Bring on February

29/01/2010 - January, as I alluded to in my previous post, has been ... well .... crap. My wife eventually needed to have a tooth pulled, fortunately a molar at the back, to deal with the abscess in her jaw. My chesty cough was in fact a lung infection and I got told off by both my wife and the doctor for the 5 mile run I had completed earlier in the week - oops. So cue two rounds of antibiotics and though my lungs are a little clagged up I'm now clear of infection and allowed to run again - it's good to be alive.

Glad to be alive!

So today I went for a run. Four and a half miles at under 5mph. Impressive? No to be honest, but I was just so happy to be outside and running. Later I joined my karate class for a couple of hours training and while I found myself getting breathless quickly I managed to finish on my feet.

Not on my feet.

On the up side I repaired the ceiling in the kitchen after it was ripped down due to the water leak of the new year. On the down side I've still got to repaint the damn thing. January, and consequently 2012, has so far been a mixed bag. Even my daughter's not been immune to the ups and downs. Anyway she loves Benedict Cumberbatch and the BBC's Sherlock so she wrote a tune in his honor. I really like it and the fact that she composed it in January trumps everything else that's happened and makes January overall a good month. Though not as good as February - that's my birthday month :-).

Signs of the Apocalypse

15/01/2012 - Well all the signs of the Apocalypse are there to be seen. Christmas was great, so good I had no time but to do anything but have fun. It all started to unravel after the new year.

I had been picking up on my running and keeping it up over the Christmas break, even running on Christmas day, so I had high hopes for my progress in the new year. Then on January 3rd, my first day back at work, it's 06:00 am and I'm all suited and booted and about to leave when I hear, "Stuart there's a leak in the kitchen, waters pouring through the ceiling." Rushing in I see water not only dripping from the ceiling but running down the walls - bugger. So it's a quick change of clothes and the removal of anything that might get water damaged from the kitchen. We lost a couple of photo's which was a real shame but nothing too bad. So I set about removing a section of the false wooden ceiling and bashing out a couple of big holes in the plaster one above. A quick revels a mains water pipe has burst so I turn off the mains stop cock and leak stopped we have a bit of a cleanup.

A hole in the ceiling!!

Next thing I need to let work know I'm not going to be in and that I'll take it as a days holiday - great :-(.
I know I've got a bit of 15mm copper pipe kicking about so I dig out my plumbing gear at set about replacing the burst bit of pipe. Eventually the pipes replaced, that kitchens cleans and re-cleaned and we're just left with the nasty hole in the ceiling. As it's soaking up there I decide that it's best not to patch the hole for a few days to allow it all to dry out.

Next day it's back to work and I'm not feeling well. By the end of the day I'm wrecked so go home and pretty much go straight to bed and there I stay. I've got some sort of check infection and it knocks me off my feet until the following Monday when I decide to get myself back into work. I've not taken any time off sick as I worked from my bed though to be honest I really should have. One hour into work and I'm told to go home, I'm in a right state and no one, quite rightly, wants what I've got. So I'm back home, back in bed and feeling sorry for myself. I work from home the next day but by Wednesday decide I really need to be at work.

As I write this I still have a nasty cough and I can feel my chest bubbling but after nearly two weeks I'd had enough so this morning I went for a run. A slow five miles that I really enjoyed. Time will tell whether it comes back to bite me on the arse as my chest is not feeling great but sod it I really could not take doing nothing any longer. All good things come in threes and while I seem to be slowing recovering my wife's in agony with an abscess in her jaw. 2012 has started just how the Mayans predicted - sort of.

On a lighter note I was the official photographer at my karate associations Christmas party. We have a bit of fun training the juniors then we have presentations for new belts and end of year achievements - all good fun. My daughter is nicely surprised when she's presented with a lovely silk black belt, embroidered with her on one end and her nick name on the other.

So that's it for now and fingers crossed things start to get better in 2012 for us and I hurry up and get this chest infection cleared. I really need to be banging in the miles as it's only a couple of months till I do a marathon - eek.

p.s. I got a Kindle for Christmas and it's bloody great :-)

And it's booked.

