Doing the best that I can, at writing, running and living
You know that you have really let yourself go when you see a thin layer of dust on the top of your running shoes, and have a sports kit drawer that’s bulging because there are zero clothes in the washing basket, or drying on the line. There are twenty one days, including today, until the… Continue reading Running … again
Day One of trying to get my running mojo back. This is a very quick blog. Quick for me anyway. I’m writing it to make myself accountable to myself. It doesn’t always work that if I say I’m going to do something, I do it. But you have to try everything. I haven’t fallen out… Continue reading Dragging Myself Out of Homer-Mode
The moon is full tonight. By rights, if I am in concert with the supposed characteristics of its phases, I should be at the zenith of my activity, yet the last couple of weeks has seen a distinctive waning in my activities. I had wanted to make November my kick-starting month, because of NaNoWriMo, to… Continue reading Waning Energies
‘Welcome to Skem’, a marshal called out with a smile, as she braved standing in the pouring rain, close enough to being spattered by large globules of mud churned up by mad people. Indeed. This part of Skelmersdale would actually have looked rather nice on a warm dry day with the sun on your back.… Continue reading Beacon Park XC Race
It’s a misty autumn morning and I’m getting out for my first long run since the Yorkshire Marathon, just under two weeks ago. There’s hardly any wind and I’ve picked a route that isn’t too hilly, which is good because I’m attempting to keep my heart beating at around the 135 mark. Ever since I… Continue reading Zone 2 Training
It’s always hard to (kind of) reach your goals for the year and then wonder what to do with yourself for the last few months. Having been here before, I knew that I was liable to have a little unfocused slump, so I've made a (sort of) plan. Kind of? Sort of? What’s all this… Continue reading One Week On
My two marathons to celebrate turning 50 are now complete. I got to the end of the Yorkshire Marathon this Sunday in a small PB of 5:18:29, and more importantly perhaps, an actual negative split. I’ve never before had the second half go faster than the first thirteen miles. Granted, those first miles were quite… Continue reading Yorkshire Marathon 2023
My number for Yorkshire came through in the post yesterday morning. Nervous much? Absolutely. I just have to remember; to repeat the mantra: ‘trust the process’. I may or may not have a good race in less than two weeks’ time but I have had a fairly consistent twelve-week block of training, and am now… Continue reading Yorkshire MT – Week 13
Forgive me Father. It’s been weeks, something like three in total, since my last blog. I’ve barely got time to squeeze this one in, never mind saying any Hail Marys or what have you. It seems to be scarecrow season in the neighbourhood. My Creative Writing MA with the Open University has finally come to… Continue reading Yorkshire Marathon – Weeks 10/11/12
Ferns against a stone wall in the foreground, with an open field and then trees and further fields beyond. Above a blue sky streaked with white plane lines, and the occasional wispy cloud.
theleadlesspencil 