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Just waiting to travel up to Wales. Pack is still too heavy at 7.9kg. Need to shed more weight. Nervous and excited. Catch up after the event. No time now, need breakfast!

Everybody around me has a cold and I was hoping I might escape the virus but I guess not. I only hope it only lasts a few days. Better to miss a few days now than in 3 weeks time! sniff sniff.

Just a quick update on the heel injury (yawn). Finally started to feel ‘normal’ again yesterday and tried to forget that I had the injury at all. Woke up today and spent a few minutes loosening/warming up the ankle before getting out of bed – good practice when your my age anyway! Felt really good all day, even did a little rowing earlier and some press ups/squat thrusts etc – seemed to hold up to all of that.

Have decided to take up Mike’s offer of a run tomorrow evening although I think I’ll refrain from carrying any weight – I think that would be rather foolhardy at this stage. All being well after that I can declare myself back and fit to run again, hopefully just in time to receive the Garmin 305! Got a lot of miles to catch up. Have thought about changing my sleeping habits over the next few months and try to get at least 7 hrs sleep and get up early for a 1hr run in the morning. Only trouble is that would mean me going to bed at 11pm (consider I normally turn in about 1am) – it’s a big ask! Think I’ll have to sleep on it.

Zach is just getting over the last remnants of a throat/ear infection and laryngitis earlier in the week so the plan to go to Dartmoor on Mon/Tues looks shaky. Have promised to take him during the holiday so may go on Tues/Wed instead. Weather forecast is favourable. Got to be back for Thursday though as Juliette is coming down for a flying visit. Busy week ahead. Looking forward to seeing her, even if it’s only for a day and night.

Today saw the latest in dismal attempt to convince myself that I am capable of running a full blown mountain marathon!

Turned up at Dunmere Woods for Kerno’s latest orienteering event which both myself and Mike are using as good practice for the OMM in October (providing that we get our entry accepted of course! – find out next Monday 3rd August).

As is becoming the norm, we both entered separately for the toughest course – brown, 7.8 kilometers. For those who don’t think that sounds much of a challenge, you obviously haven’t ever ran in Dunmere Woods! Mike’s ambition was not to finish last, mine was even simpler – not to get lost! OK I’ll make this quick, Mike succeeded in his, I didn’t.

But I had such a great start – by my standards anyway, and found the first 5 (from 26) checkpoints easily. In retrospect, I think the first 5 were probably the easiest, kind of lulling me into a false sense of security. Then it had to happen, of course, along came a checkpoint that just could not be found. I won’t bore you with excuses but 20 fruitless, energy sapping minutes later I decided I had blown any chance of winning (lol), so cut my losses and skipped to the next point on the map. This was a shame as I actually managed to find every other point, albeit getting totally disorientated and losing another 20 minutes about an hour later!

So I trudged home 2hrs 22mnutes later, thoroughly wet to the skin and clutching another pulled hamstring but of course I loved every minute of it! Mike had been back at the car for almost an hour (finishing time 1:27) and even had the chance to get some well deserved sleep! (grrr). Oh well, I might be getting close to admitting that he’s a tad faster, ever so slightly fitter, a mite better at map reading, can carry more weight uphill etc etc – but one day I might just surprise him – not sure how but one day, so if your reading this Mike, I’m not going to give up trying, not just yet anyway.

Oh well, better get back to resting my poor aching limbs and preparing for another week in front of the computer. I’m going to try for 2-3 training sessions in the gym at home and at college if I can summon up the energy. I think I’m slowly but surely getting the old fitness back, trouble is I’m constantly having to contend with this niggly thing called age – wish I was 30 again. Happy days.

Well I’ve been catching up on some missed miles over the past few days and been experimenting with bandages and padding (for my rear end!).

You’ll be relieved to hear I think I’ve sussed out what works best in both cases: Fingers bandaged as per the photo. I added the large wrapped bandage around my palm on the 25k on Friday andit worked a treat. No pain or hot spots which has been worrying me slightly. As for the seat, I’m sticking with 3 layers of rubber underlay – waterproof and bouncy, with 3 layers of towelling on top – soft and absorbent – vital for soaking up the sweat!

Also varied the sweets with alternating Kendall Mint Cake and Glucose tablets, all washed down with a weak isotonic sports drink. I’m taking the sweets from about 8k onwards which may seem a little early but I’m banking on them kicking in after 20mins so the first ‘hit’ should come at 13k approx and every 2-3k onwards after that – that’s the theory anyway. I don’t know how much is just psychological but if it gets me through, I don’t really care.

2 weeks tomorrow. 6pm start.