Tick Tock and you don't stop

It’s been a funny old year. I speak on the eve of another twist in the road.

Speaking of the road my running has had been going well as I train towards for a sub 1:30 half marathon in October. I was out yesterday chasing an ambitious pace and not really getting it. At one point on the run I had to stop to cough up all manner of gunk, bent over with my hands on my knees. Someone walking past said “I thought running was supposed to be good for you?” It was a good point well made. Alongside the running has been alongside some fairly boozy fun nights including a cocktail soaked weekend in Brussels which must have impacted on the training at some point. With that weekend in particular I couldn’t do my long 13 mile Sunday run so I had to do it on the Monday when I was not so much hungover as threadbare. The following week I ran 7 days out of 7 and man I felt tired at the end of it and had to give my kidneys a rest from the booze that weekend. There was also one evening in that 7 days when I went out running on the hottest of the year, and fuck it was like running through treacle. I’ve also stated to get quite bad lover back pain which is a sure sign that my running daps need replacing.

I’ve got a few more boozy nights ahead, but then after Greenman I’m going to be knocking it on the head until the half, so I’m hoping that combined with a new pair of daps and drinking some more isotonics (and maybe giving some previous gut shredding gels another go?) will help. In an optimistic frame of mind today I signed up the Cardiff 10k on the 1st of September so here’s hoping.