Uninspiring week, better weekend

Another week storms past with my head well and truly buried up to the ears in work.  Have managed to keep on top of my running training by running to work, and occasionally back home again.  This has the added benefit of allowing me to get my head together as well as adding more base miles.  Left (problem child) knee has been niggling as the mileage has built up, but have kept on this with plenty of stretching and icing.  Not posing too big a problem, but I know what a sneaky little bastard this sort of problem can be .... and I ain't going back there again!  Vigilance, as ever, is the watch word.

But now the weekend looms and it should be a good 'un.  Off to stay with friends in Petersfield, at the other end of the South Downs.  I am a big advocate of balance and harmony, and the more observant among you may have seen the Yin Yang tattoo at the top of my left arm.  This is the symbol of harmony in the universe.

To add relevance to this obvious hippie crap waffling - I will be pigging out on beer and a chinese on Saturday night.  This, of course, is naughty and wrong for all the good reasons.  Afterwards I will feel too full and my head will hurt long into Sunday afternoon.  This is because I have now turned 40 and have automatically forgotten how to drink many beers and dodge hangovers. To achieve balance and therefore smooth my way through the universe I will first enjoy a 14.5 mile trail run tomorrow morning.  This will take me from Cocking to Petersfield on the second half of the South Downs Trail Marathon route + a bit extra tacked on the end.  I have run this route before and it is fairly tough and will add nicely to the base conditioning, with a nice dollop of strength training thrown in for good measure.  Harting Down is the definite HIGH light of the run, looking more like a vertical wall!  Will this selfless act of running heroism save me from the inevitable hangover?  Well, lets be honest, no it won't, but it will make me feel better about myself and will help to convince me that - come September - I will deserve that lovely shiny M Dot medal.

All the runs I'm banking at the moment will serve me well on the Sussex Marathon which is going to be hilly.  After all the trail runs I'm doing I am feeling in good shape and am really looking forward to it.  Afterwards I will start to really focus on the cycling.

Until the next update - take care dear reader and get yourself out into the great outdoors.