Running Through The Wall

Week ending 9th December

Tue: Lunchtime run: 5.5 miles, 39:20, 7:09/mi. Hit Irishtown Reserve for the first time ever today. Quite liked what I saw.
Wed: 11 miles home from work, 1:26:06. Avg pace 7:49/mi. HR: avg 135, max 149. Had planned on putting in some fast miles here, but it just was not to be, and thus I abandoned the speedy bit quite early on.
Thu: 5.7 miles lunchtime run, 41:28, 7:16/mi. Rotten weather. Worst I've experienced in a while.
Fri: Hit the big 3-2 today. Yep, 32 years young. 6.5 miles in 50:13, avg pace 7:44/mi to celebrate. HR avg 133, max 153.
Sat: Tough 16 miler, ground out in cold conditions. Up to Howth and back (hill on the Dublin Bay side). 2:10:35, avg pace 8:09/mi. HR avg 132, max 154.
Sun: 7.35 miles to round out the week. 57:21, average pace 7:48/mi. Tired.

52.05 miles this week. Think thats the first time I've broken 50 since before DCM.

Tough continuing with the training at the moment with the crappy weather, Christmas party season and toll on the body, but I'm continuing to grind out the miles. The next week will probably be a step back, and I'll likely give Parkrun a go on Saturday to see what its all about.

Week ending 23rd December

Tue: 12 mile run home, with 5 miles at HM pace. Total time 1:27:06, 7:15/mi, avg HR 145, max HR 172.

2.72 mile warmup - 21:19; 7:51/mi; 125 HR
Mile 1: 6:25; 154 HR
Mile 2: 6:25; 162 HR
Mile 3: 6:26; 165 HR
Mile 4: 6:22; 166 HR
Mile 5: 6:24; 167 HR

4.29 mile warmdown - 33:48; 7:53/mi; 142 HR

Very productive run, nice one.

Wed: 5.65 miles lunchtime run, 43:36, 7:43/mi
Thu: 6 miles lunchtime run, 43:50
Fri: 6.3 miles into work, 48:43, 7:44/mi
Sat: Malahide Parkrun 5k, my second outing.

So, following on from the positive result last week, I was keen to get out and try and build on my performance this week. Although to be honest, I feared I may do a little worse than the week before as I was tired enough going into the race.

On a course that was quite muddy for about a km due to heavy rain during the week, I put in a good performance from the start, being in the lead 4-5 people group, and ultimately finishing in second place, with a new 5k PB of 17:37 (HR avg 176, max 186) - delighted with that. No chance of me catching first place, he was 15-20 seconds ahead and looked like he wasnt putting the foot down totally.

A great start to the Christmas!
4 miles total including warmup and warmdown, before adjourning to the Avoca cafe for a coffee and scone.

Sun: 20 miles long slow run in a windy south Dublin, hitting both Dun Laoghaire piers and Irishtown nature reserve. 2:43:20, 8:10/mi, avg HR 137, max 168

53.95 miles this week.

2012 Year in Review

Total Miles: 1,976.43 (quite surprised I did this many miles!)
Total Races:
5 * 5k races (PB 17:37, December, Parkrun Malahide)
2 * 10k races (PB 35:41, April, Toronto Yonge St. 10k)
1 * HM (PB 1:23, May, Ottawa)
2 * trail races, Ontario
1 * Marathon, 3:10, DCM October

Top Race: 10k in April, Toronto
Top 5 runs of the year:
- Hill run to Agnes' tea rooms, Lake Louise, Canada
- Run in dinosaur canyons, Drumheller, Canada
- Parkrun Malahide 22nd December - 2nd place
- Any number of training runs for the Ottawa Half-marathon along the Lake Ontario coastal trail
- Glorious long slow run along coastal promenade in North Dublin, up Howth hill and back, November.

Tough run of the year:
Creemore 25k trail race. Rotten conditions, total mudfest, fell a number of times, heart was not in it. Delighted to finish it in the end.

What went right:
Speedwork, regular runs, HR monitoring, consistency
What could've gone better:
Not much really in terms of running. I hit all my goals for the year by June, did a bonus marathon (DCM) and finished the year with a bang - two parkruns. Plantar fasciitis is extremely frustrating though.

