I’m going to bore you with running

We’re back from Newquay. And what a lovely time it was. We haven’t been away as a family since 2012 and it worked really well. Henry, of course, made it special. It’s not just that he’s a lovely, smiley chap. It’s that he lifts my mood by a notch, just be being around him. As a result I am a bit knackered … I volunteered for every duty, including the death stag ones at 4 in the morning. And I loved it. I will really miss him, and Bex of course, when they fly home (and fly home they must) on Saturday.

anything more adorable?

Currently they’re with school friends of Bex’s. We pick them up (more driving, I am an Uber bloke) from Gloucester and we come home via Peter and Karen’s to use their pool. That is going to be special. I will report back.

C and I have continued to try and keep fit. For the first time in 6 months I put a clock on my run today. It wasn’t the most encouraging thing I’ve ever done, but you have to start somewhere. Running is what I do. And I have, pretty much, run every other day since I was 14. I was at my fittest at university where, for those of you who are interested, I put out a 17.5 minute 5 km. Leaving aside the professionals, amateur runners use 5 km as a good gauge, and anything under 20 minutes is a sign that you’re running well. Even if I say so myself, 17.5 minutes is quick. More important, at the same time I ran a 10 miler in an hour, which is right up there with ‘good running’. On that occasion I was dragged around by an Army marathon runner. Thanks Tony …

And I raced on the track (800 metres – I was the Army 800 metre champion … in Cyprus), but it was as an orienteerer where I performed at my best. There were a couple of years when I used to race twice a week. And I loved it. In fact it is an ambition of mine to get back onto that circuit. You race in age groups and, as an old bloke, I might do ok. Maybe this winter.

Anyhow, my point? Well, 10 years ago in my mid-40w, when I was a teacher at Wells, I broke 20 minutes twice over 5 kms in a road race, and was very pleased with myself. And 5 years ago, I put out a 21 minute 5 km in a Park Run. But since then, what with heart problems and a general lack of confidence in working hard, I have got slower and slower. Until Korea last autumn where, for four weeks, I ran with Steve, Bex’s husband, who clearly had a point to make and whooped my backside every time we went out on some fairly long and very hilly runs. I came back at Christmas fitter than I’d been for a while.

And then lockdown. And then my calf ‘pinged’ …

Come on, Roland, get to the point. I’ve started eating a banana and a tomato salad – every day. Within three days my calf was perfect … not a twinge. It could, therefore, have been a lack of sodium or potassium which was giving me long-term, deep cramp (thanks Alasdair). Supposedly injury free, today I set out on my marked 5 km run and set my watch.

28 minutes for 5 km. I felt quickish, and consistent. But 28 minutes?! Come on.

Indignant, I checked the route. Thankfully it was 5.8 km long. Phew. But that still has me at running at about 5 minute per km … about 25 mins for 5 km. That’s not quick and I clearly have some work to do. But, with my calf as quiet as a Tesla, I am going to work at it. What’s my ambition? I want to run my old route (4.6 km) consistently under 20 minutes – about 4.5 mins a km. By Christmas. We’ll see.

I’ve bored you all to death, haven’t I? Sorry.

For the record I put out the questionnaires for the 360s I’m doing for the school this morning, including one set for the wrong department head to the wrong staff. I apologised quickly. And we’ve got this week with R+H, including two days with Mary on Thursday and Friday. Then: relax.

Keep safe.

great view