08/12/11 - Well I've managed to get going running regularly after my operation and have been doing five mile runs without any issues so I'm happy. I now need to start addressing the training I'll need to do for the Milton Keynes Marathon next year. Speaking of marathons I've entered a team into the Adidas Thunder Run 2012.  This time our team, The Thunder ReRunners, will be a 5-man team and will feature the five men from the 2011 race.  Two reasons for this. One, everyone seemed to want to do a bit more next year. Two, the amazing Linda pulled out as she's organised her own team of ladies for the race. So we're all already excited as the 2011 race was without a shadow of a doubt the best I've ever competed in.

I've been given the all clear at the hospital so there's now nothing stopping me from getting back into full training. This is good news as, without the running and martial arts, I've been piling on the pounds. Even though I've been feeling a bit of a MR Blobby I did the 2011 Santa Dash at Hemel Hempstead. It's a 5k race for the Hospice of St Francis and just a fun event to take part in. I think I finished OK for a first race back finishing in about 25 minutes. Not great but as good as I could have expected. There was no one there to take my picture so below I've included a photo of me assaulting a rather large man for you amusement.

Perfect for a caption competition

Rome and Running

01/11/2011 - Finally after 8 weeks of zero exercise I did my first run Saturday 22nd October - a massive 1.89 miles. Rubbish. The hardest, slowest, shortest run I've completed in about two years. Oh well at least I'm back running and hopefully now I can start to drop the additional weight I've gained in the last two months.

Anyway before I can do another run I'm off to Rome for a week with my loving family - so at least I could expect plenty of walking. We flew out on the Sunday, nice smooth flight, and a couple of hours after take off we're landing in Rome. A short taxi ride later and we're settled into our, small, but perfectly formed hotel bedroom.

Small but nice.

Next morning and and after a lovely breakfast we're off for a day trotting around central Rome. We headed towards the Colosseum, admiring the various Roman ruins and the quite scrummy Italian ice creams. We go to the beautiful Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II and pay the 7 euro's each to take the glass lift to the roof. A silly price really but still stunning views across Rome and the Colosseum after which we took a slow stroll back to the hotel and a beer in the bar. 

View from the top.

Evening was spent in a smashing little restaurant full of eclectic charm. 

Waiting for wine

Tuesday was the day we'd booked a guided tour of the Colosseum but a quick look at the ticket and a scratch of the head I ask my wife why we'd booked the Spanish speaking tour. Arse. So it's another 10 euros each to transfer to the English speaking tour guide - yet more money. You do get a little fed-up paying to get into almost everything when the museums etc are all free at home. Anyway the tour was good and the Colosseum quite stunning and well worth the visit. The trip back to the hotel surprisingly, by surprisingly I mean we went there deliberately, took us past the place with the amazing ice creams so we could not walk on by without loading up a three scoop cone.

The evening was spent in a very popular little restaurant which was recommended in our guide book - it was pretty shit - it was busy, distinctly average food and forgetful service. Here's the thing, the general standard of food in Rome was distinctly average.  You'd be forgiven for expecting the pasta and pizza's to be top notch but it's just not. The overriding word that springs to mind is "bland". I love Italian food, I've had some lovely pasta in some of the Italian restaurants in Bedford etc but not a single one in the week I was in Rome. 

Looking for food.

Wednesday was a day of bus hopping around Rome and visiting the sites.  First on the list was the Vatican. We'd bought a days ticket to ride the open top buses and with this you get a set of headphones that you can plug into sockets next to your seat and listen to a narration of the sites you're driving past. So we traveled and listened until we reached the Vatican. As expected it was very busy and full of nuns and priests and rather impressive.  We purchased a sandwich a drink, in my case a beer - something that surprised my wife, from a mobile food place and settled down for brunch.

Busy, busy, busy

Food and drink consumed we continued on our we doing a bit of tourist shopping on the way. I really wanted a bobble head pope but the prices were a bit too high so I had to consul myself with a nice ring instead.  It's silver with the cross and the Lords prayer engraved round it. My wife felt it was an odd choice for an atheist to chose but I liked it for it's own sake bit like religious art you don't have to be religious to appreciate it. Not that this ring was fine art, at ten euros my wife expects it to turn my finger green. 

Stopping at a cafe.

We then visited a castle and generally bummed around Rome for the day, visiting the Trevi Fountain, museums etc on our quests to see as much of Rome as we could.

