Philly's Walking 100k

When I was about 5 years old, my dad ran 100k from London to Brighton; my sister and I were entirely perplexed as to why he would want to run all that way, just to get on a train to come home. But now, 15 years later, the tables have turned, and I'm the one convincing him that he wants to do it all again- but slightly slower this time! So, on the 21st of June we'll be walking from Putney to Brighton- hopefully in under 24 hours! We will be walking as part of a yearly endurance event to benefit Blind Veterans UK, formerly St Dunstans. I'll be writing a training blog to keep you updated on progress, and any donation would be appreciated!

[philly100]

Training With Epilepsy

It would be an understatement to say that my training has not gone as planned over the past few weeks. In truth, over the past two weeks I've only left the house to go to the doctors or pharmacy. A lot of people have asked me whether or not it would be safe for me to walk 100k with Epilepsy - but I've asked a neurologist, GP and psychiatrist, and yes, it is safe, and no, I'm not crazy. Obviously training is hugely important, as tiredness can cause seizures. I've been building up my miles slowly, the last long walk I did was 20miles, and as I recover this week, I'll slowly start building up my miles again. I make sure that if I'm walking by myself, people know where I am, and that they can track me with the Find My Friends app. It's not really a great idea for me to walk long distances over the South Downs by myself, so I tend to do laps of a five mile circuit, that's never more that 5 minutes or so from a bus stop. It means that I can really look forward to the long walks that I do with my dad. I figure that the physically fitter I am, the better I will be able to deal with my epilepsy. I mean, if I can walk for 100k, surely that would mean that I can recover faster from a seizure. I have to be careful, and I have to recognise when I need to take a break. I have an amazing support team, and I've been working on keeping a regular routine, sleeping, eating, drinking and training, that all lead to a more healthy lifestyle, and that can be no bad thing. There have been a few bumps along the road, but I don't want to be ill, I want to walk 100k. My dad and I are walking 100k from London to Brighton on the 21st of June to Support Blind Veterans UK. Please donate directly to the charity here.

[philly100]

Top Ten Tips to Make Training Fun

Most people I know, know that I hate exercise. I start to run, and my lungs stop working, I have fallen over in a yoga class, and I have cried in PE lessons. So now I'm walking 100k. I've had to work pretty hard to find ways to make training more fun. So here are my own top ten training tips for walking, running, and general exercising: If you have a dog take it with you, if not, put dog treats in your pocket and become all dogs best friend. I met a chocolate Labrador called Brown today, he decided that I was his person, and walked up a hill with me, before I had to convince him to go back to his owner. I credit him with getting me up the hill. 2. Ensure your playlist includes Eye of the Tiger. Need I say more?

3. Make a 'downhill' playlist. If you're running or walking, going downhill can feel like you're flying. Accentuate this feeling by creating a specialised playlist. Songs that work best include the word 'run,' 'race,' or 'fly' in the title. You can include any songs, but I highly recommend George Strait's Run, for this purpose. 4. Work out your anger with cardio. Whilst doing kicks, punches, or anything with a jabbing type motion, imagine you are inflicting pain on a person. For example, whilst completing Jillian Michaels' Thirty Day Shred, I would imagine that I was punching her in the face for all the times she told me 'don't phone it in!' (Just for the record, I think Jillian Michaels is amazing, but the Thirty Day Shred is pretty horrific.) 5. Train somewhere beautiful. Training somewhere beautiful or interesting. Last week we walked through a pig 'settlement' (it all looked a bit Animal Farm), but the piglets definitely brightened my day. 6. Get chased by Zombies: Terrifying, but it'll keep you going even when you want to stop. There is no greater motivation then that of imminent death. Get the iPhone app here. 7. Take someone with you. Get competitive. However the rest of your walk/ run goes, the first one to the finish line is the winner. (See tip number ten to find out how to increase speed towards the end of your training session.) 8. Set yourself a goal. If you're training for an event, you don't really have a choice with regards to training, unless you want to suffer horrifically on event day. The prospect of walking 100k is terrifying, I mean, the same route takes an hour on the train - it scares me into training. 9. Do it for a good cause. Training is hard. If you're raising money for a good cause, like Blind Veterans, you feel like you're making a difference, and you have to train if you don't want to let them, and your sponsors down. 10. Chips. Have chips waiting for you at the finish line. Preferably cheesy. The other day I walked for 20 miles and I ran the last 100m just to get to the chips faster. Follow these few simple tips and you'll be walking 100k in no time. If you would like to sponsor me for my London to Brighton 100k walk, my Just Giving page can be found here.