There's more to life than London

Today is the day that the Virgin London Marathon accepted/rejected magazines start to arrive. Over the new few days, ballot entrants will find out whether they are the lucky few to get through this year. For those who paid the fee in advance and are entitled to a 'rejected' jacket, there might even be an added visit to the local sorting office to pick up an oversized parcel that came while you are at work. Talk about adding insult to injury.

My Twitter timeline is a mix of elation and disappointment today, with the odd dash of frustration at the ballot system. Under the old sponsors, Flora, entrants who applied several years in a row but were unlucky were entitled to guaranteed entry after 5 attempts. It's the same for the New York marathon ballot. But that arrangement ceased when Virgin took over London.

I've had the rejected magazine on previous occasions but I'll admit I'm one of the lucky ones this year, I've got a place. But I won't be entering the ballot again - this will be my final attempt at London for the foreseeable future. I'll be leaving my ballot space open for someone who have never run the race before, and hope they get their chance.

For me, there are just too many other marathons to do, too many other cities to visit. As I sat on the bus from Edinburgh Airport yesterday, on my way to a meeting, I realised that I really want to run Edinburgh one year.  I also want to run Manchester after seeing the amazing medals they gave out last year - I'm all about the race bling! So I need to stop attempting to run London if I want to make either of these my spring marathon.

Then there's Seville or Marrakech. There's Barcelona, Copenhagen or Paris. And Rome in the spring will always be worth a visit. Closer to home, Brighton is fast becoming a must do race on the UK calendar.

And if you're speedy, there's iconic Boston to try for. I would love to be fast enough to attempt Boston and I live in hope that I can maintain my current marathon pace long enough to make GFA one day.

If you're one of those runners that knocks out a marathon every weekend, then perhaps you can fit in London and all of these others. If you're like me and can manage a couple of marathons a year without provoking divorce or redundancy, then you have to choose.

I know London is iconic and I understand that if you run marathons, you want to do it. I felt exactly the same. It's an incredibly well organised event, with great support from the city. But there are others that will ensure you have an amazing experience and it's not the only marathon.  It's not even that nice a medal.

And there is one positive about not running London in 2014 - you'll be able to come down and cheer Mo Farah along in his first attempt at the London marathon.

How to make it through the week before your first half marathon

With my local half marathon, Ealing, coming up next weekend, lots of my friends and neighbours are embarking on their first distance race. It's really interesting to see what worries them about the race, and what they think they should be doing in the last week before the race.

When I first ran a half marathon in 2008, I didn't know anyone who ran races. I hadn't discovered running blogs. My only source of information was the Runners World website. I've been thinking a lot lately about what I would have liked to have known before I raced 13.1 miles for the first time, and here are a few tips that you might find useful in the run up to race day.

1. Don't do anything stupid
This is not the week to clear out the loft, dig up the garden or use that voucher you got for your birthday to go Zorbing down hills. If your kid's party has a bouncy castle, leave it to the kids to play with. This is the week to take it easy and put your feet up as much as possible.  When you get in from work, break out that box set you've been meaning to watch and relax. You could do a Bradley Wiggins and get your other half to carry everything for you all week, but that might be going a bit far. Just no heavy lifting, no running down stairs and, guys, no new high heels, ok.

2. You're as ready as you can be
You haven't run the distance so it's natural to think you're not ready. It's an unknown quantity. You might be worried you haven't trained enough because of a foot injury two months ago, or because your training was interrupted by a cold a few weeks ago, but it doesn't matter now. This is not the week to fit in loads of miles because you're feeling fit and healthy. You can't benefit from long mileage this week, in fact, just the opposite. You need your energy for race day. A couple of short, easy runs will be enough to remind your legs how to run. And definitely no running Friday and Saturday before the race. That 50th Parkrun will just have to wait.

I know what you're thinking "I'm not ready - just one more long run'. But you don't need it and you shouldn't do it. Do not go out and do three 8-milers this week in an attempt to be race fit.
Trust me, if you're bit short of training, the worst that will happen is that you won't be able to run it as fast as you'd like. This is fine. This leaves lots of room for improvement in half marathon no 2.

3. Eat well, but not too well
Just because you're relaxing doesn't mean you should rely on takeaways and fast food all week. Eat sensibly and healthily, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Don't try any new foods after Thursday, and make sure you cook everything thoroughly during the week. This is no time for food poisoning.

