The vegan couch potato vs the alcoholic athlete

Well I have finally started my ‘training’ for the Manchester run. It kicked off on Tuesday with my little circular jog around Nether Edge in Sheffield which I’ve called The Circuit. It’s about 2.1km and going off the maps at work, involves 30m of climbing. I came in around 11mins and felt OK, which was good – when I attempted it last year for the first time I think it took me about 14mins and I had to walk some of the way. The Circuit Reversed is the more difficult way being mainly uphill for 75% of the way before a moderately steep descent to the ‘finish’.

My ‘training’ will hopefully occupy a position somewhere between Shiz’s ultra-methodical tightly structured approach and Piggy’s rather undisciplined disorganised approach. If I start to make some real progress I can run up towards Eccleshall, at a rather scary altitude of 200-280m (I’m at 95m!!). But that’s a long way off, I might get fedup and bored and give up next week.

Just something to keep you musing – if an ‘alcoholic sportsman’ who is overweight, smokes, drinks heavily, goes to bed late, eats junk food, but goes running for 5km 6-7days a week was in the Manchester Run against the ‘vegan couch potato’ who has an exceptionally good diet, doesn’t drink, goes to bed at 9.30 each night and sleeps for 9hrs, does daily yoga etc but hardly ever does any running. Who would win?

My money is on the Alcoholic Sportsman!