Plans for 2013:
- Raheny 5
- Mount Juliet HM
- More parkruns
- Spring marathon
- Others to be decided

Week ending 13th January

Mon: 10.2 miles home from work - 1:21:24; or 7:59/mi.
Tue: 13.4 miles home from work with 6 miles HM pace (6:30ish). Despite being tired after quite a few miles clocked over the previous few days, I decided to push this one and see what happened.
Total 13.4 miles/ 1:36:54; avg 7:14/mi; HR avg 145, max 171.

4.52 miles warmup : 35:49; 7:56/mi; HR 125
Mile 1: 6:36; HR 151
Mile 2: 6:30: HR 159
Mile 3: 6:28: HR 165
Mile 4: 6:18: HR 166
Mile 5: 6:29: HR 164
Mile 6: 6:29: HR 166
2.59 miles warmdown in 19:54 to make a Half Marathon time of 1:34:33
0.29 miles home.

Delighted with that run, wasnt expecting to nail those miles!

Thu: 7.1 miles easy; 59:37; 8:24/mi
Fri: 6.66 miles into work; 58:37; 8:48/mi
Sat: Parkrun Malahide: 5k in 17:50 (My third fastest 5k ever). HR avg 174, max 186; avg pace 5:48/mi.
6th place. Cold conditions, found the going a little tough.
4.5 miles total including warmup and warmdown.
Sun: 20.7 miles long slow run. 2:50:41. Avg pace 8:15/mi. HR avg 137, max 156.

10.23 miles on my own to start: 1:21:00 - 7:55/mi. HR avg 136.
9.69 miles with a friend who joined me: 1:22:55 - 8:33/mi. HR avg 139.
0.78 miles on my own to home 6:43.

I always find the long runs tough when they follow a parkrun the previous day. Nothing unusual about that I suppose. Real test next weekend when I have an MP session planned for Saturday.

The week after that, Raheny 5 is on the cards. Looking forward to that I must say. Did it in 2009 and really enjoyed it.


62.56 miles this week. Same as last week, give or take!

Week ending 27th January

Mon: 5.7 miles into work; 47:18. Hail, rain, sleet and snow on my journey today. Something kind of nice about it all though!
Tue:

10 miles home from work - speed work tweaker ahead of Raheny 5 on Sunday, sets of 2 mins x 5 mile pace + 1 min recovery after each;

Total 1:16:01; 7:36/mi; HR max 179, avg 144.

w/u 4.3 miles; 34:29; 8:03/mi; HR avg 139
2 mins - 5:58/mi; 0.34 miles; HR 156
2 mins - 5:38/mi; 0.36 miles; HR 165
2 mins - 5:47/mi; 0.35 miles; HR 167
2 mins - 5:42/mi; 0.35 miles; HR 159
2 mins - 5:50/mi; 0.35 miles; HR 166
w/d 3.46 miles; 27:16; 7:53/mi; HR avg 142

Wed: Lunchtime run: 5.9 miles; 45:33
Thu: Late night run home from work after a table quiz with lots of cocktail sausages, spring rolls and samosas. Uncomfortable to say the least. 5.65 miles; 44:52
Fri: 7 miles into work; 54:59
Sat: 3.12 miles easy shakeout ahead of race tomorrow; 27:23
Sun:

Raheny 5 Road Race

I love this race, the one and only time I had done it previously was in 2009, where I finished in around 32 mins. Indeed my 5 mile PB was not much faster than that, 31:30 in summer 2009 in the Race Series. After that I moved away to Canada and my times improved, though I didnt do any 5 mile races. However, given that my 10k time went down to under 36 mins in April 2012, I figured a sub 30 should be on the cards, even though I wasnt training specifically for a 5 miler this time.

Did a 1.37 mile w/u around st. annes park, followed by some strides to get myself geared up.

Lined up towards the front (4th/ 5th row, figuring a top 100 finish could be a goer). 4th-5th row soon became 20 rows back as the usual suspects plonked themselves up the front. I'm not talking the elites here either. Lets just say I had to do some early overtaking with an angry face on. :mad:

Conditions were reasonable, with the rain (which was significant earlier on in the day) thankfully holding off for the main event. And off we went. Pace felt comfortable at the start, and I passed a few people coming around and up onto the Howth Road. It was around there that I was stuck in a group and realised the group was falling behind my target time. So I pushed on and made up some places going down Sybil Hill/ Vernon and onto Mt. Prospect. Held pace along there and was reasonably comfortable.

