Back in the saddle, but delaying the match

After 3 weeks of a chest/ear infection, it has gone. I think it effected my fitness a bit, but I had a great weekend running in the Lakes (well friday night and Saturday morning).

On Friday night hound and I ran (of course this is fell running, so it means ran until I had to walk and then walked until I could run again) from Dummail Raise to Stickle-o-Pike and back again. Bit before Sergeant Man was new, but I now know this section quite well having been out and back. Got back to the car just as it got dark and not a plane in the sky. Weather was warm, a little wind at times, but did not need any of the extra "just in case" kit I carried like torch, spare thermal, etc. 13 miles and 3000ft and an average speed of 3.9mph which is zipping along for me.

On saturday morning went from Honister to Pillar and back. Slower 2.5mph average, but I was not pacing myself, did not eat or drink that much, and with the previous evenings activity, was a fair bit slower. Always a bonus when one the decent from Great Gable (nice and loose and rocky) a chap says to his mate "that bloke with the dog, he makes me feel normal". Most pleased to have been of service. 12 miles and 6000ft.

So with 1,000ft of reps on thursday to make sure my cold had gone, we just reached the holy 10k goal this week.

For a number of reasons I have decided to delay my BGR attempt to September. I don't need to justify to anyone other than myself and Myra, but it is worth articulating.

• One of the constraints of doing the BGR was to complete it without collateral damage to the King family. Small man has just finished his 1st week in school and returns home as a incoherent bundle of exhausted rage. At the same point in her school career, small girl returned home as a winging bundle of exhausted jelly, so its just what kids do until they get used to it. I am already away enough with work and being out every evening thrashing my my up and down hills when he gets home from school just won't cut it. Far better to be around and with the longer evenings I can get out to exhaust myself after he has gone to bed
• 3 weeks out with a cold/chest ear infection has put my training back more than I would have wished
• I don't think I am quite up to it yet. I am sure I can do the round 66 and 27 parts, but within 24 hours concerns me. I need to get a bit faster when I am tired (post 20 miles)
• I am still enjoying my training and have lots to learn. I am fitter than I have ever been, but there is still some low hanging fitness fruit. If I knew in September, what I know know I would have done a few things differently.
  
• 8 of the 10 people I know well who I have asked as pacers are unable to make the 26th of June. Excuses like being an external examiner on Shetland on that day, going on holiday to Switzerland and already booked to run in a fell race. My climber decided to drop a suitcase on his knee (with a fair amount of cartilage damage) to get out of roping up Broadstand. I have had a great response from people like Penrith Stu, Mark Smith and Simon Anderson who I don't really know and are very supportive, but it would be nice to have a mix of old and new.

So I am delaying my attempt till the last weekend in September. There are some obvious downsides to September rather than June

• 2 legs in the dark rather than 1. I have done a lot of running in the dark over the winter, so with modern lighting, GPS and good pacers, I doubt it will cost much time. Does mean I need to get over both legs 1 and 2 in the dark before September.
• Weather could be bad. Yes, higher probability of poor weather in September, but also less probability of being very hot which was a worry with June and worries me more
  

The decision feels right on a number of levels and I it must have been burning in the back of my mind for a few days, as I seemed to find some more motivation once I committed to the new date.

Right, lets go out and start on this weeks 10k of climb.