This is why exercise is a bad idea...

Got up nice and early this morning to get ready for my 14 miler. Drank energy drinks beforehand to ensure I was hydrated. Slapped the Vaseline on the nips. Had a good stretch and got on my way just before 8am.

As I was making my way up past Thorpe Park, I had a weird twinge in my left leg. It passed so thought no more of it.

About a mile later, my right calf started screaming at me like a baby with a soiled nappy. And it was hungry. And teething.

Stopped straight away and walked around on it then tried getting going again.

It wasn't comfortable, but at an easy jog it was bearable.

I decided to head nearer home so that if it went I wouldn't have to trudge a million miles home.

It kept twinging (not sure that's a real word, but that's what it did!) as I went on, so when it did I'd walk a bit, then get jogging again.

I got to Chertsey town centre and thought about just keeping going, back up to the river and up to Laleham to get a good distance in, but halfway along the main road it exploded again.

Thankfully it was only metaphorical - it's not like I stood on a landmine or anything.

However, with only seven weeks to go until the marathon, I didn't fancy making it worse so I headed for home - feeling like a t**t.

Was a bit hacked off with myself for not having got the distance up as I need to, but after a while of wallowing in self-loathing, I'm trying to see the bright side.

The run was otherwise all gravy - feet good, enough energy there (so the carb loading works) so the preparation is getting there.

I'm still unable to drink properly when I'm running - it's not that I forget, I just have issues taking tops off bottles and physically getting it into my gob!

It must look like watching a drunk trying to get the last dregs out of a can of Special Brew whilst on a trampoline.

Anyway, gonna up my midweek runs to keep the overall mileage up, and poss try a short one tomorrow if it's feeling ok.

In the meantime, I'm taking it easy, getting ready to watch Chelsea get the ass whupping they so richly deserve!