Was very excited to go on a tour of the Olympic Stadiums. So excited that I forgot my camera. Borrowed a Blackberry Torch 90800 and managed to get some shots.

So here we go to see the Olympic site as it is being built.

There is a free bus tour offered. Details can be found here.

Tip: Would advise bringing a rag to clean the external windows of where you are sitting in order to get clearer photos. Mine are enhanced with mud splattered spots on the bus window - my only complaint for a free tour :-)

Our guide was Sarah who was proud of the progress made and her enthusiasm certainly rubbed off on the whole group.

As the Olympic Stadiums are still being built, there is a lot of dirt chucked up on the windows especially in our damp weather.

Tip: Would advise bringing a rag to clean the external windows of where you are sitting in order to get clearer photos. Mine are enhanced with mud splattered spots on the bus window - my only complaint for a free bus tour :-)

There is a lot to see and I did feel like a "Japanese" tourist.....as I clicked away continuously with the phone camera. Above are shots of the accommodation and the velodrome being built. As we came closer to the velodrome, it looked like Noah's Ark. It was impressive.

At the end of every tour, one must go for coffee. Our tour bus led us to the View Tube. A small inconspicuous cafe that serves real coffee and homemade brownies (some would say "to die for...."). Here you can get a really good view of the Olympic site as it is being built. Definitely worth visiting.....and think we've managed to enthuse Eddie to organise the One-2-Go. We may have found her some reliable volunteers. *fingers crossed*

Race Prep: Rec; Tam; and the Olympic Kids were "cabled" together. Tam as per normal looking glorius, was placed at the end to keep the kids in order. Rec at the front to lead the bunch.

Me - a banana and a glass of water for breakie. Got 2 walking poles ready; knowing that draging 30kg in July exhausted me on a 3K run. Masochistic me, supported by the sadists audience (who voted and encouraged me to drag 5 small car tyres) decided to up the weight to 37kg. Why did I do that? 'Cos I was too lazy to sort out the other 2 Olympic kids and Tam and Rec were ready!

Race Day: This was a "Disney" day and the devil in me came out to play. "Yes step right up folks come and join the TyreGirl Club 'cos we need more gang members. All you need is a desire to take your tyre to different places - up mountains, across the arctic plains, or just simply on a couple of marathons."  Marie think about this - you could take a tyre to your first marathon :o) *Waves to Marie*

I started off with burst of energy - a slow jog! I was cold and taking off for 75m put a bit of heat back in. Throughout this burst of speed (more "!!!!") photographers ran into my peripheral vision and then ducked out.  It was a little surreal, as if I was playing Zombies or some other shooting game!!!

Up to 1km, the tarmac terrain was smooth and reminded me of pulling a pulk over ice. This was great, and then the "strustrugi" pebble dashed pavement came along and suction cupped the tyres. I leaned foward even more, alas my body weight alone would not move the caterpillar train of tyres. If I leaned any further, I'd have to crawl on the ground. Instead I put my shoulders in and rugby scrummed my way forward and in my head a song began to play.....

Up at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain there were crowds of people/families. Some guy asks me "What are you doing", I reply loudly "This is what happens when you're bad, so kids you BETTER be good" and I burst into evil laughter. A nervous girl looks at me and grabs her mother's hand. Unfortunately for the girl, mother decides to walk in my line of direction. The kid is not comfortable so I try to look nice instead!

At 40 mins had completed 2.5km, but this strustrugi pavement combined with bad body alignment meant that by 3km my back would start to niggle and shoulders would begin to burn. I was reduced to a slow shuffle. Thus it made me laugh when a parent called out to me to slow down! A little kid wanted to put some coins in Tam's bucket. Of course I stopped and talked to mother instead. It was a welcomed stop.

Arghh "pebble dash"......another song:

...but really in my head the words were "every gal needs a time away....just for a day....from her ty....yurrrs....".

Between 3-5kms, time flew by as I struggled with the terrain. Thank goodness for passerbys to keep me entertained (see below). I had taken nearly an hour for 2kms and it looked like doing another lap, would mean I would complete outside the 3 hour time limit After Adoption (race organisers) had use of the park. I thus decided to end my race after 5kms (time: 1:37:20).

It's a really nice race, well organised, a great reusable goodie bag to go home with (medal, t-shirt, drink, lots of snack bars). Thank you to everyone who kindly donated and threw coins in my buckets......although credit cards and notes would have been better :-). Raised £42.66 for After Adoption.

Chat Backs:
Thankfully NO-ONE said "you must be tired...har har" - I might have clobbered them with a tyre.  Here are some quibs:

Passerby: Is anyone else doing this?
Me: There is a tyregirl club but today I drew the short straw.

Runner: Can I sit on your tyre and you take me?
Me: Sure and can I throw you off?

Passerby: Why are you doing this?
Me: My husband thought it was a good punishment

Helper: Excuse me, you'd be better be careful...
Me: *I look confused*
Helper: The cops are just round the corner and you'll get pulled over for thin treads!

If you would like to make a donation to After Adoption, you can do that through www.VirginMoneyGiving.com/tyregirl

Rec and I did Cambridge Parkrun. It was a wet, muddy course from the overnight rain, but we completed in good time. Despite the conditions, we have a new PB from Rec, completing the 5K course in 36:57.  Thank you everyone for your support. Raised £8 for Earthwatch.

For the run tomorrow, here is the end result of the choices you have chosen:
1 car tyre +  bike tyres = 5
2 normal car tyres + 1 small tyre+ 2 bike tyres = 8
2 small car tyres + 3 bike tyres = 11
5 small car tyres = 14

The more sadistic set of readers have won this round. I might only complete 5K within the time limit but I will bring 5 tyres to the run. In fact, Rec and Tam have asked to come along to sort out the young ones. I thought "why not". Must have been feeling a little more masochistic. The total weight of the tyres alone is 35 kg. I weigh 57 kg today.

