Up the Downs

Bonsoir!!

Or, as Bobby Davro would say 'Nice to see you'.

I've been rather pre occupied watching the old World Cup over the last couple of weeks and like the rest of you have had to put up with the embarrassment of watching a bunch of overpaid pansies masquerading as footballers. I almost got out my dubbin and started practising keepy-uppy with my casey on the off chance I got a call up. And I tell you this m uch Ronnettes, this kiddie couldn't have done any worse than that bunch of jessies. It just goes to show that, yours truly excepted, what a dearth of sporting talent we have in this otherwise fine country of ours.

It has made decent watching though and its good to see another bit of the Empire getting a sniff of the big sporting action – makes you proud to be a Brit and just goes to show that the old saying about the custard never setting in the British Empire is true.

But being distracted with what's been going on in Africaland has put the brakes on a promising international sporting career for a short time. A couple of weeks sat sitting drinking beer and watching football with ne'er but a pie to keep me company has meant that I've had precious little time for pounding the streets.

I did have a little jaunt out a couple of weeks ago when the Half Share said she'd get me out of the armchair by taking me for a little jog. She only took me to Caravan County to do something called the North Down Run.

Right. Note to organisers.

There are a couple of things wrong with this thing. First of all its not a North Down Run – its a North Up Run. I've never been up so many bally hills. The race is all off road along and through what those in the know call the North Downs Way. Thats just a fancy, posh name for a shockingly hilly excuse for a bad joke. Secondly ... its a long way. Over 30 kilograms in fact. Thats a tad in the region of 18 miles.

As a consequence it took me and the Half Share more than 4 hours 40 minutes to finish the damn thing – it was though a BP. Its the first time we'd actually tun together for some time ... and oh dear, what a msiatke that tuned out to be. Talk about rabbit. I mean I didn't moan when she kept stopping to do her hair or find something in her handbag or put a bit more lippy on did I? Talk about stroppy. She doesn't seem to understand that I'm a highly tuned athlete and I need to keep to the training schedule that fits my physique, mental state and body clock. So I was in no real hurry on this particular day. She, though, had other ideas. Furthermore I did think some of her comments particularly hurtful. “Its not rocket science you just put one foot in front of the other and run” is hardly encouraging at the 29 kilograms mark is it?

Anyway you'll not be surprised to hear that that experience kind of put me off pounding the pavements for a couple of weeks. I have though got myself into gear this week and I've been down to my local Jim to do a few workout things. The next big event on my agenda is the Dartford Half Marathon next week so I need to get mind and body fresh for that challenge.
A week of living like a nun might help.

Keep on tapering.

Ron