(I’m training for the Bath Half Marathon in March, which I’m running to raise funds for Mind: if you’d like to sponsor me you can do so at http://www.justgiving.com/richardsandford/)

First full week done and everything’s going ok so far. Ran a bit over 6 miles this lunchtime, trying to pay attention to pace and not just end up running as fast as I can, like I normally do. And good job too, because otherwise I would have had to hitch a lift back on somebody’s child seat. 6 miles was kind of a psychological barrier for me, was quite nervous beforehand as for some stupid reason I kept thinking it was the furthest I’d ever run as an adult and I’d not be able to do it, so it was nice to prove myself wrong. And to see a bit more of the gorge. It all reminds me of the Box of Delights down there, a strange mix of carefully-set ivy-covered walls walls and neolithic magic hills.

So next week it’s more of the same, gym tomorrow (though will give my legs a rest I reckon), then shorter speedy distances in the week and a bit further next Sunday.

(I’m training for the Bath Half Marathon in March, which I’m running to raise funds for Mind: if you’d like to sponsor me you can do so at http://www.justgiving.com/richardsandford/)

So far, things seem to going pretty well: gentle 8k on New Year’s Day to say goodbye to my hangover, followed by an even gentler 3k the following evening to try and shake out a bit of a dodgy right knee. I was a little worried about the knee, to be honest, thought it might be karma for feeling so smug when I signed up, but gave it a rest yesterday and (touch wood) it seems ok after today’s 8k. Which is more than I was when I realised 8k isn’t even halfway round the full distance. Will be trying to convert fear into motivation this week.

Gym tomorrow, for a change of scenery, then some shorter distances at speed before a longer run at the weekend.

I made my New Year resolutions in December. It wasn’t a long list, and to be honest doing it a month early took care of both Making Better Use Of Your Time and Planning Ahead, which left only Picking Up After Myself and Try Not To Be Such A Muppet on there, once I’d edited it down a little.

I’m not really a fan of resolutions, and now I’m not so brand-new in the world I think I prefer a firmly-set jaw and a general feeling of trying to live a better life, rather than a list of things I haven’t yet failed at. More focus on the wood and not so much on the trees. I’ve got some specifics, though: be less pompous, take more notice of other people, that sort of thing.

Unlike previous years, I’m doing something about them for once. In common with other people reaching thirty and encountering an icily convincing sense of personal mortality for the first time, I started running more often last year: yesterday, in keeping with the other bit about taking more notice of other people in the world, I signed up for the Bath Half Marathon and told Mind I’d raise some money for them.

If you’d like to sponsor me, and have a little bit of my moral high ground make its alluvial way towards your conscience, or perhaps address one of your own resolutions with no more than a couple of clicks of the mouse, or even just lend your support to a group of people working for better mental health for everyone, you can do that here. I know we’re in the throes of economic turmoil, and folding money’s not as easy to come by as it used to be, and if you want to save your endangered pounds for something trivial, like the weekly food shop, then that’s perfectly understandable. But if you’ve got anything left over from eBaying your Christmas presents then there are worse places to put it. Like a bank.

Happy New Year, and here’s to it working out ok for all of us.

http://www.justgiving.com/richardsandford

“You know how fascinating your running stories are? Would you mind if I went to bed?”

Fair enough.

Mon 17.11

5k

Tue 18.11

in London, working all day, no time

Wed 19.11

in London and travelling to Bristol, no time

Thu 20.11

walking dead

Fri 21.11

still like some sort of zombie

Sat 22.11

IKEA is like running, right?

Sun 23.11

3k

Dear oh dear. Never mind. Am in Bristol all week and should be able to avoid long days – will try and get back over 20k. Target acquired!

I should make myself some kind of running miles account as a motivator.

Mon 10.11

rest

Tue 11.11

3k

Wed 12.11

gym

Thu 13.11

6k

Fri 14.11

gym

Sat 15.11

3k

Sun 16.11

5k

Though I wouldn’t get very far. 17k this week, which is a bit better than last week, and managed to get to the gym a couple of times as well. Things are pretty hectic at the moment, finding it hard to get out, but at least when I do it’s feeling ok now. Gym helps. Think there’s one in the hotel on Tuesday, will pack my shoes again.