March 2017 - Cold Nutz

Hello everyone and welcome to our March review. A month that kick started 30 for 30 as we got our running vests back on for our first silver event, saw many more training miles and planning for our big summer of cycling! I wanted to bring you a new post on the first weekend of every month but April completely took me by surprise (what a fool) so it's a week (and a bit) late....

Tuff Nutz
Nice and clean pre-race
We started the month with our first Silver event, fan favourite - Tuff Nutz! As was a common theme throughout 2015, the 'Great' British weather turned up and delivered temperatures of around 2 degrees, rain, snow and sleet. Perfect weather for an 11 mile run along the beach, marsh, bogs and mud. Whilst carrying a fence post. As the saying goes though, skin is waterproof, rain never hurt anyone (probably has in some way) and it was smiles for (11) miles from the team.

Pensby Runners did a smashing job again and the course did not disappoint, the puddle crawl that featured in our last Tuff Nutz post had been taken up a level and was now at the end of a slip-and-slide and added into the mix was some wading through knee high (waist high if you're 5 foot 6) water which was unsurprisingly as cold as actual ice.

#squad
One of the best parts of this event is running in a team, it's always easier to keep going through the pain and carrying a fence post is much easier is light work when you're sharing it out...In all seriousness, it was a privilege to run along side my brothers for this event, both of them having helped me so much over the years. Special mention to team River DANube as well. These three lads have been supporting this campaign from the word go and have completed some incredible feats over the last couple of years!

We'll definitely be back next year to test our nutz once again and no doubt get freezing cold and soaking wet!

Get Involved
As well as Tuff Nutz, we have had great contributions from the wider team with more Silver events completed by Tom Smith and Hannah Stevnson. On the same day as Tuff Nutz, they ran the Oak Haven half marathon is similarly grim weather and then later on in March, Tom took on the New Forest 20 miler.

Shout out to my brother Ste who entered the Manchester MARATHON with 4 days to go and completed it in 4 hours, 20 minutes! That's his first marathon and proved what a machine he is taking it on with minimal training (not advised).

We're adding more silver events to the calendar as well with four of us currently signed up to the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon on the 28th May. It's great fun running to the soundtrack of live music, so if you have ever thought of doing a half marathon, you've got about 7 weeks left so get some training miles in, sign up and come for a run with us.

I've also received a pledge from my good friend Marc who is currently living in America. He wants to join in and has suggested that whilst we're doing our Coast 2 Coast cycle, he's going to match the miles on a static bike in the gym! It's in writing now mate, you're committed! This is a great way to get involved and if anyone else fancies doing something similar, let me know.

Training
With the Coast 2 Coast in mind, we're putting the hours in on the bike, doing around 100 miles a week including long rides at the weekend and HIIT sessions on the spin bike in the gym, prescribed by the exercise team at the hospital. I've swapped some of the weight and resistance training in the gym for time on the bike and time working on the leg muscles which will be carrying me for 140 miles in July.

Now that I've signed up for the half marathon, I'll be getting the running shoes on as well and putting some miles in on foot as well. I wont be focusing too much on the running though as I do a lot of cardio training anyway and with the other training, it should be plenty to carry me through.

Targets
We are currently £67.00 away from hitting £15,000 which is the half way mark of our target, it would be ace if we could surpass that by the time it comes to the half marathon at the end of May, so as always, like it, share it, tell your friends and spread the word!

Sean xoxo

www.justgiving.com/15for15

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