You don't need to live on pasta all week - other carbs like potatoes and rice are good too. And you don't need to carb load for days on end. You're running a half marathon not a full marathon, so just eat three meals a day and make sure there's carbs in all of them on Friday and Saturday. Maybe add an extra banana, some Jaffa cakes or a slice of sponge cake on Saturday. If you're too nervous to eat much the day before the race, try 5 small carb based meals and sip on carb based drinks. Squash will do. Red Bull is unnecessary.

If you always go for a curry on a Saturday night, please skip it this week. You will not regret it. And the person who has to use the race portaloo after you will be very grateful.

4. Avoid germs
This is tricky, particularly if you commute or have school age kids. If you're like me and don't mind being excessively paranoid about germs, you can avoid all meetings where you have to shake hands with new people, you can aim to get a spot on the Tube where you can lean against something instead of holding on with your hands and you should avoid kissing people with sniffles (or who have children with sniffles).

However, for most people the best solution is to wash your hands as often as possible during the day and evening. You might start to feel a bit obsessive but it's just for a few days and anything to stop you waking up with a stinking cold on race day is worth it. You can go back to recklessly catching germs after the race.

5. Avoid alcohol at the weekend
I know beer is carbohydrate but if you're racing on a Sunday morning, avoid drinking Friday and Saturday night. If you always go out for work drinks on a Friday, why not stick to the lime and soda for a change? If you've got a wedding the day before the race, then that's incredibly unlucky. It's boring but booze does dehydrate you. If you must drink, stick to a sensible quantity (1?) and something you're used to. Unless your usual is a Jagerbomb.

6. Hydrate before race day
Don't get up on race day and neck loads of water. You will just want to pee endlessly before the race and during it. Instead, drink plenty of fluid Friday and Saturday - about 1.5-2 litres, depending on your weight. When you go to bed on Saturday, your pee should be a nice pale yellow. Something like Magnolia on the Dulux paint spectrum.

Everybody will have different fluid requirements on the day, but we can all benefit from hydrating well for a couple of days beforehand.

7. Sleep during the week, not the night before
Don't worry if you don't sleep the night before a race. In fact, I'd be more worried if you slept like a log the night before. Pre-race jitters are absolutely normal, and don't ease off with experience either. Focus on getting an early night Thursday and Friday, so you're well rested before the inevitable pre-race nerves/excitement/adrenaline kicks in. In fact, those jitters will be good for you on race day so embrace them and don't panic.

8. Don't let the weather forecast change your plans
We've had a good summer to train in and the weather has been lovely. But did you watch the Great North Run last week and think 'I better buy a waterproof in case it rains on race day'. Well, don't. Save the money. If you're worried about getting wet, a waterproof won't help - in fact, you'll still get wet but from the inside out as you sweat up so much inside the waterproof. Just make sure that you pack dry clothes to change into after the race, particularly if you plan to head out for a celebratory pub lunch afterwards. And don't forget dry shoes - if it rains, your feet will be the worst hit. A towel or a facecloth can also be useful after a wet race.

If you wear glasses, wearing a cap might be sensible in the rain, but at least try one in a training run first so you can make sure it fits ok and doesn't have any pressure points.

Even if the weather is bad on race day, you will still enjoy the experience. So relax, stick with your planned outfit and make a mental note to rehearse a brolly hat for next time.

9. Nothing new on race day (aka Advice you'll read online and want to ignore but shouldn't)
Don't wear anything on race day that you haven't trained in and know is comfortable. Not even so much as a sock.

The same applies to food. You should have eaten plenty of breakfasts before training runs, and you'll have worked out which ones were digestible and which ones gave you runners' trots. Make sure you stick with a breakfast that has worked for you in the past. Just because you read/hear somewhere this week that someone else swears by Nutella on crumpets or poached egg with Jaffa cakes doesn't mean you should try it on race day. Stick to what you've eaten before. If you're travelling to the race, try and make sure you can have the same breakfast at your destination. Save the food experiment when you're training for your second half marathon.

10. Never underestimate the toilet queue
You will want to go to the toilet before the race. Your debut nerves will put pressure on your bladder, it's inevitable. So leave plenty of time to go to the toilet at the race start. The rule of thumb is - the closer it is to start time, the longer the toilet queue. Sometimes unimaginably long. Don't underestimate your waiting time, and if you're really nervous, allow for two visits. If you don't have to wait long, brilliant - this gives you extra time to soak up the fantastic pre-race atmosphere.

