Recognition

L’s sister's 50th birthday is coming up and L asks if I have any ideas what she can get her. She could buy her another race entry... something to take her mind off the Brighton Marathon perhaps but then she says her sister has a downer on running at the moment. Not that I know of any runners who don’t have a downer on running and she did apparently get up at 5:30am to do 10 miles one morning this week, followed by a sports massage. That’s not my sort of downer.  

According to the BBC, and yes I know no one believes anything on the BBC anymore, running a marathon is a really positive thing and cuts 'artery age by four years'. Researchers tested 138 novice runners attempting the London Marathon. Firstly 138 isn’t very many, secondly as we are not 'novice' runners does this apply to us or, at our age, is artery age overshadowed by all the battered muscles and joints anyway.

I cycle to work on Tuesday and dodge the rain, which comes later and stops me getting out for lunch causing me to open the Maltesers in my drawer. L is at Run Club in the evening, which is why it’s raining. It always rains on her Run Club night. I’m at Dog training.

After my Robin Hood card packed up last week, now my Mango card follows suit on Wednesday. I’ve always suspected that the cards from the two rival companies would attempt to sabotage each other at some point.

The really annoying thing was that, for once, I had actually managed to catch the earlier bus and so I would have been on time for work had this not happened... but I had to go to their office to get a new one.

In the evening Daughter comes round for some role play, this is for her latest Police interview.  

On Thursday both L and I run. We’re both aiming to run 10. L goes for 10k, I go for 10 miles and we compare notes later.

Then, as it’s the 2^nd Friday in January, it must be time for my biannual haircut. L won’t recognise me. Meanwhile L is in the gym doing a ‘strengthening workout for marathon runners’. She says I won't recognise her. 

(Friday 10^th January)

Mr Badger

I have received a rather generous £36 of free bus tickets in the post. This is an offer being run by Derby City Council and Sustrans. It’s all very odd, as Derby City Council are always pleading poverty and shutting things, yet here they are giving away money. Whereas I thought Sustrans main focus was encouraging cycling but here they are handing out bus tickets.

As it happens I probably won’t be on the bus at all this week as I’ll be cycling most days, so the £16 for the Arriva Derby buses which is only valid this week will go to waste but the £20 on a Trent Barton Mango card can be used any time and will most certainly get used. Again though it is the already converted, like me, who are mopping up these generous offers.

Cycling was a bit interesting today as three sets of traffic lights were out in Sandiacre and Stapleford, meaning the traffic was utter chaos but thankfully they are fixed by the time I cycle home.

Back home I set about building some badger barricades to stop Mr Badger digging holes in the lawn. I have enough problems with Mr Dog and his associate digging holes in the lawn without them having outside help. The back fence has now been repaired and I have put a big redundant fence post under the side gate in case he tries to squeeze under there. 

(Tuesday 24^th May)

Subtle Pressure Fails

The ructions from the great Loughborough Half Marathon rejection rumble on. I try and exert a bit of gentle pressure on the organisers by email. I imagine there’s a pretty high chance of a place coming up but can we afford to risk it by waiting and end up, horror of horrors, with a weekend off. The obvious way of ensuring a place is probably by entering something else on the same day, then for sure we'll be offered a place in Loughborough.

When the subtle pressure doesn’t work... stuff 'em... I ask to have our names taken off the waiting list and we enter Stafford instead.

It’s further to go but L assures me it was a good t-shirt last year. How does she know that? I don’t remember running it... but then there’s a lot things I don’t remember these days. She’s says she’s seen loads of people wearing them, that’s ok then.

It’s also not far from Leek and that was a hilly b****rd. It does say ‘incorporating two steady climbs’ on the info. I will so look forward to it.

I run from work and run a bit further than last week but I’m not sure how far as my GPS packs up. I’m guessing around 16k, 10 miles. I’m almost at Bramcote when it dawns on me that if I go much further it will become rather pointless getting the bus for only another couple of miles. So I stop there and then, at least making it worth getting the Mango card out. I’m also not sure I’ve got another three miles in me.

I get home and then, as instructed, shove L out of the door for hers.

(Wednesday 18th January)