A skeleton walked into a bar...

...and asked for a pint of lager and a mop.

Time for a review of my first full month of training for the Severn Challenge. While I may not yet be skeletal in build, I have lost 5lb this month, my current weight being 13st dead. I gained 1/4 of a pound in the last week; I'd like to think it was muscle glycogen from easy week, but 'twas more likely the cream tea, pasties, Chinese, bottle of wine and several pints of Rattler consumed during a long weekend in Cornwall. We did manage some training, including failing to locate the castle at Castledore; kind of a shame really as the castle is the main point of the place.

I completed my now traditional fourteen mile long run in the dark today...on Halloween. I failed dismally to spot any ghosties or hobgoblins, though there was that woman with the dog. 'Which woman?' I hear you ask. No, just a neighbour.

I shaved over 24 seconds a mile off from my previous run round the same loop wearing the rucksack three weeks ago, so something is working, but my pace is still slowing during the final five miles for the same heartrate; not scarily good, but not frightful either. And I've been out and held the pads for Squish to do some boxing, so I don't feel like the living dead either.

142 miles run this month and 38 walked; no serious niggles or injuries. As long as I can avoid my daughter's projectile vomiting bug, I should be fine for another good month of training. I expect that with the ground now getting wetter, my cross country times will get no better, but the workouts will get harder. I enjoy runs when I come back looking like a swamp creature, so it should be a real treat.

And Dave and Dave have entered, but Dave is still resisting. You know what to do...