Wotcha people.
Welcome to my new blog thingy. If this is your first time looking at the junk I spout, click the wee link over there >>> on the right to get a butchers at my previous posts. There are a couple of product reviews in there which you may find helpful or not.
I will be blogging (hopefully) a little bit more often than I did in my last one, and with the Juneathon coming soon (yaay) I won't have a great deal of choice - daily bloggage is one of the requirements of the Juneathon.
Most of the blog will be about running, as this is what I tend to do most now, mainly in the hope of not turning back into a 16 stone lump of jelly. I shall also be chucking in my the odd match and competition review of my first sporting love - Table Tennis. There won't be much TT to start with as the season has finished and the only things coming up are the awards presentation night (which I get to pick up losers trophies) for the 2010-2011 season, and the D.D.T.T.A. Closed Championship, which I probably won't win but I will get to play some much better players, which is always a good thing. The comp is not till the 22nd of May so got a little while to go for that.
There will also be the odd post about my life in general, though not too many, unless it suddenly gets very interesting!
Back to running.
The more immediate future sees me (and wifey) running in the 30th edition (not sure if that is the correct word!) of the Oxford Town & Gown 10k on Sunday May 15th.
I have run this particular race a few times in the past, but I have always stopped running again straight after. Last year was different. I started running again properly in March with the aim of doing the T & G in under an hour, which I had done on all previous attempts, but this was going to be my first go smoke free and healthy(ish).
Training didn't go especially well, got myself some sort of strain in my leg due to running in the wrong shoes. A good chum of mine helped me out here by getting me to a proper running shop and getting me kitted out with proper shoes.
Anyway, long'un short, done the race, it was rubbish. When I say "it", I of course mean "I". I waited too long before the start to get to the start and started too close to the back of the field. Spent the whole run weaving and dodging people through the ever decreasing course in a time of 55 mins and something. Yes I know it was under the hour target but it could have been soo much quicker had I been a bit more selfish and not waited for my sister (her first T & G) to have a piddle before the start.
Anyway, since then I have done a few more 10k'ers, both races and just planned routes. I have got my P.B. down to 48:57. This is an unofficial time though as it was my watch time, the race was not chipped which is a shame, it was a very nice course though - a 10k through the grounds of Blenheim Palace. If you want scenic and pretty (and quite undulating) then this is the race for you. Organization still needs a bit of work though, but still an enjoyable race.
For this year's T & G I have (at very short notice) started a training programme to get me under the 45min barrier. It's quite intensive so I'm hoping my legs can handle the pounding, lots of speed and threshold work. It is not going especially brilliantly at the moment but then I wasn't expecting it to be nice. I lost GPS less than half way through my long run and then failed miserably when it came to a sprint session earlier in the week. Still, 2 weeks to nail it!! And now I know it's only 2 weeks to go, as my number arrived in the post this morning along with the strange little tie-on chip they use. I am number 893 if you happen to be in Oxford on the 15th watching the race. Orange singlet, black shorts and shades depending on the weather is what I shall be wearing.
