Sometimes the spontaneous, unexpected experiences are the best ones. And those that are planned and looked forward to can turn out to be a little disappointing. As was the case this weekend. A number of months ago I booked a couple hours in The Shard to enjoy cocktails with my daughter to celebrate her birthday. It was pleasant. The view was impressive and the cocktails were different. Although the scorpion decoration (which she was invited to eat) was a step to far for my daughter. But the service was slow and the cocktails expensive. £85 for three cocktails and a glass of wine. We left after an hour to stroll down to a restaurant on the Thames where we came across mass karaoke. One of the Summer by the River events at London Bridge.  We found ourselves singing along with hundreds of others enjoying a warm June evening to the classics. ‘Let’s Dance’, ‘Uptown Funk’, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ with an encore of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. My daughter loves 70s/80s music so a great night was had by all. But it wasn’t the one we planned for. And we were the happier for it.

So not much to complain about where my social life is concerned but my training has taken a tiny dip. I went a week ithout getting to the gym due to work (I spent a couple of days in Leeds), going away last weeek wkend to celebrate World Gin Day (it has to be done) and meeting up with friends. So I stepped on the scales rather tentatively at my PT session. But the damage wasn’t too bad. I seem to have settled around a certain weight which only fluctuates by a pound one way or the other depending whether I’m the Tupperware queen or a cocktails and carb monster. But I need more of the former if I’m going to get rid of my spare tyre.
It is now twelve weeks until the Great North Run. I need to start some serious training. This will be at the detriment to my strength training but I’ll have plenty of time to hit those goals after 9th September. I now need to be running at least 3 times per week, one of which needs to be a long run increasing in distance over the next 10 weeks before tapering off.

I started back at Parkrun last week and did a lunch time run around Regent’s Park on Friday. I gave the camels a wave as I ran passed London Zoo. I have volunteered as a Parkrun pacer on 30th June. I’ll be the 36 minute marker. Which is a minute slower than the last time I did it. Hopefully after 12 weeks training my 5k time will a bit more impressive.

Looking to next week on Tuesday I will be kayaking on London’s oldest canal from Limehouse to Crate Brewery with work colleagues. And next weekend I have a ticket for Sweatlife, a fitness festival at Docklands.

I’m enjoying my 60th year.