An Autumnal Swimming Goal (and Running Update)

On the 27th October, I will be taking part in a sponsored swim, Lengths4Leeds.  This has been organised by my employer and will take part at the Aquatics Centre, in Leeds (my usual training pool!).  I have pledged to swim one mile, although I have promised to aim for 2km (which is 80 lengths of a 25m pool), if I can get £50 pledged in sponsorship.  I have never swam as far as this, so it should be a challenge! If anyone wants to help and wishes to sponsor me, please get in touch (there is no Just Giving page or similar, just a old fashioned paper sponsorship form!)  The charities I am swimming for are Shelter, Lineham Farm and Forget-me-not.

On a personal level, I am pleased to have a goal.  It is hard for me to stay interested in swimming every week now that my outdoor events for 2012 are finished, and I tend to stop swimming so much at this time of year , at least until next year's events are announced and I get motivated again!

I am still running every other day.  I have just completed week 4 of the couch to 5km plan.  This involved running for 5 minute stints, with shorter walks in between, and a couple of 3 minute runs.  Over the 30 minute podcast, there is 16 minutes of running, so I am definitely running more than I am walking over the half hour workout now.  Week 5 looks difficult.  There are 3 different workouts in week 5, and the third one, which I will complete next Saturday if training goes to plan, involves running for 20 minutes without stopping.  I really can't see me being able to do this in 6 days time.  But I shall place my faith in the training plan; it seems to work well for lots of people. 

Have learnt a few things about running this week:

• Not to brush my teeth just before a run.  It makes my mouth claggy and therefore harder to breath.  
• To tie double knots in my laces as they WILL come un-done otherwise. 
• Not to wear thermal cycling tights in September.  Too hot.  
• I need more than one sports bra, or laundry issues will mean running without one (not good).
• Running in the rain will mean my in-ear earphones will fall out of my ears.

I am toying with the idea of entering a 5km race in November.  I hadn't planned to...I am not sure I will be able to run 5km by then.  But I saw the event and thought it sounded fabulous.... a 5km run through York, on Bonfire Night!  It is in the dark, with a pyrotechnic display along the route, and then a fireworks party at the end.  Plus a bonfire!  This has been organised by Rat Race, whose events are pretty spectacular, and if I were to ever consider a 10km race, it would no doubt be a Rat Race as they look like loads of fun!