I’ve abandoned the idea of embracing the principles of RW’s 5 Weeks To The Shape Of Your Life: Leaner, Stronger, Faster, because I read it again and it’s too silly. But I still have my, er, guinea pig hat on, so I’ll look out for something similar. I’m pretty upbeat at the moment. Today’s a rest day, but I’ve run for the last 6 days, an average of just over 3½ miles a time. Not long, but designed to chip away at my fantastic levels of unfitness. The blip was Sunday, when we popped next door for our neighbour’s bank holiday barbecue. It was a traditional English summer al fresco happening. We stood around in overcoats, gloves, scarves and … …
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She may sound like an Irish property company, but Kelly Holmes is actually our latest star of the Olympics. How good to see someone who’s struggled for so long, finally get the prize she’s been reaching for. Received the latest edition of Runners World this morning. I describe it as the latest edition, but quite honestly, I’m never sure. They should make the date more prominent on the cover, because I swear this is the main difference from one month to the next. I enjoy reading it, but it’s terribly formulaic. I long for some good, reflective writing on running, more emphasis on the slower end of the field, and more wackiness. Among the articles that seems to be repeated … …
A brief, and even more rapid, run this morning before breakfast. The big sporting news of the day, second only to QPR’s magnificent victory at Gillingham, was Paula Radcliffe’s decision to enter this evening’s Olympic 10K, creating the possibility of a glorious resurrection after last weekend’s high profile marathon failure. As we all know, she pulled up in the 10K as well, opening up yet more excellent schadenfreude opportunities for the British public. More of this later. I can feel an ugly rant coming on…… …
Katy. A nice sort of name, I’ve always thought. This was borne out by an email I received this morning from someone with that chummy designation, allowing me a late entry to the ingeniously named “Oracle To Oracle” 10K race (and just as craftily shortened to O2O10K in the blurb), a week on Sunday. I’d been thinking about what I’d said yesterday about the kick-start, and decided that a shortish race would be a good one. This one fitted the bill nicely but the last entry date had passed. I mailed the organisers and good egg Katy replied with a dispensation. Hurrah! The race is localish and gives me 10 days to lose a few pounds and rediscover some kind … …
Not only did I resist breakfast this morning, but this evening I ran. Yes, I ran. Just over 3 miles along the canal on a cool evening. It wasn’t easy. My physiology was traumatised. The Leeds & Liverpool canal isn’t a particularly relaxing place to run, as I’ve mentioned before. It seems not to be a recreational route, like ye merrye olde tow-pathes of home. You use this path to get somewhere, though in my case, god knows where that might be. Is this the kick-start I needed? If I’m honest, no, I don’t think so. There’s some hard work to do first, but it may just be a step towards that kick start.… …
I went downstairs in my running gear at 6:45 this morning. Just before reaching the door, I picked up a copy of The Guardian and started to read Steve Cram’s piece about Paula Radcliffe. Eventually, the drifting smell of fried bacon hit my nostrils, and that was it. Instead of running, I had a bowl of fruit and a yoghurt. Sadly, it didn’t stop there. Here comes a plate of egg-on-toast, beans-on-toast and sausages. And here’s more toast and jam and a croissant. Over my second cup of mocha, I decided that perhaps I wouldn’t run this morning after all. Pathetic performance. As a kind of penance, I visited the supermarket at lunchtime to stock the small greengrocery I am … …
The shadow of Paula Radcliffe’s marathon failure has been everywhere today. There’s been a lot of sympathy, but I’ve been slightly shocked by some of the negative opinion that’s been doing the rounds of the radio phone-ins and the canteen. At lunch today, I heard two plump women on the adjoining table mumbling their disgust through mouthfuls of chips. "She was like a spoilt child", said one. "Just because she didn’t think she’d win a medal, she couldn’t be bothered anymore. "Yeah. She could of at least finished", whined the other, wiping the ketchup from her moustache with the back of her hand. "But she just couldn’t be arsed". I suspect that in the puffy eyes of these two, Paula … …
Well, at least I had the foresight to post my prediction on the Runners World forum long before the event, that Paula Radcliffe wouldn’t finish today’s marathon in Athens. I wish the prediction hadn’t come true – it was a desperate sight. Her pulling up at the 36 kilometre mark, disorientated, weeping, will be one of those abiding Olympic memories. Somehow the failures stick in the mind more than the triumphs.… …
Keeping an online running log is a double-edged sword. When things go well, and they occasionally do, it feels good to be able to describe them here. When things go badly, it gets kinda embarrassing, as I have to keep dragging myself back to my own torture chamber. This week is another write-off. The Dublin marathon at the end of October is not a realistic target now, but so be it. Excuses? Of course I have excuses. Look. [Takes box from under the desk and tips out contents. Picks up scrap of paper and peers at it.] What’s this one? “Working away from home disrupts routine”. [Screws it up and throws it over shoulder. Picks up another handful.] “Working away … …
I thought about running today. I thought about it while I sat in the hotel restaurant, finishing a bottle of reasonable Coonawarra Cabernet-Shiraz, reflecting on my pork and mash, and cheese and biscuits.… …