Paddington Takes to TV The whole blooming day. Not just a couple of hours, almost the whole waking day in front of the TV. I am so hungry. Did I mention the whole day in front of the TV? Although, I've watched this episode before, let's rewind and watch it again. Oh, that's correct, I've fallen asleep again, in front of the TV. After the 10th marathon, physio and awards, there was a mad dash to the kennels to pick up Echo and try to get back in time for the final dinner w

Paddington Takes The Air Even though I've been here before, I still get sweaty palms. After all it's just like preparing for take off, statistically very unlikely to crash after you've left the ground, statistically very likely to finish, but you never know? After all, just like flying, 10 marathons (or more for some astounding people) is not quite the norm is it? Day 10, is a wonderful bit of theatre, just like any performance, there are a few nerves jangling. Apparently

The Best of Paddington Bear Day 9, pretty cool eh? With the training I've not done, I'm over the moon to still be here. What's even cooler is, today I've completed my quickest marathon for the week (or nine days to be factually accurate). What's even more amazing is that I've not done any stupid stuff, no pranks on Dr Katie, no stupid asides, no lateness, pretty much been on time for everything, maybe the last few years, I've grown up? Now that would be something. You kno

Paddington Goes to Town Matt Damon, appears to me to be such a good guy, he may not be? I guess I'll never know. I like how he plays characters, Jason Bourne, Linus Caldwell, Mark Watney, Benjamin Mee and Will Hunting to name but a few. Yesterday, I thought I felt my hamstring begin to go, so for a long while I walked, probably about 12 miles, it was a long schlepp and boring. There's only so many times you can try to sing to kill a few minutes, or maybe kill a song for a

Paddington at Work Interior decorators available. Specialist contractors for pain caves, difficult domiciles, or just awkward situations. The colour palette can be a soul sucking black, pale, anaemic, bland yellow or a kaleidoscope of exotic colours so vivid, so varied that to try to pcik just one affords for confusion, discord and unpleasantness. It's easy to take for granted that just because you get to the start line, the finish is possible. Strength, conditioning, mob

The Adventures of Paddington Indifferent. That was my description of today. Some bits I felt I could almost run, others I had to walk, some were a struggle to even raise a jog. It started off so well. no aches, no pains and felt comfy to run. Stu and I were 'bimbling' away, chatting inanely and the yards and miles rolled by all the way to Hawkshead. It was nice to chat to someone, other than myself, who I cannot seem to get a coherent conversation from, and not notice th

Paddington Marches On It's hazy, although some details crystal clear, the emotions, raw and unfiltered. Another nightmare. I'm in a house, I'm downstairs, with a child, not sure who's child but a young person, maybe 5 or 6 years old. The kettle is on, we're at the kitchen table, warm sunlight is streaming in but it doesn't feel like the afternoon. The click of the kettle, the muffled tick of a clock, light chirps of birds, but then a shocked, short shriek and a very defini

Paddington At Large Duncan can I squeeze by you, one of the students asked at dinner. Johnny looks up from his dinner, suddenly remembering something and said something along the lines of 'I took a lass out to dinner the other week, I asked her if I could push her stool in?' Lets see how dinner goes first.' Star Wars Day today, 'D0 or do not, there is no try.' From the very off today, something did not feel right and I was in my own head from the start. Eight years ago I

Paddington Abroad Have to say I wish I was on holiday in France at the moment. The quads were 'crying out' for help this morning and the doubts about finishing today resurfaced. You sort of need a plan a, b, c and maybe even d for this event. In my opinion you can only look as far as the day you're on, there's a lot can happen over the course of a marathon. Quite a long time ago, I was lucky enough to work with Steve Winch, he was hard working, funny and the team loved him

Paddington Helps Out This morning I sat up in bed with a puzzled expression on my face. Happenings at Brathay, particularly breakfast always followed a strict timetable and it was most unusual for me to awaken so early and before the alarm even went off. Dashing down several flights of stone steps, the now well established, almost regimented second day pre-race preparation included the consumption of crumpets, porridge, coffee, orange juice and now marmalade. Taking no care

More About Paddington It was quiet in the physio room this morning, and a little subdued in the 10in10 meeting room. Perhaps people had things to worry about? Maybe it was the ominous shadow? Routine becomes established quite quickly, breakfast, treatment, briefing, run, treatment, prep fuel and hydration for the next day, dinner, blog, sleep, rinse and repeat. Personal admin they call it in the services, it's where we have to organise our electrolyte bottles and food we t

A Bear Called Paddington Abandoned, alone and scared. A little aging loner, low on energy, short on strength, limited in training and terribly, terribly worried about embarrassing himself. Excuses at the ready, not enough training, tweaked hamstring, a pulled achilles. What is blatantly clear is that out of the few Brathay 10in10s I've done, this is the most terrified I've been. Just like Paddington I feel alone, scared and looking for a 'family' to own, or rather want me

Deliberate, definite, focussed. Except I'm not. For years I've tried to work out how to be more consistent, more on the level, less fluctuating in my efforts. It's still not something I've worked out, not for the lack of trying. Happy times, when I felt like I was part of something special, static moments of grateful existence, family holidays, special places of work (when everyone is with you), special efforts and rewards and, the Brathay 10in10. Looking back, each of tho

I love where I live. For the most part I like the people in the village. I'm lucky to have some fantastic neighbours and met some decent friends in this little piece of Yorkshire. Butt, (spelled on purpose like that), some people are real arsches (spelled deliberately like that). Why, for the love of everything that is holy, would you choose, to stick your hand in a plastic bag, pick up a ploppet or two of steaming dog dung, tie the bag and then, well then, just drop it w

Urghh! Aargh! Yukk! My daily chore, twice, sometimes three times a day. Who likes sticking their hand in a plastic bag and wrapping...

A few weeks ago, the teenager and I had a blow out. A real bluey. A shouting match, which neither won. About what? Well, on the...

Happy Belated 50th Birthday! What an event? I genuinely don't know whether to place an exclamation or question mark at the end of that sentence. What an unusual atmosphere, at least that's how I felt. It wasn't just the run but also the beginning and afters too. Admittedly I was a little out of sorts having followed my usual inimitable style of preparation for the event. This consisted of booking, on Monday (the week of the event), the overnight ferry to travel that Friday

During the Covid lockdowns, I tried to do anything to keep my head above water. Universal credit was something, the part-time jobs were another, the mortgage 'holiday' yet another, but altogether still not enough. I've never been good with money. I don't know how I can keep going, except through relying on credit which is crippling me; It feels like I'm building my own debt mountain. I mount pebble on pebble, stone on stone and rock on rock. What will I do to get over it

Well sort of, it's actually a little mouse and it's no longer loose. It has lain still, for several days, if not weeks, slowly decaying...

Or 'Different Endings' What the hell am I doing? I thoroughly enjoy my new career and working for myself but what on earth am I putting myself out for? The idea was that I'd create the balance I never really had in hospitality (or is that looking back through tainted, murky glasses), for family, for work, for exercising and raising money for charity and maybe the occasional blog. What seems to be the case is waking up at daft o'clock to do lessons or work late to prepare s