Hi guys,

The last week has been quite difficult. I took a week off work and went back to parents for a few days. Then I trekked over to Copenhagen for a few days for a media award ceremony. I met up with some mad Slovenians, and went partying with them, which mean alcohol intake was somewhat higher than normal. Well done me!

Anyway, the point I am making, is that it is very difficult to stick to a training regime when your normal routine is disrupted. Its straightforward to go to the gym when at work and buy a salad rather than a fat sandwich at lunchtime. But it's harder when an established framework gets disrupted.

Which got me thinking about habits and how habits are formed. We all have habits - most of them bad - which provide a structure to the day. Most of them are not addictive in themselves, but rather are comforting in their familiarity.

Which brings me back to training and forming new habits and the best environment for changing habits. It seems to me one of the hardest parts about training is that it disrupts old habits. Going for a run means not watching TV or somesuch. It's not so much a question of whether I would prefer to go for a run rather than slump on the sofa, its more an issue of leaving behind one established pattern of behaviour in favour of another.

I was told yesterday by a friend on the trek that sweating in the Arctic is BAD. Apparantly, sweat never evaporates. Rather it freezes. And stays frozen until the end of the 140 miles. So those that sweat like a pig in heat will have a layer of ice on the inside of their clothes. Lovely.

Went for a run this morning. It was the normal route to the park and back. This time I made it to the park and most of the way back. Progress!

Another thrilling instalment tomorrow.