Russell’s Rescues

Have realised that the treadmill in my house is great to use in the morning, when the kids are asleep. But when I get home after work and have to use it, it always feels like a straight decision between:

Spending time with my gorgeous wife & kids

VS

Running on a soulless machine, alone in a cold, dark basement

 

Number 1 always wins. It is better to do my PM run in the gym on the way home from work.

Saturday, our boiler has developed a leak. My dad has installed it, but he is in Morrocco. I  try and fix it myself, I make it 10 times worse. The leak is filling up a massive bucket every few hours. I WhatsApp my dad for help but he is too busy having a holiday or something. I am on my own.

 “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe”

– Carl Sagan

If you wish to stop a boiler from leaking, you must first find out loads of other extraneous shit. Such as; how to stop the water getting to the boiler, what the name of leaking part is, what size that part is, what tools you need to do the job, what the names of the tools are, where to get the tools from, and how to get the bloody animals onto the Ark in the first place.

For this job I will need:

• Stilson Pipe Wrench (I buy 3 as I’m not sure which size I need)
• Slim-jaw Water Pump Pliers, 40mm
• PTFE tape
• A dozen YouTube tutorials

All this takes a good few hours of my Saturday, and the whole morning Sunday, until I can finally stop the leak. It would take a plumber about 2 minutes to do the same thing. But I am a hero in my own mind.

In other news, I get an article published in Athletics Weekly, after blog post I wrote here! I think it reads very well and am very proud of it, but have to admit my wife wrote nearly all of it. Yes, but it was my idea!

Non-Running highlight of the week:

My best buddy Paul proposes to his beautiful Brazilian girlfriend, Lena, in front of the Eiffel Tower. Thanks Paul, for making the rest of mankind feel so inadequate. He was Best Man at my wedding and I will be Best Man at his. Totally made up for them both!

Best thing on the internet this week:

 

Thing I’m digging this week:

Camila Cabello’s debut Album – Camila

15/1/2018	AM	PM
Monday	6tm	11tm
wanted to start with intent after poor mileage last week
Tuesday	5tm	4xmile in 5.20 (1min rest), 1x400m in 67. 6 miles total
filling up with fuel on the way to track, in danger of getting hyperthermia standing in the freezing hail. Big turnout of runners helps get me through the session so much!
Wednesday	5tm	10tm
Thursday	4tm	8tm
busy day, finish run at 10pm
Friday	REST	REST
hard day at work. Really don’t want to miss run. Come home, sit by fire, and that’s it.
Saturday	Dolgellau parkrun – 18.26. 15 miles total	REST
not enough warmup before parkrun, don’t get going until it’s too late. Beautiful 10 mile run on trails, pissing with rain and cold, but so happy to be running outside!
Sunday	REST	20tm
YES! Finally run 20 miles without hitting a wall
TOTAL:	90 miles	tm = treadmill