19,982,455m done 17,545m to go for 20 million lifetime

Now a fully fit and raring to go Wulf could eat that up in a hour TT - but this Wulf is limping and licking his wounds in a corner so could be two more sessions. MRI next Sunday so hope to get some idea of what's wrong then. Onward to 20 million!

This morning 30r20 70% HRR

Lunchtime 10kr20 80% HRR

Tick tock

Just about ticking over...

MRI on lower back booked for a week Sunday

crawling - stupidliy stubbornly and then sensibly

So lifetime meters now at  19,956,315m managed to row yesterday and this morning and also at lunchtime non of them went to plan - lunchtime I was resigned to do intervals in order to get through but only managed 5 by 1k before I becamse sensible and stopped - pain firing all over the right leg and hip/lower back so I am a right grumpy git at the moment - just over a marathon to 20 million meters - I will I will I will get there.....

trials and tribulations - AGPB - Irish Record

So yesterday I was in the kitchen literally in tears from the pain down the right hip/lower back/leg/knee from merely doing a bit of housework – so back to the drugs and a early night. Today I managed to struggle through a 30 minute r20 piece – probably came out about 75% HRR with 8228m. So lunchtime I wanted to crack out a 10k piece – partly because I haven’t ranked on this season and partly to get my 20 million meters sorted out and so decided to target a hard one. Looking at this years 40-49 ranked 10k’s the obvious “carrot on the stick” was “Nik Fleming” with 36:00.0 (not sure if that was a r20 piece or what – but a nice pace target for me 1:48.0) as I set off I found myself knocking around the 1:45 pace at rate 24 and just went along with it – but just after halfway I really started to struggle both in terms of pain in knee (right one) as well as basic fitness – I actually put the handle down – for about 3-4 seconds – but then picked up and got back into the grove from just under 3k out I just started counting down the strokes – one stroke being over 10m meant from about 2800m I was simply counting backwards from 280 – managed to ramp it up a little at the end – and to my surprise bagged a Irish record (Just checked and I set that during the “Trying To Stay Strong” charity event - TTSS) so that was a nice surprise then :o)

oh yes - that puts me on 19,940,226m - getting there

 The mornings row

Work pressures - lifetime meters now at 19,911,891m ...

Very busy couple of days - no lunch yesterday and only managed to get away at gone 2pm today - did manage to test the power this morning - to be honest both sessions where disapointing - but at the same time I got them done

Aim this morning was 250's - but blew C-Breeze of on first attempt and on the second I didn't feel great in the leg/hip so stopped part way through the second rep

so lunch time and the HR was high

Cracked the 100km to go to 20 million!!

Managed a 30min r20 70% HRR this morning and that's put me inside the 100km to go for 20 million meters :o) new bag here I come!

OK - wasn't the best row and kind of frustrating seeing the pace drop off - but that's what happens when you get injured and unable to train ....

July CTC - taking it cautiously - the scorpion (Video)

Although still in pain and discomfort I decided to test the CTC today

Jul 2015 - The Scorpion

This challenge was chosen by Empty the Tanks

Row 500m with 1 min rest Row 400m with 1 min rest 

Row 300m with 1 min rest Row 200m with 1 min rest 

Row 100m with 2 mins rest then finish with 2000m

- the initial idea was a r20 stab but then thought that would probably put more pressure on my back than I want to lightened the load and went for r26 ish - target was sub 1:35 on the sprints and sub 1:37 on the 2k - didn't quite get the 2k - started well but lack of fitness told and had to drop to 1:39.9 for a lot of the middle section. Still I managed to pick it up on the run home and got off the erg feeling better than when I got on. Just wish the aching pain (not exercise related) would go away. Maybe I can go to the ball (500m race on 29th August) Also got the bill in for the A&E yesterday - joy!

oh yes - the belly is back and lifting my bloody heels again!

Tick follows tock - 113km to go

Every great journey starts with a few tiny steps - at least they seem tiny until you add them all together ergo 8,137m off the 122,052m and so 113,915m to go

Took it very gently on the back with hardly any swing at all

I will not quit! The countdown begins!

