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.

As Predicted...

by Russell Turner - 16:55 on 26 February 2021

No great surprise – Edinburgh Marathon HQ announced today that this year’s race will be virtual. Entries will be rolled over to 2022, when I’ll finally be able to run the 2020 race. All being well.

Last year, at this point, I switched from marathon to HM training because of fears that the effort involved would weaken my immune system and allow me to be ravaged by covid. This time I’ll live dangerously and continue with marathon training in the knowledge that my jab can’t be far away. It’s not like I go anywhere to catch it, apart from Tesco, the Co-op and the post office.

This means I’ll run my first virtual marathon of the year at the end of May, when I hope to get closer to a sub-4:30 finish. Only eight minutes to lose from my current PB: how hard can it be?

It might also be my last virtual marathon of the year despite signing up for London in October. If Yorkshire goes ahead for real, two weeks later, I’ll be less inclined to make the effort, especially as on the same day as virtual London I can choose from the River Ness 10k in Inverness or (gigs permitting) a return to the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, where I even have accommodation available courtesy of Squirrel James (remember him?).

Training goes well, despite recent winds; on Sunday I’ll complete my third long run of the programme, meaning only ten more until taper begins. Suddenly, my sixth marathon is not far away.

That’s assuming I make it that far. Willow has discovered a liking for leaping on to my shoulders when I’m busy in the kitchen, then hanging on when I move around. That would be fine, if not ideal, were she to use her claws to cling on to my jumper, but sometimes they find my neck instead. I don’t think Mo Farah ever had to pull out of a race because of injuries inflicted by an over-loving cat.

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