unfit...

ok, as not been training and things have been bad mentally. I just tried working on hard on the Woss XT Trainer for 30 mins...result felt sick! I am unfit....

this is a hard time for some, but there are people who will & want to help us cope with depression, anxiety and loneliness, reaching out is difficult I know, but there is genuine people out there who care. I have been lucky enough to receive some help in the past.

 I wish you well in the New Year,

So...this is a bit gross so you are warned! My Christmas story, for quite a few years I've had scar tissue on the left side of my jawbone, it is a lump of it and really annoying. I have asked civilian and military medical staff about it as it gets sore and been told nothing can do, it is just scar tissue (I have plenty of other scar tissue and it is unlike this). Last night it was sore again, so I decided to operate! so with a pair of nail scissors I got stuck in, out came two large slivers of bone, and also dug further and popped a cyst or something and loads of gross stuff came out and the large "scar lump" has gone.

Hello all
I am still here! just been quiet as been trying get through some stuff, I still am not over injury problems but I need start trying work on getting over this, even if it is just flexibility with out pain.

Hello, all
I have not been updating as everything has overwhelmed me lately, the injuries,illness lack of being able to do positives, has mean't I have let things spiral downwards and ended up in a bad place with depression and anxiety.

I am trying focus on some reading that can help me and get out with the dog, as my achilles is still painful and to add to it my old back injury is worse at the moment too, this is making any exercise difficult and I am struggling. I want to get out on the hills and running, as I am losing my confidence and fitness which is worrying me and not helping anxiety.

I wish this was a more positive post and really hope my next one will be better.

Gareth

Well my inner ear seems to finally be on the mend! so hopefully can get out a bit more instead of just dog walks(the dog walks will still happen, Alfie the dog will not be neglected).

I also was lucky enough to receive a Dragons egg Bivvy bag from Highlander, so looking forward to getting out and using that too!

hope this finds everyone well
Gareth

another hurdle...

Hi not posted for a while as been quite ill, the ear infection i was suffering with turned into a worse infection. The infection has turned out to be something called mastoiditis, it is an infection in a bone behind the ear, the Doctors have had me on few different antibiotics and now seems to be working against it, so hopefully be better soon.

hope this finds all well, and happy too!

Gareth

The Magic Boot (achilles support)

So my new achilles night splint has arrived, or the magic boot as I prefer to call it! this should keep achilles stretched and help it develop strength and mean I wake up to less pain (hopefully pain free), and stop it over tightening after training, as at the  moment this is holding me back frommtraining my fitness has got better and my recovery is much better thanks to training and CurraNZ Sport supplement my muscles seem to be able to handle fast or distance runs just my achilles gets painfully tight.


so fingers crossed the magic boot works!

Back out today after a few days off, my achilles was painful after pushing the speed on my last run, so I had to take a break and let it settle down. So this afternoon I decided on a steady paced 6 miler, the route was slightly hilly but the weather improved as soon as I walked out the door and got hotter and hotter! by the end of the run think I must have been so red I would have glowed in the dark!

My mood has been really low during the period of the last few days I could not run, but after today's run I am in a much better frame of mind. I have said it before and will continue to promote the message that running/exercise does not make your problems and issues like depression and anxiety disappear, but it DOES help us to cope with them.

On a positive note,after the run where I pushed the pace it was only my achilles that suffered, otherwise I felt great and no soreness!, so I think the CurraNZ Sport is still doing its job.

got myself out for a reasonable 5 miler (39:21) and feeling much better for, needed it after last few days where lost grip on it all. got to try and stop being so hard on myself but also I need avoid the things I know make me feel worse and stop sabotaging myself when things are a bit better.

this week  has just got more and more difficult after mid week, anxiety has built up over some problems I need to face, and I've just made things worse and managed to do nothing,hope next week is better as feeling useless and very low

Sunday night write up

Hello all
I've really been trying this week to cope with things better, I say this as had some bad days but working on how I deal with them and trying not let them last as long! (easier said than done, but as long as I try that's what counts). So despite bad visits from the "Evil Monkey" that is depression and anxiety, there has been some good.

