Amsterdam - Week 4

Back to work and back to reality. 

Firstly an apology for the grumpy tone of the last blog, I've had a few people message me and ask if I'm okay, which is very nice of you lovely people and yes I'm fine. I've also had just as many people tell me my blog is much funnier when I'm depressed and clearly written when I'm drunk and can I stay injured and grumpy, so I'll try and strike a balance between happy, fit, slim Simon and depressed, injured, fat Simon.

So that would be medium sized Simon that runs 3-4 times a week and still drinks I guess.

Busy day working, planning to go to the gym at 6:30 when I finish all my appointments but it doesn't happen for one reason or another.

My back is killing today, this always happens after a holiday. I think it's from laying about on a sun lounger all day. So today I'm foam rolling, stretching and twisting against doorframes and nerve flossing and it eases it off.

And what about the injury Simon? That's what we all come here for, that and the stupid things you do on a weekly basis.

Well, Saturday and Sunday were painful, woke up today and it feels loads better again. The massage gun and foam roller are getting used lots once again and my sullen mood has slightly lifted.

I'm down to 12st5.

Greek yoghurt for breakfast, then a busy day working and an hour gap where I nip to the gym to do 30 mins on the cross trainer thing that's not really a cross trainer. I like this machine, I get very sweaty and knackered on it and it makes me feel like I've done a decent workout.

Home for lunch, more Greek yoghurt and honey and then working through til half 6.

My legs feeling a bit better today, it's not right but it feels a bit looser. Plan this week is to do gym, foam rolling and stretching and then try parkrun again on Saturday and maybe a slightly longer run on Sunday if all is good. Well obviously not good but less shit.

Now the good thing about being on a diet is you get to lose weight, the bad thing about being on a diet is it's a massive pile of shit. After two meals of Greek yoghurt today I go all out for dinner and have salad, feta and a flat bread. What I really want is wine and chocolate but I resist the urge.

Then it gets to about half 7 and I'm craving something sweet. We've got nothing in the cupboards so I resort to plan B.

I steal food from Lily's bedroom, she's on holiday and she'll never know and she always has a good stash of cereal bars. I hit the jackpot, she has some waffles. Two chocolate ones and a sugar coated one, she'll never know...

I steal the sugar coated waffle and then go to have my shower. Showers on and I put the waffle on the edge of the sink. Open the waffle and hold the packet in my mouth as I get undressed, the packets open and then disaster strikes or is it karma.

The waffle breaks and half of it falls from the packet, it's about to land in the sink but my superb cat-like reflexes jump into action and my hand reaches out and and completely misses it and instead of catching it, I punch it away from the sink.

And straight into the toilet.

And in the words of Mr T, I ain't eating no toilet waffle.

I do contemplate eating the toilet waffle for a split second but instead eat the other half still in the packet.

I almost cry, I really wanted that waffle. I can't eat it from the toilet ? Can I? I haven't been to the toilet, it's just water. Toilet water admittedly but still water, I've eaten food I've dropped in the bath before.

I flush my waffle away to kill any temptation.

Busy day today bit not starting til 10:30 so alarm set for 8am to get up and take Murph out and then hit the gym.

Switch the alarm off at 7:55 and sleep til 9:00, then sit outside drinking coffee and listening to music until 10, then take Murph for a walk, then start work.

I hate the gym.

The most boring place on earth.

I'll go later.

Like a whole different day later.

Probably Monday.

Friday night is movie and wine night and probably my favourite time of the week. I also get to do one of my favourite things, which is stick Poppy's phone under Murphy's balls when she goes to the toilet.  

There's hours of fun to be had with Poppy's phone and Murphy's testicles. Poppy doesn't enjoy this game quite as much as I do.

Tomorrow I plan once again to attempt a parkrun and see what happens.

Wake up just before 8am, had a terrible night's sleep and my legs pretty painful. Should be going to the gym but I don't think it's wise to do anything to stress my leg so decide to give it a miss.

So I do the most sensible thing I can think of and put on my shorts and go downstairs and make a cup of coffee.

And then I go out the front.

And run 6 miles.

Idiotic? Yes, probably.

Would I advise a client to do the same? No.

Would I bitch to Graham if one of the group did the same? Yes.

But I need to see if it gets significantly worse when I run 2 days in a row or stays the same. I mean obviously I don't need to do this but I've convinced myself I do and I've got a marathon in 12 weeks, not sure if I've mentioned that.

So, did it hurt ? 

No, not whilst running. It felt tight and then loosened off, I did 6 miles at a steady pace and then home for a shower and breakfast.  

As I write this it's been an hour and it feels no worse than usual, which is a good thing I guess ? Let's see how the day progresses.

It's 6pm, I'm lying in the bath and weirdly today my leg has felt better than it did yesterday.

So what's the lesson I've learnt? 

Well if 2 days in a row makes it slightly less painful then 6 days a week and 50+ miles a week will surely fix it, yeah? 

Not even I'm that stupid. Monday will be gym and Tuesday if all feels good will be a slow and steady run. Take one day at a time for the next few weeks and then see where I'm at.

Right I'm off to stick a movie on, eat some Greek yoghurt and stick Poppy's phone under Murphy's bollocks.

I'm injured, I'm depressed, I'm unfit, I'm overweight.

Will I make the start line or will it all end in tears?

AMSTERDAM - RED LIGHT SPELLS DANGER