Well having thought about it, and blogged about it, I've finally done it! A new PB by a long, long way. I hit the magical 10 million meters - AND did it as I'd hoped before the end of January. The time was not that impressive though - about three and a half years! Though I must admit I did take a few comfort breaks along the way. My motivation to another 10 mill is somewhat in need of a kick up the a*$e - but no doubt I will get that from all you Free Spirits out there.
I have been told that those kind people at C2 will also send me a pair of socks as a reward! Whoopee dooo! over three years for a new pair of socks - mustn't appear either ungrateful OR too eager though - although 10 million metres does make the old pair a bit whiffy!
Must push off now and gear up for February 1st so I can have a drink without feeling guilty.

After a slow struggle home in the aftermath of the gales with all the traffic on my route due to two of the Mersey crossings being closed (Wallasey tunnel and Runcorn bridge) I found that a number of ridge tiles and roof tiles were resting quietly in the garden having been torn off the roof by the high winds. At least we had no trees blown over onto the house. I've now got the problem of finding a suitable builder to make good the damage. At least we are so much better off than many others who have had cars crushed, houses seriously damaged and even worse.
After all that I pulled a solid hour and beat the frustration at an average of 1:57.3 to clock up another 15,342 metres. Followed up by a shower and tuna spaghetti and no sky tv to watch because the dish has been hit by a roof tile! It would be difficult to beat such a wonderful day!
Friday morning and the wind has died down. Half an hour on the rower felt like hard work, it was going to be 10k but I stopped early for what I thought was a well deserved breakfast.

Trying to row my morning session this morning proved a little uncomfortable! Wind was the problem - not that caused by an excess intake of lentil and broccoli bake but the force ten gale battering the house. The noise was so loud that my iPod couldn't deaden the banshee like howling. Anyway I managed a half hour session before retiring, deafened, to a big bowl of porridge and honey. As if that wasn't enough, my drive to work was interrupted by floods, fallen trees and other poor drivers struggling to cope with the conditions.
The day has got worse and my dreive home looks as if it may be a long and slow one! Maybe I'll have to unwind with a slow, steady hour before dinner - which tonight is ham and peas cooked all day in the slow cooker - fantastic - but maybe this could provoke another bout of wind! Only tomorrow will tell.

At my current rate I have only got 11 days left before I hit 10 million meters. So what? It will make me feel better AND I guess it will mean that I've burned 640,000 calories whilst rowing (based on 640 every 10k rowed!) which means I will have burned off 256lbs of fat (based on 2,500 calories = 1lb of fat) Jeez I must have been HUGE when I started rowing :- OR would I be HUGE now if I hadn't rowed that distance? Who knows, or cares - I feel better for it and that's all that matters. Trouble is it's taken me 650 hours or an average 28 sessions per month - what else could I have done with that time? All these questions and, as yet, no answers!

Having had a pretty good day at work on Friday, I "fell off" the wagon big style by opening a couple of bottles of red wine and (with help from Carole - my wife) nearly finished them both! We both felt some pangs of guilt which set my resolve to keep the rest of January alcohol free. We both admitted to having felt better whilst not drinking although it is nice to have a glass or two (or three or four!) at the weekend. Felt slightly groggy as a consequence on Saturday morning which was not helped by having to sort out some electrical work for my in-laws.
Rowed a HM in the afternoon as a "pennance" and eased my guilt somewhat!
Weather better on Sunday so took the dogs for a long walk in Snowdonian hills which made the heart sing to see sunshine and the hills again after such a long spell of wet and windy weather. Felt much better and rowed 3 x 5k watching Stade vs Ospreys (19:19 draw so Stade stay top of the table - boo, hiss!) before dinner.
Monday morning early 30mins before breakfast. Now only 145k before I hit that 10 million. I'll have to post a PB on the forum as I've never done 10mill before!

Having admitted to being tired after rowing more than usual I decided to run 10k yesterday lunchtime. Gyms are always full in January but I was lucky enough to find a treadmill and put on my iPod with the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Blood Sugar Sex Magik (which always helps me to forget everything around me) and just ran for an hour! (Not very quick but that pace suits me and if I run faster I can't maintain the distance). Sweating buckets and looking very unglamerous I showered and made my way back to work feeling very pleased with myself. The afternoon passed quickly after that.
A good friend rang me last night asking if I would climb Mount Kinabalu with him. All I know is that it's the highest mounttain in Malaysia. I must find out more about it before I agree!
We watched Fiona Bruce on TV last night looking at diet and I was astonished to see a group of people eating 5 kilos of raw fruit and veg per day for 12 days whilst living in a zoo next to some apes. They all improved thier blood pressure, cholesterol levels and weight - maybe there is a lesson for us all!
This morning I rowed my (now usual) 10k at a steady pace (1:59.1/500m) before breakfast and another day rolls onwards.

Another hour yesterday early evening and 10k this morning and I'm starting to feel as if I've overdone it! Free Spirits has got the better of me and I'm rowing more than I used to - why I ask myself - and get no answer! Weight not changed, my shoulders ache but in a perverse way I feel pretty good about it! How strange is that? It must be that 10 million mark looming.
Enough for now AS I'm in work and have plenty to do catching up after a day at home yesterday. Maybe a few more words after I've been to the gym at lunchtime.

I should have added a very big thanks to Thomas for all the help in setting up this blog. For those who I bore just have a go at him! It's all his fault!

Working from home today so no early morning rush to beat the traffic! Managed to walk the dogs then do an hour before breakfast clolcking up just under 15,500 metres - got to beat those Canadians somehow! I plan another session this evening before we eat so may get 10k in the bag as well.
I was considering going back to the Concept interactive weight loss plan to put together a programme of rowing designed to lose weight. I tried it last year and rowed lots - different sessions, heart rate based with differing stroke rates and didn't notice much in the way of losing weight! BUT it did provide an incentive with a planned session rather than my current rowing which amounts to get on C2 set 10k or 1 hour etc and row to the end! Although I try to liven it up by pulling a fast 500 every 2k or something similar - I do usually set myself an average pace to keep to - albeit not a fast one!
Well, back to "work" for the afternoon before I go and get my two girls from school - th eeldest is learnin g tgo drive so I will let her drive us back home afterwards - just hope we get back in one piece! Only kidding Holly when you see this - you are a good driver - Honest!

Well here I am going public for all to see! Now I'll be committed to keeping up the metres or face public humiliation!
I am a 50 year old George Clooney lookalike (or so my wife tells me!) with 2 daughters having met and overcome my mid-life crisis by climbing Kilimanjaro with few difficulties and now settling into a slow decline into middle age!
Excercise has been a part of my life for five or six years and I bought my own model C about 4 years ago and I hope to reach 10 million meters by the end of this month (currently 9,750,000).
I was recently "recruited" to FS by BgWaveDave around Christmas time - thanks mate!
I also run - but not very fast - on a regular basis and am always astounded that I can row 10k way faster than I can run 10k. Can anyone do it the other way round? Or has anyone been daft enough to think about it?
One of lifes little mysteries to me is why does my weight not drop below 85kg (I'm 6'2") when I excercise most days - and before I'm asked - no, I dont eat all the pies!
For my sins I run an animal feedstuffs trading company based in Liverpool and live in North Wales, enjoy the outdoors, hillwalking and sailing - and red wine - although I too am drying out in January; successfully to date.
I hope to muse or ruminate on my training and other trivia as time goes by and welcome comments, thoughts or otherinterjections to an otherwise pointless ramble through my posts.