Countdown to the Great Manchester 10K Run – 6 weeks to go

Middleton Rotary club member Keith Trinnaman is preparing for the Great Manchester Run, here is the latest in his documentation of his progress.

Well this is the third article in my countdown to the run and I‘ve had a look back at what I have achieved so far through my training, the results gave me quite a surprise for the 7-week period I am talking about. They show that up to date I’ve run for 16 hours 10 minutes, have covered almost 148 km (that’s about 97 miles), and in the process have lost 16lbs in weight. Not surprisingly I am very pleased with this so far, however this is only the half-week stage so I must stick with it!

My worries about the Easter holidays limiting my training, and also the extra chocolate flying about have proved unfounded – as always where there’s a will there’s a way! In the last 2 weeks I have gone past the 10km barrier and in fact got up to 12.5 km, as I had said earlier when I reached this point I would test myself out on the road. So on 28th March off I went from my home in Marland along to Springfield Park and around the running track 14 times then back home. The distance was about 8.3km but the conditions were bad, it was a rainy day and the track was quite waterlogged, but I figured that it may well rain on the day of the run therefore just keep going. I got soaked, lets hope it’s sunny on 18 May! However I found that I was running a little faster on the road than in the gym. So now my training is a mixture of treadmill and road running.

I did say I’d tell you how I stop the boredom setting in whilst running, well there are 2 things that keep me going the first being my I pod – I love music, and quite a varied selection from 60’s right up to modern day, and from heavy metal right through to classical. On an I pod you get all your absolute favourites that can bring back so many memories, which enable your thoughts to drift off into these memories instead of thinking ‘only another 30 minutes to go’! They really have been a great invention for me, and I thank wife dear wife Cath for surprising me with it for my birthday last year.

Of course the other factor that keeps me going is my sister, Joy. As you will remember she has the inoperable brain tumour, given only 6 months (back in January), and yet remaining so very positive about her future. So when I get to the stage of thinking ‘not sure if I can keep running’ I let the ‘Joy factor’ kick in, the pain and anguish I perceive are absolutely nothing to what she must be feeling – so I just keep running.

The weight loss has been a great boost for me but I have had to work at it, whenever I feel I have overdone the eating I stick myself on the fat burning soup for a few days and it knocks off 3 to 4lbs. However that said I am being very disciplined regarding my eating habits (that is until the temptation and cravings take over). Typically here is the pattern a breakfast of cereal and a pint of water (although on my training days I just have a banana and water), my lunches always consist of 5 pieces of fruit chopped into a nice fruit salad, along with at least a pint of water. For my main meal at night it is usually a piece of fish / chicken with salad or vegetables, I eat pasta usually twice a week with either tuna or a meat dish. I am now down to 12st 13lb and hope to lose another 6lb by the time of the run. However I have to be quite strict with myself because one slip up usually opens up the floodgates. Now that lent is over I try to limit myself to a few drinks, at weekends only – so far so good.

I mentioned my sister, Joy, a little earlier unfortunately news on her is not great. It appears that the steroids she is taking to control the tumour on the brain are also having some effect on the joints in the back area, as such she is suffering a fair bit with back pains and her mobility is beginning to suffer. I hate to think of her in this way, yet through all this she and her husband Brian still remain positive – just how do they do it?

As you know she is the inspiration for me taking this run on, and in the process raise funds for Macmillan cancer support, who do such a wonderful job to care for those affected by cancer. So far I am up to around the £760 mark, and you could help get me up to the £1000 target all you have to do is log on to the following site then donate any amount you fell able to, every little helps:

www.justgiving.com/keithtrinnaman

If there is anymore information you want to know, or indeed if there are any tips you can give me, get in touch with Rochdale Online – they will forward any messages on to me.

Thanks for reading, and keep thinking exercise (it is good for you).

Trinni