And pack toilet paper, just in case you're at the back of the queue behind someone who didn't skip their Saturday night curry. You can always dump it in a bin if you don't use it.

11. Don't go off too fast/use pacers
If you've consistently trained at 9 min 30 sec pace for weeks, and you find yourself starting the race at 8 min pace, no, you're not going to surprise yourself - you are just going too fast. Slow down.

Running too fast is the factor most likely to ruin your race target. This is not just advice for the half marathon newbie - this is advice for us all. Races are exciting. They start and everyone heads off running full pelt. Many of those will be running too fast. Don't be one of them. Stick to your planned pace and if you're feeling good at mile 8, you have my permission to accelerate and test yourself.

The best thing you can do is use the race pacers. These wonderful people that give up their races to guide you round in a specified time are worth their weight in gold. Want to do 2 hours 15? Then find the pacer closest to that time and stick with them. Even better, introduce yourself and let them know your plans. And when you hit your target time, make sure you say thank you.

12. Plan in advance where your spectators will be
If your family and friends are coming to watch you, get them to decide where they will be in advance and tell you. It is much easier to for you to spot them at a marker than for them to spot you in a mass of people. There is nothing worse than hoping to see a loved one and missing them, so plan viewing spots in advance and stick to them.

13. Don't convince yourself that something is going to be a problem
Is there a big hill you're dreading on the course? Try turning it around and thinking positive thoughts. You've never run this race before, so how do you know you can't do it? Even if you found it tough in training, race conditions are different. You'll have 100s of people to run it with. You can beat that hill, don't let it beat you before you get there.

14. Run your own race
If you've trained with a friend for weeks and you've also planned to race together, then great. However, if you've trained by yourself and you bump into loads of people you know at the start, beware running with them. If all the mums or dads from your kid's school are doing it, ask them what time they are aiming for. And if it's much faster than yours, wish them luck and arrange to meet them at the end.
The same goes for running with your partner. If they're taller/faster/more experienced than you, with a different target, don't start with them as you'll inevitably fall into a faster pace.

The only time you should be running with faster/more experienced runners than you is if they're a pacer planning to run a slower time for your benefit (see 11).

 

15. Savour it
Enjoy your race. You are guaranteed a PB. You will definitely have a brand new experience. You only get one first half marathon so make the most of every minute. You'll have plenty of time after the race to reflect on those things you'd do differently second time around...

The good, the bad and the ugly: Great North Run 2014 race review

Sunday was my 4^th attempt at the Bupa Great North Run. It's become the highlight of my race calendar and it's also a really good benchmark for my training progress, as it's the race I've run most regularly. This year, as part of Operation sub 4hr Marathon, I was aiming for a new half marathon PB of 1 hour 55 minutes.

My highlights were:

The Race – as ever, the GNR is not just a half marathon, it’s an occasion. As well as being a major charity fundraising event, it’s also a significant local event, and is definitely the highlight of Felling's social calendar. This ensures that there is a massive amount of support all the way round, in any weather.  You get the traditional support points (Elvis in a bus stop, anyone?) and, of course, the Red Arrows flypast. In fact, I love this bit so much I have decided I would like the Red Arrows to give me a fly past at all my half marathons. I'd pay a little bit extra if you can guarantee it, race organisers of the UK. Thank you very much in advance.

The costumes – there’s a lot of creativity and boldness in the Great North Run. If you’re running under 2 hours, you don’t get to see quite as many costumes as you do starting further back, but this year I spotted a massive Bagpuss, a male Wonder Woman, the Ugly Sisters, a St George riding a dragon and a group of men wearing nothing more than a pair of Toon Army budgie smugglers. But my favourite was the Tyne Bridge I saw while waiting to start. I only hope the cardboard structure didn’t collapse in the rain.
 

The start - I'd also like to add 'high fiving an Olympian' as a prerequisite to all my races. Ellie Simmonds last year, and now Christine Ohorugu - they are definitely a good luck charm. (Although the cricket fan in me is  secretly a bit disappointed I didn't get to high five Graeme Swann)

The weather – it didn’t rain before the start, and it didn’t rain all the way round, as forecast. And I only got hit by one gust of wind. Result.