Some statues in some museum

Interestingly the Trevi Fountain is stunning but if you're expecting it to be sitting in an impression plaza you're in for a disappointment. It's hidden away down some small alleyways in a small and crowded little square.

Trevi Fountain - watch your bags !!

Thursday it was a very early start as we had book to travel to Pompeii; a three hour journey by coach. The journey was broken up by a stop for a coffee, the standard visit to a craft producer and a quick stop in Naples.

Naples, it was alright I guess.

It's quite impressive standing in Naples and seeing Mount Vesuvius in the background and knowing that we were heading to Pompeii; a town destroyed by the volcano in 79AD. Anyway off to Pompeii and our first task once we arrived was to grab some lunch.  Pompeii is still lived in today and due to tourist is quite busy.

In newer Pompeii

After lunch we set off into the old city of Pompeii, home to around 25,000 people at the time of the eruption that buried it for many centuries.  First thing that shocked me was how large it was. I had this idea in my head that it was a small village but in fact it was a large Roman town - thriving and quite beautiful.

Amphitheatre Pompeii

We spent two hours on a guided tour around Pompeii and only saw a fraction of it. It really is an amazing place; from the grand buildings and marble pillars to the small domestic dwellings and the city's brothel - still adorned with rather naughty pictures on the walls. While walking around Pompeii you are taken in by both it's beauty and it's familiarity, so much of it you can relate to and recognise as not being out of place in ones own towns and citys. Welcome signs at the front doors, the shops, the public swimming baths, lead piping etc. Then you remember what befell the residence and this is brought into stark focus when you see the plaster cast of the people who perished. Inside each of these is the remains of a Pompeii resident cast forever in their dying pose. Quite moving even in the hubbub of the milling tourists. One can't help but wish that they were put somewhere better that the shelves of the storage areas or in the glass cabinets in dark corners.

Then the long couch trip back to Rome arriving back at 9pm very tired and hungry. So we hit the local Mc Donalds and ordered for England. Excellent day. Friday we spent the day prior to flying home chilling around Rome and enjoying a HUGE beer at one of Rome's many bar/cafe's. Then the flight home which was delayed because one of the planes tyres went flat just as we were about to take off which meant sitting on the plane for a couple of hours while the tyre was replaced. Still all in all an excellent trip away.

It's been a little while.

13/10/2011 - Well I know it's been a while since I last posted but I've been recuperating and not doing much else.  Good news is that the surgery to the ear seems to have worked OK and I'll be back running this coming Saturday.  Still not able to partake of the old Martial Arts for a while yet but still.  It's probably going to be tough running again after a six week lay off but I'll try for a five mile jaunt to warm me up.  Then I need to seriously start planning for next years Milton Keynes Marathon.

So what's been happening since my last post then?  Well for me not a lot other than being busy back at work which is why I've been rather neglectful of this blog.  The last few weeks have finally seen the end of an era for me though as I have sold my motorbike.  I've been a bit down about that ever since but it had to go.  Chap who bought it said it was "a beaut, and looked and sounded great". So here's hoping someone nice gets it and looks after the old girl.

My lovely ZXR - now no longer mine :-(

Oh, it was my daughter's 16th birthday and what a lovely birthday it was.  We took her and some of her friends ten pin bowling after which a limo took them all in style to a restaurant where they had a lovely meal. From there it was back home where we'd set-up a marque in the rear garden which tents inside for sleeping, food and drink if wanted, and a cinema area for them to relax and watch films until they had had enough.

Sweet sixteen

The cake my wife made was a big success with the girls and the waitress at the restaurant.

Though I personally I feel it was my addition of a icing sugar zombie, created by my own hands I might add, breaking out from the side of the cake that finished it off nicely.

I call him Benedict.

So that's it; I promise to be a little more active in keeping this up to date from now on now that I'm starting my training again.  Oh and I'm off to Rome soon so that'll hopefully give me something to blog about :-).

TTFN.