The wind hit as we turned on to the coast road and I was beginning to tire around this stage (c.3.5-4 miles). I held on, slowing a bit up the hill on Watermill Road. It was at this point that Annette Kealy was mounting an assault on my position, much to the joy of the home crowd. No-one cheering for me, damn you partisan Rahenyians! I was out on my feet with about .5 mile left, and the lap of death around All Saints Park still to come! Annette was still snapping at my heels too, but I was not for budging. Held on to finish reasonably strongly.

Finished in 29:13, good for a lofty 94th place. HR avg 175, max 183.
Happy with that. Also very happy with the chock-full goody bag.
0.5 mile warmdown after that, the highlights of which were seeing Linda Byrne also warming down and seeing Wifey Killerz finish the race too - great result for her!

Good week overall, nice to get under the 30 mins officially for the 5 miler.
44.24 miles total

Week ending 10th February

Mon: Nice easy 6.5 miles home from work; 50:37
Tue: 6.3 miles lunchtime run; 48:48
Wed: 11.75 miles home from work; 1:32:00
Thu: 10 miles home from work, 1:21:02
Fri: 5.6 miles into work; 47:21
Sat: 20 miles; 2:37:33. Key with this run was time on feet. Probably picked a bad day to give the Howth Cliff Trail a go, as footing was terrible and I was practically crawling along. Nice.
Sun: 8.9 miles; 1:13:03 from Blackrock to the Forty Foot and back. Cold, wet, cold wind, cold rain. Delighted to get home.

69.05 miles total. Had planned to do 10 miles on Sunday, but topped out at 9, felt my legs getting very heavy and thought it best to get in early.

Week ending 24th February

Mon: 10.26 miles; 1:23:17
Tue: 5.61 miles into work; 47:14
Wed: 11.87 miles; 1:39:01
Thu: 7.7 miles with 10 x 30 sec strides; 1:02:07
Fri: 5.8 miles into work; 47:55
Sun: 21.01 miles around St Annes Park; 2:54:47, average pace 8:19/mile. Nice slow long run, time on feet the key here.

Total miles: 62.25. Tough week mileage-wise with recovery from the half marathon, but steady progress, some nice easy miles overall.

‘Failure is success if we learn from it.’ - Malcolm Forbes

This is quite a long report as I am trying to give context, to illustrate the importance of the result to me, and the long road to get there. Also, I hoped it might give a feel for the course, given its the first year of the race.

Prelude:

The Chicago Marathon in October 2011:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=75049073&postcount=256 was a pivotal moment in my running career. I had trained hard over that summer and felt I was in good shape to take advantage of a flat course and get my goal of under 3 hours. It didn’t happen, and the hospital experience, together with the fright I got from it really affected me for some time afterwards. After taking some recovery time, and building up slowly, I concentrated on shorter distances for the first half of 2012, and got my times right down: 5k (to 17:43), 10k (to 35:41) and HM (1:23 odd). I paid a lot more attention to my training, used my heart rate monitor for the first time and didn’t shirk the hard miles. Living in Toronto, I dealt with temps ranging from -20 or worse to +30. But still I always had the niggling fear that what happened to me in Chicago could happen again. I would not be able to erase it completely and put it down to an anomaly – a once-off, unless I ultimately got under 3 hours in a marathon.

In October 2012, after returning home to live in Ireland, I did the Dublin Marathon on less than ideal levels of training, and managed a comfortable 3:10, with a view to getting me back in the mindset for a Spring 2013 Marathon. Tralee was on my mind at this time, and I kicked off an 18 week programme soon after, loosely based on P&D 55-70 mpw to put some structure on my road to Paddys Weekend 2013. I didn’t specifically mention the Tralee race on my log as I wanted to do it, get the job done, and then talk about it. I did some parkruns to keep me sharp, hitting a 5k PB of 17:37 in December; PB in 5 mile at Raheny (29:13) in January and another PB at Mt. Juliet HM in February, 4 weeks ahead of the Tralee Marathon (1:23:09, shaving a few seconds off my time from 2012). The latter, on a hilly course, gave me a lot of confidence. My training included 8 runs of 18 miles or more, including 2 good marathon paced sessions, and I peaked at 70 miles for 2 weeks in early February. What was working against me was a lot of pain as a result of PF, and the mental mind games of passing out in Chicago. I was managing the PF, but I was very afraid that it would flare up on raceday.

