An apology

[El Gordo]

I take it from your recent blogpost you intend giving Almeria a miss next January. Understandable given events this year and your resolve to remain booze-free until P2P. I'm on a similar path, with a few built-in pit-stops/ falls. Christmas Day I'll have my usual Mimosa/ B52/ extravagant red wine indulgence, then straight back on the wagon. Sunday afternoon in Almeria will be treat number two. What happens after that depends on how I feel, but I could well return to abstainance until Brighton Marathon in April.

Good to see you on the trail again.

Well actually, that blog post was intended to give an entirely different impression re Almeria. Or at least, to leave the reader guessing. The temptations of the flesh, as it were, are of no significance. If I have to avoid social occasions because I can't trust myself, then I'm a beaten man. And I won't be a beaten man.

No, bigger considerations are taking time off work, as I need to store up extra days for the Antipodean jaunt, and the fact that Almeria is not a straightforward journey any more. Last year was a bit of a nightmare with Iberia twice failing to get me to my connection in time. Believe it or not, my best option would be to get there via Gatwick, and even that would involve an overnight stop in Blighty. We'll see.

If you can have a few drinks on Christmas Day or post-race in Almeria then get back on the wagon, good for you. Sadly, I can't seem to quickly get things back on track once the seal is broken. For me, it's better to keep it intact.