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It had been just over a week since Michelle and I attempted and completed the Gung-ho challenge. We did a little running but not a lot and one main reason was because it was so wet. It was heavy drenching rain and surprised there was no thunder with how dark it got at times.

We THANK YOU all for your support, at the time of writing this post YOU helped us raise over £800 for Alzheimer’s society plus a load from Gift Aid too. We thought an aim of £500 over 3 months was a bit of a high target but you all helped us SMASH it and raise over 50% more than our initial target. I am sure the money will go on to help so many people.
Running became impossible as the ground slipped between us and we saw more than one person go over and slipped over ourselves a few times injuring ankles, falling down – it was crazy but thankfully with the ground so wet, the landing wasn’t painful just very muddy. There was one occasion where I climbed up the inflatable, jumped over onto the sliding area which was an inflatable water slide now and kept skidding a few metres after the slide ended. We laughed so hard it was difficult to get up again. It was so wet that before finishing the course all the mud was washed off me.

Some of the pictures from the event from my mobile (I’ve no idea how the phone worked afterwards as it was like we’d jumped into a swimming pool):

As I said, its been a week since the event and we are looking to the future. This is in no way the end, just a start to a life change. We are looking to the next challenge but if it was up to me, I’d avoid the running – I don’t enjoy it but the other parts – I love that so guess I’ll be in the running again as all events seem to require it. Michelle has been looking at other various events but none in the immediate future – something for next year.

Our fitness will continue, and we will work to get ourselves how we want to be. We still have each other and all of you cheering and encouraging us on and we both see changes in ourselves. So the gym & swimming will continue, the weights and runs will continue and hopefully we will find people local to us to keep us going and join in. It is really hard on your own to progress but it will be interesting to see how we are in 6 months time and thankfully this blog has some pictures we can look back on.

THANK YOU TO YOU ALL – We couldn’t have done it without you!

The packs came in the post in the last day or so. Less that 7 days and this whole Gung-ho event will be over. The bouncy crazy course of 5K will be over and I know I will not be running all of it but will be enjoying it with Michelle. We will laugh and struggle and hopefully not break anything but we have been blessed by the amounts that so many of you have given, in encouragement and in money.

We beat our target of £500 last week and were overcome with appreciation that people believed in us enough to donate for it. Many have said they would donate but don’t know who has or has not as there has been so many anonymous amounts. We do say Thank you though to everyone.

Will training stop now… one week to go – not likely. Have either of us managed to complete the C25K program that is meant to get you running from nothing in 6 to 8 weeks. Well, I know I haven’t but have been going outside or to the gym multiple times a week trying. We started or I should say I started after Michelle at the start of April with training and that first session of 60 seconds running and 2 minutes resting. We have done it just over 3 months and though can do better than when we initially started – I am nowhere near to running for 30 minutes non-stop but this is an obstacle course so intervals are better.

We both will continue on the road to getting fitter and though this target WILL be passed, 3 months was not enough time for us to get there. We will struggle and get through, we will support each other as many of you have also supported us. So Thank you, and I’ll update again next week after the event 🙂

We got sent this link to what we will expect to see next week: The obstacles on the course – It should be fun… right?

Will I be ready for this challenge is a question both of us have asked ourselves and the closer the date (2nd July) gets, the more I wonder if will I be able to do it. Apart from some bad thing happening, we will be doing the challenge and completing the course even if we do end up walking a load of it.

But it is just less than 3 weeks away now. I have been going to the gym and managing the weight machines, and rowing but the when it comes to running – I run out of breath easily. I’m not sure how I can walk it no problem, row the 2000m warm up find but running still throws me completely.

I started on the couch to 5k program, it seems a good idea as it trains interval training wise which with us doing obstacles and not just 5K all in one go seems like a great idea. I started it at the start of April – you are meant to be able to run 5K within 6 to 8 weeks. I think this is not true as it assumes you have some ability to start with I am sure. I am on week 3 still and struggle finishing that – it is 90 seconds run, 90 seconds walk then 3 minutes run, 3 mins rest and repeat again. I manage one round okay, but only got through the second batch once – I am really struggling.

My Current Gym Plan that I’m working with (mostly)

I am swimming twice a week, and started on 10 lengths and now up to 30 in a session – a new personal best. I am trying the best I can to get fit and attempt running outside at least once a week and attending the gym doing various strengthening and cardio exercises 2 to 4 times a week.

The question of will I be ready seems to be a resounding No, will that stop me though is also the same answer No. We will pursue the target, and really been built up by friends and sponsors. We set a target for £500 between us, and we are close to it already but appreciate all who sponsor us to do this – you would be surprised at how much of an encouragement that you believe in us while we are struggling that we can do this.

A 5K Obstacle course may not sound like much but that is just the end result, our real challenge has been getting out there and trying, doing something we have not done and really going for it.

Although I started with “I honestly don’t know if…“, I have actually came quite far. Last May (2015) I hurt my shoulders – both of them and it stopped me doing lots of things I enjoyed. I could not easily put weight on them and lifting things became very difficult – I could not even lean on my side longer than a few minutes without pain for about 20 minutes. I had physiotherapy after being referred and that started on Christmas eve, I did the what seemed like silly exercises with bands and body weight and got better to have full motion back and rarely any pain. I went to the gym induction and could not lift more than the 4kg barbells and felt really stupid but started there, and now in the gym I can use the 20kg+ ones in just over 2 months and more on the machines so it is helping my health.

I can now pick up my nephew without worrying that my shoulders will drop and so will he, so games have got a lot better since (He is coming up 3 in August). My confidence has increased from simple acts so its all a journey – one I would encourage people to do. I am not sure if we will run the entire event but it will be fun and I don’t think the journey of fitness will stop there. We have both noticed great things from attempting running and getting fit and glad we pushed each other into the idea – we both needed it, and need support and thank all that have helped us so far and all that are going to keep supporting us 🙂

Thanks

– John