Focus, focus, focus

Kili must definitely be looming on the horizon. Steve is starting training tomorrow...and giving up smoking.

Deja vu: the strange feeling that in some way you have experienced already what is happening now. No offence, Steve, but the words before, heard and often come to mind..

But it must mean that even Steve realises that it ain't that long until we head on out to Tanzania to take on Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

Jimbo BSD Illsley has roped me into that 10k run. In Loseley Park, near Guildford. October. I haven't run a 10k distance for, oooh, maybe 20 years. Should be enlightening to see if my 49 year old legs, lungs and heart can carry me the distance with what I know already is likely to be insufficient training.

I'm walking fit, but the running action just uses up sooo many different muscles at an obviously higher metabolic and cardio-vascular rate. Besides, let's be honest, running is just plain boring, isn't it?

I can imagine life in the Radcliffe household when Junior shows up, running spikes already on as he sprints out after Paula's perfectly paced labour. Now, my boy, we've got you down for New York in 24 and London in 26. That means no crawling the year after next - you go straight to a gentle jog. We need to mould your lats, tarsals and demi-cuspids into optimum athletic position if we're to clinch that Nike deal before your 12th birthday. Now, where's that isotonic dummy....no, not you, Daddy.

Still not running, but Mrs M and I are off for some high altitude training in August. Just walking, but probably some pretty challenging stuff, especially in the second week when we'll be doing the Bernese Oberland high route in Switzerland. Some really tough days but inspiring in the shadow of the magnificent Eiger and Jungfrau mountains. Should move us forward in terms of leg strength and lung capacity...but of course nothing can adequately prepare us for the 5,895m of altitude that we'll be facing in Africa in February.

I reckon it's going to be difficult to come to terms with the reality that no matter how fit we might be or how much we've focused on training and preparation, physically and mentally, any one of us could be hit by the dreaded altitude sickness at any time during the Kili climb. Perhaps Steve has the right idea after all...no focus. Just Do It.

But probably not recommended.

focus (sth) on/upon sb/sth
phrasal verb
to give a lot of attention to one particular person, subject or thing.