Running Blog - October 4th

 Paris ‘24 - and 100 weeks to go…

September has retired, it’s work done. It has tidied up summer and taken autumn to the ball. And Autumn has arrived bedecked in a full array of colours: red and yellow leaves on trees and bushes fluttering to the ground, slower than the falling Ferrari seeds in a hurry to die. And fallen leaves: a joy simply to walk through or to scuff, kick, pick up and throw, or roll around in whether you are an Alsatian or a child in adult skin.

 I digress, intoxicated as ever by October.

 This is ‘comeback month’. Walking and indoor fitness regimes consigned to the past, I press on.

…intoxicated as ever by October

 Pressing on consists of hiding away in Dorset, donning my trainers, and setting off through the gentle fields, dells, and…endless rolling hills. In reality, first one has to risk life and limb crossing the main road that feeds heavy lorries and fast cars around the tight bends of the village. The road, originally designed for one careful horse could curtail my preparation for Paris ’24 permanently. Step two is bliss, running along an unmade road and footpath stretching gently uphill beside a gently flowing stream. On this first run, just for one minute followed by one minute walking.

 Easy does it. Achilles recovery in mind. At this rate, I’ll reach my peak just before Paris ’24 and will be lethal over 20m.

 Run completed and road crossed without incident, I am filling up nicely with bubbles of joy. Walking has been enjoyable in September watching as summer was displaced by autumn, but to return to running feels pretty good - even if the sheep over the fence carried on munching hugely unimpressed and pheasants thought twice about being fearful of the human missile.

 10K Paris ’24 Countdown: 100 weeks and counting.