Oktober

[El Gordo]

Round one to the fry-up; round two as well, as by the time my guilt came to out-weigh the amalgamation of assorted pig-flesh, beans soaked in sugar and salt and two fried chicken embryos nestled in my generous pouch I could only manage a stately eight Ks. The rain abated, leaving a fine moist veil hanging over the hills. I donned a rainjacket but there was more precipitation inside than out, at least until half-way when the heavy clouds returned to rain on my homeward parade.

Still, four runs in four days can't be bad. No sign of complaint from the errant knee and, wobbly bits aside, everything seems to be working as it should. There's no pressure with only the B10K booked for this year and Almeria Half at the end of January so I reckon I'll up the long run mileage nice 'n' easy to reduce the risk of injury.

Sorry to see Chelsea perform so woefully this afternoon
Liverpool deserved their win, playing solid, 'grown-up' football as Scolari's men huffed and puffed to no avail. The adage about Lampard and Gerrard not being able to play on the same pitch applied here, the former being relatively anonymous whilst Gerrard strode around Stamford Bridge like he owned the place. Good enough to win the title? Of course they are, so long as they can play every match from now until May as a Champions League final. Chelsea? Lots of work to do. Anelka's a passenger in these big games; their best player by far was John Obi Mikel, a holding midfielder. Says it all really.

I stand by my pre-season assertion that the Rowdies will win nowt this time.
He still looks decidedly off-colour. Can't ever say that about Lord Ferg can you?

There's something about a crestfallen John Terry that warms the cockles of my heart, and today he didn't disappoint. Agree about Gerrard; what a good game he had, along with Carragher. Right up until the last kick of the game I was convinced Chelsea would ruin the day for all of us, and I can only thank and congratulate them for doing what they find so difficult -- losing. Cheers lads, it's appreciated. I still find it hard to see Liverpool winning the title, though there are plenty of relative neutrals who would be happy for it to happen.

As for running, I applaud you for being able to get out there after your animal massacre of a breakfast. I munched a solitary banana at 8 a.m., and went for a 5 mile plod in the drizzle a couple of hours later.