Last Friday I was sitting at the end of the main platform at Reading station, waiting for my train to appear. Being rush hour, it was hardly Adlestrop, but the overwhelming Fridacity of the occasion was compensation enough. After gazing at my crossword for a while, I casually looked up, noticing with alarm that my once-an-hour train was waiting at the far end of the platform. A guard stood alongside, flag raised. Without thinking, I jumped up and belted down the platform. I just made it. It was only while I was sitting down, panting like a steam train, that I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be injured. Ooo-err. What had I just done to my calf? Well, … …
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No running to report, but the calf feels better today. What’s encouraging is just how much I’m missing not being able to run. Guiltless relaxation is one of those things I long for, but this time it’s frustrating. Part of that is the awareness that I’ve entered a number of events that I don’t want to miss out on, but there’s something else. Running over the past few months has been hit-and-miss, but despite that (or perhaps because of it) the benefits have become clearer. Waking up early, and getting out there to do 3 or 4 miles before work, is just a great way to start the day. It’s not the run itself but the afterglow, the energising quality, … …
Things are not looking too good. This calf injury hasn’t evaporated as quickly as last week I thought it might. It’s no worse either, but it isn’t going away. To make things worse, this enforced sloth has led to tighter trousers syndrome, so even if the injury vanished tomorrow, there would have to be a period of readjustment to get a few pounds off and increase my basic fitness. In short, Dublin in October is beginning to recede, the closer it gets. Am I officially pulling out of the Dublin marathon? No, not yet. Miracles occasionally happen, I’m assured. QPR fans rarely experience them however, so I’m not too hopeful. At least I haven’t parted with any cash yet for … …
I’ve no idea where I am with this running lark. I keep telling myself to get a grip, and I keep refusing to listen. Yesterday I got up at 5:45 and walked/jogged about 3 miles. I could feel the calf but it wasn’t quite hurting. Today I overslept for the first time in months, then spent the day devouring crisps and the evening in the pub. But at least while I was there I read most of Runners World, so I forgive myself. One positive step I made today was to create a spreadsheet of the days till the four races I’ve entered (Bristol Half, GNR, GSR and Dublin marathon), and set some weight targets. It made me feel motivated … …
Some interesting observations that have come my way in the last 24 hours: 1) Lidl, the cut-price supermarket chain, have an aftershave brand called Eruption. 2) A message on the Dead Runners message forum, that somehow sums up what we love about Americans: “A great Tour De France, but I have a question regarding the yellow jersey. Do they wash it between wearings? Or is there more than one? Honestly, all I can think about when someone new takes the lead is the disgusting image of putting on a jersey that someone else has cycled and sweated in for all those miles…” Has anyone else noticed that Americans are either obsessional about health and personal hygiene, or else obese, burger-guzzling … …
The Eden Project was well worth a visit. Perhaps we were just lucky, but we were there on a day when there were no warring platoons of commando schoolkids to deal with. Just other fat old gits like me. All the car-parks are named after fruits. We found ourselves in the Plum car-park. On the courtesy bus at the end of the day, there was a lot of confusion among the other oldies about where we were whenever the bus stopped, hence the chanting of "Banana!" and "Strawberry!" alluded to in the previous entry. It was kind of surreal. Padstow was full of culinary highlights, though I couldn’t make my mind up between the gourmet 5-course Rick Stein meal on … …
Never thought I’d see the day when I’d find myself on a bus crowded with strangers, spontaneously crying “Banana! Banana!” followed, a minute later by “Strawberry! Strawberry!” then “Tomato!” and “Lime! Lime!” and “Apple!” That day finally arrived today. More later. Let’s deal with running first. On Wednesday I visited the local sports injury clinic to be prodded and interrogated by a physio called Alison. The upshot is that this injury probably isn’t as bad as I first feared. I might even be back running next week. It’s occurred to me recently that I keep going on about the Dublin marathon, but I have some important running dates before then. I’ve entered, and been accepted for, the Bristol Half Marathon … …
Some very bad news to report. I’d just glided past the 6 mile point of my 9 miler this morning when I felt something go “snap-crackle-pop” in my left calf, and had to pull up very sharply. The 3 mile walk home won’t have helped it much either. This is terrible. It’s some kind of calf strain I guess. When I had this trouble with my right calf, after the Reading half marathon, it took me weeks to recover. I really can’t afford to lose that sort of time again. The run was going so well, too. I’d headed out along the canal on a great morning for running. The sun was out but there was enough of a breeze … …
The Dublin training is going quite well, though I’ve achieved my first missed run of the campaign. This is great news – obedience is a greatly overrated virtue. On Tuesday I was supposed to do 3 miles but a post-birthday semi-hangover kept me from getting up at 5:30 to run. I did get out for 3 on Wednesday, then yesterday had a sprightly 5 miles along the canal in the late afternoon. My weekends are beginning to look quite different from previous marathon campaigns. On this Intermediate training, there are two runs to do, and not the one that comes with the Novice schedule. At least the distances at this end of the programme are relatively gentle. I’ve five miles … …
Up at 6:30 on a Sunday to run eight miles. What’s going on? This was an important run as it’s a few months since I’ve been this far. It was a good one too. Plenty of wildlife along the canal towpath: two deer, hundreds of rabbits, a heron, a line of cows to run through, couple of sheepdogs and more anglers than you could shake a stick at. I’m toying with the idea of trying the run-walk method on the marathon. There are various versions to choose from, but I tried out the walk-one-minute-each-mile on this one. It seems a bit of a cheat but it might well explain why I got through the distance fairly easily.… …