Ode to My Assistant Coach (Because He Has the Spatula)

Tom, my lovely husband, is my assistant coach. In fact, he's my only coach so I really should promote him. (And yes, I do have the lovely Peter but he's more an overseer and guide offering email and phone advice). If you're wondering about the spatula reference, that, along with the 'Assistant Coach' line, is from 'Run Fatboy Run', just in case there's any undue concern about whether my husband has kitchen utensil issues. (I attach a YouTube clip featuring the fabulous Mr Ghoshdashtidar from the movie. It's all good but the 'spatula' line is at 3.45 to 4.25. You can watch it by clicking here.)

Tom accompanies me every Sunday when I do my week's long run and I really appreciate the company. But more than that, since December Tom has been nothing other than a huge support to me and my mad-cap scheme. I've decided that Tom is a JFK kind of husband - he asks not what his wife can do for him but what he can do for his wife. When I first told him I wanted to run the New York marathon Tom reacted with nothing more than a benign raised right eyebrow. And even though this running business has become quite normal now, at the time it would have been just as likely for me to tell him I was getting a face tattoo. Or that I'd been selected to participate in a nude ascent of Everest. Or that I was joining a monastery and taking a vow of silence (now, that really WOULD be unlikely). And yet, no scepticism,  no giggles, no 'Whaaaaaaa....?' - just a raised eyebrow and an almost immediate 'OK then. What can I do to help?' I think I say it every week but just in case I ever forget - Thank you Tom. I couldn't do it without you.

This is a not very flattering picture of my Assistant Coach. He's much better looking in real life. But hey, you work with the materials to hand. And in this photo he's holding a SPATULA!!

The running over the last two weeks has been going...well, swimmingly, if that's not a complete contradiction in terms. My knee has been behaving itself and I am getting into a bit of rhythm with training. Sunday is the long run, Monday is a recovery swim at uni and then I fit in two or three runs mid-week, either on the treadmill or as part of the cycle/run commute to uni. I aim for three, of course, and that's what the Novice Supreme states but sometimes it isn't always possible. I find fitting in two runs unproblematic but for some reason fitting in that third one is disproportionately hard and also, REALLY takes it out of me. But I am just going to be resignedly optimistic from hereon in, do my best to do it all but not beat myself up if a run here and there gets missed. A girl can only do what she can do. Even if her Assistant Coach is holding a spatula.