Back to blogging - now where was I?

More than 3 months since I blogged - now that's disgraceful!

I was horrified to notice that my last entry was on January 18th, but as I sat here and read the last entry - wearing shorts at 9 am and looking out at another beautiful spring day - I realised how time had passed.

So this update will be in the form of bullet points to let me begin blogging again as I once again commit to some serious training.

- I kept going through January, posting my highest monthly total for about 20 years of 207 miles.
- In the first week of February we transferred enough money to Uganda to pay the secondary school fees for 125 HIV/Aids orphans for the opening term of the 2007 academic year in various schools in Iganga district.
- On February 11th I ran in the Stamford 30k. On an almost spring-like day I surprised myself by running the very undulating course in 2 hrs 32 mins 24 secs, an average pace of 8:11 miles and a predictor for a sub 3:40 marathon!
- The pleasure from this run was somewhat bitter sweet as it turned out to be the last day I saw my Mum alive, as she passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 16th. The cancer that she had contracted was far too much for a woman of 90, however tough was her constitution. Her ashes are interred next to her husband of 58 years in the roots of a Catalpa tree in Spalding St Mary & St Nicholas churchyard. This same tree was planted by my grandfather, Leonard Massey in memory of his wife, Jenny, at her passing. I miss my mum and the unconditional love she showed us all every day.
- Debbie and I flew off for 2 weeks in Costa Rica 2 days after the Stamford race and, happy with my achievement, I unconsciously decided to wind down on my running for a few weeks - not before some inspirational beachfront running and wildlife encounters in the tropics! What a beautiful country it is and with such friendly people - and great coffee!
- Since returning at the very end of February, it's been pretty much "maintenance running" for me, with no thoughts of racing. My half-baked idea of running the Rotterdam Marathon faded in the sun in Costa Rica, and (as usual) it has taken the London Marathon and a critical view of my online training diary to spur me back into action.

So I've re-committed myself to serious training even as I am writing this...

- There will be an autumn marathon this year, probably Dublin on October 29th. It will be a PB!
- As I start again properly I am 9 kgs lighter than at the same time last year and my comfortable training pace is around 40 secs per mile quicker.
- My work committments are just as heavy this year and this will disrupt attempts at really high mileage, but hopefully the base built up in the last 12 months will have a really beneficial effect.
- I will try very hard not to finish up in hospital.......

So off we go again - I'll try to get more photos up this year, particularly of the areas where I run. More later this week.