My time – I did manage sub 1:55, by a single, beautiful, second. I used a pace band this year, which I've only ever used in marathons before, although I only remembered to look at it after mile 7. I started off fine, but found miles 2 & 3 a bit tough, then recovered and was able to keep going without any major setbacks. My pace was inconsistent, because I decided to just go with the race - some miles were difficult to do fast, as there were so many people, others I ran well under 1:55 min pace. But I just thought it was easier to embrace an inconsistent pace than try and fight the conditions. Physically, I actually felt quite good except for those miles 2 and 3, and I could probably have even done it a few seconds faster, with fewer runners and more positive thinking. Overall the finish time, and how I felt afterwards, has given me a lot of confidence in my marathon training and the progress  I've made in terms of speed.

But it wasn't all good:

My pre-race dinner –I disastrously went to a different restaurant this year before the race. I couldn't face spaghetti Bolognese again so instead of boring old pasta, I ordered steak and chips, which worked brilliantly for me pre GNR 2012, where I scored my first sub 2 hour half marathon. However, the chips were greasy and oily and I couldn’t eat them, so just managed a bit of meat and a mushroom. I'd also ordered bruschetta for starter but the bread was soggy and undertoasted so couldn't face that either. I spent the rest of the evening worrying about my carb intake.

My negative thoughts – I really, really, need to work on my inner voice. According to my pace band, I went out about 20 seconds too fast on the first mile. I panicked, slowing down in miles 2 and 3, where I felt really sluggish. I then spent miles 4 and 5 berating myself for scuppering my time changes by going off too fast. I spent a lot of time telling myself I couldn’t do it, blaming the rain or my pre-race. By mile 8, I was alternating between a positive mile and a negative mile, which was pretty sapping. I know this does not make the task any easier but yet I still do it. Something I need to work on for York, where there are a lot more miles to fit negative thoughts into.

The weather – although not as bad as they’d forecast, it was still a soggy one. I didn’t get rained on until about mile 3 but, boy, did I get rained on. By mile 8, the water was squelching out of the vents in the top of my running shoes, and it was like running in a pair of wet sponges from there. There was a lot of puddles to avoid and weave past. Combined with the occasional severe gust of wind hitting my from the right, there were moments were I thought I might just get the bus to the end. 

Toilet queues - I know races can never have enough toilets but, really, the Great North Run is shocking for toilet queues. I got there at 8.40 and there was still a massive queue. Last year I queued for 55 minutes and I was determined not to do that again, so managed to get there earlier and reduce the wait to 15 minutes instead. But it's not ideal because then you're at the start for too long, on your feet. Not ideal for those who actually want to run the thing.

The congestion – this year there were more starters than ever before – 41000. And it showed out there on the course. In the previous 3 attempts at this race, I’ve never experienced anything like the congestion of this year. It was nearly as bad as the London marathon! It definitely makes it more of a challenge to get through and maintain a pace, and my splits are very random. The runners welfare bikes in mile 10 weren't much help either, weaving in and out of the runners and getting in the way. I’m not sure if it was so busy this year because there were more starters, or because I started in a faster pen. Perhaps it’s because of the chaos at the start pen this year, where some a-hole decided that because he couldn't be arsed to walk to the gate for white numbers, he would lift the crash barrier out of its base and let a massive group of people climb under it.
This made for a massive crush in our pen, a massive amount of tension and loads of arguments. Security took over 5 minutes to turn up and then they must have gone away again, as all of a sudden it started again. Once inside the pen, this guy continued to lift the barriers up for others to climb under. It felt really unsafe by the time we started and it got really ugly for a few moments. I don't think the Great North Run really needs to start on this sour note and the organisers really need to address this better next year, by ensuring that there is plenty of security on the first few pens, not just by the gates themselves.

I'll be back next year again, if they'll have me. Maybe next year I'll be aiming for sub 1:50!

Running the North Norfolk Coast

I had a short break in the UK over the weekend. I don't really do UK breaks. I am a UK weather jinx, ensuring that any holiday taken within the UK will cause rain, snow or unseasonal temperatures. Often all in the same trip. I must have really confused the weather gods of North Norfolk, though, the weather was really nice for most of the time, with glorious sunshine for all but one of the afternoons I was away. I visit 2-3 times a year and I think this was the first time when it wasn't cold or raining. Ha, fooled you, Norfolk weather god!

