Different Times

Not a single blog post in the whole of 2020.  Must have been a pretty dull year, don't think much happened....?

Actually, there was this.

You will no doubt recall where this blog left off in 2019, but let me refresh your memory and set the scene. It's mid December, I have a place in the London Marathon in April 2020, but training has given me a stress fracture in my foot, and by all popular advice I need to stop training for 6 to 8 weeks.

Fast forward to early Feb.  The fracture has healed, I really need to get going on picking up my plans again, but to no-one's surprise, least of all mine, I completely fail to inject any urgency whatsoever into my training. Actually, that's overstating it somewhat - I completely fail to train. Days and weeks roll by, and I keep a laser focus on the day that I'm going to start my training, that day being "tomorrow".  

Eventually, March arrives, and I'm forced to admit to myself that I'm in no fit state to run a marathon, or any other distance for that matter. I submit my withdrawal, and instantly the shame and regret rise inside of me. Shame that yet again I've been my own worst enemy, regret that I won't be there at one of the world's most recognisable sporting events, at least for another year anyway.

In the background, there's this little thing going on called COVID-19.  Maybe you've heard of it? Some guy has a little entanglement with a bat in some way and all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, jamming 40,000 people together on the streets of London isn't a good idea, so the mara is postponed until October. Suddenly, all bets are back on, withdrawals are withdrawn, and my destiny is in my own hands again. I mean, that's perfect, right?! Six months over the summer to train while we sort out this blasted virus and then we'll all have a jolly old time to celebrate the end of it while we skip around London. Lesson learned, never again will I let myself feel that shame and regret!

Pretty sure I don't need to tell you how that panned out on all fronts, but for the avoidance of doubt, COVID-19 forced the October event to also be abandoned. There was a "virtual marathon" to participate in so all that training didn't go to waste, but in any case I had done precisely sod all anyway so spent that day sat on my arse. What the f*** is wrong with me?

So here we are, January 1st, 2021. As always, this is not a resolution, things are already in motion anyway, but this just happened to be a time to consider what lies ahead, and just maybe writing some of it down will be a good idea.

What lies ahead?

Well there's that little rescheduled marathon, now October 2021, COVID-19 notwithstanding. However, before I get to that - inadvisedly, insensibly, comically almost, only just before, but you know, YOLO - there's the no-small-matter of walking half of the GR20, "Europe's Toughest Hike"(tm) through the beautiful Mediterranean island of Corsica. And before I get to that, I really need to shift some of the pounds that have re-accumulated in the intervening months and years.

Stay tuned.