Race Morning

This was the first year of the Tralee Marathon. So there was very little to go on, in terms of how tough the course was, and organisation is always a concern for first time events. From what I had seen on the facebook page, the RD and his team were doing a very professional job in setting things up and marketing the event. And I was not disappointed when I got there. I stayed in the Grand Hotel, 3 minutes walk from the finish line and about 10 mins from the start (Aquadome, Tralee). Absolutely ideal, as I only left the hotel at 8:15 for a 9am start, and had plenty of time to spare. Conditions were cool, clear, sunny and very little wind. Went for a long sleeved top, hat and gloves. My strategy was to stick with the 3 hour pace group, and would only move on if I felt comfortable with a mile or so to go.

Just before the race, I was tying my shoelace on the back of a flat-bed truck and struck up a conversation with an older gentleman beside me, but wasn’t really looking at him as I was doing it. We had the usual chit-chat, I asked him how he was fixed, he said he didn’t really know what to expect and he would just take it as it goes. Now, somewhere along the lines I understood this, along with some other pointers from the conversation, to mean he hadn’t run a marathon before. We then chatted about where we were from, I told him I was from Dublin – he asked if I’d ever done the Dublin Marathon. I said yes, 3 times, I can highly recommend it, great course. He said ‘Oh yes of course, I know it well, I won it twice’. Cue jaw drop from me. I apologised and tried to explain that I mis-heard him. Turns out it was John Griffin, who won twice a number a years ago. I shook his hand, wished him well and went off somewhere else to tie my other lace before I said anything else stupid.

The Main Event

Miles 1-6 – to Ardfert

The race started a little late – around 9:10, apparently due to some inconsiderate people parking their car on the route. I lined up behind the pacer, but kept a low profile. I was nervous. I wasn’t really here to enjoy it, I was here to achieve a goal. And off we went. Foot was sore straight away, but this was not uncommon in the first mile of my training runs, so hopefully it would loosen out. Nice atmosphere through the town as we headed off. In the early miles, it became apparent that our pace group would be about 6-8 in number, with the leading female being part of the huddle. I’m glad I wasn’t trying for a time ahead of that, as it could have been lonely out there on your own. I could see fellow boardsie TFB out ahead of us (sorry Thomas, I never introduced myself, was staying under the radar!), and didn’t envy him having to work alone more-or-less for the duration. Our group was a tightly knit bunch, and I have to say, being part of it certainly helped me mentally and I think physically. The road out from Tralee had a gradual drag upwards, some ups and downs, then a nice downhill into Ardfert, where I discarded my hat, and took on my first gel. Good support from the locals here, and all feeling good thus far.

Miles 7-11.5 - Water Station at Barrow

We followed the road out of Ardfert and we turned right at Glebe, where the half-marathoners would go straight on (though none of them had caught us at this point, having started some 20 minutes after us). I knew there was some sort of hill to ‘look forward to’ at Mile 10. To be clear, it was rare on this course that we had a flat section, it was constant up and down, some significant stuff in there too! It was approaching the water station at c. Mile 9 that the disadvantages of the size of our group became apparent. Yes, there was only 6-8 of us, however, there were only 3 or 4 volunteers at the water station, each holding one bottle of water and one isotonic drink. All of us diving in for water caused absolute panic, bottles dropping everywhere. Of course, its not their fault, they are kids, doing what they have been told to do. But that didn’t help our case.

We then turned to the first out-and back piece, where we soon came upon the race leaders. If I thought there was panic back at the water stations, what lay in store almost required a mid-race change of pants. The hill at Barrow caused some serious groaning amongst our group, and that was before we even went up it. It was a tough climb, pace really slowed, and I was delighted to reach the top, and over the 10.2 mile timing mat in 1:10:17, before turning around and descending it. At this point, we were passing all of those going up it and I really felt for them! So, back to the water station, and this time, having missed out, I was determined to get a bottle of water as I was going to be having a gel. One guy holding water bottles tucked in with his arm – about 5 bottles – ‘Grab away lads, grab away’ he said. Seriously. I had to stop, twist backwards to grab one and then re-start.