Even though I was on holiday, I can't really take a break from marathon training. But that was ok, because I knew that there was a coastal path in North Norfolk that I could follow. Our accommodation in the picturesque village of Blakeney was about 100 yards from the path, so there was no excuse but to run it!

On Friday evening, I headed out for an exploratory 6 mile run. Friday late afternoon/early was quite dull and grey, not showing the coastal path at its best. It also meant that no one was out there walking, which gave me 6 miles of isolated running to enjoy. Just me, a tiny frog and a reed warbler (I had to look up the bird when I got back to the flat, obviously - I'm not a twitcher!). At first, it was unnerving being so alone when running. As a London dweller, this doesn't happen very often and usually not for longer than a few yards. So to go 4 miles before I saw another soul was a strange but pleasant feeling. I didn't need to feel scared or threatened (or maybe reed warblers do mug humans, I don't know), I just felt free.

On Saturday morning, it was back out for a longer 12 mile run. By now, the sun was out again, which meant all the tourists and dog walkers were too. So the first 3 miles of the run were definitely not isolated as before. Unlike London, however, people in Norfolk move to one side when you shout 'excuse me'. They share the path, and even smile, wave and say hello. This makes such a change for me from running the Thames towpath, where sometimes people would rather throw you in the river than budge half an inch to the left. By the time I got to Cley, the next village, I was high on camaraderie and neighbourliness.

After leaving Cley, though, the terrain started to change. The path continues along a vast expanse of shingle beach, alternating between the beach itself and a high shingle ridge. Running along the ridge was ok, as the shingle was compacted, but running along the beach was a new and challenging experience. My feet sank into the deep, loose, shingle with every step, so it became a trudge not a run. To make things a even more difficult, there was a strong wind blowing out to sea, so anything the path curved inland I was running directly into a very strong headwind. Pace went out of the window, with all my effort focussed on moving forward somehow. I couldn't even manage to open my gel while running as it was just a step too far - I had to stop dead to open it, then as I sucked it out the wind caught it and blew it all down my front. Ooh, the glamour of marathon training!

Despite this new and entirely frustrating terrain, I was loving it. With the sea to the left, beautiful rolling countryside to the right and a gorgeous blue sky above , who gives a monkeys about pace? I felt so privileged to be able to run that route, to experience such a beautiful part of the world in that way, I didn't worry about my pace. Besides, my muscles were getting a whole new workout and I was getting some 'running into a headwind' training (which I suspect may be very useful in York at some point) so I figured I was still reaping lots of benefits from my new terrain.

I had arranged to meet my Beloved in a pub for lunch at 12.30 and I realised that my slow pace over the shingle, and my gel stop, had eaten into my timings slightly. Not only that, but my legs were starting to feel like they'd had a much harder workout that 6.5 miles. I think that eating into your holiday time with a long run is one thing, but being very late for lunch is taking the mick a bit, so I decided to run it on time rather than distance, heading back to Salthouse (and the highly recommended Dun Cow) for lunch on time. After the shingle beach, I followed a conservation path up a grassy trail over undulating fields and further inland. This took me past what looked like a couple of artillery guns and lots of poppies! This bit was lovely - hard ground that didn't sink underneath me - and meant I could get a bit more pace back into my run and practice some uphill running. North Norfolk is not quite as flat as you'd think.

By the time it was time to turn back, I was sorry to leave the path. I was starting to daydream about ultra running and thinking about how nice it would be to run the whole 45 miles of the North Norfolk coastal path (well, not the shingle bit, but that would be near the end, when you might want a slow bit anyway). By the time I had made it back to the pub, with SIS gel dribbled down the front of my top and sweaty salt encrusting my face and arms, I had decided that I am definitely going to run the length of the path next year. Anyone fancy joining me?

Down in the slumps

Summary: I really want to run the Yorkshire Marathon in sub 4 hours. I really am not sure I can knock 16 minutes off my marathon time to do this. However, my training started well, with a significantly improved pace from last year’s training for the ill-fated New York marathon. Running approximately a minute per mile faster on my long slow runs, and hitting race pace easily on some of the middle distance runs, I felt like I was doing all the right things and getting the results I needed.

