York - Week 13

Rest day today, had planned to go out early and do some hills down by the beach where there is a decent incline but alarm went off and I just could not be arsed to move.

I blame this on way too much pizza and wine as I have been having stupid amounts of both and last night was a particularly boozy night until the early hours of the morning.

Work up about 8, strolled to the pool to get some sunbeds and then back to wake Gail and then off for breakfast and I literally didn't move from the sunbed all day.  Finished listening to Hotel Avocado which was very good and then fell asleep listening to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Woke myself up by making a weird snorting noise and looked around to make sure nobody heard me.

Pretty sure I got away with it, fell back asleep and did it again.  Went to the bar and got a beer instead of sleeping and then lay down and listened to even more Nick Cave, I've realised I have a really obsessive personality and latch onto things and just can't move past them, this can be both good and bad but at the moment it's Nick Cave, so it's good.

Wake up with a hangover from hell.

Not sure why.

Who's have thought mixing drinks would make you feel this bad. 

I need to run today, I haven't for 2 days and I'm acutely aware I still have a marathon coming up very soon.  I head out and along the sea front and decide to just run until I feel too bad to run anymore and then turn to head back.  I get 3.5 miles and decide that's about it, I turn and head back to the hotel and manage a grand total of 7 miles.

The rest of the day involves sleeping, eating and by lunchtime I'm back on the wine.

Oh and I listen to some more Nick Cave.

Have I told you about my Nick Cave obsession yet.

Get home about 4am, managed no sleep whatsoever on the plane so when my alarm goes off at 7:45 I'm surprised I don't feel too bad.

My arse of a boss has booked in a full day of massage appointments from 8:30am, I hate him.  He is also obsessed with Nick Cave and enjoys a breakfast wine.

Friday is easy run day and I should be doing 4 miles and some hills today but I'm busy and will struggle to squeeze this in, plus it's cold and windy and I don't want to do it.

I don't run.  I buy a bottle of wine instead.  My marathon is getting close and I'll be off the booze for the final 3 weeks.

Maybe the final 2 actually.

Definitely the final week.

Wake up about 8 and grab a cup of coffee and a bagel with honey and sit with Murphy for 10 minutes whilst he tells me how tasty my bagel looks and that he should probably have some just to confirm the tastiness of it.

Then get ready, grab some gels, salt sticks and trying out some Kendal mint cake bar today that Michelle swears by.

Out the door and along the coast to Cullercoats, then the plan is up towards Tynemouth pool and Billy Mill and then the beautiful Coast Road to Jesmond, loop around and back to co-op to hit 20 miles.

My long run system works well for me, check pace for the first mile to make sure it's nothing silly and then switch my Garmin screen off and just run how I feel.  Usually the first mile is around 8:50-9:00 and then by the time I finish I've averaged 8:30-8:40 pace for the long runs of 18 miles plus.  First mile today was 8:29 but felt easy so flicked the screen off and carried on the run.

Saw Johnny, Helen L and the Lavins early doors and then headed up the coast road, as always I was accompanied by The Sugababes, Antony Szmierek, Fontaine's, Johnny Cash, The Prodigy and naturally Nick Cave.

I felt weirdly good today, bouncy and light and the Kendal mint cake was a pleasant change to salt sticks and gels so thanks for the tip Michelle.

Got to Jesmond, looped round and headed back, there's a bit on the coast road heading back where you run through a petrol station forecourt.  As I approached it a bloke walking the opposite way stopped moved to the side, clapped me and shouted "go on son" and did a double fist pump at me, not a fucking clue who he was but it made me smile and I gave him a fist bump as I passed.

Got onto the coast and had a couple of miles left to go, watch beeped for 18 miles up in Tynemouth and I ran on waiting for the 19 mile beep.

And I waited.

And waited.

I'm closing in on Whitley, why hasn't it beeped, have I fucked up the route and going to end a mile short and have to do parkrun loops, this starts to depress me so I flick the screen on to check.

I'm on 19.75 miles, thank feck for that, I just hadn't heard it beep and nearly done.  A little surge to hit 20 and a bit more back to the Sandcastles and I'm done.

Check my watch and amazed to see average pace of sub 8 minute miles with the last 3 miles at 7:17 7:17 and 7:16 and I feel really good.

I have now decided that all marathon plans shall have a one weeks all inclusive holiday planned into them, I'll speak to Ben about getting the club to finance this, I don't think it'll be a problem.

Home to have a bath, yesterday I picked up some new bath bombs from home bargains, I predict they'll be shit but they're cheap.  I have no shame in saying I got myself an incredible hulk purple slime bath bomb, it says it turns your bath fizzy green and oozes purple slime.

It's a lie. 

It was rock solid and hardly dissolved, let alone fizzed.  The 'slime' looked like lumps of white chewing gum floating in the bath.  Who'd have thought home bargains sold slightly shit stuff for £1.49

If you ever want to see me happy, buy me a bath bomb from lush, they know how to make bath bombs. 

But not the glitter ones, I don't do glitter.

Sunday night and the usual trip to the pub but its 3 weeks to go and I'm off the booze!  So its 2 pints of Guinness Zero instead, it's only 3 weeks Simon, you can do this.

All previous blogs are available to read HERE