Now we have new shoes and the training is going ok; no real distance but it's early January and I've still gotto get rid of the Xmas overindulgence. London Marathon now 3 months away.
Time to dig out the watch, yes I still have it somewhere, up into the attic & rummage through old cases and there it is, stone flat not a glimmer of life, put it on and the strap is broken, off to the local jeweller.
"Haven't seen one like this for years", this seems to be a common thread with my running kit. In went a new battery and lo and behold, it lit up, but no strap, online that night and the problem was solved. Or so I thought.

Next day saw me out on the road. I now have a measured route which will act as my time trial run, 5 km. Off I go like a bat out of hell, after three km the area was suffering from oxygen loss as I sucked in every bit I could find. Bushs and trees vibrated as I sped past, eyes bulging, I flashed past the 5km marker, well a gate post actually. I hit the stop button, waited for the eyes to focus, ahhhhhhh the watch must be running slow, 6mins a km. This from someone, who, without too much effort, could run under 4 mins a Km.
Then it dawned on me, the watch was fine, it was just me, knackered and dejected I trotted home.
Lesson learned, do not wear a watch until you are at least half fit.

I now have confirmation that my place in the London Marathon had been registered - I even have a number!!!
As I had made this commitment, and was, no doubt, going to go through hell trying to get fit, I needed more motivation, and as most people who run London do it for charity, I decided that was a good motivator.
Through business I had got to know a local charity called The Wessex Autistic Society, based in our area. Knowing them well, I phoned and offered to try and raise funds for them. A meeting was arranged with the correct people, who know all about PR, etc and that was it, photo session arranged and the wheels were in motion.

At this point friends and family, well meaning as they are, started to suggest I get a medical check up to ensure I was not going to drop dead.
Good Idea! So I phoned the local village doctor for an appointment.
I have great faith in them despite the fact that their practice is very near to hunt stables full of horses and hounds, perhaps they 'double up as vets' was my only reservation, and that because, if your a horse has a problem they shot it.
"Have you started training yet" he enquired, "Yes" I said, "What is the longest distance you've run so far in one go?" "Nine miles" was my reply, " Excellent, well if you had a heart problem you would have known by now". The rest of the medical followed much the same lines. A week later and after the results of some blood test, I was passed fit.
So now I can't pull out on medical grounds.

It was now mid January, bloody freezing, a couple of training runs in zero or below has prompted me to join a gym in a nearby town. The thought behind this is to enable me to train in inclement weather, which at the moment, is most of the time. Remember all my previous running was done in sub tropical climes, just shoes and shorts with the occasional T Shirt for decency. Now I look more like the Michelin Man.
I still can't fathom it out, I ran one evening - the temperature was zero, so I wore leggings ( verging on the feminine ) a t-shirt, light fleece and reflective running jacket,not to mention gloves and a woolly hat, 2 km and I'm steaming, a word with those in the know and it's on the internet and buy the proper kit, breathable shirts and mid layers, so now I have all the gear. Who said running was a cheap sport?

The other invaluable piece of kit has to be an MP3 player. It deadens the mind, I'm not going to tell you what my play list consists of, but it varies with music that is loud and thumping - just right for those long painful hills. The only drawback to an MP3 player is not being able to hear the car that will run me over in the narrow lanes of Dorset.

It was time to take stock of my fitness, and see where I was at, as they say.
So a couple of Saturdays ago I got my very patient and supportive wife to drop me off in a place called Broadwindsor in the heart of West Dorset, amidst some of the most beautiful countryside in England, a full 25 km from home. Now if any of you have been to Dorset you will know it's not flat! One bloody hill after another, and there were plenty on this run. Beaminster is first then up and over the downs, very narrow lanes and some great views, not that I saw too much of them, the old head was down for much of the way, but I did it. Perhaps the time could be better and I was pretty tired come the end, but after less than six weeks training it's not bad.

