The Contraversial Miracle

It's been a surprisingly good month since I last put finger to keyboard, my shoulder did indeed get better once the six inch nail had rusted away, then just after I ended my contract at UCAS in Cheltenham I started to feel my Achilles get better, truly a miracle. I wasn't working so the opportunity to train was unlimited, but thankfully before I started thinking I had suddenly become related to Jess Ennis, I got a new contract at Debenhams in Taunton. This was even further away so would limit my access to the track on club nights once again. The answer was to go across the road and start training in the field. So armed with a copy of Google Earth I worked out where 100m, 200m and 300m was, some kind council fairy had placed a tree at one point, a drain at another and a broken fence at  the last.

The only drawback was the ground itself, apparently sometime in the distant past the rehearsals for the D-Day landings had been held there, making running in trainers on wet grass (Yep still raining in Wales), highly entertaining. On more than one occasion I have spun up the tyres and nearly crashed into the bushes TT style, but my new found luck seems to be holding - just.

I had hoped that the  change of training venue would confuse my old mucker the fridge toting bear, and so it seemed at first. No sign of the furry beast, but it was just an illusion, I was running so slowly that he'd found time to slip off for a short break in Haslemere, England, where he made his presence felt. It couldn't last though, he restocked his fridge and tracked me down, leaping out from behind one of the many conveniently placed bushes and slapping me in the face with a nearby tree. Apparently as I get older and run myself silly, my eyesight goes do-lally enough for me to run into low branches of trees that must have instantly sprung up during the 5th 200 rep.

I didn't get fit enough in time for the BMAF Pentathlon, which with some remarkable fit of common sense not usually found in the male member of this household, I failed to enter. But a wave of stupidity returned a week later, in much the same way a tsunami does, as I entered the Welsh Masters Championships, I got carried away and entered the 100, 200, 400, Long Jump, High Jump and Triple Jump having not yet set foot on a track in 2014 since 8th March. This could end badly of be the best (and most painful) day so far this year. The 200 will be fun, my old mate Malcolm Cowton is back fit after having bionics fitted to his knee, in the long and triple I'll be renewing my rivalry with Dave Shields (I usually take the long , beats me in the triple). In the High Jump, cousin Jon is back in town from Deutschland and he's likely to put me to the sword  again, but not in the long  Jon. So far the 100m looks the easiest to win  and over 400m, er, yes over 400m I'll be looking to finish whilst watching Malcolm take on the local star Sean Price.

Some of the Harriers training hard after another serious result

In the meantime my club has been going from strength to strength despite attempting Harri Kari on the way. We visited Banbury in the Youth Development League (YDL) and managed second place with a small team which surprised us because we though all we were going to bring back was sun burn. It was a pleasure to watch the team gel and discover the true meaning of team spirit. My daughter, knocked 3.5 seconds off her 400 PB and hasn't stopped reminding me since. Sadly there was a disagreement about selection leading up to this, which has left the celebrational single malt (Edradour - yum!) a little sour. Parents! I can't say more as we don't wash our underpants in the high street (Is that the correct phrase? Looks wrong to me - oh whatever).

The Harriers continued their success the following week in the much vaulted  Midland League Division 2. I was unable to attend due to a commitment that will be in the next episode (Suspense!). The guys went up against the mighty Bristol on their home turf and gave as good as they got, Chloe rose to the occasion an recorded her 2nd PB in a week this time over 100m - nice time girlie but you ain't caught the old man yet. We were 3rd on the day losing 2nd to the stripey Cheltenham vest who we beat last time. That makes the top of the division as close as ever for three teams, with us a point down in 2nd. In true Harriers style we all met up back at base and "Went for a pint and a nosh" at a new pub that has opened near the ground, not sure its down to us though, see above piccie. Guess what - they have single malts (Hope springs eternal eh!), only a Bowmore 12 and the Jura Origins but a start, they just need educating.