Looking back looking forwards...

I'm not making any resolutions but don't worry I'm not going to start ranting on about people making the same futile resolutions year in year out, if it makes someone feel better even if for only a couple of days then is all good right? 2012 was ok performance wise looking back now and I PB'd at every distance I ran with the following times: 5k - 20.29 (1 min 16 secs improvement) 10k 44.05 (52 secs improvement) 10m 1.13.28 (Bloody terrible run but first ever 10 mile race so still a PB :-) ) HM 1.34.55 (1 min 52 secs improvement) Mara 3.29.04 (19 mins 43 secs improvement) Not too shabby in all and plenty of miles done too hopefully finishing on around 1890 for the year which is only 30 miles short of last year and 40 shorter than 2010 which was my highest year ever. Factoring a broken pinky, no running for 4 weeks and a gradual build back up I am extremely satisfied with this especially when I think of the 2323 bike miles too, my previous highest was just over 400 miles. It may be construed as a little strange that as I sit here now thinking of all I have achieved I still a little underwhelmed. The good thing though is that I can pinpoint exactly why this is, I'm a man who likes structure, I love to have a target race and a plan to follow and basically since I broke my pinky in September and had to withdraw from New Forest marathon and Gower ultra the last 3 months have been a little directionless. Sure I have been getting the miles in ready for 'I am Premier League' (took me nearly 5 paragraphs to mention it :-) ) but without the structure I like. Have put together a plan with help from the legendary Andrew Murray now though so am happier :-) So 2013 and my hopes and aspirations? I feel I have reached a bit of a watershed moment in my life, whether it is to do with turning 40 I don't know but it may well have contributed but I am also getting inspiration from reading and hearing the stories of our Olympic heroes and at the moment Scott Jureks book and wathcing Bicycle Dreams (fantastic documentary film get it now if you haven't seen it already). So what am I getting from these stories and my increasing maturity? Basically that I am not doing enough in my life to get maximum returns for me or my family so am going to make a number of changes. 1. Eat so much better, not just 4 or 5 days a week, with at least 3 vegetarian days a week. 2. With number one in mind I will finally get round to sorting the garden out properly, is pretty big and all that has concerned me before is making sure it remains child friendly. I will have a vegetable patch by the spring. 3. I need to be in tip top shape for March so I am going to get back to doing at least an hour a week strength and core work to go with the running. Ten nminutes a day sounds easy doesn't it. 4. Do at least one job a day iin the house until it is all redecorated. The kids and pets are all older now so hopefully it will stay decorated. 5. Less time on Fetch and other social media sites. Half hour a night before bed and uploading time. So I hope to remain very busy whether it be training, doing the challenge, racing or sorting the house and garden out. In terms of training and racing aspirations I will aim for the following. 1. To be as fit as I can for 'I am Premier League'. 2. By the time I finish it at VLM on April 21st I think I will probably be at 1500 miles for the year running so have set my mileage target for the year at 2800 miles. 3. That is up in the air though as I have entered the ballot for Ride London 100 and if I get in will have to concentrate on more bike miles come May. Hope to convince work to join the cycle to work scheme. Hope to reach 1800 miles on the bike whatever. 4. An autumn attack on 10k, HM and marathon PBs. Just need to decide on the events to enter. So a busy and exciting year comiing up but the all consuming thing at the moment remains raising as much as humanly possible for my 'I am Premier League' charities so I will finish by asking once more to share my plans with as many people as you can, still need as much support as possible whether it be running partners, donations, items to auction or corporate sponsorship to help cover my costs (will be huge amounts of publicity for the comany that takes the plunge). Here are the links again, I have £435 donations already, question is whether between you wonderful people I can get it up to £500 by midnight tonight. Please help and share the links even if you aren't, understandably, in a position to donate right now. Website Virgin Giving Page Happy New Year my friends.

