I don’t how many our Peter R did. Probably about that many. He was out of it for a bit with heart surgery but went right back to it.
The nagging stiffness and chronic pain that had accompanied me on all of my recent runs was not present yesterday as I tossed my gnawed apple cog into the bushes and rose up on to my toes to complete another non stop five miler. Just for a mile or two I felt like my old self, and I was tempted to stretch my legs with a more testing pace. I resisted the temptation and enjoyed a steady plod round the course. Storm clouds queued up on the horizon, and a gentle rain dowsed my face and legs, but in anticipation I was suitably attired, the top half anyway!
My mind wandered as I jogged, to those ten years between 1986 and 1996 when Marathons stole all of my time. I thought about a post I made, about continuing to run marathons had it not been for my ‘Untimely Heart Attack’ and I realise that my passion for marathons died before I almost did…
It probably died the day I was made redundant. Earning a living suddenly crept to the top of my priority list, and setting out as a self employed courier demanded all my attention to make it the success it turned out to be. Make no mistake though, running kit had a permanent shelf in my van, and after the successful delivery of goods, a run would follow, always in interesting and uncharted territory.
Filling leisure time has never been a problem for me. With so many interests and hobbies I slipped into retirement like a well worn pair of slippers, with no single hobby occupying the lions share of my time. In order to maintain Marathon fitness one must ‘give over’ virtually all leisure time to training - To enjoy running long distances, you must run as far as you can, as often as you can. I did this for ten years without complaint or regret, and whereas I shall strive to carry on running for as long as I’m able, I also enjoy family life and pursuing other interests.
Fine, wise words those Bob, and an inspiration to others in many ways I’m sure. Mainly, never give up striving for your goals. pending serious illness, you can always pick up where you left off be it after a month or sometimes following years of recovery. But we get that urge to carry out our wants and desires because it’s inbuilt into our system; our psyche.
It’s also wonderful that you didn’t slip into a vegetative state when you retired (or got made redundant). many people don’t know what has hit them. I know this from my dad who basically sat in a chair for the first couple of years wondering what on earth to do with his time - though he was always occupied with woodworking, his joinery trade never leaving him until he was physically unable years later.
But mate, it’s fantastic that you’re now able to continue you main love which is running. It’s taken you some time to overcome most of your recent setbacks, but you’ve done it through willpower and determination where a lesser man would simply throw the towel in. Good on yer, buddy 
Thanks Floydy, I appreciate your comments, it was the best thing ever when you started this thread, the support and friendship from all who post on here is outstanding, and has certainly introduced a new dimension to the way I look at exercising. Long may we continue to support and help each other in whatever exercise regime we follow. Thanks again Floydy…
No problem, Bob.
I think we all support each other in some way or another on this thread, and indeed this forum. 
No gym work from me yesterday you may have noticed. I had to swap things around due to family matters.
I’ll be back at it today and tomorrow pending further family matters.
Isn’t it interesting on this forum and in our lives the varied ways in which that little voice inspires some passion or another! Of all the things that draws me to people and want to get to know them better, it is this kind of drive and the discipline that comes with it. While I was never a marathoner, I do understand that drive to have a heady sense of accomplishment and determination that comes with it. It’s not a diversion or a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. I would also argue that even though OGF was already evolving away from his marathoning, it may have saved his life.
So, on a night of feeling a little letdown after an extraordinary few weeks, OGF’s post has me in the full, vivid, bloom of anticipation in launching back into a decent five to six miler, except for one little problem…
My toe is broken. 
I am nothing if not a walking disaster.
Floydy, I hope your family matters sort out so you can get back into it tomorrow. This is indeed a nice little gathering place that you started here.
Tomorrow I’ll be getting the bike greased and the tires filled. Even a broken toe won’t slow me down much.
Aww, how have you broken your toe, Suzie?
At least you’re not giving in - enjoy the bike ride!
The first of my two during-the-week basic ‘top-up’ sessions. Today was ‘push’, tomorrow ‘pull’:
Tuesday, 19 June ‘18: Push
(All weights in kgs)
DB bench press:
10x24’s, 10x24’s, 8x26’s, 6x28’s
Smith shoulder press, 60° bench:
25x20, 6x40, 4x50
Smith flat bench press:
6x60, 4x70
25x30 h/r
Chest press:
50x30 h/r
Pec dec:
50x30 h/r
Tricep extensions:
25x40 h/r
25x30 h/r
Tricep push downs:
50x15 h/r
Sled leg press:
100x100 h/r
Time: 40 mins.
Nice and quick, did the job adequately. Light weights and high reps are the main focal point of my mid-week routine with fitness and keeping the flab down being the priority these days.
https://image.ibb.co/gvLJaJ/20180619_135750_1.jpg
The first time I’ve seen a glimmer of my abs in years!
Thanks for reading.
Ooooo SM, so sorry to hear about the broken toe, I’m thinking ‘ouch’ just thinking about it, you poor thing.
Floydy, you don’t have any flab but you can have some of mine if you want some LOL.
Proud of me tonight, sat here at my computer at nearing on 8pm and thought to myself “sod this, get off your fat backside and get up to the gym” so I did! I did 25 minutes cardio and a 25 minute swim. Just got home and I’m sooooo glad I went, I feel champion.
