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.

Oops I Did It Again

by Russell Turner - 16:18 on 01 May 2018

I’ve done it again. On October 14, barring illness or injury, I’ll set out on my second athletic epic: t’ Yorkshire Marathon, based in York. I’ll have turned 60 two months earlier.

I signed up for my second 26.2 miles today, the day after entering the ballot for next year’s London Marathon. I’m also on the reserve list for a guaranteed charity place with Cats Protection; if any of its regulars drop out I could replace them. How many are ahead of me on the waiting list I don’t know.

Matchgirl, who enjoyed spectating at London much more than competing, is undecided about the ballot but UltraPaul and Cathy the Duathlonist have both entered. Maybe next April I’ll be watching from the crowd as the three of them speed through the capital.

Matchgirl’s also uncertain about whether she’ll face t’ Yorkshire challenge with me, partly because she doesn’t know how long it will take to recover from her 100k London to Brighton run at the end of this month (no, I’ll never do that), and partly because she fancies a return to Florence in November. Time will tell.

So now I need to choose a training plan – there are a bewildering variety. In the meantime I’ll keep my legs turning with some shorter runs, such as the 5k I completed this morning, Adam the Physio having worked on my legs yesterday and pronounced them to be in top shape and ready for a restrained return to the roads.

I might also have to invest in some new jeans soon. My weight has stabilised but my waist, unchanged for at least 25 years, continues to shrink. Matchgirl’s not jealous at all.

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