The Six Million Dollar Man

14/09/2011 - Well as I mentioned in my previous post I underwent surgery to try and restore hearing to my left ear.  As the surgeon had no idea what he'd find when he took a look there was no guarantees that he'd be able to do anything.  At the very least though he'd patch up the perforation in the ear drum.   So off to the Pinehill Hospital I went and got booked into my nice room with LCD TV, my own bathroom with shower and comfy bed.  I must say it was nice going private.  Any way the operation was uneventful in that I came too, head heavily bandaged and taken back to my room to wake fully.  Later that evening after the evening meal (one nice thing is you get a very nice pot of filter coffee and biscuits whenever you want them) the consultant came round and said that he'd repaired the ear replacing one of the bones with a tiny "piston".  Only time would show if and by how much my hearing had been improved.

After op, trying to eat a meal, wife's there with camera.

So a week and a half later and I'm back in the hospital having the packing removed from the ear and for the first time in 14 years I can hear in stereo again.  It's amazing.  The hearing is slightly less than the right but it's only marginal and the difference to my overall hearing is stunning.  I am over the moon and I'll be treating myslef to a couple of music CD's as I all but stopped buying music because of the hearing loss.

It's also nice not to be wearing the dressing anymore.  Though the bandage came off the day after the operation the ear had dressing on which my wife would replace when required. Unfortunately she would get a little carried away with the adhesive tape.  Just a good job the duct tape was hidden away.

The only downside is that I can't do any running for a while.  I need to ensure that not only does the ear dqrum properly heal but that the piston does not slip until it's fully integrated.  So I'm going to be off running for about six weeks and no martial arts for a few months (the consultant was keen for me to avoid being punched in the head for a while).  So I'm hoping to be running again by December and probably have to leave my martial arts till next year.  It'll be tough as I'm already itching to do something - oh well perhaps an enforced lay off is a good thing for the body.  Especially as I'll be training for the Milton Keynes marathon in May next year.

Running up to my operation

24/08/2011 - First I'd like to congratulate one of the TR24 team, Stephen Wright, who at the weekend completed his challenge of "Running the Tube Lines" - something in the region of 400 miles.  His blog is well worth a read.  Here's the video of him completing the final leg:

This was an amazing achievement and the charity he did the running for was also the one we ran for at the TR24 so please if you've not already sponsor him for this (and us/me the TR24 team for our much smaller efforts) via Stephens page:  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/

So how's the running going I hear you mumble out of politeness.  Well pretty well as it goes.  I've been upping the mileage each week and in contrast in my normal way of training actually been adding a bit more speed to the odd run.  It's going to be hard when I have to stop for a couple of weeks after I have the ear operation but that's life.  Probably the bigger issue is the martial arts as I've yet to ask how long I need to stop training for.  Running's one thing, being hit in the heads another :-).  Mind you a break from all forms of physical exertion for a few weeks may be just what my body needs.  Got a fair few hurty bits though the worst is the left shoulder/collarbone area which has been bugging me for months. In truth I may need to see an osteopath but well see how it is after a rest.  Worst thing is I've lost a lot of strength from the left arm as a consequence so punches off the left arm are not so good.  This sort of thing does not help lol (I'm the pad holder):

Sadly for me canceling my participation in the Swinesheads 10 miler was a bit of a downer.  I really enjoyed that race and was hoping to really make a big inroad into my personal best.  Bit embarrassing as well since I talked a number of guys I work with to do it with me but I may be able to wave from the side of the road.

Once the operations done and I'm recovered I'll need to dig out a training plan for the marathon next year.  Not that I'll follow it but still best to have one all the same. Lots of winter running to be done and no other races planned this year so motivation is going to be key.  I may see if there's something local I can run in November/December - thinking about it there is the Santa Run in December which is always fun.  Also I will lose some weight - a stone will be about right.  The thought of running a 26 miles seem a lot more achievable a stone lighter.

p.s. Running last week I managed to kick a dog into a hedge.  I was running along when a chap with two little snappy dog things off the lead came into view walking down the side of the field to my left.  As I passed one the the dog shot across at me straight at my legs. Before I could react, I was going downhill so at a reasonable pace, my right leg connected and off the little blighter went sailing into the hedge at my right side.  Decided not to break stride as the little and rather dejected doggy exited the hedge to have it's morning ruined even more by a telling off from it's owner.

Don't forget please sponsor Stephen if you can it's for a very good cause. Thanks :-)