Roy Dickinson

Unusually, I find myself aligned with the Iranian government. I don’t intend to make a habit of it.

I mean we spent several centuries and many rationalist and humanist martyrs to rid ourselves of fearful superstition. Why celebrate it now?

#ProudKilljoy 😆

I am greatly enjoying Apple translate’s joyous triumph, as it detects it as Spanish and translates it into impeccable French (Where for “impeccable“ you should read, well, something quite different)

On the other hand it does read a bit like “If people think that Rachel Reeves should be criticised for doing what Rachel Reeves did, then we deserve to be ruled by people like Rachel Reeves” 😆😆😆

Excellent work!

Briefing first.
Red hot poker second.

Those Wikipedia editors are no slouches, though….

Meghan Markle crying with laughter

Why do you hate Scotland so much, Chris?

Still, I missed my PB by just 19 seconds, which was a bit gutting because I was completely up to beat it, but on the other hand was fine, because if I’d climbed the bridge more intelligently, I would completely have done a PB. So it’s my fault and so I just have to go again.
#BCN. February. 😀

We started on the Ponte da Vasco da Gama, but towards the far side, which means climbing 50m to the elevated bit where shipping passes underneath in the first 3k of the race. And it saps all your energy by 4k. I mean, I managed quite well, for the first 10k, but then everything was v gruelling.

So!! In #running news, i am home and showered and fed and watered (or rather, wined) from today’s exertions and can report on the results.
It’s called getting your excuses in early, 😆, but let me post a screenshot of the elevation of the course.

The station looks at its best in the dark with its gothic cathedral vaults 😀

Queuing for the bus at the Estação do Oriente at dawn for the #Lisbon half marathon

Thank goodness for the clock change! Up and about very early to get to the starting line for the #Lisbon half marathon! Feeling good, slept well. Fingers crossed!

Thank you Patrick!

Also Grieg is only well known because of Radio 3´s insistence that we must hear him, for some reason, more or less every hour. 🤣

Lovers of Celine Dion singing « All by Myself » would beg to differ.
Or admirers of « Brief Encounter »
And I think lots of people would recognise the c# minor prelude and the 18th Paganini variation as his.

I’d suspect he’s in the middle of that spectrum rather than at the far end.

It’s going to be warm, a bit sunny and humid which isn’t ideal but then you tend to block the conditions out during the race itself. So hoping for a decent performance, but probably not a PB. Let’s see.

No doubt it’ll be thrilling and scenic to start on the bridge, but I might have been willing to sacrifice that for a more accessible starting point like that enjoyed by today’s marathon runners.
But let’s not be grouchy! The bridge should provide a nice brisk (but still IAAF-compliant 😁) descent

We start in the middle of the Vasco da Gama bridge at 9.20am.

But the only way to get there is on special shuttle buses that depart from a railway station in the north east of Lisbon at …. 6.30am.

So I have to leave the hotel at 5.30 and have stretched and had breakfast in good time before that

So I have been to the expo to collect my bib and other race paraphernalia for tomorrow’s #Lisbon half marathon!

At this point, very excited and full of anticipation.

The logistics however are challenging.

#lisbon is atmospheric and autumnal this morning. Good for the marathon runners who are about to set off on their 42,2k 🤯
I’m here for the half marathon tomorrow when it’s forecast to be a bit warmer and more humid.

However, I’m not quite as fit as I was in the spring, I don’t think, and so whether I do well or just fine is a finely balanced question and much will depend on the day itself, I think.
Nothing more that can be done now: just to enjoy the taper and avoid any stupid injury or illness. 🤞🤞🤞

a close up of a man 's face with a flag in the background and a flag in the background . ALT: a close up of a man 's face with a flag in the background and a flag in the background .

The taper finally arrived this week, but it was still reasonably demanding (48k including 3ks-worth of sprint-speed intervals and 4k at race pace and 2k swim).
Today’s run (13k at 5m30s/k) felt very nice and easy, and my injuries are under control at the right time.
So feeling quietly confident.

Lisbon half marathon website showing 6 days 19 hours and 26 minutes to the starting gun

So, in #running news, it is now a couple hours under a week to go to the #Lisbon half marathon! This time next Sunday I shall be getting back to the hotel for a shower, a nice little snooze and anticipating the slap up feast (or gruel, depending on the outcome of the race…) to come 😆😋

But I dunno…. Do I *need* a pie that makes me wee? 😆

Deputy heads will roll.

Thank you, Patrick!

Still 1,5kg heavier than I should be, but I can probably shift 1kg perfectly healthily by race day.

So: just a matter of keeping injury-free and germ-free for the next couple of weeks and enjoying the taper!

Monday 10k recovery.
Wednesday was fairly gentle: 13k with 25 minutes at race pace in the middle.
Friday tougher: 15k with 5 x 1k intervals at maximum speed (3’45”/k) in the middle
Today: 18k with 45 minutes at race pace in the middle.

Feeling quite fit; old injuries not reasserting themselves.