Hello, all

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

If it's any consolation marathondan, I didn't start running at all until my kids were mostly grown up and independent enough not to rely on their old man for entertainment/ taxi-driving etc.

Yeah, it can be tough with young 'uns around. So don't be too hard on yourself. Pick on Andy instead - it's all his fault after all

[El Gordo]

Blank, diddly squat, insignificancy, naught, nil, nothing, nought, nullity, squat, zero, zilch, zip, zippo, zot. Such was the total of my miles this week. Even Robbie Burns would have been shocked at how agley my plans have ganged.

Does it matter? Mmm, not much, if the truth be told. It happens to us all.

It's good to have a break from time to time. Don't beat yourself up about it. Life's too short. Just aim to get out sometime this week instead.

[marathondan]

Sorry, this diary is already turning into a constant whinge at being too busy to run. Will try and relax. For the record though - nothing to report last night.

[marathondan]

I just got an email notification of a 6 month old thread on the Runner's World forum. I did this event last summer, when I ran into a photographer standing on the start line, and the course turned out to be 13K long. Seems the course organiser has read the comments (which he generously called constructive) and has taken them on board for this year. Serves as a nice reminder that it's worth giving feedback rather than just whinging, when events are problematic.

Incidentally, it's a pleasant summer 10K with a village fete-y feel, if any Home Countyites are interested. I'll probably give it another go this year (if I have time!!!)

[Bierzo Baggie]

How was the 5-a-side this week?
I've just been roped into an 11-a-side match for tomorrow in some village somewhere.

[marathondan]

Hi BB, as it turned out it was an easy win for the "A" team; I made my usual round of misplaced passes and defensive giveaways, but nabbed a couple of goals so got away with it I think. Not too taxing overall, so everything was aching for only one day not two.

This afternoon I'm out for an hour or so's run with Rugby Playing Vicar, my first proper run for 12 days. Then maybe I'll try and get one in on Sunday too.

11-a-side - bit more of a stamina game, maybe your endurance will pay off? Enjoy!

[marathondan]

Friday afternoon saw my first run for 12 days, as Rugby Playing Vicar took me out for around 6 miles of the local fields and bridleways. Being a habitual nocturnal suburban plodder, this was something of a departure for me – although very welcome. We left the road as soon as possible, out through Pinkneys Green village, across the green (a local favourite for kite-fliers and kiteboarders) into a headwind, then into open countryside. My shiny white Asics knew that they had been out for a run – I’m sure most of the time I was carrying an extra pound or two in mud and clay. Nothing unusual for you regular trail runners, but a bit different for this townie. Through a network of farmyards, tracks and fields, we wound our way out to Cookham, and then back into Maidenhead via the Green Way path.

RPV (actually he hasn’t RP’d for a good few years) gives away about 10 years and 3 stone to me, so the pace was relatively comfortable, but I guess we covered about 6 miles in just over the hour. We retired to the vicarage, where I was looking forward to some tea and biscuits. Instead, I got a disturbingly keen "Shall we do some sit-ups?" and before I knew it, the exercise mat and ab machine were out on the living room carpet. My wife had one of these beasts until couple of years ago – it was one of the few things we managed to sell on eBay when we moved house. They’re actually bloody good if you’re in the business of doing crunches. Without one, you can inadvertently work all kinds of back, neck, arm and leg muscles. But in the torture harness, the work is directed straight to the abs. Completely out of practice, and not wishing to strain anything, I managed about 10.

So all in all it was good – I was a little stiff over the weekend, a reminder that I must build up again slowly. And although I only managed one outing for the week, in the current climate that’s not to be sniffed at. Meanwhile, I’m back on the DIY treadmill – half the weekend was spent stripping my son’s bedroom for painting. So any spare hours in the near future will be directed towards that. And so the story will repeat for the next 20 years.

In other news, I’ve pencilled in the Goring 10K in four weeks’ time – a handy, medium-sized, out-of-season event which is easy to get to.

Finally, the ankle seems to be pretty well OK now – it still makes itself known during football if I try a full-on, head-down power-drive, but fortunately that’s not a common occurrence for me. But during and after running, it aches little more than any other part of my lower body.

Week 3 summary:
Planned: 12.5 + football
Actual: 6 + football

[El Gordo]

It's all about momentum, Dan. Easy to get out of the running habit once you miss a few, but it works the other way too. If you can follow up tis run with another couple through the week, you can just as easily slip back into the routine.

