An early morning jog

I'm shocked but somehow not surprised how unfit I've become. It's been a while since I did anything like training, my body has once again conspired against me to ensure the waistline expands.

I  was looking in quite good shape, for me, up until about 7/8 weeks ago, covering 6 or 7 miles at a time in the gym with no real hassle, ready for a 10k building up nicely for my 2nd attempt at a half marathon (all in aid of Velindre) then late one Saturday night I developed a pain in my side, a trip to the hospital and an operation later and I was sans appendix.

This left me unable to stand without looking like Quasimodo for weeks, thanks to a few complications, unable to train for longer. In fact to this day I'm still on doctors advice to 'take it easy' after my knee also went a bit funny moving house.

But this morning my current condition was brought into sharp focus, I was sauntering round the corner near Pentrebach train station when I saw the train pull in. Panic kicked in and I broke into a full on sprint (thankfully you can't really see me running from the platform). Thanks to an understanding train guard, who luckily did manage to spot me I made it, but I was shocked that a sprint of what could me no more than 150m left me absolutely knackered. Yes, it was uphill and twisty (the way up was along a disabled access ramp so went round a bit) but I know 3 months ago I would have done it faster, and been able to speak when I got on the train.

This has made me think, I need to get back into it, I can see already I've put on weight and that's a bad start, and somewhere I've been before (18 1/2 stone at my peak, and I look back at photos.. aghast sometimes). So first chance I get, back to the gym it is. Yes I know some people will think if it's only weight is the issue, diet. I'm of the opinion dieting doesn't work, or at least doesn't work alone, just as exercise wouldn't. Dieting is essentially partially starving yourself of certain things in order to force your body into a reaction, I'd rather eat properly (not stupidly) and work my body too, that's what we were designed to do, that is what I shall do.

Not tomorrow night though, tomorrow night I've gone and acquired nice seats to watch my blessed homeland get beat at football by Bulgaria, at the 'lovely' Lego Brick Stadium. Should be a good laugh and a few pints. But after that... gym all the way!

This time next year, I'll deliberately be late, just so I can sprint to the train and show it doesn't bother me! OK I wont, that would be stupid but I know what I mean! Hopefully next year I'll be able to do what I planned this, Swansea Bay 10k, Cardiff 10k, Cardiff Half Marathon. I'll be making my comeback to sports hopefully on the 24th in the Welsh dodgeball open, I haven't been arsed to sort the entry yet, but it's on my to do list. GO HOFFMEISTERS!

I've always had these crazy ideas of wanting to do more as well, to do exciting things. The woman I sit next to in work is climbing Kilimanjaro next year and it sounds horrible, cold, hard, etc and I find myself borderline jealous, I'd love to do that. I've always wanted to do the 24 hour version of the three peaks. I could never do any of these in my current condition of course, I can't even run for the bloody train,and one thing I'm not getting is any younger, but they are things I want to do.

But even the longest journey must start from where you stand as Lao Tzu once said, and he wasn't a stupid man. Stay tuned to this blog if you want to know how I'm doing, or even if you don't I'm not about to turn the blog into some kind of rocky style training montage. I'll still write about whatever's on my mind at the time... with no discernible pattern or structure...

Life begins to end at 30??

Apparently, according to the BBC mid life crisis time begins in your 30's these days. That's a concern now isn't it. I'm 28, I think we can call that late 20's but am not yet feeling the urge to buy a motorbike and pretend I'm 18, but those urges may very well be just around the corner.

To be honest when I was 18 I never had half the interests that 18 year olds from round by me had. Yes I liked a drink, and girls but I see people of that age round now, and indeed then and I just think/thought, what's the fun in that?

I live in sunny(?) Merthyr Tydfil and one of the favourite past times for the teenagers is to sit around, in pretty high volumes, in car parks, in their cars (always pays to have a mate who can drive) and.... do nothing in particular as far as I can tell. I mean honestly, there's a pub over there, if you wanna sit and talk with bad music on in the background, do it in the warm and have a pint. That has to be better than sitting in a mid 90s Corsa with a bodykit and a pointless exhaust.

I was always happier inside, I'm not a poor outdoors person, I like running, I like outdoor events, I competed with 3 mates in the Velindre Excalibur Challenge this year and we came 3rd and I enjoyed every second (even when the fact my upper body strength is the same as a gnat was exposed) , even doing so much harm to my knee at one point it resembled a misshapen beetroot when I got home! I was going to do the Swansea 10k and Cardiff Half Marathons this year, but my appendix had other ideas and after a few complications I'm still not allowed to train (another few days, sorry velindre!), but I have ambition in the next year of posting around 45 minutes for 10k in a race and there's plenty of stuff I'd love to do. But I'm most at home, at home! 

I never wanted to hang round on corners or in bus stops, generally it's cold, why would I want to do that? I never felt the urge to cause trouble for the sake of it, it'd just come and bite you on the backside at some point, why give yourself the hassle?

But on reflection I was always quite unpopular and considered (fairly) a bit of a geek...

But back to the point, a mid-life crisis in your 30s just seems.. premature. I can honestly say I can't see it happening to be til at least 40/45 (should I start saving for the motorbike now?). I know a number of people in their 30s or fast approaching and they seem, generally, like well rounded individuals. There are some though that make me wonder.

In other news, i hear from twiter (@andrewdrisc) mince pies and Christmas decorations are already on sale in some shops. Now THIS is premature, it's September people for gods sake! It's almost like 2010 is having a mid year crisis.