Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
The End Of The Road (For Now)
by Russell Turner - 12:12 on 30 October 2019
Suddenly I’m at a loose end: the year’s last race run (bar any unexpected opportunities), no running at all until November 11 (if I’m to keep my two-weeks-off promise), and no race booked until the Warwick Half Marathon on March 1. Matchgirl and Triathlon Cathy would be busy cross-training by hefting weights, cycling, swimming and doing other manly things; rather them than me.
I could blow the dust off the Pentax to capture some frosty scenes and distant snow-capped mountains but it’s a bit on the chilly side outdoors. That’s fine when running, not so good when standing still. There’s work I could do in the garden, I suppose. Maybe tomorrow, although I wouldn’t want to risk my athletic recovery.
Anyway, City Limits has twelve gigs in the next two months, which will keep me busy. Musical action dwindles markedly after that, with just two gigs in the diary for January, none in February and one in March. Fortunately business picks up after that, especially in August (two free Saturdays) and September (none).
The down side is no races in September, which this year found me at the Great Northern and Scottish Runs, unless something local turns up. Matchgirl’s dream of the New Forest Marathon will have to wait another year unless she goes alone.
This year’s medal haul.
The Culloden 10k, my final race this year, was an apt postscript to the Yorkshire Marathon, featuring cold, wind and rain, although the worst cleared up not long after we set off. Matchgirl had told me to take it easy, so I didn’t feel too bad about walking part of the 2k climb halfway around. Despite that I wasn’t much slower than in the River Ness 10k, although The Running Queen finished ahead of me again, unsurprisingly.
I did finish fourth in my age classification (Vintage, for 60+) but as there were only five of us, plus one non-starter, and the fastest was 20mins ahead of me, it’s not a huge achievement.
Training for next year begins on December 31: the start of a nine-week plan ending with the Warwick Half on March 1 and the Inverness Half a week later. Then it’s 11 weeks to the Edinburgh Marathon on May 24 by way of two more halves, three or four 10ks and possibly a 10-miler. Plus my final training long runs of 16, 18 and 20(ish) miles.
That London Marathon ballot place has a lot to answer for.
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