#fatmanstrong

This is not another post about New Year’s Resolutions. That’s basically just to get fitter again. But that’s an every week resolution.

After reading Sophie Fryer’s 30 before 30 list, it dawned on me I’m a bit late for that one, but on the 18th of September 2021 I will turn 40. Have no issues with getting older, it’s never bothered me, but it’s nice to celebrate these landmarks.

To do that, I’ve made a list of 40 things I’d like to do before I turn 40. 

Some are travel related, some are health challenges I’ve set myself and there are quite a few self-improvement or based on sport. Pretty much sums up who I am, what I love and what I do.

Run around Central Park - NYC

Kiss Catrin at the top of the Eiffel Tower

Visit Tennessee

See the Northern Lights

Spend New Year’s Eve in a foreign city

See red pandas at five new Zoos

Visit a Scottish island

Visit five new countries

Go to Wrestlemania

Watch a Phoenix Suns game in person

Watch a NFL game at Wembley

Go skiing

Run 5k again

Run 10k again

Finish half-marathon

Finish a marathon

Break my deadlift PB of 135kg

Weigh 14st

Climb a Munro

Barbell Squat 100kg

Run 100 ParkRuns (i’m on 7)

Play American Football with a team

Take tennis lessons

Read 20 books (This may seem low, but only managed three last year)

Learn to drive again

Gain a press pass to go watch football

Make my own beer

Improve my French

Interview a Lille player

Write a book

Take a cooking class

Build a sandcastle with Catrin

Build a snowman with Catrin

Be in the audience for a TV show

See a new sport live

Watch IMDB’s top 200 films

Visit Legoland

Get five more tattoos

Audition for a Star Wars film

Add to the Gibney family

There’s no guarantee I will be able to tick them all off, especially all the travel ones, but there are some wonderful things on there which would be an absolute joy to do.

Catrin predicted 30/40. I’d take that.

Definitely more than willing to tick some of these off with friends, so hopefully some of you will get involved with me. 

In around 12 hours I will be lining up for the Salford 10K run around MediaCity. It's been 14 months since my last organised run, and it's safe to say I'm not confident.

https://twitter.com/salford10k/status/771996186798542848

It was in July 2015 that I last laced up amongst a huge crowd of runners. Completing the We Love Manchester 10k in 1 hour 7 minutes 30 seconds.

I had done ok, struggling in the second half after regretting stopping after 4k for a water break.

Injuries took their toll. In September I began to struggle with my knee. Twisting it at the end of a training 10k, then down in London for my birthday I had problems just walking about.

With the Salford 10k in 2015 approaching, I had to pull out through injury. Gutted. Things haven't quite been the same ever since.

I took time off, tried to properly rest and get over the injury. Went through a Couch25k plan all the way through. Without any issues I thought I was back up to speed. Then after 5.6K of a run around Easter time, the knee pain returned.

Always in my left knee, always in the same place. Now, I can feel it coming every time.

I signed up for tomorrow's run as a last chance at running properly. I know my knee is strong - I can squat 62.5kg for 25 reps - and I've picked up hip problems proving it haha.

The problems seem to come from running downhill. That difference in angle and pressures seem to cause the issues.

Last Sunday, as a last practice for the first time in over a year, I actually ran for 10K. Down in Wales for the weekend, I took on the cycle path from Pontypool to Blaenavon. Up hill for the first 5k, it was a steady climb and you didn't quite feel it was all up hill.

Turned at the mid-way point and made my way back down. Around the 8km-9km mark there was some definite knee twinges. As I tried to slow down, that just made it more apparent, so I went for it in the last 400 metres and just about finished.

Time was 1 hour, 8 minutes, 29 seconds. I was a bit shocked. Not far off my time from last year and more importantly, I finished it.

In a poor geeky fashion, I get a bit technical when it comes to running. There's no way I can run 10k without stopping, just not going to happen. Been a while since I did a full 5k, doubling is not an option.

I had been building up a run/walk plan, but on the treadmill 3 minutes bores me, outside it's easy. So on Sunday the plan was 5 minutes running, 2 minutes walking.

I worked out that running a pace of 7mins/km I would cover 0.91km every 7 minutes. After 10 phases I would be 0.9 short, so 11 should do it at around 1 hour 17 minutes. That would mean crossing the line walking, and we can't be having that.

That was my plan though and it's how I set off. 5 min warm up walk, then into we went. After 3/5 phases I was already up on my predictions. I was definitely running faster than 7min/km and reached the 5km mark at 36 minutes. Obviously, going downhill would mean I went a bit faster, not by trying, it's just natural. It was about 100m incline up.

At one stage I looked at my fitbit and I was running at 5:25m/km - not too shabby. With 1km I was definitely going for it. Maybe started sprinting too early. You can see where the pain was, the 9km took 7 minutes, but the 10th 5:51 - no time to slow down.

My finishing overall pace was 6:49 - so quicker overall than I was planning on doing the running part.

I was thinking I should try changing my plan to make it under 1 hour 7, but then I remember the knee pain. Averaging 6min/km with 2 minutes walking could do it. Possibly, but I don't want to push myself.

Going to continue my 5mins/2mins plan and see where it gets me. If I get to 7km without pain, I might push it, and will definitely go for it near the end.

I have my fairly new Nike running trainers, I have my fitbit to guide me and I'm about to make a running playlist.