My Dad died on 24th January. It’s very raw. I am writing some thoughts down, but it’s really for personal reasons, for now. It was never the purpose of this blog to get too caught up in personal ‘stuff’ anyway. The idea was to have a space for me to riff about running, and other … More Run to the hills
And you, my father, there on the sad height,Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.Do not go gentle into that good night.Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not go gentle into that good nightDylan Thomas I write it out in a verse –MacDonagh and MacBrideAnd Connolly and PearseNow and … More The Old Man
Now it turns out the joke’s on me, ‘coz a tapir’s top speed is 30 miles per hour, and for that, I’d have to be dropped out of a plane. I might hit it on the bike for a few seconds, going downhill. But whatever. At this stage, the poor joke is already dead (see: … More Taper? Tapir, more like…
IN WHICH WE SET OUT ON YET ANOTHER JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY (WHICH IS REALLY JUST A FANCY-PANTS WAY OF SAYING I’VE STARTED YET ANOTHER TRAINING PLAN FOR YET ANOTHER RUN), AND WE CONTINUE TO DESPAIR AT THE STATE OF THE WORLD… This morning’s run was brought to you by the good people who built the … More The Soul of History
‘You could be packed up and readyKnowing exactly where to goHow come you miss the connection?No use in asking, the answer is nobody knowsNo use in asking, the answer is nobody knows.’ Nobody KnowsPaul Brady Running around in circles may be just about the most perfect analogy for life sometimes. I mean, it’s just sitting … More Running in circles – the Donadea 50k race report
Here follows a short post. Because life is happening right now. It’s not coming to a cinema near you, per se, though that too is life. Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. John Lennon, apparently, though I doubt anyone will ever accredit a quote anymore these days, thanks to the internet. I … More Life happens
IN WHICH WE MAKE PLANS, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S GOOD TO HAVE A PLAN, AND ALSO, IT’S A ROUTINE FEATURE OF LIFE ON THIS PLANET THAT EVERY PLAN YOU EVER MAKE IS SUBJECT TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS (OR THE ‘PUNCH IN THE FACE’ THEORY, ACCORDING TO MIKE TYSON…) Let’s get to … More Tales of the unexpected
Pace. The final frontier. These are the voyages of… feck, sorry; that’s a different story altogether. But having said that, pace is often a strange new world where runners boldly go. Or sometimes not. Or other times, by accident. There are days when you just feel lighter than air, and you reckon you could not … More Waterford AC Half Marathon
Well it’s been a funny old week or so. We got Dad home from the hospital on Thursday, which is great news. He’s doing well, and seems to have no lasting effects from the stroke. He’ll have to take it easy, but that’s easier said than done. I’ll have to hide his van keys for … More Business as usual
…when you’re busy making plans… Hell of a week. Last weekend, there was rugby and long runs. Monday started off with a gym session. There was work, as normal. Then on to Tuesday. And my Mum is at the door with a worried look. Dad is in the garden. He’s had a fall and can’t … More Life is what happens…
unironedman 