Saturday, 3rd April – 22 days to go

Lousy nights’ sleep. No doubt this is a consequence of sleeping in for too long on Good Friday morning. Up early to help with setting up at parkrun. It’s an unpleasant start to the day. It’s chilly and grey with constant sapping drizzle as we set off, but has stopped raining by the time we get there. There’s a decent turnout of volunteers and soon we have the park looking ready to host the run. Not sure what time I ran as I didn’t wear a watch and we had problems uploading after the race. It seemed a wee bit faster than marathon pace.

Plenty of familiar faces. Bernie is up from Kent and Tony from Thursday run club too. They’ll be a lot closer to the front than me when the race kicks off. Ian turns up in what look like the gorilla feet from a fancy dress costume. His footwear is like gloves I think they’re called “five fingers” with protective individual toenails. Apparently this is barefoot running, which I had taken quite literally when I’d read about it. They must be ok though as he puts in a 40 second faster time than he did when traditionally shod a couple of weeks ago. They also make a great ice breaker once people see what he’s got on his feet.

In the evening I appear to have lost the ability to concentrate on anything. I remember reading and enjoying both “A Place of Greater Safety” and “Fludd” a few years ago, but when Liz handed over “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel with a glowing testimonial I couldn’t get past the first dozen pages. Too many characters, too complicated and too much going on. Borrowed the latest Alex Rider off Harry and have finished it by Sunday lunch. Not sure if this is just being knackered from training or the onset of something more sinister.


Weight 70.7 kg
Total Mileage 50 miles
Long Run 20 miles
Long Run Pace 8:51
Days without alcohol 47

I can’t believe how little I’ve missed the alcohol. It must be just one of those things where if it’s in the house I’ll have it, but if it isn’t then it doesn’t bother me. I could definitely enter the World’s Hungriest Man competition though. I’m forever starving and snacking. Probably the only person in the world to have armchair supper of avocado yesterday evening.