My plan said to do a half marathon 2 weeks ago, so I signed up to run Burnham Beeches half marathon. It’s not a flat course, so didn’t expect a PB, but did expect to run well and give myself some sort of indicator for York.

The night before was sleepless. Not because of pre-race nerves but because of a persistent cough. And the nagging doubt that maybe I shouldn’t run it if I was coughing. I decided to go ahead anyway, as the race was two laps, and I could drop out halfway if I needed to. I made sure I had a couple of inhaler puffs before I dropped my bag off and headed to the start.

I think it’s safe to say it was the hardest half I’ve ever run. Even more testing than my debut half, with its torrential rain and a foot injury. It felt as long as a marathon, and every time I took a drink I had a massive coughing fit. I basically took it as easy as was comfortable, not pushing for a time, and finished bang on 2 hours, nearly 3 minutes slower than my PB.

On reflection, I realise that this was a great prep race. I ran 13.1 miles at marathon race pace and hit it perfectly. At the time, though, I was thinking what a nightmare it was and wondered why I was even bothering to look at sub 4 targets. And I couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling of failure. Mad I know, but let’s put it down to the salbutamol, shall we?

With bank holiday travels looming, and the training plan requiring 19 miles, I took the Friday morning off to run long. I headed to Richmond Park, a tried and tested route for me, trying not to push too hard as my cough was receding but still there. I went round Richmond Park in the opposite direction from normal, which I will now describe as the ‘uphill way’. All of RP is undulating but for some reason this day (probably the cough - I know, I know) it was like climbing Everest. I had to stop and walk at one point, accompanied by a coughing fit. I never take walk breaks and only stop for toilets, so for me this felt like abject failure. My sub 4 dreams were shattered. About 12 miles in, near Pembroke House on my exit route, I had a total meltdown – I stopped, turning round and round in circles arguing with myself (possibly aloud, like a real park nutter).

My logical self said ‘you’re not 100% fit, you probably shouldn’t even be running’

My stressed marathoner self said ‘you’re quitting. If you quit now, you’ll quit on marathon day. You need to push through this’

My logical self said ‘you might do yourself some damage, maybe we should head out of the park and get the bus home’
My stressed marathoner self shouted ‘Quitter! Failure’

You get the picture. And this went on for a while...
 

My logical self then pointed out I had to catch the 14.06 from Euston to Liverpool, so I realised I couldn’t really stay in the park arguing with myself any longer. I had to get home somehow, get showered and get out. So I ran to the bottom of Kew Gardens, another 2 or so miles downhill, and caught the bus. Garmin said 15.5 miles run. A good distance, I know, but not 19 miles. I had failed. I had quit. I was miserable.

I took the whole of the bank holiday weekend off. We couldn’t go on like this, me and running - we needed some distance from each other. I had a high mileage week ahead of me, which would be the real test – if I could get through that, I would be ok. It was my birthday as well, so didn’t want to be miserable because of running on my birthday. So I ignored my trainers, laid off dairy entirely and hoped the cough would subside by the Tuesday.

Tuesday, post work, I went for a 10 mile run. It was slow. It was punctuated by 3 toilet stops (NB: birthday squid ink risotto = unsuitable pre run food). I heard my first Christmas tune in a pub on one toilet stop. But I made it round. I ran 10 miles without any arguments between my logical and marathoner selves (well, the logical self may have made a sarcastic comment about the squid ink risotto) and felt a little bit happier about running. On Thursday night, I went to club intervals. I didn’t feel particularly fit, but I did the workout, and I survived.

This weekend was the high mileage bit. Hal Higdon’s advanced programme requires you to run 10mile at race pace on the Saturday, followed by 20 miles long slow run the following day. The 10 miles were knocked out at 8:57 min pace, bringing me safely under 4 hours in a marathon. Whether I could hold it for another 16.2 miles is another question but I did it. The 20 miles were a 9:47 min pace, possibly a little too fast, but I felt good. I felt strong. I even ran the bit of Richmond Park where I had my meltdown the week before, so I could shake off the bad memories.

When I look back at the same weekend pre VLM, I was 25 minutes faster over the 20 miles. My confidence is back. I feel like I can do this. Sub 4 hours may be a bit of an ambitious target, but I’m back in a position to give it my very best shot. I was this close to giving up entirely, but so glad I didn’t.

At least, not this week…