I've already entered the Goring 10K. It's a good event, beginning in the quaint high street, then heading off out into the Oxfordshire countryside before looping back into the village. There's one hill if I remember correctly - not particularly steep, but it does go on a bit. The final km is mainly downhill and fast.

Perhaps see you there.

[marathondan]

It's all about momentum, Dan. Easy to get out of the running habit once you miss a few, but it works the other way too.

A nice way to think about it - the old thing about making/breaking habits I suppose. Let's see if I can put it into practice...

Well done for Almeria btw - look forward to more details.

As, for Goring...

The course, which is run over 10k of predominantly country roads, is a testing route that has a number of long climbs and descents. It starts in the centre of the village ... heads up the High Street and around the north eastern outskirts of the village ... follows quiet lanes, undulating through the Oxfordshire countryside, before passing through the picturesque village of South Stoke close to the River Thames. It then picks up the Ridgeway footpath that leads back into Goring and the finish...

Slightly more demanding than you made it sound!

A couple of diary dates to sort out this week then hopefully should be in a position to enter... hope to see you there.

[marathondan]

PS - I just gave blood. They really don't tell you all about the risks. The last stage is the most dangerous. It's amazing such things are allowed.

I split a cup of hot tea all over my lap.

[Bierzo Baggie]

How many goals did you notch this week Dan-Man?
Our match on Saturday was snowed off, or rather nobody could be arsed to clear the thin layer of snow off the pitch...

[marathondan]

Surely I must have mentioned that I scored 2 goals? Maybe you are out of step, I play on a Tuesday night. The ankle still complains when I shoot with my instep, so two side foot efforts.

Shame about the snow - then again I can imagine clearing a whole football pitch would be quite a bit of work. I still can't get over my simplified view of Spanish weather... my brother has just moved to Valencia - he's going for walks along the beach every day.

So anyway, did you run instead?

[Bierzo Baggie]

Oops, thought you'd had another game since then.
We ended up playing 5-a-side in a local sports hall on Saturday. It's called "futbol sala" over here and it's pretty popular (there are more 5-a-side leagues than 11-a-side!) I suspect that it's slightly different to what you're playing. We're not allowed to play off the walls and the ball's smaller and doesn't bounce very much, throw-ins for corners and hockey goals. I didn't like it at first but it's probably a bit safer than the 11-a-side game....

Sounds like a nice route you did on Friday!

[Nigel]

Hi there, Dan. Sorry to hear about the ankle. Riazor Blue, he of La Coruna, probably one of the rainiest places in Europe (and also in Spain) swears by making use of that extra pair of laceholes on your trainers. It's worked for Antonio in the past, and also for me, although you might have to knot the laces since there's often not much left. Well worth a try.

I hope that the Goring 10 km is flatter than the golf course. I've played at Goring & Streatley a few times, and the first four holes demand serious oxygen. You climb about 200 m. Mind you, the 17th and 18th are just fantastic, downhill all the way with great views and perfect for 300 yard drives on fast summer Chalk fairways. Excellent grounds for celebration in the bar, however the rest of the round went.

[marathondan]

The month was rounded off with another easy win for the "A" team at football, and a single goal for me (out of 17...). I'd almost certainly be unable to run the day after football if I'd tried - I just don't do the kind of flexibility training that's needed for the sport.

Monthly summary:
Target: 34.5 miles + 4 football
Actual: 13 miles + 4 football

A couple of obvious conclusions:

1. It's clear where my priorities lie.
2. That schedule was rather optimistic. (And let's face it, 34.5 miles is not a big target.)

Plan of action:

Sod it, this is supposed to be fun. Training much more than my current level is nigh on impossible at the moment. (Doing this overtime has stolen 8 hours a week - 8 hours I didn't even know I had. Mind you, there should be only two weeks left of it.)

I'm not going to get a PB at Reading. Fact. Ain't gonna happen. My previous (and only) HM was run midway through a marathon programme. Ditto Goring (almost certainly). So I just need to go out and enjoy them as best I can, given my relatively poor level of conditioning.

Meanwhile, I need to enjoy the runs I do manage, instead of despairing that they aren't enough. I'll try and stretch out to about 8 miles this weekend, and hopefully take time to enjoy the view.