Bonk!

I recovered from that hard and horrendous event in Great Baddow and returned to my finely tuned Olympic training plan this week. Ernie wanted some new pliers so we went in the Transit and whilst he was negotiating a deal at Hire-Us I went for what was for me a very hard 3 mile sprint along the harbour path in Rye.

So that was a decent workout. Then, on Wednesday I popped along to Bexhill for the first of their summer 5K races and decimated the field by finishing the sea front course in 31.33 - impressive mange tout?

True to form though, the weekend was bound to end on a low - and low it was come yesterday evening Ronettes. I popped along to the Tillingham Valley where some of the older people from Hastings were due to run in the Rockabilly 5 Mile Race.

Was it a good idea to go there - question number 1

What do you think - see below:


Was it a good idea to go there - question number 2

No it bally well wasn't. I got out of Ernie's van to start my warm-up, sign a few autographs etc. Turned to get my pumps out of the van and Ernie had only gone and opened the van doors. I then proceeded to stot my head on the door.

What happened next? Well, there was an awful lot of blood. And, my friends, I can tell you it hurt. It hurt then. And it still hurts now. I should have gone to the hospital for a stitch but they had no private facilities and I wasn't queuing with ordinary people. To make matters worse though, the Half Share reckoned I've now got percussion - and I might need to take a couple of days off till it gets better. So that's put paid to what was going to be a surprise trip over to Caravan County for the Dover Half Marathon tomorrow morning.

And before you ask - yes, I to want to know where the Olympic back-up medical team were as well.

Keep on tapering.

Ron

Out of sight, out of mind? No chance.

Just a short note to tell you that I'm still here - and let me tell you, this kiddie is smoking!!

I've had a head-down attitude over the last four weeks putting in some miles. I bumped into some old people in Hastings and they've kindly let me use them as pace-laggers for my training runs. They're a kindly bunch, if you excuse the smell of stale beer and woodbines, but if I've helped them just half as much as they've helped me ... then they will have helped me twice as much as I've helped them.

Which I think is fair.

I've not done any racing since the start of the year - it doesn't do an Olympian much good to over-race, although I did make a couple of personal cameo-like appearances at a couple of races in Caravan County. I popped over to the Dartford 10 to see what was occurring and then on Sunday I signed a few autographs at the Ashford & District 10K where my old muckers Nice Work were trying to make a fist out of organising the race.

But my weekly sessions with the old people in Hastings has helped - none of that sea-front-shuffling-for-jessies stuff - I've been running up and down hills. As Amanda Holden would say "Yeah - hills".

I've been trying to build up my stamina and my mileage to get ready for that London Marathon thing in April. At the moment I'm a touch above my fighting weight - well more than a touch entre noo - but class is permanent and I'm confident I'll be in the top three come podium time. Can't wait to lock noses with my old mucker Paul Radcliffe again - that's if he can keep his iffy toilet habits in check that is!

Big day for me this Sunday though with my first half marathon for almost a year. I'm down Caravan County again doing a bit of tarmac dodging in the Dover Half Marathon. The Half Share is threatening to come along too - but if there's a breath of wind she'll no doubt want to stay sat in front of the box with her curlers, knitting and a box of Newberry Fruits if I know her. The step up in distance is a big one for me - I'm not expecting graet things either and if I finish in the top ten I'll be happy.

A week later and I'm the celebrity starter at another CC event - the Isle of Oxney Hot Soup 5 Mile Hot Soup Dash - well at least I'll get a bowl of soup out of it!! Then its up to London for a first time race in the capital since that fiend Livingstone got bounced out of the Great Unfinished City. If I can dodge the needles and dog pooh I'll be hoping I can win the Roding Valley Half Marathon - and then a week later its over to my spiritual home - Belgiumland.

We're there for the Ostend to Bruges 10 Mile Race - again with that bunch of gin-soaked has-beens from Nice Work (Christ, they're getting some mentions today!!). Its an event that I get invited to every year - its always flippin' parky, but there's always a nice beer awaiting!

As it happens I paid a flying vsisit to Belgiumland last week to see the fine burghers of Veurne. A sprightly place with more varieties of beer than there are people. Had such a good time I can't remmber a flippin' thing about it - apart from, that is, some beer called Guillotine.

Give me strength I muttered to the barman - and he did.

12% worth!!

Keep on tapering.

Ron