So another week under the belt. The new weights programme is a killer but despite the added aches and pains there have still been a few PBs so feeling strong and almost ready to go, which is handy seeing as there's only five weeks left before the first marathon!
Thankfully this weekend I'm home visiting the family and the change of scenery is helping to break up the monotony of the long weekend runs. It's amazing how different running is up here. Here's a couple of things I noticed on my 14 miler this morning.
1. Fresh air! Lung nectar!
2. Everyone, and I mean everyone says good morning! Living in London it's hard not to be suspicious!
3. There's open space up here! In fact some of the roads are so open that it made me realize how bad my eyesight is! I managed to mistake a bin for a cyclist leaning against a lamp post and a kid on a scooter for an old man with a very bad limp :-)
Unfortunately I also need to make a revision to the list of "modes of transport that shouldn't be called modes of transport because they're slower than me running"that I made while running a few weeks back. It turns out that fat kids on scooters are in fact faster than me. Marginally, but yes, faster none the less! I gave him a good race, definitely had him looking over his shoulder a couple of times but alas gravity lent a helping hand and he got away from me on the down hill.
Before I move on to complete part deux of my marathon fact file I'd like to take a moment to warn all of you who spend time in and around the Canary Wharf area. Last Saturday I met Euan in Canary Wharf to head down to The Gun to watch the Scotland/Ireland rugby match. On the way we came across a dead pigeon. As you know I've had more than a few "run ins" with pigeons over the last few weeks while training so it seemed strange to see yet another dead pigeon. However, this is where things get a little spooky! On the way back from the pub (and I will admit this was after a few Guinesses (or is it Guini?)) the pigeon had moved! Putting two and two together (and possibly getting three hunder and seventy nine) I can only assume that there's some kind of zombie pigeon epidemic slowly working it's way through the capital! Stay alert out there people!
Anyway...on to more important matters...
27th May - Edinburgh Marathon
A marathon that I'm very much looking forward too, mainly because it's a great excuse to visit Seb & Ellie. I ran Edinburgh last year and it seems like a great PB course, with the exception of the Scottish weather. As usual, every season in one day but winter decided to wait for the last eight miles so that it could make life just a little more difficult to finish the last of three marathons in three weeks. Even the winner had to stop for a rest! Let's hope for better weather this time around!
Fun fact about Edinburgh, it has the same nickname as my Dad, Auld Reekie!
3rd June - Pilatrail des Trois Dents (France)
Thankfully I obtained a more respectable D at GCSE French so this one should be pas de problème. Bonnet de douche? Oui! Au contraire? Mange tout, mange tout! Apres moi la deluge, plume de ma tante et allemagne dix points! Mon dieu! Del Boy has taught me well!
10th June - South Downs Marathon
No idea where this is but I've heard there are lots of chalk hills! Oh dear! I do however know that there is exactly 5728ft of climbing involved! Oh dear oh dear! To put that in perspective for you, that's 954.66666667 fathoms, 5,558.4030564 fods, 17,184 hands (non-equine), 0.36161855841 UK leagues, 3,335 Royal Egyptian cubit or 74824.045715 Vietnamese Dong! Glad we set that one straight!
17th June - Maraisthon Marathon (France)
Oui! De nouveau à la France :-S
Some fun facts about France...
1. There is a Victor Hugo street in every town in France. Fair enough I guess!
2. It's illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France. Just common sense really!
3. On French radio between 8am to 8pm, music must be by French artists. If it wasn't a law I'm sure they'd do it anyway, best music in the world!
4. In 1386, a pig was hung in France for the murder of a child. Naughty piggy wiggy!
5. The ministry of health once tried to promote milk as the national drink of France. Hmmm, not sure why that didn't work! The French do love their lait!
24th June - Big Five Marathon (South Africa)
Without a doubt the icing on the cake. Not only the last of the ten marathons but by far the most enjoyable and probably the biggest challenge. I've heard that this one is harder than Comrads - the notorious 88 km race in South Africa. A marathon that's tougher than a double marathon, hmmmm, should be interesting, especially with nine marathons in the legs already! However, according to the official website "In return for The Big Five Marathon’s toughness, you get truly magnificent scenery and the chance to run with zebras, giraffes and antelopes and through the territory of a pack of lions". Can't wait!
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