April - Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon

[Sweder]

Sneaked out for a crafty five to Blackcap this morning.
The legs were feeling heavy, the tyre of flab fast returning to my midriff with all this carb-loading, and I just felt the urge to say goodbye to my local route.

A sunny outing with a stiff, crisp breeze for company. The hounds joined me for an easy lope, greeting a number of fellow downsfolk with enthusiastic tail-wagging and a good deal of bottom-sniffing. The ache in my right calf eased with the passing of miles, though it didn't completely vanish. I'll be keeping tabs on that over the next few days and may well take up Kader's advice and seek a gentle massage on arrival tomorrow.

At the last minute (midnight last night in fact) I decided to launch a fund raising site. I'd intended to do this from the start, but events, like so many runners over the years, overtook me. Now, with most of my costs covered thanks to my company and the generosity of my new friends Jacqui and Clive Nel (we'll be staying at Chez Nel B&B until after the race - much more on this later) anything I raise will go directly to JDRF.

This is not a plea for funds; I've reached out far and wide into the business community in the hope of landing one or two corporate sponsors - but you might like to take a look and find out more about the charity I'm running for. And, if you feel like throwing some coppers my way, well, I won't complain too loudly.

The support I get from this forum is truly inspirational. It may seem a little previous, getting my 'thank you's' in first, but you never know what's round the corner, and often the important people get left out in the euphoria of the post-race high. I'm not going to embarass anyone by singling them out, but, generically, I owe a debt of gratitude to all the forumites, old and new, for their continued encouragement throughout the tough winter months, and to my running partners, especially the hounds, the Almería RCers and the Jog Shop Joggers who have put up with my whining, lagging behind and, on the odd occasion my long runs have followed an enthusiastic hydration session with the Mighty SP, uncontrolled flatulence.

Running can certainly be a lonely existence at times.
Not for me. Thanks.