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 Week Down...
by Russell Turner - 17:23 on 23 November 2025
The first (10-day) week of Manchester training ended today with a 75min 5:1 run/walk which went smoothly enough but took a little more effort than I would have hoped. Maybe I’m getting old. Although the alternate run day/walk day was sabotaged by snow and wind, all five runs were done and only two walks missed. A trip to Glasgow interrupts the next 10-day block but the weather looks better so I should be more or less back to the schedule. Whether it makes a difference remains to seen.
I’m still cautiously planning ahead. Having taken on board the sage advice of Ex-triathlon Cathy, re shared bathrooms on Marathon Day, I’ve cancelled my cut-price booking in favour of yet another Premier Inn, at twice the price including the extra for free cancellation up to the day before. I’m certainly not committed yet (although maybe I should be).
The 2026 City Limits diary, not yet hugely busy, has managed to clash with several possible races, most notably the York 10k in August when we have gigs on both nights prior. No chance of making that, then. There’s also a wedding on the Friday of Yorkshire Marathon weekend in October, so if I can get down it will be for my fourth 10 Mile. Maybe that’s just as well – this might be The Year of No Marathons. A gig the night before the Edinburgh Half Marathon in May would be useful so I’m not tempted to return to The Land of Dismal Weather. Absolutely not for the marathon though.
Other clashes include the Kinloss-Lossiemouth flat-as-a-pancake half marathon in February (Dornie wedding the night before), the River Ness 10k in September (Applecross wedding the night before, so definitely no Loch Ness Marathon next year) and the Dava 50k in November (Dornoch wedding the same day). It’s tricky mixing rock and running.
Fortunately I’ve still got other race dates pencilled in plus a guaranteed free weekend in June, when our singer’s on his hols, which coincides with a choice of races, two of them in Yorkshire, which will help make up for the York 10k disappointment. In 2027 it falls on my 69th birthday so I’ve booked off that weekend well in advance.
That’s assuming the band’s still together and I’m still capable of running. I’m taking nothing for granted.
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