Apologies for the recent inactivity on this blog and my Twitter account.
There are a number of reasons for this (so it's not because I'm lazy).
Firstly, I'm concentrating on writing an article based on my trip around Europe and Morocco for a travel website.
Secondly, I've been thinking about carrying on writing up the journal I kept whilst I was travelling. I showed the 4,000 words or so I've written to my girlfriend, Shannon, who travelled with me, and she actually laughed.
I was buoyed by this; but then again, she has to laugh at what I write.
I hope it's because I intend to make her laugh.
So I've been really spurred on to carry on writing up my journal, although I haven't for at least a month (probably because of this blog).
Thirdly, I've taken up running - well, actually, I took up running in January.
Since then I've been gradually building up how far I run, and am up to 5.75 miles, to be precise, which takes me around 55 minutes.
I plan to keep increasing the distances I'm running, and am contemplating, contemplating, a marathon.
I'm becoming more serious; yesterday I bought myself a pair of New Balance 880 running shoes, from Sports Direct, which cost £50.
These same trainers cost £80 in the shop I visited yesterday, where they "measured my gait", by filming me running on a treadmill. Apparently I'm a neutral runner.
This shop (called Sweatshop - negative connotations, anyone?) offers this service in the hope that people will buy the trainers they recommend there and then - but you would have to be pretty silly to not shop around and pay £30 over the odds.
And I'm really chuffed, because I ordered the trainers yesterday, paid the cheapest price for standard delivery, and they arrived today. Bo!
Here are the beauties:
I do have some bad news, however - I'm still smoking (a little bit).
I have quit in the week - and haven't smoked from Monday to Friday for around two months - but still smoke if I have a drink, which is every weekend.
This means that last weekend I smoked around 25 cigarettes across two days of drinking, but the weekend before I only smoked four, on two days of drinking.
I'm still working to cut down, but it is blooming difficult after a few tipples and losing my inhibitions.
I always try to see the positive, though, and suppose this isn't half as bad as the 35 cigarettes I would have a week when I did smoke 'full time', even before taking into account those I smoked when drinking.
I guess I see myself at the moment as an old school footballer, dumb to the dangers of smoking, who is 'fit as a fiddle', ahem, but still indulges in a fag/cigar/pint every now and then.
I've heard even Wayne Rooney, or the pinnacle of physical fitness, enjoys a ciggie once in a while.
And there are other English stars too...