Kicking the crap out of man flu

I was talking about ruminations last time out and the one that was concerning me the most was whether I was doing enough training, well the questions remain in my head and although I was inspired enough by Ellie Simmonds speech on Sunday night to get out for 5AM runs Tuesday and Wednesday I wimped out this morning, despite getting up and dressed, because of a sore throat and head cold. True to form, and despite remaining under the weather all day, I have been berating myself because let's be honest I wont be able to wimp out come March 28th, head cold, man flu or whatever. Add this to the fact that I will be out on the pop with work from midday tomorrow and because of this, the hangover (I am 40 now, it takes a while ) and christmas shopping commitments probably wont be able to do anything of substance until Sunday afternoon I managed to head out for an hour on the bike in the wind and rain after tea. Not on two feet but I only had a 6 miler planned anyway and was out longer on the bike than I would have been for the run so feel happier with myself. is only man flu right? I tell you something else too, with three months to go still until i get under way I can honestly say this is the hardest challenge I have faced already, I can deal with the training but the mental side of it such as the organising, the constant questioning of my abilities and even more importantly how I can maximise the fundraising is already taking its toll. All i can say is thank the lord I have got so many great people supporting me in so many different ways. If you are taking the time to read through my insomnia curing ramblings you are probably one of them so thanks. i will sign off with a disclaimer for any drunken blogs or ramblings that emanate from this direction in the next 36 hours or, in fact, any time between now and the New Year. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MattRogersonispremierleague

Ruminations 16/12/12

125 days to go and a blind long run this morning and the ruminations continue apace. Lets start with the blind long run. The garmin packed up after two miles, took me a while to get it started at all so had thankfully put stopwatch on and just decided to run for two and a half hours which at usual pace would take me to 16 miles +. Plotted it on run keeper when I got home and came in at 16.7 so all good. Have been feeling even more fat and lazy than usual lately and only got 4 runs in this week (plus a few miles on Veera) which is the cause of some of aforementioned ruminations, 1. am I doing enough leading up to the challenge, 2. do I have a problem (Hi my name is The Terminator and I'm a mince pie addict) and 3. how much training should I be doing? I think I have answers to all the questions: 1. Have still done 40 this week and 93 in 16 days plus 79 on Veera so far this month, and that is with my 40th celebrations, not so bad really. 2. Yes I probably eat more mince pies than the average bear but hey have burnt off enough calories for about 70 so far in December so am probably in credit 3. This kind man http://docandrewmurray.com/ emailed me earlier and just suggested lots of traning with one week in build up of 80-90% (170 miles) of planned first weeks mileage (210) which scares me a little but leads to one of my other 2 ruminations of which I will return to at a later date because Sports Personality is about to start... If you have read this garbage maybe you want to sponsor me too? http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MattRogersonispremierleague

Done 6/12/12

6 miles home from work, wet and windy (do I need to tell you that? Is December, is Wales) and they are going to be the last miles I log in my thirties. When I head out the door Saturday morning will be a M40 Now to decide whether to order a Bhuna in and have a tipple whilst watching Spurs or be good and cook something with the rest of Family Von Terminator off out getting hair cut ready for the party on Saturday...

139 days

That is not really a lot of days at all in the general scheme of things and will be here before I know it barring any Mayan apocalypses which would really put a spanner in the works... Has come into sharp focus again now as finally my local charity, Breakthro Llanelli, have finally managed to 'breakthro' the paperwork and bureaucracy of HMRC and get themeselve registered on Virgin Giving so the important stuff, fundraising, can start. Have had the page up for 18 hours and am up to £120 already. If it continues at that rate for the next 139 days I will raise exactly 'lots' before I even set off from Geordie land. You are of course welcome to contribute http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MattRogersonispremierleague With the challenge looming large on the horizon I realised last week that I HAVE to stop coasting along and start cranking the miles up so put together a plan, what can I say, it is not very scientific, but I work better with one. Have averaged 40 miles per week on two feet and the same on two wheels over last 4 weeks and my 15 miler this morning was my longest run since August and felt pretty comfortable so am heading in the right direction. Must try to make sure that I manage to keep this up over next 4 weeks as I no doubt succumb to temptation and gorge on mince pies, birthday cake (I'm 40 in 5 days ) and all other types of calorific wonders. Actually need 176 miles to beat last years total, don't think it is possible but wil help keep some extra focus.....