unironedman

No great news to impart this week. Modest return on the running front; a couple of 5k trail runs in the park and a 10k this Sunday afternoon. I did gain a pair of runners. Well, truth be told, I found an old pair… okay, tell the truth and shame the devil… since getting my Mid-Life Crisis Runners (The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4, the shoe with possibly the longest name ever), I have been trying to spare them from the ravages of the road. Silly really. They’re supposed to be worn. I’ve just been using them sparingly so that when I need the bounce and speed they offer, they will be able to deliver. All of which made me think about getting another pair of road running shoes, and S made me think about checking out Vinted for offers.

Then I realised I had already done this. In January of last year, when I replaced my old Saucony Endorphin Speeds. And they were great. And then they went missing. S of course did the needful and located them. It was like getting a new pair of (second-hand) runners all over again. Not sure how they slipped out of circulation, but I have been wearing them again this week, and really enjoying them.

The plan is to get through this month (which I will sign off as ‘base training’), and then hopefully get stuck into the training plan for the 5k attempt.

When I say ‘no news’, I am referring to my own, small world. In a national context, Ireland has just had a week-long fuel protest. As I write, it seems to have run out of steam. I didn’t think it would last as long as it did. Major thoroughfares and motorways up and down the country were blockaded. Public support leached away as fuel ran out and folks started missing out on work, appointments, meetings, holidays… life, in general, really. And the stories began to emerge about some of the characters behind the protest. Not sure where it all ends, but one thing is for certain; we need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels sooner rather than later.

In a European context, it looks like JD Vance’s golden touch has borne fruit in Hungary, with the welcome removal of Orban from power. Worldwide? Well, it’s all still going to hell. So, no change there. Though the recent NASA lunar mission has been a great success, and reminds us that we can do great things when we are not busy killing each other.

One small piece of more personal excitement was a gig on Saturday. A rather rowdy crowd of punters my age were rockin’ when we arrived, which made me think it might be troublesome later on. And so it came to pass. The birthday boy (sixty!) fell backwards dancing in front of the band and landed in a heap amongst the drum kit. In the process, he gashed the back of his head rather badly. The gig was stopped while he received treatment, and I gather he ended up in hospital, no doubt for a few stitches. We agreed to play on, and a few songs later (in the middle of the guitar solo of Crazy Little Thing Called Love, which is one of my faves), a young lady punter crashed into one of the PA speakers, knocking it onto my left shoulder. I gamely played on for a few seconds, but the lads stopped playing and helped get the heavy speaker back into position on its stand. That was our cue to finish up. Not sure if we’ll play there again. Not without some danger money, anyway 😉

(That last one above is a puzzle; you have to name the song. No prizes, other than the glow of smug satisfaction if you get it).