September

[Sweder]

Crikey, we're ten days into a new month and I'm just about to post in 'August'. Fitting, I suppose, as my running life has taken a back seat since we turned away from summer towards autumn.

I don't know about you, but I welcome this change of season. The cooler mornings, the damp, soft turf, all conducive to an increase in training. Or, in my case, another re-start. The treadmill sessions in Hong Kong did little to stem the flow of late-night, beer-fuelled socialising. Now the hard work must start. I've set some targets for myself, some I'll be making public, others to be revealed along the way. Right now it's about building base fitness and weight loss.

Landing at Heathrow in the wee small hours of Sunday, I rushed home to a series of warm welcomes. None warmer than that presented by my dogs who, it's fair to say, have missed my running as much as I have. Without further ado we hit the hills. A short while later we returned, breathless, sweaty and, for my part at least, knackered. After a quick shower and an extensive Full English courtesy of my son Jake, I took off for the sun-baked wilds of Beckenham to cheer on the Fabulous Rookettes. You can see how that unfolded here.

This morning, under grey skies heavy with the promise of rain, I set off on a slightly longer quest. It took the best part of an hour to chug up to Blackcap and back, yet I truly enjoyed the journey. And this will be a journey, a journey back to fitness, towards Almeria, Brighton and beyond.

Well, yes ... and here we are again.