I have managed get myself out running every day and my run streak is on day 28 today!  even though had a few lighter  mile days due to tweaking my achilles, which causes me to stress and the evil depression monkey to sit on my shoulder a lot, but I've tried reading through help material I have to cope and not panic and let it spiral, and on a good note was ok to do a comfortable 10 miler today.

I also started this blog about the outdoors and exercise to help with depression and I know I talk more about running but the other activities help as much and one of them I take part in, and yet do not talk about as much is cycling I realised this and want to promote it to those with depression and anxiety more, for two reasons firstly I know running is not everyone's thing and secondly cycling is great for being able to explore over distances of area's that most runners would not consider. I have been talking to someone about trying write a piece about cycling and hopefully going to have the chance to write up something with lots of knowledgeable input from them soon.

I have also update the Curranz Sport review now as it is the end of week 2, not only am I really pleased with it but also working on something to hopefully get you folks a discount! so you can try it out too :)

just want finish by saying well done and thanks to all those who competed at Rio 2016 Olympics, it has been a great show, the athletes have been inspiring and motivational to watch and thanks to Rio for putting it on.

CurraNZ Sport - Super food Supplement - - REVIEW - Updated week 2

I have recently started using CurraNZ Sport a Super food Supplement, I do not usually go in for supplements, but one of the problems of depression is energy levels and these seemed like they could help also with recovery which as I get older has got a lot harder.

so a little about CurraNZ Sport - it is a superfood made from New Zealand Blackcurrants it is also suitable for vegetarians and Vegans too.

• Blackcurrant polyphenol componds, called anthocyanins, may have great potential for health and disease prevention
• They are naturally-occuring plant compounds that give the fruit their deep purple colouring
• New Zealand blackcurrants have one of the highest recorded anthocyanin values and antioxidant activity of any berry

 CurraNZ harnesses all the powerful anthocyanins found in NZ blackcurrants

• Only CurraNZ capsules contain EnzansTM, a proprietary blend of 35% New Zealand blackcurrrant anthocyanin extract   
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans 
• Each capsule contains the equivalent of approx 85 NZ blackcurrants

Offering great value for money, one 30-capsule pack has the equivalent of 2,500 nutrient-dense New Zealand blackcurrants 

Week 1

This is the results after week one ( the loading period) firstly I want to talk about side effects, the main reason being I have suffered none! this in itself is a real benefit as I have a sensitive stomach and when I tried some other juice type extracts I felt sick, but I have been fine with CurraNZ.

I started using these part way through my current run streak so have been training regularly, which for me normally means I struggle with energy to train and definitely with achy legs. The energy levels I have had has seemed to increase noticeably, especially towards the latter period of the week, and the recovery has been fantastic no walking like a robot.

This is the review after week 1 I am going to update during a month of use

Week 2

So last run of week 2 done and it was a 10 miler! it felt pretty comfortable too at a pace of 8:09 a mile and was not pushing the pace, over all miles slightly less this week as I tweaked my achilles so dropped miles during the week, but recovery is still great be it a long run or a speedy one no aches the next day, and energy levels are good as runs seem easier and I'm a lot less tired in latter stages of runs. Just want mention that still no side effects of stomach problems which is such a benefit with a supplement..

for more info on CurraNZ Sport or to order head to  https://healthcurrancy.co.uk/about_curranz

Day 20 still running...

Today is the 20th day of my run streak I did a gentle paced stamina run of 9 miles which gives me a total of 101 miles in 20 days, things are improving I'm slowly increasing my mileage each week on long runs (after so many injuries I need be careful) and also when I try putting the pedal down I am slowly getting pace back, with a 3 miler now under 22 mins.

