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A simple 8 mile run tonight, up and down the Tipner Lake waterside for one mile alternating between slow recovery runs (9 minute mile) with fast timed runs (5:40, 5:55, 6:05).

I’m really happy with my mile times. That’s as fast as I used to run when I was twelve years old, when I wasn’t bad for my age. I used to run with the Swansea Harriers and I recall coming in second in a 1500m race where my time was 5:38.

To put my times in perspective: the marathon world record time is now under 2:05:00 so if I were able to keep up my red-line flat-out speed of a six minute mile for 26 miles (instead of needing a breather after 1 mile) then I’d still arrive at the finish half an hour after the world record holder.

Or to look at it another way, when you watch the marathon on TV and see the leading pack tottering along, do take a moment to consider that even if I just ran with them for the last mile, I wouldnt’ be able to keep up!

“Respect”, as they say in certain neighbourhoods, “is due”.