New Races…

Due to travel and holidays I am going to be shy two races this summer. The London City Race and the Gunnersbury 10 cannot be run. Saying that, the latter is run by a small organisation around London parks and have pitiful bling and no chip timing. It was that organisation that ran the Bromley 10K I didn’t run in January. They and I are yet to cross paths despite me now being signed up for 2 of their events. And the City Race is a 5K. I wouldn’t be able to even get my pace right there. Although lots of people I know will be there.

And so I had to find alternative races and thus I have signed up for:

10K Orange Appeal Run – Greenwich Park – LONDON27/07/201309:30amGreenwich ParkGreenwichLondon

this looks fun as everyone dresses in orange. I still have the MS Society vest from the Royal Parks half so should be good to go with that one.

Yes, it does look like I am doing the hustle

And the:

Thames Meander Half Marathon 24/08/201309:30amMarymount International School George Road Kingston Upon Thames 

Which looks fun and is off-road, so something new for me. Sponsored by Hermes, the bling looks choice.

And, of course, I couldn’t help but sign up for the:

BUPA London 201426/05/2014

Books…

I have also bought some books, prompted mainly by the fact I now have 16 weeks until the Berlin Marathon and am not training as yet. Both books have training plans for different levels and both were purchased on a whim from Waterstones in Leadenhall Market the other day.

The first is by legend in her own time Paula Radcliffe. Now, I will review this properly in time but have so far read 3 chapters and this book bugs the hell out of me.

• The book starts with a lot of annoying babble about positive thinking and thinking of your life goals in the sort of a way that a highly paid Olympic champion on top of their game can think, but regular people like me (and maybe you, dear reader) cannot. Lots of psycho-nonsense that you see people posting on Twitter with stupidly inane positive thinking like “Today is another chance to make yourself proud.” Piss off. I wanna go all Grumpy Cat on this twaddle. All the self-affirming you want will not make you a better anything. Other than perhaps the best procrastinator in the world.

• It is clearly sponsored by the cult of Nike. Now I get Paula is sponsored by the giant tick. So it would be fair that she would be blathering on about all the Nike shoes she wears (which she does), and is wearing Nike in every picture from top to toe. However, all the other models, male and otherwise are also adorned with the tick. It put me off, annoyed me as, although I like the Nike shorts, their shoes did a number on me, and well, other than their dri fit under armour I couldn’t give less of a toss as to what top I am wearing. 

Mini rant over, I am onto chapter 3, or maybe 4, and we haven’t started talking about actually running yet. I am not a fan.

I also got

But I have not read it yet, so I should start. Not least because…

The Final Countdown to Berlin has begun – 16 weeks and counting…

I seemed to have skipped a year of my life. I mean, sure I have run 16 races from a position of having not run for 21 years. Sure I have another 10 to do. Sure I am a far better runner than I was, but am no where near as good as I want to be. Still, when I booked my place on the BMW Berlin Marathon 29th September 2013 it was a very long way away. Actually it was the 25th of October last year, after I had run the Amsterdam half whilst injured a week after the Royal Parks half. It is now 16 weeks and counting. I am already a month late in starting the 4 hour marathon in 20 weeks plan I printed off last month and didn’t follow. Still, I did make one decision.

Hydration…

I got this puppy. It is the 3 litre CamelBak Thermobak. It keeps the water cool, fits snugly, easy to use and does away with stopping, or spilling water all over myself from cups, or leaky bottles,or having to carry bottles. This, will take 20 mins off that time alone, and I love it.