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.
One Day At A Time
by Russell Turner - 15:44 on 14 April 2022
Eleven days have passed since London Landmarks and I’m still being cautious. My first post-race effort – a brisk walk two days ago, which covered a mere 1.6 miles – left me with an achy leg, although it recovered quickly. A slightly less brisk 2.2-mile walk today resulted in no after-effects, possibly because I warmed up a little before leaving The Rural Retreat. Or maybe Mr Physio’s strengthening exercises are taking effect. Whatever, the road to full ankle/heel efficiency could soon be at an end (touch wood). Not before time.
Immediate future sporting interest now centres on the Edinburgh Marathon, just six weeks and three days away. My participation seems highly unlikely, but Matchgirl’s return to running form continues apace so today I booked train tickets for race weekend – at a higher cost than our recent flights to and from London. Matchgirl was keen on first class seats, and I wouldn’t want to damage her marathon prospects by travelling steerage.
I still have two weeks in which to offer my place to a last-minute runner (Edinburgh offers no deferrals or refunds but allows transfers). If there are no takers I can decide on the day whether I’m capable of completing 26.2 miles with little training and few long runs. I’ll try a run/walk on Saturday and see how that feels. Should I attempt the marathon, anything under 5:20 would constitute a major triumph because that would be my second-fastest finish. I’ll confine sub-4:30 hopes to London and/or Yorkshire in October.
In the meantime, having missed several races and assuming Edinburgh will go the same way, I’ve been scouring the running calendar for other events to add to the York 10k, which is my only race between now and October. However, the busy City Limits diary, and cat-sitting duties on some of the few free weekends because they coincide with Matchgirl’s Shetland jaunts, leave only two suitable Sundays, and on both of those we’re gigging on the Friday. It’s tricky being a sporting rock star.
The first Sunday is July 3, when the Leeds 10k takes place, but a two-day 800-mile round trip might be giving it more importance than it’s worth. The Great North 10k in Gateshead the same day is 100 miles closer to home; whether it’s worth the effort I’m undecided, especially as I’ll be Billy No-Mates (unless Squirrel James or Ex-Triathlon Cathy would care to join me).
More feasible is the Perth 10k on August 28 – a mere 130 miles away so I could drive home after the run. Whether I can be bothered is another matter. Runners with a plethora of events to choose from an hour from home don’t know how lucky they are.
I suspect that in the end I’ll concentrate on training for an historic, last-ever autumn London Marathon. My two spring times were rubbish (although the first remains my favourite marathon day so far) so this could be my last chance of a boastable London finish. We’ll see.
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