Manuary 2014

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

First run of the year - nothing much to write about, except to say it was a reasonable, pleasingly solid 45 minutes of honest running. Nothing exceptional, but given the unexpectedly torrid Christmas/New Year's festivities one that I am happy with.

To be honest, it was probably my mate Steve who got me into the running gear this morning. After a big catch up last night with friends who love a drink or three, this morning's foggy head and warm, humid running conditions were not a great combination. However, I only learned last night via sms from Steve that his New Year had been spent in surgery having half his bowel removed, and now he faces six weeks of recuperation before beginning chemotherapy. The shock made doubly so because Steve is only a few weeks older than myself, and is a super-fit cyclist.

In those circumstances I find it impossible to know what to say, except that I promised him I would never take good health for granted, and so it was an easy decision this morning to ignore the otherwise dissuasive conditions and to just get on with it.

7.2km 45mins

Track du jour: This one might sound a bit morbid, but it's not intended that way. It's actually a good long slow running song. From the mighty D. Gilmour...

[Sweder]

A timely reminder of our own mortality. Hope Steve makes a full and swift recovery.

[Antonio247]

It's a pity when someone is diagnosed with cancer but if they are people who have a healthy life doing sport it is even sadder. Hope he will get better soon.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I hate to say this, but I think my Canberra Marathon campaign may already be over.

It's good and bad news - the good news being that it's absolutely nothing to do with injury. Rather - and this is the bad news - pressures of work are mounting again (a substantial fight is brewing) and I'm struggling to cope with the pressures of career versus the pressures of staying on a marathon training campaign.

Of course in such a situation I have to consider my long term future as  a priority, and not having the added pressures of marathon training seems to me a blessed relief at this juncture. I'm not saying it's definitely the case ... well ... OK, yes I am, let's be sensible about this.

I'll still run, of course. It's actually a fantastic way to cope with the pressures of work, but that's the key - to run without the pressures of a training schedule makes it pleasurable and therapeutic, whereas running with the thought that I have x kilometres to run, and I have to maintain such-and-such a pace and ensure I do hills, intervals and keep up the core strength exercises etc. etc. is something that at the moment I am frankly better off without.

It's a great shame, but at the moment I am fighting a zombie management intent on devouring as many brains as they can, and I need all my strength just to fight them off with pool cues and cricket bats. If Canberra could keep postponing the race in synchronisation with my training defaults it would be OK, but that of course is never going to happen.

Damn, damn, damn and blast it, but there you go. Life is not always fair like that.

Here's a short video my workplace at present...

[Sweder]

Bugger. A sensible decision, no less painful for that. I still think your best running times are in front of you, generally and literally. Running for the hell of it is about as good as it gets in my book; enjoy.

Pressures in my job will also impact training. It's all good, an indication that perhaps the economy is finally crawling from the wreckage. But more work means recruitment and, basically, more work.

[marathondan]

Aargh, the curse of Real Life strikes again. I sympathise. Looks like our super start to 2014 is falling apart at the seams. So we regroup, and will come back stronger. Meanwhile, I hope you can use the recreational running as therapy.

[suzieq]

You're probably making a wise decision MLCMM. We all know how focused you have to be during marathon training, and sounds like what's happening at work needs to be your focus right now. It doesn't sound like a very good situation for you right now; sure hope things turn around. You don't need that anquish. Get out and enjoy your runs as a stress reliever, there will be other marathons.

[Antonio247]

It's a pity you can't concentrate on training for Camberra marathon.I hope everything will be all right. Training without pressure will do you good to think about the strategy to follow and it will probably help to take worries away.

Best of luck, MLCMM!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thanks for the positive feedback, everyone! I do feel greatly relieved to not have to think about marathon training schedules, and it in no way precludes future events. As Suzie says, there will always be other marathons.

More soon...

[Bierzo Baggie]

Why not run the marathon half an hour/an hour slower than your expected time? Although that's harder than it sounds and takes a lot of discipline, especially at the start....

Chat to a few people on the way, look at it as a day out (and a part of your running) time ain't everything eh?

If you've done it before the psychological beast has already been slain ... you could treat it as a long sesh' on the treadie!

Or am I being disrespectful? (to the marathon....)

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well, BB, I'll think about it! Let's see how the next few weeks go first. You're right; time isn't everything, but it's still a helluva commitment!

[Seafront Plodder]

....unless you're Mr EG that is.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

....unless you're Mr EG that is.

Somehow I don't think EG is recommending that anyone follow his example.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Here's a really thought-provoking documentary:

http://www.cerealkillersmovie.com/

It heavily features the mighty Tim Noakes, who has some incredibly fascinating things to say about carbohydrates, and even features one scene where he tears out the nutrition section from his own near-legendary book "Lore of Running".

It is of course more evidence for the current anti-sugar movement, but what happens to the star of the film after 30 days of eating a high-fat, no sugar, no bread diet will still surprise you.

[Sweder]

Sadly this only links to an ad for the pay site, but you get the gist from the preview. There is a veritable jihad against sugar in food here. Turns out sugar lies in just about every processed food and quite a few natural products. Even the yoghurts I previously thought of as healthy contain up to four tablespoons of White Death.

I've taken to adding honey where needed, such as in Chai tea (as you will recall from my fussy ways at Chez MLCMMan). I know the low carb diet works - no bread, no beer - but it's damned tough to hang on in these beastly grey winter months.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Yes, you do have to actually *pay* for this movie as it's pre-release (or being released about now). Doubtless it will appear on YouTube or somewhere similar soon.

So it seems the "bread of life" is in fact quite the opposite. Luckily, I love bacon and can even eat it without bread.

Look away, I'm drooling.