Girls Aloud - Biology

Amazing thing the old body and it's remarkable just how it fixes itself so quickly... my ligament damage in my back has nearly gone today and no doubt I will be fixed enough to get me round 45 miles on Saturday in the Brecon Beacons.

To say it's been a pain is an understatement and I got to the point today when I had enough and moved on, back willing or not.

Mind over matter is the motto and if you don't mind then it doesn't matter they say... well we'll find out over this weekend eh?

Ten days of non-exercise is really annoying if your body is used to getting a daily helping of endorphins. Tomorrow's trip to ARAF will help focus the mind I am sure and more from there tomorrrow... now where's my red and white scarf?

Why? - Annie Lennox

Hmmm, no prizes for guessing why I used this song title.... WHY is it that no matter what I do my feet still fall apart at even the sniff of an ultra?! These are (embarrassingly) my feet today - the toenails on my toe next to my big toe are about to come off on both feet with nothing but blood blisters underneath them. More worrying, both of my big toenails are also on their way out - that nice red stuff on my left foot is juice weeping from my big toe as I have just stuck a pin underneath the nail. I have 10 blood blisters and all in all, they are very manky indeed. So what next....?

Well this is a result of a 3-day 82-mile Ultra. I had an idea on Day 2 (too late to save the damage already done but a thought for next time)... I took out the insole in my trainers and I think this would have helped. I have a feeling I am curling my toes upwards and they are hitting the roof of the trainer. So from now on I am going to try have a size smaller (to stop them bashing the end of the shoe) and take out the insole. I have also restarted a course of foot-dipping - this time in very salty water to harden them up.

Watch this space - if you can stomach it...

I must say though, all of this is self-inflicted - poor Rory stood cheerfully at checkpoints for the whole 3 days and his back has gone as a result of standing around and stretching the ligaments in his back - how ironic, and I am feeling more than a little guilty since he was keen to run too... sorry Rorz xxx

John Miles - Slow Down

I think Jenny will have to hide my shoes at this rate... as I am officially the worst patient EVER! Worst of all is that I know I am and that she is fighting a losing battle trying getting me to slow down. She's doing a sterling job really and is not remarking too often at my strange 'list to port' that my back has given me. I really HATE being ill...

That said... it's been a good day. I haven't strayed far of course as I have been a busy boy catching up on all those horror jobs, I set to one side.

The pain management is coing via a cocktail of drugs that would stop a charging elephant in it's tracks and would be worth a few quid on the streets of Nottingham I'm sure. Nevertheless, I could play football as well as England are tonight on my own without a Zimmerframe... shameful is a word that comes to mind when I think of being proud to represent your country at a sport AND get paid bucketloads to do so. What a bunch of No-Hopers...

Anyway, more tomorrow from a less sickbed I hope and I will be talking about the 'Rise of the ULTRA-marathon'... now where are my footie boots it's nearly half-time in the match and I might be called on to liven up the second half... 'Nurse, Boots and more Drugs please, I'm on!'

ACDC - (You) Shook me all night long

Well good news for me is that I have buggered up a ligament in my back that attaches to L4 and L5 in my lower back and have over extended it probably over the weekend by standing around lots! My Osteopath, Vaughan Cooper didn't take long to figure that one out and turned me inside out it felt on the old slab...


It f**king hurt, I know that...


It didn't hurt so much when I got the Diazepam down and hit the deck this afternoon like a 747 hitting the tarmac without it's gear down. Good job Jenny woke me up at 1800hrs or I would have been there all night long...


Not quite sure now what will happen this week as I am now super crocked for the weekend...


Ho Hum...

Body and Soul - Coleman Hawkins

After a weekend of no exercise, I was somewhat bemused when I trapped a nerve in my back this morning and aged 50 years in a nano-second. Regulars will know in the past my L4/5 in my lower back is a right bugger and stops me dead in my tracks. I think a trip to Doc Martyn for some 'Very Happy Pills' is on the cards tomorrow!

What with me bent over and Jenny walking most strangely following her weekends 82 miles on mushed feet we looked a right pair earlier on walking in town.

My aim is to be back fit and ready for the weekend, so watch this space. Hopefully some mind bending drugs will put me back on the path...

Now, where's my Zimmerframe?

One Year Later - (Original Ukulele Song)

Well what a funny old weekend of rain, running and romping over the Ridgeway! Only I didn't really do much of anything apart from get rained on... I saw a lot of running, ate a lot of checkpoint food but throughly enjoyed meeting all the runners on Neil Thubron's, Druids Challenge event.

Feedback was that lots of the runners had enjoyed my after dinner slot, last night but then if I can't talk about ULTRAs and ULTRArunning to ULTRArunners, then I had better pack up. I am of course open to offers for any after dinner gig you might have in mind :-) so just contact my tour manager, Jan Slater.

Moving on swiftly, and I am going to have to train off all the cake excess and get ready for next weekend's 45 miler...

No peace for the wicked and well done to anyone who competed this weekend... remember to Train and Think as a Champion.

More tomorrow...

Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles

Well that's two days completed of crewing on the Druid's Challenge and another great insight into what makes people tick in 'Our World'. Seeing the lead athletes batter thru Checkpoint 2 today made me realise once again just how much I have to re-commit myself to this running lark.

The importance of running at tempo and performing to the best of one's ability has never been greater emphasised to me...

It's been quite a strange place to be on the outside looking in on people beating themselves up over three hard days on the trail. As the outside world goes on, the three days of this event will be a microcosm of effort and a harmony of like minded folk, drawn together by running ULTRA-marathon prevails... makes you glad to be alive eh?

More tomorrow...