Tomorrow my insides might split open!!  Good thing it is early in the morning and I don't have much of a brain in the morning.

Preparing tyres tonight.

1 car tyre + 4 bike tyres = 4
2 normal car tyres + 1 small tyre + 2 bike tyres = 6
2 small car tyres + 3 bike tyres = 7
5 small car tyres = 12

This count was done at midnight 22nd Oct 2010.
Votes will close on Saturday at 6pm....or when I get home!!!

Hmm - they want me to drag 5 tyres. See here. To support After Adoption, you can donate here

The last time I tried to drag 5 tyres was for the 2 year count down to the Olympics.  It took me about an hour to complete a 3K event and I thought I wanted to die! Somewhere I madly said no problems to 5 tyres and then promptly forgot about it. Wonder how many hours it will take me to complete a 10K event? And how many more times will I think this is a crazy idea? But I will take 5 tyres along with me. Do you think I should take the 5 tyres I took for Hackney event or should I go for a mixture of bicycle tyres and car tyres? Make your vote known in the side bar.

Car tyre = 10kg
Small tyres = 5-7kg
Bicycle tyre = 500g

Although the resistance that each tyre adds is the real challenge!

Note: an error might occur but your vote will have been made! Ignore the 404 error!!! (sometimes I hate these automated tools that don't let you see the HTML!)

The run will be 24th Oct. Click here for event details. Join in or come along for a day out, am sure I will be able to entertain somehow!!! :-)

“Where Ravens Dare” is not for the faint hearted
Steep vertical rises loom up quickly
And can drop just as fast
This is to be expected
For we are in the Black Mountains

It was called a challenge
And a challenge it certainly was

We heard the Ravens caw
Walkers and runners came to the foreground
The Ravens cawed again
“A feast for all” Gwain explains
“Of flapjacks, Cornish pasties, welsh cakes and a hot delicious soup when you’re done”

The Ravens cawed one last time
And we set out towards our first mountainous climb
….Mynydd Machen – a 1040 ft steep ascent

Twmbarlwm followed too soon after with 1783 ft
And when we returned down to the basin Check Point
Them happy volunteers pointed us back up another steep hill (914 ft)
In total we would complete a total of 5557ft ascents for the 25.5 mile route

Rec - He weren't happy at first.
When we went up I wore him!
When we went down he bounded/bounced down.
Rocks and roots clawed out at Rec,
And poor ‘ol bucket got hit on the head several times


Memory flash back: There is one steep section with flattened bracken that reminded me of a black ski run in Salt Lake City called "Black Jack". Black Jack was a steep icy run and most certainly not for the nervous. On that day I had a big yard sale....skis, poles, clothes lay strewn along the slope. On this day, unlike the lady before me, I shimmied and glided to the bottom, with Rec supporting my forward motion all the way. I loved it.

There were some descents where my legs moved so fast, I was amazed as I seemed to fly down. Didn't know they could move so fast!

Though I know we were lucky today,
For South Wales known for wet weather,
Was bathed in glorious sun shine,
But I started with a grumpy frown
(early mornings!!)

However with beauteous scenery around,
Autumn hints could be found.
My being soaked in the natural surrounds,
And legs, dancing towards the end, hardly hit the ground

Completed in 9:31
Thank you to everyone who donated to Earthwatch (Raised £25)

Good organisation with really lovely volunteers. Was so full by the end of this event, I think I gained weight!

I was looking at the map for Saturday's event. Have a look here: http://www.southwalesldwa.org/ravens/wrd25.html

Will be going up and down like a "yo-yo". Oh dear I feel Rec is gong to be dragging his treads up every single hill.....

Time to eat loads!....carbo loading module activated.

Today is the magic 10.10.10. How I wish I could feel that magic.....

The Day Before:
9.10.10 - Had a very hard hockey game running around like a mad dog on the pitch. In the first 7-10 mins there were only 6 of us on pitch, as our team-mates had got lost on route to the pitch. The opposition were getting impatient as time was ticking on. And so we played and managed to hold the opposition back. Our team mates eventually arrived, and soon we were 9 against 11. However with trying to  do damage limitation in the first 10 minutes the starting members were knackered as a rag doll. I was totally exhausted by the end of the match.

Sometimes my head does not like to sleep and the night was no exception. My sleep patterns bounced around sometimes in a light sleep, most of the time conscious of my surroundings. All I could do was try to relax and keep my eyes closed.

10.10.10: Run Free Day
Finally the alarm went and my weary head said stay in bed. Uncle Wayne was up and about, and we were to meet Tyregirl2, so I dragged myself up and out. Strangely Tyregirl2 was also in a lack lustre mode and later found out she had a late night out with a friend and wine!

Just glad I really didn't have to think: no route descriptions to follow and no tyre. I just had to move my legs and complete 10K. Easy, I've trained for this countless times as having completed 6 marathons this year and sometimes on very little sleep. The race started at 09:15 and I thought about making an attempt to complete by 10:10......but that is just too much thinking. Instead I just let me legs do "whatever" and had to distract myself from thoughts of sleep. Tyregirl2 stuck with me throughout the whole race, although I had expected her to overtake me.....she did not. Must have been the wine!

All in all a nice run around Kingston and partly on the river; very well organised and lots of marshals. Didn't finish at 10:00 nor did I finish at 10:10. Instead I finished right in between those 2 times at 10:05! Total time taken=50:36

Happy 10.10.10 everyone