The days and weeks following the Scottish 10,000m proved difficult outwith running and gradually impacted on my performances in it. Week commencing Sunday 1st May turned out to be an uneventful, 7 days of training covering 50 miles with various standard sessions and runs completed, for example, my favourite "mixed grill" varied pace 7.5 miler, mile reps and High Point hill reps. Sunday 8th May saw the first Mens League match at Grangemouth. Scheduling the High Point for the day before proved a silly idea which resulted in 3 flat performances, 800m (2:06.08), 3000m steeplechase (10:09.1) and 5000m (15:50.29). I was however 1st Division 2 athlete in the latter 2 races so at least something was salvaged. Events later that week though put things into perspective.
To cut a very long story extremely short, my Gran had not been in the best of health since sustaining a broken hip in June 2014. Behind the tales of training, races and Queen's Park matches contained in this blog, family life had been challenging. Anyone who has helped care for an elderly relative will know that there are good and bad days. My Gran had more than her fair share of bad ones Alas she was admitted to hospital at the end of April and by Wednesday 11th May the prognosis was not good. That day would be the last time I saw her and, ironically on Friday the 13th, she left us. I hadn't run for a couple of days but, at my Dad's insistence, I did so that Friday, having left work early on receiving the news, before drowning my sorrows a little that night in the pub. A strict one off occurrence! The following day I was at Hampden as Queen's Park achieved promotion from League 2 but left a few minutes after the final whistle. Eurovision, normally the highlight of my TV viewing all year, took place that night but I watched with little interest. Dark clouds are horrible things. I returned to work and kept training to keep my mind off things but had another couple of rest days on the Thursday and Friday (19th and 20th) for the funeral. I can safely say that giving the eulogy was more nerve racking than any race I've ever ran.
These were the circumstances leading up to the BMC meeting in Watford on 28th May which I'd done so well in the previous year. Flights and accommodation had been arranged well in advance so both my parents insisted I went through with it. I simply doubted what effect the upheaval would have on my performance. More doubts crept in with a flight delay in Glasgow then a lengthy wait for my luggage, both of which ate into the nap I'd planned to have at the Premier Inn that afternoon. In the end, lining up in the B race, I used the atmosphere and the rest of the field to produce an acceptable performance of 14:51,6, battling my way from the rear of the field to 12th place out of 19 finishers. It was actually far better than I had anticipated so I munched on my McDonalds Chicken Meal back at the hotel with some contentment.
Since the Monday was a holiday, I had booked an extra night in Watford and planned a trip to London, somewhere I incredibly had never been to. I got up early for an easy recovery run before breakfast at the hotel then caught the train from Watford Junction to London Euston. It's virtually impossible to see everything so, with the aid of a tour guide from my local library, had picked out what I wanted to visit. I began with the British Library (maybe not everyone's first choice but I like books) then took the Tube (a nervous experience) to the Westminster area and blatantly played the tourist, taking in the usual- Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey. I concluded with a walk along the Embankment to Trafalgar Square where I managed half an hour in the National Art Gallery before it closed (probably covering about 1% of it, you could spend a day in there on its own). Sipping a pint of London Pride in the Square rounded off a fantastic day. Having your running over with and a full day to basically do what you want, there are few things better.
To cut a very long story extremely short, my Gran had not been in the best of health since sustaining a broken hip in June 2014. Behind the tales of training, races and Queen's Park matches contained in this blog, family life had been challenging. Anyone who has helped care for an elderly relative will know that there are good and bad days. My Gran had more than her fair share of bad ones Alas she was admitted to hospital at the end of April and by Wednesday 11th May the prognosis was not good. That day would be the last time I saw her and, ironically on Friday the 13th, she left us. I hadn't run for a couple of days but, at my Dad's insistence, I did so that Friday, having left work early on receiving the news, before drowning my sorrows a little that night in the pub. A strict one off occurrence! The following day I was at Hampden as Queen's Park achieved promotion from League 2 but left a few minutes after the final whistle. Eurovision, normally the highlight of my TV viewing all year, took place that night but I watched with little interest. Dark clouds are horrible things. I returned to work and kept training to keep my mind off things but had another couple of rest days on the Thursday and Friday (19th and 20th) for the funeral. I can safely say that giving the eulogy was more nerve racking than any race I've ever ran.
These were the circumstances leading up to the BMC meeting in Watford on 28th May which I'd done so well in the previous year. Flights and accommodation had been arranged well in advance so both my parents insisted I went through with it. I simply doubted what effect the upheaval would have on my performance. More doubts crept in with a flight delay in Glasgow then a lengthy wait for my luggage, both of which ate into the nap I'd planned to have at the Premier Inn that afternoon. In the end, lining up in the B race, I used the atmosphere and the rest of the field to produce an acceptable performance of 14:51,6, battling my way from the rear of the field to 12th place out of 19 finishers. It was actually far better than I had anticipated so I munched on my McDonalds Chicken Meal back at the hotel with some contentment.
Since the Monday was a holiday, I had booked an extra night in Watford and planned a trip to London, somewhere I incredibly had never been to. I got up early for an easy recovery run before breakfast at the hotel then caught the train from Watford Junction to London Euston. It's virtually impossible to see everything so, with the aid of a tour guide from my local library, had picked out what I wanted to visit. I began with the British Library (maybe not everyone's first choice but I like books) then took the Tube (a nervous experience) to the Westminster area and blatantly played the tourist, taking in the usual- Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey. I concluded with a walk along the Embankment to Trafalgar Square where I managed half an hour in the National Art Gallery before it closed (probably covering about 1% of it, you could spend a day in there on its own). Sipping a pint of London Pride in the Square rounded off a fantastic day. Having your running over with and a full day to basically do what you want, there are few things better.
Above: early evening at Trafalgar Square, London.
For obvious reasons, I didn't want to be on the Tube too late at night alone so made my return journey to Watford while I still had daylight on my side, enjoyed dinner and another beer at the hotel and got a flight back to Glasgow the next morning. This break was just what I needed at that particular time.
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