1,585 days later

It's been more than four years since I last wrote a blog on this site. I pretty much forgot it existed. I've been re-reading a post from August 2010 about stopping life as a "professional" triathlete and having another go at life - it was pretty pretentious but I suppose we only realise these things with hindsight. Maybe I'll read this post in my mid-30s and think, what a self-absorbed boob. It does make me worry slightly that people more self aware than myself might be thinking this at the time though.

Anyway, in my usual "stream of consciousness style" I thought I'd make an attempt at resurrecting this thing. Apologies for some of the slightly out of date livery. I'll get that changed as soon as I get to grips with the new blogger interface. Firstly, what's new? To those of you who actually know me you can probably skip this but, in a nutshell and in as close to chronological order as possible:

1. I quit triathlon
2. Promised myself I would do a variety sport to "stay fit and healthy"
3. Got place in London Marathon 2012
4. Started running, lots (number 2 was never going to happen)
5. Ran 2:28.30
6. Ran Hadrian's Wall in 14 hours and change
7. London 2013 in 2:28.01
8. Tried and failed to run Thames Path (no more ultra marathons, ever)
9. When back to teaching (didn't see that coming!)
10. Opened a running shop with my brother (he does all the work)
10. Ran two crappy marathons in 2014
11. Started training with Serpentine RC (one of the best training decisions I've ever made)
12. London 2015 in 2:26.40
13. Left teaching again (you couldn't make it up)
14. Nothing on TV today
15. Decided to start blogging again

That pretty much brings us up to date. You join me during the last gasps of the track season where my only real goal is to break 15 minutes for 5k. Thanks to a summer schedule of weddings and stag dos I've only had one crack at it so far (15.13 three days after a 48 bender at Sonar - I wish I could add that as an asterix to the results) and my second and last attempt is the Wimbledon 5k festival on the 19th August. After that it's back to the long stuff as I make sure I celebrate my 30th in style by running a PB at San Sebastian.

One rule I did have from way-back-when was always include a picture - unlike some of my other ramblings this one seems to have lasted the test of time somewhat better. This one's from a recent Fell Race in Bradwell courtesy of Front Runner (disclaimer: this is the running shop I part own and will be plugging... regularly). It was shortly before I lost 20 seconds on the leader over 200m downhill and prompted the organiser, a grisled Yorkshireman (is there any other type?) to comment, "son, you descend like Bambi on ice". I think it's a pretty good impression of an aeroplane to be honest.

Welcome/welcome back,
John