Miles 11.5 – 15 End of Pier in Fenit

Soon after that fiasco came a long, slow hill. One of the guys in the group was cursing his way up this which didn’t really help the rest of the group’s motivation. Kept on going anyhow, I was feeling fine, had actually got plenty of water on board and was in control of my situation. I knew the hardest parts of the course were beyond us, but also was aware that the remainder was not going to be flat by any stretch. There was no timing mat for half-way, so I don’t have my exact split, but considering I hit 13 miles on the Garmin at 1:28:07, I'm thinking somewhere just shy of 1:29 is where I expect it was. There was another long winding hill, before a short sharp hill and a right-turn into Fenit. From there it was downhill into the town where there was a carnival atmosphere, and down to the end of the pier and the next timing mat <15 miles, 1:42:49>.

Miles 15-22.5 Touching on Tralee

We climbed out of Fenit (yes, a climb again) and I took on some more water - this time having to take the water off a table as there was no-one around, and a gel a couple of miles later at 17 miles, . From there, it was generally flat (in the context of the last few miles) for the next couple of miles, before some more extensive, slow climbing, then thankfully downhill into Spa at 19.5 miles, where we met the half-marathoners. I was concerned about this meeting as we could well encounter some slower runners blocking the road in groups. Not their fault, just hard to negotiate on tired legs. Apart from one or two occasions, this wasn’t a major issue – to be honest, cars whizzing by was a greater concern throughout the race.

I think our group was down to 4 or 5 including myself, the pacer and the leading lady by 20 miles. We turned right onto a very narrow road at 20 odd miles through the Kerries, and there was another climb of note around 21 miles I think. Would this climbing ever end? I had my last scheduled gel at 22 miles, was still feeling very good (normally this time in a marathon would be tough for me), and was due to meet wifey killerz at 22.5 miles where the course hit the outskirts of Tralee. There she was, with a small bottle of lucozade sport and gel attached. I graciously took this off her and took some fluids on, then passed it around (I think there were 4 of us now). The group was good for offering water and lucozade around – I think we all understood how easy it was to miss those water stations!

22.5 to home

I always believed this bit could be tough mentally as we turned out of Tralee, which could be demoralising. Thankfully I felt in good shape but was remaining in control of my pace as I know the dangers of the last couple of miles of a marathon! It must have been around 23.5 miles I heard the pacer mutter something, anyhow he dropped off, I think he said something like ‘Sorry, I’m gone’. I didn’t turn around, I didn’t look behind me. I pushed on. It was down to me now. Shortly after this, I hit the turn around for home point (24 miles), taking a bottle of water more for security than anything else. It would be just over 2 miles to the end now, including a mile and a half stretch of gravel path along by the canal. I passed one runner on this stretch who had pushed on from the 3 hour pace group earlier on. I heard someone shout that I was in 11th place too. At least that’s what I think I heard.

I did find this part a little lonely and tough running on the stones. If I had been below par, this part may well have been disheartening. Any wind that might have been blowing was now at my back, which mentally gave another boost. So I put in some fast miles here and then back into the town, through some side streets, before upping the pace one final time and in home in 2:58:15 officially, good for 11th place overall. Superb! Great crowd support for that section from the Brandon and through the park. Felt pretty reasonable afterwards. My legs didn’t feel like they were about to explode for once. Certainly, over the course of the marathon, I never felt the effort was tough. I remained within myself, just opening up a little over the last 2 miles. Got my medal (very nice piece), foil blanket, and most importantly - adoration from Mrs. Killerz.

I spoke to the pacer later (who I’ve since found out is a seriously qualified racer) as I met him in the Brandon Hotel, I introduced myself for the first time and thanked him for his work. I’m sure he was disappointed that he had to drop out, but for me certainly, he had done a great job at regulating the pace, was bang on and steady and in fairness, we were near the home stretch when it happened.

Postscript

It didn’t sink in straight away, but this was what I worked hard for. I gave up booze before Christmas (not entirely for running, but to give myself a break from alcohol), worked hard on massaging and managing my injuries, paid more attention to nutrition and training and I reaped the results. Could I have gone lower than 2:58 today on this course? Yes, but that was not a risk I was willing to take. Can I go lower again? Yes, on a course like Dublin, or even Rotterdam or Berlin with good conditions. But that’s for another day. For now, I have a marker to work off.