Floydy I could do with doing some weights to help tone up my horribly flabby legs but does cardio tone up the legs?
Well done with the exercise, LQ. All adds up you know
Cardio will tone legs but to do it much more quickly it’s a good idea to use some of the weight stations as well/instead.
Of course there are many different muscle groups in the legs but a good mix of the seated sled press, extensions, hamstring curls and the abductor/adductor machines should see some tone added to your legs relatively quickly.
You don’t need to use heavy weights either - it’s the reps that count. See thread on Floydy’s exercise apparatus 
Thank you for the pity, Floydy and LQ. I’ll be fine, but ow, it sure is black, blue, and sore right now. An object at rest tends to stay at rest unless a force acts on it, but if it involves a toe and a large piece of furniture…it has more to do with that “for every action there is…” Let’s just say that physics met biology, and biology lost.
So ends today’s “science lesson.” 
Proud of you LQ, for getting to the gym. I am with you on keeping my legs toned, and am about to start cycling again until I can start running again. Floydy is so right about reps. I can’t do heavy weights because of an old meniscus tear, but those reps seem to do the job beautifully.
Floydy you already have visible results! Well done. You stay with it. I have now officially started to the program to shed the vacation weight. I think I’m going to report in on the slimming club thread so I can be accountable over there too.
Nothing glamorous today, just did a round of step watching, “Some Kind of Beautiful.” (Why is it that in every movie that Pierce Brosnan is in that he ends up pouring wine with his shirt off? )
Anyhow, keep up the good work everyone and don’t let me make any excuses!
Sorry to hear about your toe Surfermom, there’s always summat that brings a good spell of running to an end…:-(…Then it’s start all over again time…
Put an extra two mile in this morning, mostly walking though, and along the country lane at the end of our road. I went in my running kit just incase, and it felt so good to feel the warmth of the sun on my body. Apart from a farmer rounding up his sheep two fields away, I didn’t see another soul…Some good thinking time…
Well, as Suzie says “Don’t make any excuses”, I fear I have one today.
For some unknown reason I have developed a twinge in my left shoulder which isn’t much to worry about, but it would stop me from doing my training session, so that’s on hold until Friday.
Tomorrow it’s my appointment at the doc’s, so missed out there too!
Nothing to sweat about, soon catch up again!
Oh dear, you Keep Fitters are falling like flies :shock:
Take things easy for a while and I hope you’ll all be back on top form very soon.
It’s all part of our masterplan, Mags.
To return bigger, faster, stronger and fitter than before. Injuries happen to us so we can be rebuilt into something better than ever before 
I took your post too literal this morning Mags, I set off for my five mile run and hadn’t gone more than half a mile when I kicked a stone and the next thing I remember, was laying on the floor doing a damage assessment.
I’ve beat up my arm pretty bad, grazed my knee and put a fair sized hole in the palm of my hand as I tried to prevent myself from landing too hard. Unfortunately it was rough gravelly terrain and it’s left a good deal of damage.
So with blood pouring from my injuries I decided to abandon the run and return home…
Ooh, bet’s that’s sore Foxy. Will this help a little? :hug:
Oh Jeezuz, man! I think you’d better look twice before getting out of bed from now on matey 
Mags has surely put some sort of curse on you, boy! :twisted:
A nightmare scenario, Bob. How are you feeling today though…healing well I hope! :o Thing is mate, I know you well enough to know that nothing but nothing will stop you doing what you enjoy and that is running. Shrug off the flesh wounds and pending the knee isn’t too bad, keep on runnin’ buddy…
.
Me, I’ve been to the docs and he’s requested blood tests for thyroid, prostate, diabetes and another one…general wear and tear for a 50+lad or something. All routine. Happens next Wednesday. By the way, I’m feeling okay, so back to the gym tomorrow - unless Mags has something to do with it :twisted:
My other complaint I saw the GP about was my ears. I have had to had them syringed for 30+ years, every nine months or so but it’s now getting more frequent. This is all due to the shape of my ear canals which for some reason are very narrow and have conical-shaped canal rather than tunnel ones, which makes them close up as they near the ear drum causing my hearing to be impaired. Hence the syringing so often.
Coupled with tinnitus, which I have had for two years now, and constant itching, it was time to demand something be done if at all possible. The doctor has referred me to the ENT clinic. Waiting for that too, so all being well, something could be sorted out there.
I hate being old. 
Anyway, back to the gym tomorrow, and you know me by now with my crazy ideas…I have put the ‘strength’ session on hold to try out something different: 20 exercises; 50 reps apiece; fixed weights; going for it.
If I survive, I’ll be back to tell the tale tomorrow evening!
*BTW…How you doing, Suzie?
Oh dear lads, I hope I haven’t put a jinx on you … poor you Bob, that was a nasty fall and I’m sure I heard your curses 
I hope the soreness eases and you heal very soon.
Floydy I hope all your tests prove negative, enjoy the gym tomorrow … 
May I second that, Floydy.
I know it’s a nuisance, but best to get these things sorted and done with.
Do you think you might have been pushing yourself a little too hard of late?
Anyway, hope the test results all come back fine. 