Where am I? Hard to say. I’m not where I was, and I’m not where I thought I would be now. But wherever I am, I’ve been here before, and I know that I’ll survive and flourish. The foot is better. It’s past the acute discomfort, throbbing stage and back into the mere ache phase. In terms of comparative pain, it’s no longer a ‘broken bone’ and back to being merely ‘badly bruised’.… READ MORE.... …
Blog Posts
Throb, throb, throb. It had to happen: the first obstacle of the campaign is here, if a bit earlier than hoped. For about 12 years now I’ve had a gouty right toe. I can, and do, forget about it for 95% of the year, but every now and then it appears and waves a big red flag in my face. Ah yes, it’s you again.… READ MORE.... …
Ah, that’s better. Another 10 kilometres up the canal, but markedly more comfortable than last Saturday, when I was reduced to a run-walk for the second half. Today I crumbled in the final mile, but the first 5 were walkless and steady. So, why should today be different from a week ago? Three pounds lighter for one thing; and another 6½ hours of cardiovascular chalked up.… READ MORE.... …
Eagle-eyed followers of my desultory tweeting (www.twitter.com/runningcomm) will be aware that on Tuesday I was visited by an urge to get hold of a medicine ball. So on my way to the gym that evening, I called into Argos, emerging with a formidable 6 kg rubber specimen. Yep, with handles, and everything. I went for the handled one because it was described as being “easier to use”.… READ MORE.... …
Me, I’m to blame. It’s all my fault. I’m a middle class, white male, and I’m a ‘boomer’. Over the last few days, I’ve separately read, or heard, that all of these things make me a thoroughly wicked person, responsible for the ills of the world. It’s one of the reasons I need sometimes to take off my clothes and go running through the neighbourhood.… READ MORE.... …
It’s the end of the 3rd week of my reinvention. I like to keep records. The Americans have a name for it. I am a number slut. In my three weeks, I’ve managed 24.7 hours of cardiovascular exercise. This is broken down into 12.2 hours in the gym over 12 visits; 7.7 hours of cycling; and 3.55 hours of running. Rest days?… READ MORE.... …
The distance, 6.17 miles, looks good, but it hides the truth. This was an uncomfortable jaunt along the canal towpath. Here’s a tip for newbie runners: have everything ready for your run in one place. All your kit, plus any of those optional extras you might use: watch, HRM strap, charged-up iPod, headphones, cap, hi-viz vest, calf/knee strap, arm wallet, phone, gels, water bottle… and so on.… READ MORE.... …
For the bawling baby athlete within, it’s been a disorderly, ill-fitting sort of week. With Tuesday to Thursday blocked out with day trips to London and Luton, I had high aerobic hopes for Monday — but as previously noted, Sunday’s prolonged activity prodded my ticker into mild panic. Unusually for me, I took the sensible option, the well-worn advice of coaches everywhere, professional and amateur, and I listened to my body.… READ MORE.... …
The heart crept back into its box today, though I still didn’t fancy a run this evening. Instead, an hour of towpath cycling. At the end of it, my legs let it be known they’d had a decent workout, though I hadn’t produced quite enough of the salty wet stuff for my liking. The first of two days in London today.… READ MORE.... …
Not a good day. I woke this morning with both heart rate and blood pressure about 20 percent above the norm, and feeling lethargic. It looks like a simple case of overdoing it. So no exertion today, and an early night.… READ MORE.... …