I was one of the first to sign up for this year’s Bupa London 10K and at the time (last June) I would have been able to honestly list a predicted finish of about 40 minutes.  So it was especially thrilling to find that I was in the absolute last starting wave to be released.  [...]

A planned trip to Bath was postponed due to the threat of rain (which ruins Shakespeare in a park) and illness.  I felt fine, though, so made day 48 of the running streak a loop run uphill into Moredon and the Boundary House.  It is tempting to count this one in the list of Red [...]

Yesterday’s run was brutal, so I only planned 3 miles for this one.  Conveniently, the Moonrakers is 1.5 miles up the hill from my house (so, after a pint I was able to run downhill to return). This is a really large pub and for a Saturday afternoon it seemed packed and it was obvious [...]

The Lamb and Flag was dead so I spoke with the bartender (the only soul around).  “It’s not really a drinkers’ pub,” he said as he charged me £4.80 for a pint of too cold ale and a small bag of crisps.  I looked around and saw very comfortable surroundings but the only sort of [...]

Day 40 of the running streak found me hobbling along the Thames towpath after an overland trek that started in Besselsleigh and continued through Appleton, then through a copse where I twisted my still recuperating arm and doubling myself over in a paroxysm of pain.  The marina at the Rose Revived was a welcome sight [...]

Hungry after skipping lunch Friday, I stopped in The Groves Company Inn for 6 wings and a Ruby Mild before heading off for my evening run.  This place is pretty bleak…a cavern with about a dozen pensioners spread out staring silently off into space with their beverages stagnant before them.  I shouldn’t be the youngest [...]

Had some evening work to do so got my run in during lunch…long hill repeats at Headington, a misery.  A quick change to a dry shirt and I was ready to eat lunch so popped into the White Horse ( a Hungry Horse pub with a cheap burger and beer special).  It took fucking ages [...]

So I had a good beer about 1/10th of a mile into the run, but my goal right now is to get my stamina back to the point that I can do a 20 miler whilst pausing for pints at 6 or 7 pubs along the way so I am trying to avoid too many [...]

Starting my 26th consecutive daily run of more than 3 miles (in this case, 9.2 miles) at the bottom of a steep hill was more challenging than any I have done since the wreck.  This would normally seem a pity, a shame even, but I caught my breath with a pint of 3B at the [...]

The Swan is down a back alley near Russell Square, an historic Taylor Walker pub with good, dark wood interiors, front and back fresh air seating (good to have on a warm, sunny day like last Tuesday), and fourgood  ales on the pump (’twas a hard choice between Doom Bar and Landlord).  Beer was a [...]