Self-fulfilling prophecy...

Okay. I'm currently sat on the horns of a dilemma. Which isn't a particularly comfortable place to be. Said dilemma, my friends, is this:

My primary New Year's Resolution (NYR) is to spend less time on the internet, thus managing my work time more efficiently.

Simple, eh? The internet to me is communication crack cocaine. I'm hooked. And going cold turkey isn't going to be easy, not least because I've already had my fill of one type of this foodstuff. But - as you who know me can testify - I never do things by halves and, if I say I'm going to reduce my time on the internet... that's what's going to happen.

Cue dilemma. Enter, stage left, from the wings, Senor Dilemma.

So determined have I been to focus on my work time at the expense of internet time that I have neglected my blog. Which has left me with blogdrawal symptoms too awful to begin describing. So, here I am... chastened, late, but very much with you in this... the year of Our Lord (if you dig that kind of thing) two thousand and nine.

Say it slowly... two thousand and nine.

Bloody hell, it seems only a moment ago that I was doing the math as a ten year old, looking ahead to an impossibly distant millennium and reassuring myself that it would never, could never, arrive.

But let's look forward, not back.

I have other resolutions too. Athletic resolutions, Ironman resolutions, Family resolutions. But the internet one will be the most difficult for me to achieve. Sometimes the weirdest things are the most difficult to crack. I've given up alcohol every January for the past 20 years and it's not a problem (some of you may find that hard to believe, but truly... it isn't). Once, for Lent, I tried to give up swearing and ... couldn't do it. Unbelievable. Maybe I should have another go at that this year.

Let me know any resolutions you might have made. It's good to share.

Speaking of sharing, our great friends Keith and Yvonne invited us once again to their home to celebrate the new year. The photo above shows the eight of us as the clock struck midnight. A notable absentee was their latest addition, two year old Polly - upstairs getting enough sleep to charge her formidable argument batteries for the next day. Thanks for a great time, Keith and Yo... always a pleasure and never a chore.

Keith and I ran a strong but controlled eight mile cross country on new year's eve which kept my training ticking over. Last Sunday we had an Ironman Seminar day at Team MK, which included a 46 mile bike ride in the coldest weather I've ever saddled up in. We rode in minus 5 degrees centigrade which, when you factor in the wind chill generated from being on a twenty mile an hour bike heading into a ten mile an hour wind is pretty eskimo friendly, I can tell you. At one point I lost the feeling in my hands completely (despite wearing three sets of gloves) but things were eventually restored to normal.

My buddy Graham though had no such worries, being esconsced in his new Asos glove system and enjoying the thermonuclear heat generated by his heated Sidi insoles. I'm sure you'll join me in a chorus of "Graham... won't you HTFU".

The course was very informative, going over many of the key issues we'll need to be aware of in our quest for Ironman glory this year. It was taken by Richard Jones, a past member of Team MK, previous winner of UK Ironman and other titles and now full time elite athlete and coach.

This will be my first full year with the strong athletes at Team MK and already I can feel how training and sharing experiences with them is going to be extremely beneficial.

So, on to more important things. Last week's film quote was a toughie... I don't mind admitting that. It was spoken by JASON MILLER as FATHER DAMIAN KARRAS in THE EXORCIST. Get a hold of William Friedkin's director's version of the movie, turn out the lights and watch it on your own.

By the way... what ever happened to Jason Miller after such a great turn as Father Karras. We should have seen more of him.

First movie quote of the year and it's reasonably easy and offered in the hope that it has you aiming for the 'comments' button...

"Texas? Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy. And you don't look much like a steer to me so that kinda narrows it down."

A couple of you have been asking about the health of my father in law since his heart attack. Thanks for your concern and apologies for not clearing this up. The situation is this. Maurice (for that is his name) was taken to Harefield Hospital for an angiogram once his condition had stabilised. However, once there, they discovered an irreversible kidney defect which made it impossible to operate. The judgement was that it would be more dangerous to his kidneys to operate than it would be beneficial to his heart. Thus I have a father in law with not only a dodgy ticker but a wonky kidneys. That said, he is in good spirits and his health is as it was pre-heart attack. He spent Christmas Day with us and was on good form.

Congratulations to Truck in New Zealand, who's dipping her toe into Ironman after a long and accomplished distance running career. She's running the run leg of Challenge Wanaka on Jan 17th. Good luck, Truck and keep us posted. I have to say, Ironman NZ is very much on my radar as a future international race...

I'm sure there's more but it's been a long post and I've been on the internet far, far too long. I must go back to my script - a progress report next week. From next week too I'll be back in the swing of training so will be updating with you on progress as we march resolutely towards July 5th.

I'll also keep you posted on my 'possible shin splints/compartment syndrome' injury which I'm having looked at by Dave this morning.

Farewell, my lovelies...