C25K W4D2 – Living the golden triangular dream

Retirement is by far the best job I’ve ever had. The hours are formidable but the duties are varied and not too onerous. The pay could be better but I make do. I’m living the dream.

Men on YouTube with manicured grey beards gaze out at me with gimlet eyes and prattle on about time, health and money being life’s golden triangle. The vital ingredients for opportunity, even happiness. I don’t much like these glib formulas, especially when I didn’t think of them first, but there might just be something in this one. At a rough average, the 10 or 15 years after retirement seem to be the time to get stuff done. For my wife that means travelling to inconveniently distant places. For me it means the final chance to run a 10K in under an hour, a half marathon in under two, a marathon in under four and a half. What would be modest achievements for most normal recreational runners remained beyond my grasp in my earlier plodding career.

They’ve always felt like unfinished business though the idea of running another marathon now seems weird and inaccessible. It’s true that people in their 70s and 80s regularly complete the distance. Last year’s London Marathon saw around 500 participants aged over 70 compared with only 360 or so 18-19 year olds. But even if I discovered I was durable enough to have another crack at one, would I really want to go through that ritualistic palaver again? From where I am now, the feeling is no, not really. A half marathon may not be totally out of the question but now’s not the time to think about it. The 10K, however, is eminently achievable. There’s a local one along the seafront in June, and failing that, the Brighton 10K in November.

Speculating about future races is never wise. I should have learnt my lesson from previous very public failures, when I’d announce my entry for some race or other only to see my plans crumble under the weight of injury or caprice. So any chat about distances longer than 10K remains forbidden for the foreseeable.

One reason for optimism is that I now have the time available to get and stay fit, and to plan properly. In busier times I’d daydream about how pleasant it would be to have nothing much to do beyond writing, going to the gym, playing a bit of sport, watching a lot of football and pottering about the kitchen, cooking wholesome food. It seems I’ve finally arrived at that utopian resort but have no idea how long my reservation will last. Gyms are no longer of much interest. With a Concept 2 rowing machine and ski-erg at home, and a few free weights to admire, I can get my punishment right here. For simpler aerobic activities, there’s running and walking round the neighbourhood, as well as some glorious hiking opportunities along the coast and into the guts of Sussex. I’ll be playing lawn bowls again this summer. Not much of an aerobic activity but good for balance, hand-eye coordination, and hearty companionship.

The other reason for my buoyant mood is the continued good weather. Today was sunny and 11 or 12C — a perfect day to make further progress in the C25K plan. So just before noon I headed out to Holywell, where the seafront meets the start of the Beachy Head Cliffs. I parked and made my way down to the Promenade, and set off eastwards. For the first time this year, the sun was strong enough to provide true warmth. Gone are the leggings and woolly hat and triple-wrapping described with such resentment just a week or two back. Now it’s just a skimpy technical teeshirt and shorts. Only 16 minutes of actual running to report (2×4 + 2×3, each separated by two minutes of purposeful walking) but the total is a further 2 minutes to chalk up.

I got back to the car sweaty and flushed from exercise for the first time in, I don’t know. A long time. It felt bloomin’ marvellous.