A Dodgy Crystal Ball

Great Run email me to tell me that they want to see me on the Great Manchester Half Marathon start line next May. They say that no crystal ball is needed and, based on my 10k time, they have calculated that my predicted half marathon finishing time could be 01:33:12. Lol. That's some dodgy crystal ball they have.

I mean, how the hell have they worked that out? My most recent 10k time was Sheffield and that was 44:55, not that quick and it wasn’t a Great Run race anyway. So how would they know? They may be harping back to my Manchester 10k time of 41:37 but that was in 2011. I don’t think I’ve done a Great Run 10k since.

Dog training is cold, foggy and icy but great fun. If you're a dog.

L says that if she hasn't done any painting when I get home then I am to refuse all rights to the fresh crusty loaf. That's not a problem.

Although I am somewhat surprised to find that she has painted the wrong room. This is just my opinion obviously but I didn’t think there was much wrong with the front bedroom unlike the back bedroom which is in dire need of attention. 

However, L does like setting herself a tight deadline and this is to spruce the room up for our guest over the festive season. Although this is only Daughter...

(Monday 5^th December)

Almost Totally Old School

I try out my tired legs on the bike and they’re not too bad actually.

I track down the Kirkwall Half results which have been posted to some obscure group on Facebook. They are in the form of a scanned sheet on handwritten A4 paper. Almost totally old school.

From having no half marathons at all, Manchester suddenly has two. The Great Run organisation have announced that next year’s Manchester 10k will have a half marathon option. I bet Xtra Mile Events who are organising this year’s totally separate Manchester Half are a bit miffed. I plan to do their event if my body holds together that long.

Tonight it’s back to school with my main dog training restarting after the summer break. L visits her folks but goes early and returns early so we don’t get chance to meet up in the pub.

(Tuesday 6^th September)

The Ambience Of The Evening

The other day I was on about Nottingham having a separate Marathon and Birmingham have just announced that they will have one next year for the first time since 1985. It will be a separate race albeit on the same day as the existing half but in the morning with the half moving to the afternoon. It is being organised by Great Run as part of their new British Marathon Series which will see two other new UK marathons created. Could be a good one for my marathon début.

There’s always one of us in for physio, today its L’s turn. She been told not to run before the 12th May which is when her next appointment is. So, at her request, I charge her bike lights. This implies that she might be cycling and I guess needs must. What with Beat the Streets and all that. She does like a challenge.

There is no squash this week as there are no courts available. So I go to the gym instead. The velodrome now has a row of Watt Bikes outside the gym facing the track. So now you can watch the track cycling as you pedal statically but unfortunately now you have your back to the girls on the treadmills so you can’t watch them. Suppose you can’t have everything.

Yesterday was my birthday, today is MD's. He gets offered sausages, I didn’t. Not that I wanted some but it’s nice to be asked. In any case, I’m sure MD would have preferred to have a Chinese takeaway delivered. he likes the whole ambience of the evening. A bit of football, a bark at the delivery man, prawn crackers etc but we disappoint him by not ordering out. 

(Thursday 28^th April)