I’m usually an up-and-out sort of runner at the weekend. I like to get my run out of the way on a Saturday morning so that the rest of the weekend is free for the important jobs that I haven’t got round to during the week – like watching TV.

This weekend though it got to 5pm on Saturday before I’d put my trainers on and headed out the door. I was feeling so not in the mood for running 9 miles that I would probably have put it off until Sunday if Lazy Boy hadn’t suggested a take-away curry Saturday night if I did my training. So, reluctantly, off I went through Wimbledon Common to Richmond Park to earn my chana masala.

As I ran through Richmond Park my efforts were rewarded ten-fold. I’m not one for ‘isn’t life beautiful’ sentimentality but it was pretty special to run along as the sun was going down and see a heard of about 50 young deer, then to turn a corner and see a group of 20 huge stags stood about.

The setting was great and my running wasn’t too bad either. I find more and more that I can get into a rhythem where nothing hurts and I can almost detach my mind from what my body is doing and cruise along for a few miles on auto-pilot.

Things were going so well that I decided to up my speed for the last few miles of my run and see if I could finish inside 1hour 30. I was just shy by 39 seconds. With just 8 weeks to go until the half marathon, I’m feeling confident.