Friday I was in too much pain to train - combination of whatever is going on with my back/hip/leg and doms from the small bit of training on the Thursday left me feeling like my right leg from hip to knee was clamped in a vice - just felt like constant pressure - so I was sensible and didn't train .... weekend saw a lack of training - Saturday was pretty much looking after my daughter and keeping her entertained while playing taxi for the Mrs as her car is out of action temporarily and getting one of the dogs to the vets as she has an allergic reaction to something causing a skin complaint. Sunday I spent about 5 hours doing "yard work" power washing the dogs area outside and scrubbing and cleaning there shed as the allergic reaction is apparently "environmental" - I was in bits by the end and wasn't sure if I would be getting out of bed this morning - I did - and although in pain/discomfort it's not as bad as feared. So I just checked my logbook for concept2 and I am currently on 19,877,948m - so 122,052m from 20 million lifetime meters and a lovely concept2 free bag (concept2 run an amazing incentive - see here for more details on the Million Meter Club) - even if I have to go one legged and grip the bloody handle with my teeth I am hitting that target - the countdown begins!

122,052m to go!

KB in the AM - Erg in the PM

So got the new kettlebell yesterday in work - will probably leave it here in work and just use it when I have a 15 minutes spare in the mornings for a quick burst - made sure I stretched and warmed up and then each exercise was taken very carefully - firstly without weight then with a 10lb weight disk and then with the kettelbell - any signs of discomfort and I would have aborted.

The session went (once the kettlebell was introduced)
Goblet squats 3 by 10
Swings 3 by 10
Snatch 3 by 5 each side

Videos below are the last set - comortable with all but the Snatch which will take some getting used to

Squats

Youtube link here - Goblet Squats

Swings

YouTube Iink here - Swings

Snatch 

YouTube Iink here - Snatch

Lets see how observant you are - watch the three videos and see if anything odd happens (apart from my form)

So then at lunch time I just went down for a 40r20 70% again making sure everything was smooth and easy on the back - stopped just after 10 minutes for about 20 seconds just to sort out the C-Breeze - it was getting very hot and sweaty and the C-Breeze wasn't pointed at me. Job done and I'm still moving :o)

Broken but not destroyed

After the 100m session on Monday I had problems with my lower back. Tuesday more problems and no training then on the way home I went into the GP to see what was going on - drugs and rest ordered. 

Wednesday 8th July morning - Broken - had to get ambulance as back completely locked up and was not able to stand after sitting on the sofa even sitting I was in huge amounts of pain - took on board a lot of gas and air to get upright and then more to get from the ambulance stretcher to hospital trolley. Faced with lying on a trolley and getting more drugs or going home on lots of drugs after diagnose that my back was in spasm I chose to go home - that took a lot of time to stumble a small distance on crutches - after getting home my wife told me the nurse had said she was concerned at the amount of pain I was still in as they had given me enough drugs to kill most sensations!

Tuesday July 14th 

Still not able to walk very well - bending over to the ground is still very painful and often not possible (pain is now in right hip and lower back and travels down right quad) but erging doesn't seem to cause a issue so went up to the shed and on the model B knocked out a 30r20 with about 80% HRR. Garmin 910xt would not turn on!!

 And then I thought about some weights - again the moving about between sets caused more of a problem than moving the weights 

10 by 50kg (2by15kg plus 20kg bar) bench free weights x 3

10 by 30kg (2by10kg plus 10kg bar) EZ barbell curl x 3

8 by 60kg (2by15kg 2by5kg plus 20kg bar) bench free weights x 3

8 by 35kg (2by10kg 2by2.5kg plus 10kg bar) EZ barbell curl x 3

5 by 70kg (2by20kg 2by5kg plus 20kg bar) bench free weights x 3

5 by 40kg (2by10kg 2by5kg plus 10kg bar) EZ barbell curl x 3

Wednesday 15th July

Back in Work today and early enough to set a 60 minute row up - but after 30 minute I'd more sweat rolling of me than Niagara falls has water plus  the HR wasn't playing ball so stopped just after 30 minutes. Ended up at 30r20 80% HRR

 At lunchtime today I set another 30r20 up and kept to the 70% HRR as depressing as that was ... also got the Garmin 910xt working again - although I now can't turn it off!!