Twelve years in

Yesterday Holly and I celebrated our twelfth anniversary.  As someone famously once said (and then got a bollocking for) that's longer than a dog's life.  I recently did some online 'when will you die' type thing - by which I have another 56 years with Holly (I die first apparently).  I die at age 86, they said.  I'll take that.

I woke my beloved with some Eggs Benedict and Bucks Fizz - doing what I like to call 'the romance'.  

Poached eggs - I worked that shit

The 26 April has been a much anticpated day for me - of course primarily becuase of the anniversary celebrations, but it also just happened to be the day of release of The Avengers (I refuse to call it by the retarded name it's been given over here).  Superheroes under the direction of the genius of Joss Whedon - surely the most awesomest cinematic experience ever. Suffice to say I hyped it up in my head slightly.

By some miracle I persuaded Holly, that we should see it on that very day.  Now I do hate the vocabulary of the modern yoof, but - OMG and even some LOL.  Best film ever?  Certainly best 'summer blockbuster' ever.  I need to see it again, soon. It has, however, gone through another pointless 3D conversion.

Awed

We assembled, they avenged

After coming out the cinema we had a wander around the shops in Seven Dials, well, Holly shopped and I staggered around struggling to focus after having my mind blown by Nick Fury's crew.

We then went to the very hyped Meat Liquor - a burger restaurant near Bond Street.  By very hyped I mean we had to queue for 45 mins to get in (far too cool for bookings).

Holly and food - two of my favourite things

Double burgers, deep fried gherkins and chilli cheese fries - very romantic it was too.  How good was it?  Very, but would I queue again? prob not.  Quite resonably priced unless you go ape on the cocktails - we drank two of their 'House Grog' which is all they'll let you order as they're quite potent.

...and meat

On getting home my latest running kit order had arrived - so I had to try on my new gear.

My new passport photo

That's right - I am going to kick it, old skool.  But for now, rest until a long run on Sunday.  Toodles.

Running on pie

I have taken to running, Holly has taken to fuelling me with pie.  Except I tend to eat so much I can't then run, or even move.

Here are a selection of her creations to date.  I admit, unless you get to eat them, this is not all that interesting.  But I refuse to let this blog be soley about the race that's taking over my life.

Beef and stilton, it rocked my world

Steak and ale. Beer in a pie.

Fish.  Nearly the end of me

Canoodle - it's a pud pie

Holly's favourite part - slicing the dead bird up

Surfer's pie - today's special in the making

Holly wishes to point out she can cook things other than pie (pasties, struddles, tarts...).

In other news, banged out 21 miles yesterday and felt a whole world of worse than after last week's run which was ten miles longer.  Not very encouraging, but I am putting it down to eating and drinking bugger all.

And in another attempt to spread the word of my charitable nature, another tiny bit of publicity: http://www.241squadron.com

Hydration - not so much?

Interesting stuff being discussed on hydration at the moment, and how it's been hyped up to the point that many of us drink too much when exercising:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/18/how-much-water-drink-marathon

http://sweatscience.runnersworld.com/2012/04/how-much-do-champion-marathoners-drink-and-sweat/

More deaths in marathons are caused by low sodium levels (ie diluting them through drinking) than by dehydration.

Does this vindicate my usual complete failure to drink on long mountain days? I think so.

...for Sport Relief

If by some miracle I have any readers I don't know about (even my Mum doesn't read this), and thus haven't received my plea for donations, I am running the GUCR for Sport Relief:  

http://my.sportrelief.com/sponsor/nickharvey

And when I say 'running', I mean 'attempting but probably failing'.  Bring it on.

Preparing for battle

Today was an encouraging day.  I ran to Hampstead Heath, did three laps and ran home - totalling 31.4 miles, it was literally about 100m shorter than my ultra in February, but crucially there was no hip-flexor malfunction this time.  I drank but didn't eat and felt okay at the end - knackered once I sat down of course but I okay while moving.  Again, it was a big help having company, so thanks to James for coming along (for most of it!).

So drop the speed, walk bits, keep the course flat, add some rests and I should be able to trot on a lot further.  After today, I almost think I may, possibly, kinda have a shot at this GUCR gig!

...provided I can fix this groinal chaffing issue...

The Easter Run

Another dull blog post I fear, but post I must.  Today I probably should have been running the 'Compton 40' as recommended by the organisers of the GUCR as an ideal warm up event, but its sooo far...  by that, I mean that it's an hour and a half drive each way, plus the running making for a long day.  So I opted to run at least a marathon on my own instead.  I didn't.   But I did do 21.5 miles, and for once it was mostly in Epping Forest rather than road, meaning it was hillier, muddier and surprisingly I think, harder on my feet.

I had the pleasure of Mike 'the rambler' Cross for company, and having company sure does make the time pass faster.  I think I have coverage for support runners from 90 miles onwards on the GUCR (if I even get that far which is pretty doubtful) but this makes me realise I need company from the first moment it's allowed - 70 miles and onwards.  I have a lot of strategising to do over the next month or so.

Epping Forest, land of my future dog walking

Enough shoes?

Yesterday, I had my first proper visit to Westfield, Stratford, apart from being very busy I thought it okay, if you like shopping centres.  Anyway, I bought a pair of Nike Free running shoes that I have been after for a while as they were in the sale, this comes two days after ordering a new pair of Mizunos, but then I am going through them pretty quickly at the moment and will need several operational pairs for the GUCR as if they get wet I'll need to change.  The current count is that I have eight pairs of running shoes in my stock!

Hers and his

We then ended up going out out even though we had only intended to go out, the intention was little more than popping out in fact.  So our shopping trip ended at 1am after six pints in the new 'super casino'.  Casinos bore me, but beer doesn't, so it ended up being a good night.

Celebrations and pies

I meant to blog yesterday, but I was struck down with a most debilitating hangover, which I then exacerbated by consuming three tonnes of fish pie and not being able move nor sleep for much of last night.

On Saturday we were at a dinner to celebrate our Squadron Warrant Officer, Phil Wright's 40th anniversary of joining the Squadron.  It was nice to catch up with some friends we don't see that often these days.  This resulted in me binning my plans for climbing on Sunday, a wise decision as I spent most of the day in bed.  I got up in time for Holly's soon-to-be-famous fish pie which kinda finished me off.  Then there was pear and chocolate pie for pud.

Death by fish

In other, more encouraging, news I went for a 19 mile run on Saturday with seemingly no ill effects (and even the booze doesn't seem to have ruined my recovery as I am not aching at all).  I was out for three hours and 15 minutes and I didn't eat at all or drink much (which no doubt contributed to aforementioned hangover).

Climbing wise, after the initial post-Norway disastrous performance, thing seem to be on the way back up.  Hopefully I'll be up to a decent session tomorrow.