...from the flame

I'll admit it. I've spent the past couple of weeks wallowing in a rut. Ankle playing up, weather outside stinks, the doubters knocking my confidence and a lingering cold (actually, it was worse than that. It was manflu).

But then things happen. You see things that inspire you. Take for example Christine Bleakley from BBC's The One Show. For the past week or so we've been watching as she attempts to water-ski across the English Channel. She can barely swim!!! She hasn't got the strength to do it yet she's sticking in there.

Then there's Eddie Izzard. My favourite comedian. Running 43 marathons in 51 days! What's that all about?? Watching Eddie Izzard:Marathon Man on BBC 3 and how he struggled self-doubt, injury and poor weather got me thinking about the rut I was in.

But then you have Phil Packer. You might not recognise his name but you'll certainly know about his story. Major Phil Packer sustained spinal chord injuries while serving in Iraq in 2008 and was told he would never walk again. Last year he walked the London Marathon. The I saw him on breakfast TV last week talking about his latest challenge...the 3 Peaks Challenge (Climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 3 days). Most people struggle to climb just one of them. If ever I needed inspiration and a HUGE kick up the backside to get myself out of the rut, this was it. My problems are trivial. This guy has had to learn to walk again! Quite simply he's super human.

So this is where I am.

I've been slogging it out at the gym all week working on strength and stamina. I'm not going to lie to you, I've been waking up in complete agony some mornings this week. The jogging has resumed as well. The treadmill has taken a pounding this week. Hard, high paced sessions.

I was out running this morning. The hardest 3 miles of running I've done so far...windy, raining and cold. But it felt good once I finished. A real mental boost. And then there's the weather forecast. It looks like Spring is on it's way. Lighter evenings, warmer weather and a few free weekends coming up means the bike can finally get a regular run out.

And through it all, I keep repeating a quote from Lance Armstrong: "Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever"

Until next time...

2 steps forward...

So this is where we are:

The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK have sent out their running pack and fundraising support kit. The running vest looks great with MOORE and 6 emblazoned across the back.

I've been putting in more time down the gym doing strength work. I hate doing weights (especially when there are huge meat heads walking around). But I'm starting to see the benefits of including the weights in the training routine. My back and neck hurt less now when I'm on the bike and the arms don't ache so much either.

Cycling training is taking shape. Chances of getting out on the road have been limited but luckily I had a backlog of various Tours recorded on Sky+, so I spent most of last week on the turbo trainer while watching The Tour of Oman. Definitely looked a lot warmer out there.

After my ankle twist a week or so back I've been gingerly getting back out and increasing the miles again. Sunday saw me put in a solid run from home to Tynemouth and back (just short of 5 miles). The ankle still doesn't feel great but at least I can run again.

I've come down with a cold. No amount of vitamin C or telling the kids to cover their mouths when they cough was going to stop me getting it. I went out for a run last night and although I started off comfortably and at a good pace, by the time I got to the 1 mile mark my breathing was all out, my throat was dry and I was sweating buckets. Half a mile later I turned back and by the time I had reached home I felt like I had done a marathon. By 9pm I was out for the count.

So today, I have no voice and feel like my head is wrapped in cotton wool. Maybe it's my body trying to tell me that I need to slow it down a bit. I've gone into this like a man possessed and I have to keep reminding myself that I've still got just over 6 months to go. I'm going to have a few rest days, get rid of the cold and hope to get out on the bike again on Monday evening.

The big motivation is the sponsorship side of things. £102 raised so far (which all came in a space of a couple of days). This blew me away. Thanks to those who have sponsored so far.

Until next time...