What the Feb?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

My slow, stuttering return to the running fold is ... well, slow and stuttering. However, slow and stuttery as it is, I am beginning to get excited about it once again, and whilst I am a long way behind the eight-ball, I can see a porpoise to it all, or perhaps that was a dolphin, or maybe even just a typo.

Whatever, like the little red light in the Terminator's eye that returns on emergency power just as you thought it was all squishy and dead and therefore safe to go about your business once again, there it is. Perhaps not as scary as the truly appalling computer graphics they used way back then, but enough to frighten young children and little old ladies, both of which I managed to achieve this morning on my few laps of the block that laughingly and only barely passed muster as a legitimate 'run'. And the rash that comes and goes from both elbows together with the annoying pain from both knee caps seems to indicate that the body is no longer in total shock mode, but might even be beginning to slowly and painfully adapt once more to the running lifestyle.

The running lifestyle. Now there's something worth pursuing. I really am missing it dreadfully. I am running again, it is true, but I have fallen so far back in the fitness regimen that it is going to take some time to regain that wonderful confidence and feeling of well-being that you get when fully fit and half-marathon ready as a matter of course.

I can however finally say I am looking forward to my next run, which can only be better than today's. And that's not a bad feeling.

I'll be back.

[marathondan]

Hurrah!

[Sweder]

Good man.
Half marathon ready. I absolutely know what you mean. A year or two back I was pretty much always half marathon ready; that is, able to take on that distance at the drop of a hat. The last time I did was with CharlieCat, on the Sunday after I smashed my knee at the Dripping Pan. It could be close to a year on from that day when I cover that distance again, but cover it I will, and so will you.

There's no fate but what we make.

[Charliecat5]

Good man.
Half marathon ready. I absolutely know what you mean. A year or two back I was pretty much always half marathon ready; that is, able to take on that distance at the drop of a hat. The last time I did was with CharlieCat, on the Sunday after I smashed my knee at the Dripping Pan. It could be close to a year on from that day when I cover that distance again, but cover it I will, and so will you.

There's no fate but what we make.

Just remember it's your combined inspiration that has got me to being 'half marathon ready'.  I like the feeling that I could go out right now and run 14 miles... that said, I'm not going to!  

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

OK so I'm a long way from being half marathon ready. In fact, I'm not really ready for any effing thing ... but I do have a race goal once again, although I'm still not sure if I'll have the date free from w*rk in order to participate. It's the local 10km Lindfield Fun Run which I've run twice before (maybe three times?) and whilst only 10km it's a brute with two awful, awful hill climbs in it which you complete twice. It seems weird moaning about hills in a little 10km fun run when I've completed four of the P2P monsters now, but really you don't expect brutish, nasty hills in a little fun run, so somehow they always seem perversely horrendous.

Anyway, w*rk permitting, that's my next running goal, about five weeks away.

Consequently I was out on the roads again this morning at 4 a.m. ... I still have to pause for reflection each time I write those words, but if I'm perfectly honest, in recent years it has become my favourite time of day to run, especially at this time of year (summer down here of course) when it's relatively cool. I also like the streets to be free of traffic and other pedestrians. Cool, dark and quiet is just the way I like it, so the burden of getting up in the middle of the night to go for a plod is not so great. It's also the only way I can get to run and still be at work on time at 6 a.m.

Despite my declarations of intent, my return to running fitness has been like a recalcitrant lawnmower, with many rips of the cord but only a few stuttering false starts to show for it. There's the occasional bursting into life, only for the motor to splutter and die before getting seriously going.

I'm hanging in there though. With a change of spark plug and some general cleansing things should start to look spic and span again soon.

Oh, and the other news is that my running diaries (covering the decade 2004 to 2013 and rather hopefully entitled Volume 1) have finally been completed and are in the hands of the publisher. It should be available through Amazon in a few weeks (maybe a few months, depending on how long it takes to correct the proofs). I sincerely hope this will be just the first of a string of RC publications. Apart from the obvious candidate (stand up EG!) there are several others in this neck of the running woods who should commit their musings from over the years into a hard copy format.

Exciting, eh?

[marathondan]

That is indeed astoundingly, fabulously, wondrously exciting MLCMM! Can't wait to see your words in print. I should imagine you're somewhat keen to get the publication in your hands, too. When it hits the (virtual) shelves, you'll have to... write a long post to tell us all about it. Will it be print on demand?

On the running front, that 10K sounds good - just a fun run on paper, but with a sting in the tail. That is, if you can get time to run it. I'm still in awe of your 4am starts (which must mean your alarm goes off starting with a 3... brutal) - I'm slowly drifting back towards the 5am mark at the moment, but I don't think I could go as early as you.

Hang in there and let the habit return. Maybe you need some inspiring reading - anyone know of any good running books coming out soon?

[Sweder]

Oh, and the other news is that my running diaries (covering the decade 2004 to 2013 and rather hopefully entitled Volume 1) have finally been completed and are in the hands of the publisher.

Exciting, eh?

Rather! You old sly dog ...

I started down this road last year. A publisher/ editor friend of mine got all bent out of shape about my running diaries. We had a meeting and he told me he wanted to weave some of my race reports into a book. No problem getting it published, he'd gladly manage the editing and help with selections/ omissions etc. I got rather energised.

Then he told me about pacing, rise and fall, the hook, the pacing ... and I started to drift away. He wanted, I realised, a book, an actual story. He had some great ideas, where to pick things up, back story etc. He had it all figured out ...

But it was so much WORK. I have so many things on my plate right now. All I wanted was someone to tidy up my nonsense and lace it together for posterity. The project lies dormant. Not dead, but work commitments would have to change significantly for me to return to it any time soon. 

I can't wait to read this, Graham. Keep us posted!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Dan, yes it's print on demand, which is great because we're not sweating on selling x copies to cover costs. The publisher is a new one that just wants titles under his belt to get established and doesn't need to make any money from it. This will be his fourth publication - that he also happens to be my brother helps enormously!

And Sweder, yes it certainly takes a fair amount of work just to tidy it up, remove the obvious errors and in taking the references out that only RCers will know or understand. But it's done, it's quickly being pushed into shape and we're already working on the cover design. The final proof reading will take some time however. At 195,000 words, this could be about a 500 page book!

[Sweder]

At 195,000 words, this could be about a 500 page book!

Blimey, it's longer than my original Two Oceans report! 

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

At 195,000 words, this could be about a 500 page book!

Blimey, it's longer than my original Two Oceans report! 

Well let's not get carried away!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A slightly later work start time meant this morning I was able to sleep in and not hit the roads until 5 a.m. I must say, that one hour makes quite a difference. Early commuters, cleaners, businesses opening up, delivery vans and trucks - it's a mini peak hour! I much prefer the earlier 4 a.m. start time (although I can't believe I actually said that) when I can run the streets and have the place pretty much to myself.

Never mind that, it's another run in the books - just a 5km plod but I'm feeling fitter and stronger, slightly less flabby, and a lot more confident about being able to call myself a runner again.

Happy with that.  

[marathondan]

Never mind that, it's another run in the books 

That phrase takes on a new meaning now

Nice work sir, as ever.

[suzieq]

I am waiting with bated breath! And you're right - there are a few in the RC world that should be publishing their running blogs. Let us know when it's available. And I love your card of why you run - that's me!