As predicted, the weekend was a running-free zone, so I sacrificed my rest day today to do the long run that was scheduled for Saturday. Fortunately it was a ‘step-back week’ this week, so the long run was only 5 miles. I ran the canal towpath again, though this time I found a way back around the block rather than just stopping and running back the way I’d come. It meant running a couple of miles along the A4, the antithesis of the canal, but the variety was welcome. The time for the 5.57 miles was 59:14, which works out at 10:38 per mile. That’s pretty good for me, especially as I started off at a very leisurely pace. With … …
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A rest day, filled with beer and crisps and lethargy. The coming weekend is a lost cause even before it starts. We have friends arriving tomorrow; we’re all off to a party in London in the evening, then Sunday is the World Cup Final and another birthday celebration. Hopeless, quite hopeless. When am I supposed to run in that lot? If I survive, I’ll be back around Monday-ish. Let’s just call it "early July".… …
Another early morning run: not successful. I woke at 5.30 and lay there in a fog. I was just a semi-detached spectator as a fight broke out between Sleep and Run. Five minutes later I was sitting on the stairs, wearily tying the laces of my Brooks, having accepted the inevitable. The morning came straight from the Running Paradise catalogue. The sun was already bright, but the air remained cool and fresh from the night. No moving cars to be seen or heard or dodged as I set out on my now-familiar 3.67 mile circuit of the local lanes. After a good start, I began to feel a stitch, then that remote pain in my chest that I used to … …
The daily train journey always has some diversion. Hot on the heels of my man-with-peach-bathrobe, another weird sight on the train to London this morning: at Slough someone got on with two lifesized cardboard cutouts of Michael Owen and Paul Scholes. By this time the train was getting full, so he stood there, leaning against the carriage wall with an arm around each. Every time I looked up from my book (currently Enduring Love by Ian McEwan), I did a double-take. It was unnerving and surreal. Never again. This evening, for my 4 mile canal run, I decided it was time to explore what lay in the opposite direction from usual. Why have I never taken this way before? Probably … …
Looks like the UK Brain Tumour Society will be the recipients of any money I manage to raise. More news when I get it. My 3.67 miler this evening was a little disappointing. I was all geared up to have a go at beating my record again, currently 37:27 (that’s a 10:12 pace – I must edge down below 10 minutes a mile), and I was making pretty good progress when, about half way round, I came across half a dozen bewildered French cyclists squinting helplessly over an Ordnance Survey map of the area. I decided to extend the hand of international friendship, and stop. A few minutes of trying to speak pidgin French while they tried to speak pidgin … …
Have just realised that none of last week’s entries were uploaded properly. They are now, I hope. I keep meaning to redesign this site but if you hand-code everything it’s a bit daunting. And as you can tell I don’t have a great deal to talk about as Monday is a day of rest. I spoke to the Chicago hotel to change the dates slightly, but that’s about the only marathon-related thing to have happened today. This week sees the Wednesday run go up to 4 miles but tomorrow and Thursday are still just 3. Ah, the opening weeks of the training are sooo misleading! I’m going to enjoy it while I can. … …
Cross-training day. Up early to nip round to the gym for 15 minutes on the exercise bike, 20 minutes on the step machine and 15 on the rower. Re-emerged dripping with sweat and ready for our four-course Sussex lunch. The meal was great, but not even the later stroll around the gardens at Nymans was enough to assuage the nagging certainty that, unlike my last marathon training programme, this one is actually increasing my weight. Time to do something about this – but it can wait till tomorrow, of course.… …
Feeling absolutely great is an absolutely great feeling. An excellent run this evening – 7.5 miles along the canal in the twilight. Wonderful weather for running. Cool but still bright at first, with the sun slowly completing its descent through the 88 minutes I was running. It wasn’t a very fast pace but I was delighted to run the second half (43 mins) two minutes faster than the first, over the same ground. I drove to the start this time in order to get the maximum mileage from the canal itself rather than waste 2 miles of it in getting there and back. I’m conscious that I keep saying this but it really is a great place to run. The … …
Oh bugger, a calamitous match for England as they go down 2-1 to Brazil. The result was bad enough, but it was the manner of their passing that was so deflating. England were clueless. Despite going into the lead, and giving the nation 20 minutes or so of joy and hope, they couldn’t build on it, nor could they even cling to it. They went behind immediately after half time. The nation groaned, but come on England, there’s still 40-odd minutes to solve the problem. But no counter-offensive ever materialised. England drifted around without a sense of purpose, without a drop of inspiration between them. Beckham was reduced to diving in the penalty area in the forlorn hope of winning … …
Spent most of yesterday evening drinking beer and chortling in central London, but had recovered enough by tonight to do the usual 3.67 miler in record time of around 10:10 pace. A great run for me. The nerves are beginning to hit. Early tomorrow morning it’s England – Brazil for a place in the World Cup semi-finals. The optimism is enormous. It’s hard not to tempt fate, but it has to be said that I feel that England can definitely do it if they decide to play as they can. I’ve booked a day off work in readiness.… …