Running. Remember that? It’s not been a great summer, in more ways than one. Inexplicable. It started off in handsome fashion, with a perfectly reasonable spell of pre-marathon-training-training. In the weeks leading up to the end of June, I was slapping those streets around three times a week, building up a decent head of steam for the 18 weeks of focused, planned, disciplined plodding that would edge me ever-closer to my marathon PB in Dublin at the end of October.… READ MORE.... …
Blog Posts
I woke up on Tuesday morning with a 4 mile run pencilled in on my schedule. Began to clamber out of bed, and was immediately aware of a sharp pain in my left knee. So bad that I couldn’t bend it. Eventually I eased my way onto my feet and limped towards the stairs. Getting down them was quite a struggle.… READ MORE.... …
I slept fitfully, wanting to ensure that I got some carbs down me before the run today. And so it came to pass that at 5 a.m. I was lying there in the dark, chomping through a banana and half a Soreen malt loaf, before attempting another stretch of sleep — not too successfully. Up at 8, feeling unrested. But what a perfect summer morning.… READ MORE.... …
Friday evening. Around 8 o’clock, as usual, I wandered into the village. But not to fill up with beer this time. I need to prepare for the morning. Bananas, malt loaf, sports drink. If all goes to plan, tomorrow will be a first. A long weekend run with other people. A few of the club runners are assembling for 10 or 11 miles along the Thames, and the aim is to join ’em.… READ MORE.... …
At last. Something to write home about. 3.5 miles doesn’t sound much, but it was hilly and airless. Add to that my 9 days of abstinence (running abstinence, that is — unfortunately not the alcohol and chocolate variety), and this was always going to knacker me. Though I say it myself, I sensed I must have looked somewhat dapper in my yellow club singlet and matching cap.… READ MORE.... …
The morning after the day before and I’m feeling strangely human. Surprisingly normal. Slightly woolly headed, but nothing severe. It seems to be mixing drinks that causes those next-day difficulties. Yesterday it was just beer-beer-beer, and this simple strategy has paid off. We arrived at Sweder’s around 10:30. Our first time in Lewes, but the trip down the A23 from the known world was pretty painless.… READ MORE.... …
I’m not going to dwell too long on my team-building experience, except to say that most of the bonding took place in the restaurant last night rather than over two days in the classroom. I call it a "classroom" but it was actually a function room at a golf club. I’m not a big golf fan, as people will know, but there was a point this morning when, staring through the window, I noticed a chap preparing to tee off.… READ MORE.... …
Dateline: Yesterday, A Sun-Flooded England. A sinewy, early-morning lope to report. Highly agreeable stuff. Four miles of sub-10:30 miles: decent for me at that time in the morning, when my calfs are cold and brittle, like a pack of bread sticks fresh from the freezer. I was in training for more than my marathon. A couple of hours later I would be somewhat gingerly climbing aboard the first day of one of these team-building thingummies at work.… READ MORE.... …
11.35 miles tucked away. Yes, you heard that right. The day started early. My body clock woke me at 5 a.m., anxious that I shouldn’t miss my folks, who were passing through at about 7, on their way to Fishguard and Ireland. I’d hoped to fly out for a couple of days myself, but it’s looking unlikely now. The old family house by the sea, mentioned a couple of times in these pages, is to be put up for sale.… READ MORE.... …
Hasn’t happened yet. The pub intervened. I was suckered into a very rare visit to that grotty boozer next door where they were hosting an outfit describing themselves as a “Jam tribute band”. Had to be worth investigating, and it was. I’ve got a soft spot for the Jam, even if I can’t get on with the solo Weller. I remember seeing them performing on a stage by the side of the road on some Anti-Nazi League march I went on in 1980.… READ MORE.... …