Longest run so far

04/04/2012 - It's been a little over three weeks since my my completion of the Silverstone Half marathon and the running's been going as well I could expect. I've been gradually upping the mileage with my last run being a 15 mile jaunt. My plan is to do a couple of shorter runs and an 18 mile run this week; next week same thing but up the long run to 20 miles. Then I think I can fit in one more long run before I have to start tapering so if I'm very lucky I may get to 22 miles - maybe. I'm a bit worried as the 15 miler seemed damn hard to me. Thing now is to remain healthy - no injuries or picking up coughs and colds.

Taking no chances.

So it's all sort of going OK, I'm still well behind where I wanted to be by now but what can you do? I have been trying out a new run/walk strategy for the marathon as I can't see me running the whole thing with my current level of fitness. It seems to be working OK so far - fingers crossed. I've also been doing some additional fight training on a Tuesday evening, this time with my daughter coming along and giving it a go. Pretty good, hard training sessions.

Fight Club

Anyway having completed my longest run ever, the 15 miles, I decided to do the thing I've seen other runners like Eddie Izzard and John Bishop do on the telly - take an ice bath. Now here's the thing, I watched Eddie and his 43 marathons in 51 days and John Bishop do his 5 days of hell but I've decided next year for sporting relief someone needs to do something like 50 ice baths in 50 days - that would be a real challenge. Sod me I'd have rather gone out and done another 15 miles.

Not my feet.

There I am watching my feet turn blue as the agonizingly cold water performs the same trick David Copperfield did with that Jumbo jet and makes my genitals disappear. Except of course this time it's not an optical illusion, it's all actually gone; in 5 agonizing minutes I've reversed 35 years of adulthood and several years of puberty and have returned, at least physically, to a pre-pubescent state. By now I'm shaking uncontrollably as the cold eeks it's way into my body. Sipping a coffee does not help. How long am I supposed to stay in this hell? 20 minutes, 30, more? Damned if I can remember but after 5 minutes I've had enough. Thankfully everything seems to have returned to it's normal state, though my manhood (little Stu) is now treating me with some suspicion. I'm pretty sure I'll not be repeating that experiment again.

I decided I needed to get some tights for those times when it's too hot for my bagging leggings and too cold for shorts. I tried to decide which ones I wanted. I could get a cheap pair for about £12 or a nice set of compression ones for around £21. I asked my wife who responded with, "Get the good ones but don't wear them in daylight." Well they arrived promptly and as an unexpected bonus came paired with a free very large Sporting Direct mug. Perfect as I'd smashed my "big" mug at work a little while ago. So it was time to try them on.

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive.

Well my wife insisted on taking a photo, though she wanted top off but since she's always told me no I chose to do the same. Next I must admit that my wife an I can be a little evil at times and I want you to picture the scene. I've popped on the tights and my wife calls my teenage daughter out of her bedroom. She walks out to find me standing in the hall way wiggling my arse in her direction and saying repeatedly "It feels like I'm wearing nothing at all." Cue a scream and her rapid retreat back into her bedroom and that's the last we see of her for a while. OK so it's going to cost us in councilors in the future but we do it for her own good; by that I mean it makes us laugh.

EDIT: Just been out for a run in them and I must say I love them. So very comfortable. Even though I wore a pair of shorts over the top it still felt, apart from the lack of genital flappage, like I was running commando. For the first mile I kept checking that I was not on display to the world. Excellent. nike-pro-combat-core-tights

To show I can be a good parent here's a picture she painted of out cat Cleo who died not so long ago. She presented it to our neighbour who also loved Cleo and misses her.

Cleopatra