Challenge 126 - Inspiring

I just saw the YouTube clip about Challenge126, where two Irish guys will run 126 miles on 4 April 2012 to raise money for Special Olympics Ireland. There are 126 special Olympic athletes competing from Ireland. It is a very worthwhile cause to support and you really have to admire the commitment of all involved in the sporting activities and in the fundraising. 26 miles doesn't seem so bad now :o) (well, I still put it as the hardest thing I've had to prepare for in my life so far).

Spring is here...

Lovely surprise from Esben to mark the beginning of Spring

It's amazing how a bit of sunshine can make you feel after the dark, (kind of) cold, winter months. I get a sense that everyone is in a better mood and with the clocks going forward an hour, it's much brighter in the evenings. Rumour has it that it will start to turn cold again this weekend, and *shock, horror* we might get snow next week. Right at this moment I can't believe this rumour. But I might change my mind on Sunday :o) It was 18 degrees the other day when I was cycling home from work. I told Esben that if I had had the day off, I would have been at the beach - he seemed worried! In any case, I will enjoy this lovely weather (and from the sounds of it, people in Ireland are enjoying similar weather). It certainly makes marathon training a lot easier :o)

Cheerleading :o)

Denmark is quite well-known for football, badminton and handball. But what I didn't know is that they are also mad into cheerleading! I attended my first cheerleading event (ever) here in Aarhus just over a week ago. My friend Linda's two girls are part of the Aarhus Tigers team - they were brilliant - one-handed cartwheels, backflips, standing on the top of a pyramid of people. When I think of cheerleading, I just think of America. But strangely enough, there is a huge following in Denmark. They have a national team that compete with the best (many American teams), but also with many countries in Europe. Once you attend a cheerleading competition, you see that there is great skill required for this sport. Often people are ridiculed for saying they are part of a cheerleading team (especially the few males that take part), but these people are real athletes - it's like gynnastics, but even scarier for the people on top of the human pyramid. Let's Go Tigers - Pink, Black, White - Let's Go Tigers :o)

Six nations comes to an end....

And so a slightly disappointing ending to the six nations. Before Ireland kicked off against England, we knew that Wales were the six nations champions. That's ok - we'll settle for second place. Hmmm, third is ok too :o) Our German friends came over to watch the match - a mix of celebrating St. Patrick's Day and watching their first rugby game. The St. Patrick's Day bit went well. I had to apologise for the match. Even I had lost interest by 60 minutes. But I guess the team will learn from this and come out fighting in the next game. Or something along those lines. It wasn't a disasterous six nations (e.g. Scotland), but it was very obvious that some of the great players of the last few years did not participate in the competition. That said, Wales was great and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their games. Oh and Happy St. Patrick's Day too!

Fundraising

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am running the Copenhagen marathon 2012 to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society. I have not set up a fundraising page, but if you would like to support this cause, you can donate via the button below. Thank you in advance!

Marathon Training

I'm following a suggested training schedule (originally created to help people to train for the Dublin marathon), which means that I am now at the 12 mile (19 km) mark. I ran this distance last Sunday (11 March 2012) on a route that brings me outside the boundaries of Aarhus city, back in and then around the city centre. I have to run the same distance again this weekend. I felt particularly good after running the 19km, and surprisingly enough I wasn't stiff or sore on Monday. I need to focus on my technique at this stage and my hydration plan. Which means I need to buy a bottle holder and practice eating gels when out running. It's interesting to learn how the body works and how much you can push yourself if you really need to. Last Sunday there was a serious head-wind and I always find the first 20 minutes really tiring. But once I got into my stride, I enjoyed the run. Before going out I was a little nervous that I wouldn't complete the distance, but then I realised positive thinking is the way to go - and it worked. Now to prepare for the next 19km....