Consoling The Inconsolable

With no race on Sunday we need to get out to do some training. I'm always happy to take the Lad with me but MD isn’t up to the distance we want to do and nor probably are L’s knees if she was to run with him. The problem is we can’t leave him at home.

Attempting to console an inconsolable howling MD whilst the Lad is taken for a run is a difficult enough task but if there’s no one there to placate him, who knows how long he’ll howl for. The full two hours? Or does he stop once we’re out of earshot, put the kettle on and chill out for a couple of hours?

So we all head off in the car, drive to Elvaston Castle and leave MD in his box. He seems happy with that. We then do half marathon distance with the Lad, running out along the river past Pride Park to the edge of town and then back through Spondon and Borrowash. L does a bit less than the Lad and I due to us doing loops up a few side streets whenever we get ahead. We then do an extra small loop with MD, so that he gets to feel part of it.

Then after visiting my folks we stay in, finishing off the tub of Blue Monkey.

On Monday L is out in Derby leaving the boys and I to have fun in the mud at home. On Tuesday Daughter comes around for a run with L and then we do some more angry-shopper role play.

Wednesday sees me on the bike, despite the threat of Brendan but thankfully that particular storm seems to have passed over now. In the evening it’s dog training and then Thursday is run day for which it’s still a tad windy but hopefully blowing in the right direction to power me along. I keep it to just 9k this week as we have a 15 miler on Sunday.

Then on Friday I have an appointment with my torturer for a sports massage.

(Friday 17th January)

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)

Ninety Minutes And A Discount

I’m on the bike and L’s in the pool. So ‘projects’ going well, sort of.

My computer is up and running or rather crawling. It’s working but it’s slow. I left it on overnight as I didn’t dare turn it off in case it wouldn’t come back on after I finally got it to start up yesterday.

L says the technical term is ‘lagging’. Not around here, the technical term they use here begins with an F.

I have booked a sports massage tonight with one of L’s ‘other’ men. He comes to the house and gives me a good pasting for almost ninety minutes then gives me a discount off the price, so I think he must have enjoyed it.

My squash/tennis opponent asks if I’m excited about Transfer Deadline Day. Ha ha. Only if Derby have a fire sale of all the dross we have but I can’t see it happening. We definitely don’t want any more signings.

(Thursday 31^st August)

A Moment To Savour

L’s been for a sports massage, which was a present from some friends for her birthday. Odd choice of gift I know. It was also an hour long and I bet every minute hurt. The ten minute post-race ones I usually have are painful enough. Somebody digging their thumbs into a lump that wasn’t there 13.1 miles ago is always a moment to savour.

L’s confirms it was horrible but it's sorted out the bad back she didn't know she had before she walked in. It was so horrible, she’s booked another. When you consider that the masseur, or should we call them a sports therapist, was a twenty-something 6ft Italian girl with boots and a ponytail, I can see why I’d rebook.

Well, I thought I was having quite a good morning until heard about L’s.

After work I run to my parents’ house to spend the evening installing my Dad’s new PC and wireless router. L drops off the dogs to keep my Dad occupied and distracted, while I work. Then she picks us up again on the way home from her own parents. I achieved most of what I set out to do although I don’t manage to extract his files off his old machine and will have to do that at home.

(Tuesday 25th September)