I already eat too much, I don't need more temptation!

I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't moan this week.

I'm very sorry to all those who last week read my blog, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. This week has been a lot better with the festivities ramping up towards Christmas and there has been plenty of food around, and that always helps me feel better.

I started the week with the intention  of exercising 6 times this week, I only managed 3, 2 runs and I did a bodycombat video with Lynne. I'm still feeling pretty good for it with no real aches and pains. I somehow need to get a third run in at some point in the week, but to be totally honest I am still just a bit too lazy.

Friday night was our work's night out and I completely stuffed myself with massive three course dinner! There were a few points in Saturday morning's run where I thought I might get to see it again. Although this is just the start, tomorrow the actuarial team have our Christmas lunch at the Carvery, then a range of other big meals happening before Thursday, when Lynne will make her traditional meat and twenty-two veg!

When I got home from the work's night out on Friday, there was an additional fixture in the office....

 

Apparently the temperature in the garage had become so cold that the fridge stopped working, so it has now been moved right next to my desk. I would like to tell you that it's full of delicious treats, but it is actually only half full of delicious treats because I've been munching on them since Friday night,

This is going to prove to be a real difficulty over the next two months as I study for CA2 and CA3, it's already difficult enough to study, but I've never dared try studying next to a fridge.

I may set the fastest ever time for rolling around the London marathon course!

Vital Stats

Time run this week - 2 hours 4 minutes
Distance covered this week - 20.1km
Distance covered since beginning of training - 42.7km
Average pace - 6 minutes 10 seconds
Weight loss this week - 2 lbs
Total weight loss - 4lbs

Donor of the week

When I woke up on Monday morning, I was very excited to receive an email saying that I had received my first donation through my just giving account. Step forward my auntie Lesley who made a brilliant donation and also left this great message:

Let me start the ball rolling Gary. I admire your zest for a challenge in fact 26 of them. I am behind you all the way, my behind of course being on the sofa!!

So for this reason, Lesley is my donor of the week:

(Lesley and my Gran when they visited us at the British Pageant last summer)



 

A few things about Lesley:

 

Greatest running achievement - Once finished a 200 metre race in high school, she blames her shorter than average legs for coming last!

 

What time she thinks it will take me to complete the marathon - She was pretty unsure about this, she asked me what the winning time would be, I said it would be just over two hours. She said in that case I think it will take you around 6 hours! - I really hope she is wrong about that.

 

Thank you Lesley!

Please give generously!

If you are feeling full of the giving spirit  the Christmas and would like to have a chance of  following Lesley and being donor of the week next week then please donate here, http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=therunningactuary&faId=524011&isTeam=false

Merry Christmas all.

Bike falls, weather bombs and exam fails

Well it's been a pretty challenging week...

I woke up on Monday morning feeling pretty good, my legs had pretty much stopped hurting from Saturday's run. However, I bashed myself a bit after a fall off my bike on Monday morning on some black ice. My plan had always been to use the Tuesday night,to go for a run, so this put it in a little doubt, however by Tuesday evening my bruised body wasn't the main thing that was making me think twice about going for a run...

 

A weather bomb was on its way! Now I've never heard of this before and I don't quite know how it works, but it meant it was pretty windy. Actually the first half of my run was no bother, in fact I was flying and I felt pretty good too, it wasn't until I turned around to head back I realised why I was going so fast as I met the full effects of the weather bomb in the face! It took me twice as long to get back.

 

But at least I went!

 

The next planned run was Thursday, the weather had not improved much, but worse news was to arrive:

 

Now to the non-actuarial individual this may just look like a list of random names, no cause for concern. However, to me this is also a list of random names none of which are mine meaning that for a third time I had failed the CA3 exam. Now this is neither the time or the place to go on a rant against the faculty of actuaries and what I think of their CA3 exam. All I will say is I was not a happy bunny and the run did not happen.

Lynne will testify that I am no fun to be around after an exam fail (having experienced it a few times) I usually mope around for the weekend, and then just get on with the resit.

My Saturday run was great and I felt 100 times better for it, although it does make me nervous to realise how far I will have to run on the big day.

Vital stats

Distance run this week - 16.0km
Total distance run since start of training - 22.6km
Time run this week - 1 hour 38 minutes
This week's average pace - 6 minutes 8 seconds per kilometre
Total weightloss - 2lb :)

Please give generously!

I have now set up my virgin just giving account, I feel hesitant to ask for sponsors this close to Christmas, but if you feel the desire you can donate here, http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=therunningactuary&faId=524011&isTeam=false

 



Volunteer's remorse!

So it turns out I'm the chosen one!

It was around 3 or 4 weeks ago that the Trustees of the Companies of Actuaries Charitable Trust, asked me to set out reasons why from all the different volunteers that had offered to complete the marathon why I should be the one that was to do it. After sending away my application email I had half expected to hear back whether I was chosen or not fairly quickly. So after a couple of weeks of not hearing anything, I was pretty much convinced that my application had been unsuccesful. To be honest I felt a bit disappointed but also a sense of relief.

However, on Thursday morning, I received the following email from, one of the Trustees, Alan:

Dear Gary,

With apologies for the time it has taken us to decide, we would like to offer you the place in next year’s London Marathon.

If you wish to take this up please let me know and we can start putting the arrangements in place to maximise sponsorship and also let the other applicants know that the place is taken.

With best wishes

Alan

 

At this point I started to panic, I was not expecting this, my initial reaction was to write back to Alan blaming temporary insanity for my application and to politely decline. However I forwarded the email on to my wife, Lynne, and my colleagues Diane and Martin, who thought this was amazing news. Although I'm pretty sure Lynne was most excited at the prospect of a weekend of shopping and sightseeing in London. Anyway I got caught away in the excitement and attention of it all, that I convinced myself this was the best thing to have happened to me since passing CA1.

However since accepting I keep getting the occasional fleeting feeling of "volunteer's remorse", I also get the feeling that it may become worse as training needs to become intense. However I want to stay positive and make good changes.

The below text exchange with Lynne from my journey home from work on Friday night shows you how serious I'm taking this opportunity:

No real athlete would eat two Chinese in one day!

Anyway Saturday morning was my first run in a long (long, long) time, I actually felt not too bad considering, and completed a 6.6km course in 39 minutes and 2 seconds. Although my legs are feeling it a bit today (Sunday).

 

Watch out for these lovely pins in and around Dunfermline over the next 4 months!

 

 

In the next few weeks I should have my just giving page set up and will be able to profile some donors of the week.

 

Wish me luck!