This was a beautiful course, fabulous scenery, but very tough. The people of Tralee were extremely hospitable. The water stations are something that can be worked on, and maybe more road closures could be looked at as the event no doubt gains popularity into future years. I understand how this happens, maybe if there was a table with bottles there in addition to people holding them out, that may have helped. All in all, I would recommend the race and the general experience. I had the added bonus of meeting boardsie Hot to Trot by coincidence in one of Tralee’s establishments on Saturday evening. Another face to the name!

Thanks

With special thanks to boardsie Larry Brent and Mrs. Killerz for all the support in achieving this goal. Ultimately, the execution of a marathon on race day itself is a solo effort, but like many ‘solo’ efforts, there is strong support in place in the background, and for different reasons and in different ways, I am thankful to them for pushing me on.

Next up is the Connemara Ultra, where I will be going at an easy pace. Looking forward to it already.

The Stats:

Meal the night before: Medium size Four Star Pizza SoHo Hot, lots of pasta.
Breakfast: Not much appetite after the above, but squeezed in 1 and a half bagels, a banana, cup of tea, bottle of water and half a jaffa cake, between 7 and 8am.
During the race: Plenty of water, 4 x Clif Raspberry Gels (no caffeine), small amounts of lucozade sports.

Mile Splits:

Total recorded per Garmin: 26.38 miles, 2:58:19, avg pace 6:46/mi, avg HR 162, max 184

Mile Time HR
1 6:57 173
2 6:52 160
3 6:50 159
4 6:53 162
5 6:29 159
6 6:42 158
7 6:50 159
8 6:50 157
9 6:38 156
10 6:46 155
11 6:49 162
12 6:54 161
13 6:38 163
14 6:52 162
15 6:48 161
16 6:57 159
17 6:52 158
18 6:46 160
19 6:54 165
20 6:38 162
21 6:49 164
22 7:01 167
23 6:44 166
24 6:45 169
25 6:32 173
26 6:24 176
to 26.38 (finish) 2:11 or 5:42/mi pace HR 180.

Finish line photo: http://kerryseyephotosales.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=3&_bqH=eJwrs9TNNo70zjEIrwgr9HHLD8pMMfavNI3PzSu3MjSxMjQwAGEg6RnvEuxsa2BsaK4GZsY7.rnYlgDZocGuQfGeLrahIGWhaaaJninF2flhyWrxjs4htqXFRcGpiUXJGWruIEXuIEWRgUGmrsa5KYGeBmrOIFFnkKhfZHmmU0CVq2OgKwDvMSv0&GI_ID=

Ciarrai76 wrote: »

great to read your run in the first Tralee Marathon, well done!! I'm from Tralee, and there were a lot of people I know who ran it! I am considering it for next year, well the half marathon as I've never done one!
I know John Griffin, but unfortunately he had to pull out of race, so he didn't finish I'm not sure what happened, but he was telling my parents he found it tough alright.
Hopefully you'll come back and do it again next year!

Thanks ciarrai76, hopefully my report gave a decent flavour of what to expect in the race, even thought you are probably well aware of the course etc. Best of luck in working towards next years event. Who knows, i may come back for a second bite!

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Congrats killerz. Delighted you got that Chicago monkey off your back with a very well deserved time. Looking at the splits, there's definitely plenty more to come. A perfectly executed race. Onwards and upwards!

Thanks Krusty, i am delighted too. I knew i had it in me but needed a good run of training to ultimately execute it. The nice cool weather helped a lot too! I agree there is definitely more within reach in the short to medium term.... I'll keep following your log for added motivation

Gavlor wrote: »

+1

Not sure how I missed this log but fair play to you for getting back on that sub 3 horse!

I think the most impressive part is the superb mental effort considering your previous experience

Appreciate it, i think keeping the demons at bay was key, and i am now filled with some added belief which will hopefully spur me on to better things....

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Well done man, huge congratulations! I've been a lurker on this log for a while and I have to say your training has been very consistent and oh so impressive! Well done on achieving your goal.

Thank you very much DSD. I'm glad you are enjoying the log....its nothing special,but it keeps me honest! I'm looking forward to the ultra now and will probably take a few weeks' rest after that!

Gavlor wrote: »

soho hot pizza the night before :eek:

Do you have some kind of freaky iron gut????

I was in the pizza shop and unfortunately i suffered a bout of menu panic, you know where the person is asking what you want and you pick the first things on the menu that looks good. 2 mins later, with the order well under way, you realise that was never what you wanted. Nonetheless, it worked out well!