Web Hosting for Idiots!

Well there's another one I can chalk up on my list of 'Things I was not born to be' ...

Web hosting manager... who'd have thought!

I must admit that when I embarked on this new 'episode' I wasn't aware I needed a degree in web hosting. From the endless forums, blogs and wedsites I was led to believe that anyone could do it, so long as you had some basic computer skills... that would be everyone apart from me!

I have spent the last week or so going round in circles and having some crazy conversations with 'support' who must be so pleased that I have at last, given up. They can open up their emails from now on without fear of another rambling, ever so slightly hysterical 'support ticket' from the only idiot incapable of working out the step by step instructions.

I've been trying to take my blog to 'the next level' make it look more professional and evidently this can only be achieved by self-hosting. I've read everything I can possibly find on the subject but whatever I have read must have missed out the one vital piece of information because it just doesn't work!!!

Once I have had a few counselling sessions and I feel strong enough I will try again... they are not going to get rid of me that easily.

5 Ways to Improve my (next!) Great North Run

I sat and watched the BBC coverage of the Great North Run on iplayer yesterday, wow, what an incredible finish in the men's race! My own finish wasn't quite as exciting although I did appear to pip some poor chap to the finish right at the last minute but I don't think anyone was watching. The photo's are out today, they are only of the finish (thank goodness) of course they are hideous but I don't look too green!

Unfortunately the inevitable has happened and I have registered my interest in next years GNR. I'm just so cross with myself that I can't get this right, it didn't help last night watching ordinary folk being interviewed at the end looking quite normal - I can't believe this is beyond me.

I have made myself a list of things I need to change in order to be successful at this running business. I'm sure there are many other idea's but this is just a start:

• Find a running buddy - this seems to be so important from everything that I've read and listened to.
• Run/Walk shorter distances more often so I can maybe, just maybe run 2'ish miles without too much trouble and maybe, just maybe find that 'runners high' thing they talk about.
• When I run... run - quit loping!!!
• Get it in my head that if there is a next time, I am going to run and, it will hurt. Stop giving myself permission to walk. 
• If I ever do anything like this again, get organised early, book a caravan so we can cook for ourselves.

That will do for now, something to work on. So when is my first run... well, not today!

My Great North Run

...You really have to take a good 24 hours after any endurance activity before you can decide exactly how you felt about it. Once again...

I finished!

My goal had been under 3 hours and I missed it by 3 and a half minutes... but it doesn't matter.

My day began early, the alarm went off at 5.45 am following a less than successful nights sleep. Even when I did fall asleep I dreamt about not being able to get to sleep! Breakfast in the hotel was at 6 but really, who eats breakfast at 6! I got on the coach head to toe 'disposable', I really didn't want to use the baggage coaches - I must have had some kind of premonition about what was to come.

Our coach journey took almost and hour but looking at the weather outside I would have loved it to have taken a lot longer. I chatted to a lovely lady from Wolverhampton, she was supporting her husband who was running. Eventually the inevitable happened and we were emptied onto the pavement. We all followed each other to what we hoped would be the start, watching the skies blacken I invested in a rather fetching 'see through' poncho complete with hood. I managed to get down half a granola bar and some water between the 3 loo queue's that I did - well it was helping get rid of the time. within an hour I couldn't keep myself still I was visibly shaking with the cold. In the end I decided it was time to go to the start, I disposed of my old trousers and bag of food and drink, most of it untouched, the nerves were doing a great job of stemming my appetite for anything.

I stood for several moments staring at the line of runners which went on for ever, I couldn't make out which way they were going or where the start was so again I just followed hoping I was going the right way. We walked and walked and walked past white zones, green zones, purple zones - everything but pink!. I got to a cross-over point and the words of one of my proper running mates from work came into my head 'make sure you're on the left when you start - the right side goes up hill almost immediately' I had worked out by this time which way they were all going by using the fail safe method of checking the way they were facing so I crossed to the other side and again started walking up what I realised was the side of a dual carriageway. As I walked the elite women were introduced, they started, then the mass warm up started and eventually ended and I was still walking, quite fast now ripping off the poncho and disposable jumper as I went and abandoning them at the side of the highway. I thought I've been here since 8 o'clock and I'm going to miss the start - I'll have to start at the back - Oh, I do start at the back!

