...he's just heavier than he was. Not running for 4 months has meant that there have been a few additions to the waist-line. At the start of the week, the scales told me that at 12st 4lb I was exactly a stone heavier than I was 18 months ago when I was at peak fitness. It didn't help that Christmas came slap bang in the middle of my "rest". So I've set myself a first goal - lose 10lbs in 2 months. Unfortunately, last week was my birthday (wine and chocolates from Dad, chocolate birthday cake from wife, excellent restaurant curry with family to celebrate) and it being Easter there are one or two goodies around the house to tempt me so it's not been the easiest of starts!

After last week's maiden run of the year, I've managed three more; two of 1.5 miles and another of 2 miles today. The adductors were really sore for that first 1.5 miler but after today's run I think I can say that the body is starting to adapt to running regularly again. Today's effort was run at 11:30 minute mile pace - not fast by anyone's standards - but I still completed the run two and half minutes quicker than last week over the same 2 mile stretch (which reinforces just how slow I was last week!). I'm really not worried about pace at the moment, it's just a case of putting in some easy miles for a few weeks.

That said, a plan is forming in my head to get me to the start line for a first race since the Reading Half Marathon in March 2010. After running the Yateley 10K road races in 2009,  I was really disappointed to miss out last year due to my calf strains. They're run the first Wednesday in June, July, and August. The June race will probably come too soon for me but the July race is 10 weeks away and I'd dearly love to run in that and/or the August race. My thinking at the moment is to enter if I think I'll get round in under 60 minutes. I always find it easier if I've a goal to aim for and 10 weeks is a good time period to plan a training schedule around.

Hope everyone is enjoying their running as much as I am!

Happy Easter!