, in under a week?