“Oh, that’s right, Vyvyan. If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, smash the drawing room to pieces. That’s very Buddhist, isn’t it?”

Rick, The Young Ones

Monday 29th June – Today is one of those days where everything is a struggle. I think I’m tired, but not in the traditional sense of being tired. I don’t have heavy legs, I don’t feel like I need to have a sleep. I just feel like I properly can’t be arsed. It could be PTS from the Seagull attack. My blister is a bit sore but nothing a bit of strapping and stiff upper lip won’t solve. I do my weights session at lunch time and it really is an effort. The legs are fine, this one feels like a mental fatigue. It is much cooler this week, the air is fresher and it makes a massive difference. I do my Yoga for Runners in the evening and I’ve actually perked right up by then. I’m even happier later on when Japan score against Brazil – I’ve got a fiver on them at 50 to 1 to win the whole thing. Sadly, my dreams of super shoes are cruelly taken away when Brazil score the winner in injury time. Sons of a bitches.

Tuesday 30th June – I feel much better today, and my blister has popped overnight. Apologies if you’re eating breakfast. There is no club session tonight as the 5 Bridges Race is on. I’m therefore planning on going on around an 8 or 9 mile plod along the coast later on. It’s predicted to be a very pleasant 17c at around 6pm, but with a Thunderstorm warning. I’m frustrated about my blister and tape it up as a precaution. It’s warmer than I thought when I get out. The Storm clouds linger in the air but never block out the sun, which is giving off some heat. I turn on around 5 miles and am hit by a lush sea breeze that stays in my face all the way back. I do an accidental 10 miles, the last 5 of which were quite pleasurable. 

Wednesday 1st July – I have dilemma today. I am supposed to be running the Pie and Peas 10k. I’d hadn’t planned on doing this originally. It’s a great race, lovely course, but I didn’t want any ‘fast’ stuff during Marathon training. However, my mate wanted to do it and we signed up during a moment of weakness (I was pissed) in the pub a few months back. However, as England are now playing Congo at 5pm, he’s pulled out. I’ve been in two minds about. I probably shouldn’t have signed up for it, and it’s too late to Bib Transfer (they don’t seem to allow this anyway). However, I have spent £22 to enter it. Also, the England game *shouldn’t* be that important. If they can’t beat Congo in a Round of 32 game then they want shot with shit. That’s not me being a cocky Englishman, that’s me being a realist. In the end, I decide not to do it. It’s the sensible decision. I’m not going to do owt daft. I do feel a bit leggy in the morning, and I’ve got Thresholds to do tomorrow, so both of these sway my decision to a no. I feel bad as it’s a sell out and someone else could have had my number, and I’m not one for just not turning up for a race. I head out for a laboured easy 6 miler along the coast during my lunch hour. It’s a warm day and I’m more tired than a thought I would be, to the point that I take a Gel before heading out, which helps me push through. Maybe psychologically just as much as physically. I’m not complaining though. Welcome to Marathon training. It’s hard. It’s meant to be. England decide to be very Englandy and go behind early, before scoring late on twice. Which means their next match is 1am in the early hours of Monday. As I technically work in a Scottish Office, the chances of getting a late start on Monday have two hopes – Slim and Bob. And Bob is dead. 

Thursday 2nd July – This evenings Thresholds are surprisingly light – ‘only’ 6 x 1km. Thereforethe dread I usually have for this session is far less that usual. It’s a warm and surprisingly windy evening when I head across to the estate. After last weeks issue with my Sunday long run shoes giving me a slight blister, I’ve decided to switch up my footwear. The long run shoes didn’t give me stick until I went over around 12-14 ish miles. I’m therefore going to wear them on this Thursday session going forward, with the ones I usually have on will now be my Sunday long ones. A 10 minute warm up and only needing to do 6km, I should be over and done in no time. Despite this though, I find it tough. Because my head has mentally prepared itself for quick and easy, it’s anything but. I slog my way round, the last 3 are especially a ball ache, before getting back in the house for what feels like no earlier than usual. This was definitely another sign of the psychological fatigue I was feeling yesterday. Still, it’s all part of the process. Every Threshold session I complete is another win. So I’m winning. More importantly though, my running shoes didn’t give me any blister problems. Double win.

Friday 3rd July – Friday means hills. I do a weights session during my lunch hour then after work head out for the 4 miles easy with hill repeats. It’s still fairly warm but there is light rain in the air and it’s a nice change. The hills are getting harder, but I think it might just be one of those weeks where everything is feeling harder. I finish my 4 miles down on the Prom and spot a huge Seal near the shore doing some feeding. I watch it for a bit, enjoying the rain and it being a bit quieter than usual down here. That’ll be because it’s raining, so it’s only daft bastards like me hanging around.

Saturday 4th July – It’s rest day, which means Parkrun volunteering day. I’m helping with the funnel again and am joined this week by my niece, who is volunteering to gain credits for her Duke of Edinburgh Award. It all goes smoothly, no spitters, no pushers, no duckers. We do get a moment where the funnel grinds to a halt, by the looks of it because of an issue with the Tokens. However, it passes quickly and  it’s another successful piece of marshalling where I manage not to kill anyone. 

Sunday 5th July – It’s another 16 miler today, and I’m going to be attempting a slightly different route. It is a route I tried out earlier in the year, so I know it’s 16 miles and I know I can do it. I’m up early and out the door for 6:15am. I’m heading down to the sea front, but this time going North, rather than the usual South. So turning left, rather than right, when I get down there. It’s a pleasant morning, mile without being too warm, still windy but a warm wind. It’s amazing the difference between Winter and Summer wind. Even though it’s just as strong as the Winter stuff today, as it’s not cold it just doesn’t bother me. I hardly even notice it. It’s the same plan as always – try to stick to Marathon target pace. I’m a little apprehensive though after Blistergate last week. As mentioned, I’ve switched shoes for this one. My confidence was a little dented after last week, and I don’t want to find that suddenly long runs are making my feet sore, so that I have to fuck about and buy new ones. This run should let me know where I’m at with that. At around the 7.5 mile mark I hit Blyth and turn away from the coast and inland. I’m going to be following a long straight road for a couple of mile, before then heading into a very scenic off road track that will take me back South for a few mile. About half way down the track, I disturb a huge bird of prey that is sitting in the tree overhead and it swoops majestically in front of me, at eye level, for a few seconds, before flying off. It’s both amazing and I shit myself at the same time. I think it was a Buzzard. It was absolutely huge anyway. I’m now into civilisation, before getting back on the Wagonway which takes me the last 5k to home. The feet have survived and feel fine, so I’m going to settle on this shoe switch. In the evening, England are going to be playing at 1am. Christ. So I have a little nap in the afternoon and then an early night. I get up to watch them win a rather entertaining but no good for the nerves game 3-2, before getting to bed for around 4:30am. I’m sure I will not regret later Monday. Definitely not.

Mood: It’s Coming Home