Finally, we got to the pink zone and slipped in to the penned off area. We then seemed to stand there for ages but the atmosphere was great we chatted jigged about to the music that was playing, did a mass gangnam style dance (whatever that is? I just continued to jig along with most of the other people around me) and waved at the helicopter buzzing overhead. Finally we moved forward but only a short way... it took around 45 minutes to get across the start and off we went. We had only been going a few minutes when someone said that he first woman had just finished - how is that even possible?

We went under quite a few underpasses and each time we did someone shouted 'Ogi ogi ogi' and everyone else shouted back 'oi oi oi'. Despite the heavy rain which joined us as we passed the start line we were an incredibly jolly lot. I could see the Tyne Bridge and was determined I was going to run over it, the memory of staggering over Tower Bridge in the marathon is still very clear. I made it and then went into my power walking/running faze. Now, I had been warned about the hills but coming from Norfolk it's a bit difficult to envisage quite what a real hill looks like. I certainly won't describe Snow Street as uphill from now on. I tried to put my head down and run up the first couple but they were killing. In the end I made it policy that I would run on the downhills. One stands out among many, it was very steep and quite slippy underfoot and I almost completely lost control, I couldn't have stopped if my life depended on it. You'd think it would be easy going downhill but it's quite painful cause your toes slam up against the front of your shoe. Anyway, it was all going ok although the 'oi oi oi's' were getting weaker when the children at the side of the road shouted 'Ogi ogi ogi' endlessly. I was spurred on by a group of male nuns, one wearing a very short skirt and no pants! the one who blasted his vuvuzela right in my ear sent me sprinting off just to get away from him, I do become quite 'noise sensitive' when I've run a long way!

Cue scary music (the dark clouds were already there)... again!

Somewhere around 9/10 miles my old friend arrived and I felt incredibly sick. There is an overpowering urge at this point to drink something flavoured, fresh orange juice, strong coffee etc - at this very moment this awful blue powerzone drink is pressed into your hand... as much as I know it's a mistake I can't help myself, but I know with the first couple of sips that I've made a terrible mistake. The last mile went on for ever, it was endless, the wind was howling off the sea and it started to rain. I passed the finish and staggered to the K's so pleased that I didn't need to seek out the baggage coach, the only thing I wanted was a bucket. Despite the sheet rain people around me were posing for photo's, laughing and telling story's about their race. I just couldn't wait to get to the car which seemed to be parked miles away. Luckily we couldn't get out the car park for nearly 2 hours so I was able to spend the time with my head out the door wondering why on earth I do this to myself - I clearly was not born to run. We must have been almost half way home before I started to feel anything like normal again and my clothes had dried out. We got home late and I slept incredibly well.

This morning? well it's really bugging me now. There are fat people, thin people, tall, short, young, old who run, I see them cross the line and then go off laughing and chatting, why is it beyond me? Jan has already registered an interest for next year, forgetting me I don't think I can put Andrew through it all again. I think I would just like to see if I can find the fun in running before I give it up completely.

Have to say thank you to the wonderful people from Tyneside, they are an incredibly happy bunch of people. Their hospitality was fantastic.

Thanks too to the people who have sponsored me or bought my book. I shall let everyone know how much I raise in total.

Thanks as well to everyone who messaged me with good luck and well done messages, it means so much. Also thanks to my wonderful family, especially Andrew who supports so many of my nutty idea's.

And by the way, yes, I was the only idiot!
if you don't know what I'm talking about take a look at my 'I need to explain' post

You can still sponsor me at:

http://www.justgiving.com/vivsmountain/eurl.axd/ef6245347ef92b45bd94f555b70eeb4b

or buy my book by clicking on the Lulu tab to the right of this post.

Thank you x 

Weather Warning

So, hurricane force winds and rain forecast for Sunday... joy!... guess the shorts, visor and sunglasses won't be needed then, quick wardrobe re-think on the cards.

Just have to say thank you to the people who have sponsored me, with my book sales I'm now up to around £164.00. Thanks too for all the good wishes, it really does mean so much.