I have received an e-mail from Maiden Newton Runners, they are having their Xmas do in February, I'm beginning to like this club.

I've decided to enter my first competitive race after many years, a half marathon in Sherborne. This should give me an idea of what time to expect in London.
to be continued...........

We got to the bit about my running shoes falling to bits, so off we went to buy a new pair. Big change from when I bought my last pair, at least 15 years ago but I'd guess a couple of years more than that, in those days you tried them on if you could walk they were considered fine.
Now I walk into a fancy specialist running shop over 40 miles from home, to be greeted by a very young assistant in a track suit who gave the impression that I should rather have gone to Saga for my shoes, she insisted I get on a treadmill so she could view my running style, I asked as a joke, not to switch it on too fast, she took me seriously.
"Have you been on one before" she asked, this was all a bit disconcerting, "yes" I replied, "If you need to, press the stop button" this was either sarcasm or health & safety gone mad. On I climbed and managed not to make an idiot of myself, as I got off she seemed distracted, not helped by a persistent chewing of gum, "I'm not sure" she said. she wandered off in the direction of the till leaving me somewhat stranded, should I follow, leave, or look at the posters on the wall, I chose the latter, I was soon the figure in the picture striding effortlessly over a finishing line to a blaze of camera's.
"hello" back to reality, I spun round to see a bright smiling face grinning from ear to ear, someone obviously used to dealing with people over 20 and someone who could see my rising frustration.
"I was watching you on the treadmill, what you need is......" that was it, all I needed was someone who cared, 10 minutes later I had shoes and a good luck wish as I left.

Back in the days of "when we" and "when I" I ran for a very large SA running club, and anyone arriving at the club with new shoes had to face a torrent of abuse not to mention everyone trying to make them dirty, I've even known people run round their garden in an attempt to make them look used rather than face the start line of a time trial in spotless shoes. I rather miss that, so rather unceremoniously I donned the new shoes and trotted off for a "quick", well, more a leisurely trip round the block, only now I'm trying not to get them dirty I must have looked a sight jumping over the puddles and running round the muddy patches, how times have changed.

To be continued .........

I woke up on my 57th birthday weighing 106kgs and unable to run for a bus. This is someone who has run 5 ultra marathons and too many standard marathons, but I hung up those running shoes 15 years ago and just continued the merry drinking and eating without the training this resulted in my birthday blues, they may have also had something to do with the hangover!!!
I should also mention that all my running was done in sunny South Africa, where I lived for nearly 20 years, it could be described as a pleasure to get up and run in the early morning sunshine there.
Well first things first. lose some weight!!! So between October and the end of December 2007 I dieted, and I have to say did not cheat, well perhaps the odd glass of wine.
In three months, including xmas I lost 20kgs. Using the Cambridge Diet, I can recommend it just do exactly as they say and it works.
Next was to dig out my old running shoes, yes the actual ones, and stagger a mile or so round my local country lanes. Bingo, I survived.
Next I needed a plan, something to motivate me to keep going. I sat at my computer and typed in Running clubs in the south west, up popped Maiden Newton Runners, who met not a million miles from where I live, it so happened they met that evening in a local pub, what a bonus, so along with my wife Megan, off to the pub we went.
We walked in on their monthly meeting just at the time they were talking about their new Web Site!! this caused much chatter, some even suggested it was a set up by the sites constructor
in an effort to show off the results of his work, but I can confirm it wasn't a set up.
I should point out that MNR are not the largest running club in England in fact so far I think I have met 8 of its members and I'm not sure that this may not be all of them, they seem a great bunch, very welcoming and friendly.
It just so happens that at that meeting the London Marathon was mentioned and that the club had a entry that had not been snapped up. Yes, you have guessed it, I said I could quite fancy the entry, the following meeting saw me with the entry.
By now I had progressed to a running distance of 10klms, one sad bit of news, my old trusty running shoes gave up on me, the sole fell off one of the shoes, so I buried them with full honours.
To be continued.....