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.

All Systems Go

by Russell Turner - 21:11 on 18 December 2017

I’m fit to run a marathon, and that’s official.

This afternoon I visited Dr Locum for the health check which all first-time would-be marathoneers are advised to take, to ensure they don’t drop down dead halfway around the London course and put Virgin’s organisers to too much trouble.

I didn’t expect a full BUPA-style MOT, so the brisk NHS job came as no surprise. Pulse, blood pressure, heart and lungs were examined in less than ten minutes and all pronounced in good condition. The results of a blood sample will reach me at the end of the week if they’re bad; if they’re good – lots of oxygen-carrying red corpuscles and my iron no longer deficient – I’ll hear nothing.

I’d hoped that the doctor would declare me to have the body of a 30-year-old, which would mean I could recalibrate the Garmin’s heart rate zones, but she didn’t choose to comment.

So this morning I attempted to run at the recommended easy pace for my age: between 121 and 131 heartbeats per minute. I lasted for a very slow mile before I couldn’t take any more and speeded up a bit for a second mile, by which time I’d been out for almost thirty minutes. What a waste.

Matchgirl, who had urged on me the importance of heart-based easy, steady and tempo runs, now admits that she takes little notice of her bpm and runs by feel. I might follow her example.

A less excited Willow enjoys her sun lamp a few days ago.

Festive Update: Christmas came out of the outhouse today. Matchgirl erected and decorated the tree, tinselled the mantelpiece and put a wreath on the door. More will follow. Willow and Pandora celebrated by jumping in and out of boxes. Maia watched suspiciously. Some things never change.

Add your comment

Your Name


Your Email (only if you are happy to have it on the site)


Your Comment - no HTML or weblinks


Enter this number in the box below and click Send - why?Unfortunately we have to do this to prevent the system being swamped by automated spam