If you can, please buy my book, all the profits will go to: 

the Association for International Cancer Research.

just click on the Lulu tab to the right of this post. Thank you x

I Need to Explain...

This could go one of 2 ways...

Either, a huge number of other people will have not had time to read all the instructions early on.

or

I will be the only idiot who didn't read the instructions early on.


You see, to avoid the inconvenience of having to get your name printed on your top the Great North Run has come up with a genius idea and they print it for you on top of your number... I say genius, it would have been had I read the instructions and gone in and amended the default because above my number it just reads...

Mrs 

Be funny if the only other idiot is a man and we end up run/walking together... we'll be Mr & Mrs!!!!

I know, it's really not funny, but I never read instructions, I'm such an idiot!

Thank You

Lovely surprise this morning, I have been sponsored!

I have no idea who by as it was anonymous but I hope whoever you are you will read this because I wanted to say an enormous thank you. I can't tell you just how it spurs you on when you know there are a few people out there supporting you. So to you, and to the people who have bought my book...

Thank you

x

Not Quite as Planned.. again!

As usual it wasn't quite as planned - but it didn't matter! we were a bit late up and as Andrew had other things to do I decided to 'cover' 8 miles outside and 5 miles inside. I left the house with the wobbly legs again - I guess my legs just wobble, I have to accept that. The route I have followed so many times looked beautiful this morning, it is very lovely when the sun is shining. The wind made an appearance when we got to the highest point but it wouldn't have been the same without it. The last 5 miles were... long and I felt drained by the time I had finished but I was over the moon because I had completed the whole 13 miles in 5 minutes short of 3 hours. It was then that I decided to re-check the distance of the outside bit... I was half a mile short - but it really doesn't matter, it really, really doesn't matter!

On the final straight now, 2 more runs this week, maybe a short walk on Friday and then my finale!

My Farewell Tour

Tonight I will map my very last, ever run. Tomorrow really will be my farewell tour. I shall bid farewell to roads that I have struggled along for very nearly two years now. I'm not sad that my 'journey' is over, I'm excited at the time I am going to have. There's so much I need to catch up with, so much to look forward to. I do however, intend to give running one last shot, I'm going to try it without the fixed date in my head when I have to be able to run a ridiculously long way. I'm determined that if there is any joy to be found in this running lark I will give it every opportunity to show itself.

I am a little sad that I haven't been able to raise a lot of money for the Association for International Cancer Research... around £14.00 to date from the sale of just 4 books! I'm sure this amount will grow a little thanks to family once I actually stagger over the line next Sunday. That said, overall, since my 'journey' began along with Jan, we have raised £1,450.00 for Isabel Hospice in Welwyn Garden City, around the same amount for AICR, a little over £800.00 for Break and about £240.00 for Shelter. By the end of next weekend we will have run, between us, officially, just over £91 miles and I can't even begin to think how many more we've run in training... and I've written a book, albeit one few people will read, but who knows, in a hundred years time it might be a classic. That's not bad going for 2 'mature' women, both with full time jobs and families. I think too that it was a very positive way of remembering and paying tribute to our big brother.

Anyway, positive thoughts Viv, 13 miles of head space to fill tomorrow.

Not a Good Day

This morning I left the house with the 'bendy legs'... Sunday's have replaced Wednesday's now as my 'most dreaded day of the week', I wake up with that sense of foreboding. I'm trying to think of it more as a total number of miles that have to be covered over the next 2 weeks and that every step is just a little bit closer to lazy'ish Sunday's again. This morning though, no amount of psychoanalysis was going to make the 13 miles I was going for any easier. I instantly reduced it to 10 miles but that didn't help either. I didn't realise it was windy today until I was a couple of yards up the road, immediately my ears hurt, then my head was pounding, then I felt sick. At just over 1/2 a mile I was walking and just passed the mile mark I was headed home!

What a disaster...

Not too sure what's wrong or if they are all just excuses but I'm not feeling great. One other thing I have learned about this running business is that, passed a certain age, you take the past week out with you on your long runs. I think, if I'm totally honest that at a certain age and if you're me, working full time and having other family responsibilities, running any kind of distance is just not going to be easy.

I think it will be an early night tonight and hopefully the week ahead will be a little more positive.