As you know, I have set myself a target of running at least a mile every day for the full year of 2015. After 21 days, I have run a total of 77.3 miles and covered 143.5 miles on my bike so far. If I can carry on at the same rate, I will pass my goal of 1000 miles and reach about 1300 overall. The weather hasn't improved so it has been another week of facing all the elements. At the moment my legs are feeling fine and feel I could do more miles, but with 49 weeks left I need to make sure I am fit for the full year.Speaking of legs - At the age of 18, a month or so after I had finished chemotherapy, I was invited down by my friends to play a 6 a-side football match. Having done nothing but sit on my arse, watch TV, eat, and have drugs pumped through me for the previous 6-7 months. I decided it would be a good idea to join them. This turned out to be a mistake that is still laughed about today... From the kick off, I remember the ball being passed to me, took a heavy touch then proceeded to gain control. Not realising though my legs didn't want to respond to this, straight down, fell over for the first time. Got back up to try and chase the ball down again (under no pressure from the opposition at all), 2nd time, down. No control of my legs at all. All within the first 20 seconds of the game, was not happy but it was character building.
It was a long time a go but I think I finished the game by just passing it as soon as the ball came to me. Hardly any running involved at all. Even though it was horrible not being able to run or even kick a ball properly, It was great to get back involved and get support from everyone there. Scott Nickson to this day seems to bring up this moment quite a lot, to be fair it was funny. I have a quote saying 'It's all in the mind'... Didn't matter that day, could have done with it in my legs. It was a good few months until I was able to actually start running again and get any sort of fitness levels back. It took time, but I got there. I now have to say I have am the fittest I have been after getting back into running. I haven't drank this year so far, which some people seem to get sponsored for...Dry January. It all counts.
5km run - 19:39.10km run in 40:11.
Half Marathon - 1:41:31
By the end of this year I want to beat 19:00 (5km), 39:00 (10km) and 1:35:00 (Half Marathon).
Also to just complete a marathon, but realistically anything under 3:45:00 I would be delighted with.
It does show though that no matter what you have been through and how much your body has been battered, you can still put it through a lot more than what you think. If you have the right frame of mind you can achieve anything you want to, well to a certain extent.
Whilst I am running, I think a lot to times in which I couldn't physically do anything I wanted to do, so it is a great motivator to keep going at hard times.
The running will carry on and nothing will stop me in reaching the goals I have set this year.
As always.... you can donate below :) If you have any comments or questions please let me know.
https://www.justgiving.com/end2endKH/
Thanks
Karl Hodgson
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