Monday is normally a rest day, but with the Hyde Park 10 kilometre race on Wednesday (New Year’s Day), it seemed sensible to go for a three mile loosener this evening, and rest tomorrow instead. Running in the rain offers a great sense of liberation. A dark night, the rain dense and cool, no one on the black, flashing pavements except a mad runner with a grin hanging from one ear to the other.… READ MORE.... …
Month: December 2002
No run today. Negotiations about the Wokingham Half opened, but are not going well. The issue is that it’s on the same day (February 9th) as M’s dad’s birthday, which means lunch out somewhere in Sussex. Can I finish the race and get down to Sussex by 1pm/1:30? I think yes; M thinks no. I might have to concede graciously here, and bank a bit of goodwill instead.… READ MORE.... …
The party’s over. Three days of alcohol, chocolate and other calorific unmentionables, and it’s time to start repairing some of the damage. After three weeks of running and dieting, my weight has actually increased by half a pound. Coming after the 7.5 miler on Christmas Eve – my longest run since the marathon in October – the 4 mile run on Christmas morning was painful and slow.… READ MORE.... …
Sometimes a run just jumps out of nowhere and ambushes you. Today, after spending all morning and most of the afternoon lounging in front of a computer, still in my dressing gown, I glanced out of the window and saw the first signs of darkness. With some reluctance, I decided that a short run would be a good idea. I can barely bring myself to confront the calorific calamity that lies in wait for me tomorrow.… READ MORE.... …
golly, that 6 miler yeshterday morning was ard. I vanshed into the fog at eh, 10 o’clokk it seems and retorned they say an hour later or thereabuuts. It remined me of th first 6 miler I did ths toime last year when id just started running. SIX MILES! Cara-blody-rammba. the first time id done htat distnace, and my bllomin quads were aching.… READ MORE.... …
No run today. Instead, I took the beer and crisps road. Tomorrow I’m looking to do 6 miles.… READ MORE.... …
I’ve publicised my wager (see yesterday), and currently have a taker for £55. UKBTS will be the beneficiary if QPR beat Brentford and Wycombe in their next two games. If we fail to win both, I’m giving my season ticket away, and will take a break from it all for a year. Did a huffy-puffy 3+ miles at lunchtime today. Much as I enjoy the opportunity to run in a pleasant park, during the day, when it’s bright, it’s frustrating not knowing the distances.… READ MORE.... …
It’s that New Year resolution time again. Here are mine: Give up football. Probably. Give up alcohol. Probably. Keep on running. Somehow maintain the will to live in view of the first two. I’ve realised that I waste half my life watching, listening to, reading/writing/talking about, and listening to others talking about, the occasionally beautiful game. It’s way too much, and an obstacle to real life.… READ MORE.... …
A sprightly 35 minute run this evening. I’ve resolved to avoid — where possible — running in the dark this winter, but today I had to. It wasn’t easy, going back out into the cold void in my running stuff, having got home late from work. But some things have been experienced too often now to be able to ignore or deny.… READ MORE.... …
No run today. Instead I’ve been studying this recipe for a Christmas cake that my sister sent me: Ingredients 1 cup of water 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup of sugar 1 tsp salt 1 cup of brown sugar lemon juice 4 large eggs nuts 4 bottles of port 2 cups of dried fruit Method: Sample the port to check quality.… READ MORE.... …
This throbbing knee is beginning to worry me slightly. It was painful enough to make me consider not running at all today, though eventually I decided to do my usual 3.67 local circuit, just to keep the blood flowing. When I run, I can’t feel the knee aching at all; it’s only when I stop that it appears. Little to report.… READ MORE.... …