The run streak is not so much a challenge type thing for me it is just trying get out often to try cope better with depression, I have also been trying out a new supplement to try help with energy levels and recovery, energy levels are real struggle with depression but it seems to be helping, I'll be posting a full review soon.
Hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics there has been some amazing performances and very inspiring also some great characters who remind us exercise and life should be fun, it is easy to forget...

had a real bad night with feeling low and finding positives, then managed drag myself out for a quick 3 miler and managed a much faster time and pace has started to come back, grateful for it I needed a positive today...thanks legs!

Gareth (TheTryAth)

Event booked - The Endurancelife CTS Dorset Ultra

Well as I turn 40 this year I've booked an Ultra to celebrate! The Endurancelife CTS Dorset Ultra, the event looks stunning along the Jurassic coast path. There is actually quite a few distance events on the day including 10k, half Marathon, Marathon and Ultra (33.5 miles) and even an Ultra + (45.5 miles).

looking forward to the event and posting a review and how I got on, if folks are interested I'll post a link to the site for more info and to book.If anyone else is going to run it let me know too and what distance :)

http://www.endurancelife.com/event-new.asp?series=87&location=306

Gareth (TheTryAth)

Run Streaks, Rio Olympics 2016 and coping with bad runs.

Well today did not go as planned! it is 13th day of my run streak and guess 13 unlucky for some...well unlucky for me. The weather was really hot and I was planning a slow but long endurance run, after about 6 miles though I did not feel good with the heat so decided to play it safe and cut the run short and took a route home so ended up a total of 8 miles, it was also much slower than intended but I guess better safe than sorry, I am trying not be hard on myself about it and just let it go, but these things do get me down.

I've ran 34 miles in total this week  so at least that is an increase, but really want to get comfortable at longer distances again. I guess have to remind myself why I run and not get too focused on just time and distances, bad days will happen in running as with everything and how I cope with them and other let downs is something I am working on.

On a plus I have been trying watch the Olympics, those folks competing are amazing! it is motivating and a positive to try watch when I'm not in good place with depression kicking in, I did feel sorry for the guys in the cycling some nasty crashes with those roads.

I have also been looking at some new routes, I really want to get a little action camera to take some pictures from some of my routes and show why the outdoors helps me to cope with depression and anxiety, it is pretty hard to describe how calming some paths and scenery can be.

oh well hope next run is better and next long run too! and good luck all at Rio 2016 Olympics too, and hope is a good week for all.

Gareth (TheTryAth)

running motivation Beth Pascall and her Lakeland 100

There is always great motivation out there on on social media to help with running, I've just been reading about Beth Pascall's amazing Lakeland 100 2016 run. It is well worth a read if you have not already :)
https://bethpascall.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/lakeland-100-2016/

and well done Beth!

Gareth

running event suggestions needed

Hi this week unintentionally turned out to be a little run streak. I had Monday, the day after Snowdonia trail half marathon off then have run every day so far, so six runs in six days and a total of 30 miles. I have not crazy on the distances just have wanted to run everyday and been able! (no pain,so far), I did a longer one today of 8 miles and even that felt ok and I did it in 1:05:27.

It has helped massively with mood too, as the bad spells with depression and anxiety have not lasted as long when had them over the last week. I hope the next week is as good as this one running wise, and will keep trying be more positive. I've also been feeling more inspired run wise and as well as wanting to complete my mountain leader course, as another goal I really want to build to running in an event abroad, I'm thinking Iceland at the moment as always wanted to visit there.

If anyone has any suggestions on some amazing international running events ideally at least half marathon and up to trail ultra, then let me know! all suggestions welcome.

you can get me at twitter as I'm @thetryath

hope it has been a better week for all,and next week is better still!

Gareth

rainy day runs, enjoy them!

got out in the rain for a run today, I actually quite enjoy running in the rain. I think as long as you wear the correct gear most people would but common mistakes is people run in gear which is not right and soaks up the water and ends 10 pounds heavier and a horrible run, stay with light quick drying gear and a good waterproof jacket(I recommend a hood on it, you'll be grateful on long trails) and do not be scared of running in the rain, we are waterproof! and it can be a very relaxing experience, washes away some of the stress.


Gareth