2 October 2020

Adrenalin overload, excessive effort and a hangover haze

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  NOW here’s a weird, even disturbing, thing; my trusty Garmin records a hilly four-mile run around the city where I live. Yet I have scant memory of it ever happening. How can this be? The watch tells of a continuous jog with every second accounted for. By contrast, my memory presents me with a… Continue Reading

10 September 2020

Stop the clock; pause for reflection

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OKAY, so life’s a journey. We all know that; it has been stated often enough. We also know, as with any journey, there will inevitably be stops, delays, breakdowns, detours, U-turns and even the need for spare parts and replacements. There will be tears and laughter; excruciating sadness and unfettered joy. Far less certain is… Continue Reading

23 July 2020

Patients need patience: the doctor will (not) see you now

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DOCTORS must be loving this new world order. The one where they filter enquiries to such an extent that they are rarely bothered with having to deal with patients face to face. Those nuisances (once known as patients) are kept firmly at arm’s length; or an aggravating (Dial 1 for …) phone call away. Barriers… Continue Reading

16 July 2020

The daily struggle: depression or pushups

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MOSTLY  I tend to ignore the endless flood of social media challenges nominating me to participate in the latest “Ten of …” lists. My main reason is an abiding suspicion of all posts that come without an identifiable source. Their origins are hidden deep beyond the “friend” who is suggesting I spend ten days naming… Continue Reading

12 July 2020

Pedal power: what a difference a [day] bike makes

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LITTLE wonder it is called a freedom machine. One that becomes more and more so as the years (and miles) roll by. I refer, of course, to that two-wheeled wonder, the bicycle. Thanks to the recent addition of electrical power,  it is now a pleasure that even ancient limbs can continue to enjoy. It has… Continue Reading

2 May 2020

Cure needed for pandemic’s verbal virus

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The lexicographers are working overtime. New words are being coined, reviewed and added to dictionaries worldwide almost daily. It seems there’s nothing like disasters and pandemics to send the spin doctors into a frenzy of creativity as they try to find ways of cloaking and minimising what is actually happening. Plain speaking is avoided at… Continue Reading

12 March 2020

In the long run, even the long run has to stop – finally

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“The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” has hitherto been a joy, a positive. It has now become a negative. Continue Reading

27 November 2019

Listening to the body

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THE human body is a wonderful thing, but it does have a mind of its own. A mind that overrides opposition, one that will rarely accept deviation from the course it has set itself upon. And thus it was at precisely 2.53 pm today that it made an unheralded announcement: a truce would be called… Continue Reading

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