Category: April 2013

a gloomy day with a sunny finish – First published 16 April 2013

From Wikimedia Commons Sourcehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/hahatango/8652816493/ Author Aaron "tango" Tang
From Wikimedia Commons Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/hahatango/8652816493/ Author Aaron “tango” Tang

Television, and in particular the news, is not something I watch most of the time. Of course, I’m not averse to an interesting nature programme or a good film, I even quite enjoy shows like CSI and NCIS because the detective process fascinates me. So, the first I heard of the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013 was when Commando phoned me from work. With the Moonwalk a few weeks away and Commando’s first marathon that October it shook me to the core. Continue reading a gloomy day with a sunny finish – First published 16 April 2013

The Moonwalk pack has landed! – first published 15 April 2013

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Moonwalk night was getting ever closer and, with just one more long walk ahead, I was almost ready. Then, on the morning of  April 15 2013, a parcel arrived. It was the Moonwalk pack, filled with such goodies as a see through plastic mac, space blanket, my race number and, the most important item, a bra to decorate. It made it all seem scarily real and, of course, I had to start thinking about how I was going to decorate the blasted thing. Continue reading The Moonwalk pack has landed! – first published 15 April 2013

late night phone calls are never good news – first published 14 April 2013

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14 April 2013 was a strange kind of day. It began with me worrying about my knees. They were really achy after my long Moonwalk training walk the day before and I was more than a little concerned that I’d picked up an injury that could jeopardise the Moonwalk. The day ended with an injury worry of a completely different kind. Continue reading late night phone calls are never good news – first published 14 April 2013

Moonwalk training, Winchester at last – first published 12 April 2013

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There’s something about the halfway point in a long walk that always makes me smile. After that I know there are more miles behind me than in front and I’m homeward bound. At the same time, these are some of the most difficult miles. Tiredness begins to set in, muscles begin to ache. This is when the mind is more important than the body and the little things to make me smile are the things that keep me going. Continue reading Moonwalk training, Winchester at last – first published 12 April 2013

Moonwalk training, twenty four miles and a few disasters – first published 12 April 2013

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Most marathon training programmes build up slowly, little by little with regular walks or runs and then taper off in the weeks leading up to the event. Usually the longest walk or run is twenty miles, at most twenty two. The thinking being, if you can run twenty miles you can push through the wall to run the final six point two on the day. This was not the way I saw it. When I started off five miles seemed like a pretty long walk. After walking ten, five was a piece of cake. It seemed to me, if I did the whole twenty six point two before the tapering, it would be easier on the night. In April 2013 I’d made it to the penultimate walk. Continue reading Moonwalk training, twenty four miles and a few disasters – first published 12 April 2013

goodbye to an old friend – first published 5 April 2013

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It’s never easy to say goodbye but life was never meant to be easy. Once in a while we all have to make difficult decisions and do things we’d really rather not. In April 2013 we made a decision that meant saying goodbye to an old friend. It may have been a parting we planned but it was a sad day for all that… Continue reading goodbye to an old friend – first published 5 April 2013

a skinny latte revelation – first published 4 April 2013

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Back at the beginning of April 2013 there was no sign at all of spring. In fact an icy wind was blowing in from Siberia and there was snow in the air. The latte cravings were strong and I began to wonder if skimmed milk and freshly brewed coffee were quite the demons I thought they were. Wondering led to Googling, which in turn led to some surprising results… Continue reading a skinny latte revelation – first published 4 April 2013