JFDI.

I should have that tattoed across my knuckles. JFDI. 3 weeks since my last post and what have I been doing? Chasing my tail, is what. Kids are back in school - and that was a last minute rush I only had 10 weeks to prepare for, I have finally, finally, finally, made a start on home improvements that have been on the program for a good 6 months, I have been down and back to London a number of times... I even went to Paris for the day. But more of all that stuff in a minute.

Running. Running, I have been running. Training, even. As per Lizzie Lee's advice (and she's a veteran AND fan of the RLRF plan) I plunged into week 12 of the half-marathon training program and used the paces from the Macmillan running calculator. I've tweaked it all a bit - used my marathon PR (now nearly exactly a year ago and a million miles away in terms of fitness but hey) to calculate my various paces. Which are measured in minutes and seconds, I then have to convert them to min/miles and if I'm running on my (metric?) treadmill, have to then convert into km/h. Oh enough to make an English graduate get a headache were it not for the fact that the internet is overflowing with nerds who calculate this stuff for me. Week 1? Good-ish. Given the diabolical wind we have at the moment I am giving myself permission to run on the treadmill for my speed workouts. Week 2? Not so goodish - tempo workout = fail (too hard) and long run was great - ran it with Dawn - but not at the 8:40 min/mile prescribed but a 10 min/mile which felt hard enough. Eh, I'm only building a base here folks. So I'm into week 3 now, this morning's speedwork is done (nasty! 12 x 400m at 6:50 min/mile, that hurts me!). So - on balance, the running is okay. I am getting back in the saddle and the cross training, biking and swimming, is beginning to take shape as well. By the time we get to December - serious time! - I should be ready for this.

But now the rest of my life - it is bursting at the seams. Mostly with great good fun stuff. For example? Taking a day trip to Paris to meet with wonderful Jen and her husband. Jen and I ran together in California oh 2 1/2 years ago and so it was a total treat to spend the day before her birthday with her and Zach.Then with finally planning and project managing a new kitchen! I know ! Rock 'n roll! I have been on the fence with this for SO long and now - with the help of another blogging buddy, architect extraordinaire Susan, I am finally getting this party started. Photos to follow..

I am just overloaded at the moment. I feel guilty telling you this because I know many of you have more commitments than I do, and the vast majority of my commitments are wonderful but still - there you have it. Day after day is planned, packed in. I have not caught up on your blogs for about 2 weeks, there is a pile of admin on my desk - panic panic panic. This blog post is hardly illuminating or interesting - it's just going out there so you know I'm still here, I'm running, I'm training and I WILL catch up with you. Promise. Nothing material will change, but the wind turns and all of a sudden I can see clearly that I'm riding the crest of the wave again. Till then, head down, I'll be pounding out those miles and getting those things done.