Week note — week commencing Monday 2 March 2026

Running

Six runs, 42.64km.

Monday was an early train to London - no run. The rest of the week had a good shape to it. Tuesday a run round Shoreditch spotting Gorillaz art [Instagram]. Two canal-and-local days mid-week. Friday out to Three Rise Locks. Saturday further, Five Rise Locks and a couple of laps of Roberts Park to tip over 10km - very satisfying. Sunday, an early solo run from Brixton round Brockwell Park.

Getting out in the mornings is the key. Done before the day has other ideas. Lighter mornings help - and it's only going to get better from here.

Year to date: 253.36km. About 77km behind target pace but March is moving faster than January and February. Last week was above the catch-up rate needed. A few more weeks like that and it comes back into range.

(Feel free to check out my running spreadsheet.)

No gym trips, naughty boy. Two sessions pencilled in for this week.

Body & food

88.5kg, steady. Not where I want to be but the direction is right. 87kg by end of March feels achievable.

Food broadly OK. A few carb-heavy moments, not quite enough salad. But nothing that derailed anything. The Jalisco tacos on Saturday were excellent - quality over quantity. Restrained at Sarava for breakfast on Sunday too, which isn't always easy.

Alcohol moderate, no excess, units in check. A couple of glasses of wine on the train home watching Grimsby beat Salford 3-1. Living the dream.

Health

Two planned appointments, both T2 diabetes related.

Blood works first. HbA1c at 51 mmol/mol - just above the 48 threshold. Not a crisis but a number to bring down. The things that move it are the things I'm already doing: running, weight, watching the carbs. Three-month lag on that reading means the recent good habits haven't fully shown up yet. They will.

Follow-up on the right foot lack-of-sensation next. Specialist thinks it's probably down to a joint injury near the base of my big toe rather than anything more T2-related concerning. Keep an eye on it. Keep wearing the slippers - "slippers are always a good idea if you're diabetic." One less thing to worry about.

Sleep patchy. Fine at home, less good in hotels. Aiming for lights out by 10pm. Some evenings I can barely stay awake past 8. Energy fine during the day generally - but when the drop hits, it hits.

Getting out

A good week beyond the runs. A nice walk from King's Cross down to the Thames on Monday - a nice way to stretch the legs early in the week. Could have done with another couple of longer walks. Something for this week.

Midweek night out at Fesshole in Farsley. Good to see Rob Manuel IRL and bump into old work buddy Dominic B.

The weekend London trip with Kristin was spontaneous - decided on Tuesday to do something to half-celebrate meeting 22 years ago, arrived early Saturday afternoon, back mid-Sunday. Wes Anderson at the Design Museum - excellent. Sleaford Mods in the evening. Tate Modern together on Sunday. Back not knackered, which was the point. (Pics on the 'gram.)

Mind and culture

Reading: slow progress on Chief Engineer. Dense on detail. It's a good read but... Might need something lighter on the go alongside it.

Finished Derry Girls - took about two weeks. Excellent show. There's a film gap though. The Secret Agency has been hovering. Need to make a deliberate "I'm watching a film tonight" call rather than drifting into another series.

Headspace fine. Lots on, but the right amount of structure to plan and respond. Not overwhelmed. That'll do.

Looking ahead

Running: target 40km+. Wednesday a travel day to London, unlikely to fit in a run. So the work is in the days around it. 8-10km tomorrow before the office (giving blood in the afternoon - stay hydrated, take it steady, etc). At least 10km, ideally 15km, across Thursday and Friday while in London. Saturday a run before heading to Oldham. Feels just enough structure there.

Gym: tonight and possibly Sunday.

Work: London from Wednesday. Co-working spaces. Trying to see people in person rather than on remote calls while in the same city. The son might come down from Warwick on Wednesday - would be great to see him, if he manages to get on the train.

Culture: maybe the Wellcome or Whitechapel Gallery if I can sneak a window while in London. Cinema or theatre when/if the timing works with Kristin – but living room bound at the weekend is fine. I Swear lands on Netflix this week.

Seville: leaving 19 March, hotels booked. Just need a loose itinerary. An evening task this week.

Weekend: some balance after a week of London - jobs, garden, another go at the doorframes, a bit of focus on home life. Oldham away, to be enjoyed or endured depending on, well, Town innit.

tldr: A healthy week, a good week. One to build on. Medical stuff being managed not ignored. Running consistent. The London trip was spontaneous and good. Carry forward: gym twice, keep the carb awareness going, a walk or two, sort Seville, watch a film.