John D's Blog

Quad-ifying my leg pain From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (579 days old)

As it was Mr K’s turn to take the slippery slope into his 30’s, I embarked on a cloak and dagger birthday planning operation – codename ‘codger’. I secretly booked and planned and organised last Fr… more

Why fat hates hills From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (589 days old)

It was bound to happen. I’ve spent the last 3 days wandering around in a little bubble of self pride. My runs were getting more fun, easier, faster… my weight was going down (half a stone now!) and… more

Egging me on From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (593 days old)

Hmm. Easter can only be said to have put a crimp in my training schedule. Basically I gave serious consideration to going for a run during the long weekend… I even went so far as to put on my extrem… more

My Achilles Hill From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (601 days old)

So I’ve basically cracked wobbling along slowly for 4 miles. I am confident I can do that with only a couple of walking breaks and at the end of it I’ll be able to have a reasonably normal day. Wi… more

One mile, one race, one knackered lady From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (603 days old)

So for the first time I put a race number on and joined in with others doing an official run thing. OK, it was the sport relief mile. Which I’d sort of assumed I would find to be a piece of piss… more

son of a &*!$ From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (608 days old)

Things which currently hurt:  -         My hips.  My left when I’m sitting, with a sort of stabbing nerve pain that painkillers don’t seem… more

If a woman runs really slowly with no one there - does she make a noise when she falls? From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (609 days old)

I think I don’t like running with other people. I thought I would, but I definitely prefer doing it on my own. I like talking about running with others (and god knows, it’s all I ever seem to … more

Woman breaks world record for slowest 4 miles run. From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (610 days old)

I have struggled with my motivation over the last few days. I became increasingly sure that I was a fat idiot, whose fruitless attempts to either get fit, or loose weight were making me a fool. I he… more

Pounding out the (very few) Miles From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (614 days old)

Near the end of my run this lunchtime I sent Evil Bob a text which simply said ‘Damn you and your Bastard running’. Which says it all really. I did three miles, real life running on an actual pa… more

I dunnit, I dunnit From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (615 days old)

Following my last disastrous aborted run, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a job half finished. My ankle hurt and I was demoralised but I wanted to prove I wasn’t getting worse. After trying to re… more

Could I be getting worse? From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (616 days old)

It’s lucky, really, that I am not too sensitive or the last three weeks might have finished me off. I can cope with only running a 14 minute mile. I can understand that my hips and knees hurt with … more

Slow Road to Nowhere From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (617 days old)

Contrary to all expert advice, I didn’t make a conscious decision to ‘become a runner’. I sort of fell into it, after a series of unlikely conversations lead to a chap at work offering to take me runn… more

Busy busy From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (715 days old)

The weekend: A Headline Summary. 1st wedding anniversary. I know… where the hell has a year gone? Stolen by Nazi fascist aliens, I shouldn’t wonder. Baby K vomits. A lot. Not on me, mercif… more

My mum. From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (736 days old)

One of the odd things about my mum’s cancer is that most of the time I’m able to not think about it. I see her at least once a week and chat on the phone more than that but we’re both a bit sick of h… more

Ho! Ho! Ho? From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (747 days old)

I suffer from premature cracker-elation. This is the second day in a row when I’ve found myself singing. Not songs from the dreaded ‘High School sodding Musical’ which plague my house to such a de… more

Who are these edjits? From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (750 days old)

Enough.Enough 'scandals' where it transpires that some of the things that are on TV are (brace yourselves people) not completely as they seem!!!For whom are these revelations?  There is a… more

Waking up in someone elses bed!! From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (757 days old)

Before I explain the events of last Friday night, I would like to make the following completely clear: 1)     I had been drinking, but only two glasses of wine, which, frankly… more

Disney on Crack From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (761 days old)

So, in a triumph of hope over experience, I took the two elder Kinsella Daughters to Disney on Ice last night.  Actually, it is known in our house as 'Disney on Crack' for reaso… more

lardy or virtuous From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (770 days old)

I see from the ticking counter of joy in the bottom right hand side of my screen that it is nearly lunchtime Huzzah. With the realisation that I can legitimately start calling it 'nearly lunchti… more

A funny thing happened on the way to my blog... From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (771 days old)

I, the undersigned (Samantha Kinsella) do completely, and without reservation, accept that 9 months is probably too long to go without updating my blog BUT, yer'honour, there have been what you mig… more

Glorious, terrifying, freedom From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1016 days old)

There are few events which are guaranteed to send me into a tailspin… Running out of money 2 weeks before pay-day, the car breaking down on the school run, my Mother suddenly announcing that she feels… more

I want to be in her gang.... From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1033 days old)

It has recently come to my attention that Little Madam Kinsella (eldest of my three) is rather foreign to me. I mean, not literally. I’d still pick her out in a line-up of 20 other squealing 7 year … more

The dark From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1062 days old)

An extremely random entry here... I am cleaning up my hard drive at work and came across the passage below. It's from about a year and a half ago when I was suffering from pre-natal depression an… more

How depressing From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1068 days old)

As a total aside, if I might for a moment... Look at the state of this! 5%!!! I thought I'd got about a bit more. … more

The wedding - Part 2 From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1068 days old)

Once we’d gained entry to the building, I set about scurrying from room to room checking on the flowers; a task I’d been looking forward to immensely. It all started very promisingly with a large arr… more

The wedding – part 1. From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1069 days old)

The first thing that everyone says when they see me now is ‘How did it go?’, or some variation on the theme; (‘Was it fabulous? Did you have a lovely day then?’, and so on). Oddly, even the ones t… more

Officially Mr and Mrs Kinsella! From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1070 days old)

I dunnit, I dunnit. I didn’t vomit on the registrar or trip down the huge staircase that had looked so dramatic when we booked the venue… and then like the side of Everest on the day of the actual … more

My last monday as a single lady... From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1086 days old)

Sorry - I've been a bit rubbish recently but, as the counter above is helpfully pointing out, there are scant days left before the wedding and every spare second is filled with some manner of wedding … more

Atchhoooooo! From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1098 days old)

I wonder how one gets to be one of those people that faint? You know… the ones who, when life gets hard, become ill with the stress of it. The ones who keel over in the street and are gently told, w… more

it'll be fine, it'll be fine, it'll be fine, it'll be fine... From samanthakinsella in Not waving but not quite drowning (1111 days old)

Right. Action is clearly required. Less than a month to the wedding = panic stations. Therefore I propose the following: a) it's clearly too late to completely re-invent the way I look so… more