Oh Danny Boy...

This is a huge rush as I'm about to go to Erin's GCSE options evening... I know, it doesn't seem a moment since she was in nappies. Bloody hell, that's the way it goes.

Also, it doesn't seem a moment since I took myself off to The Empire Leicester Square to see a little British movie called SHALLOW GRAVE. I remember then thinking that its director, Danny Boyle, was bound for great things and Danny (a good Lancashire lad) got his just reward earlier today when his movie SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE cleaned up at the oscars.

Well done everyone concerned with this great movie.

Quick news then... my leg op was - I guess - a success. The process was simple and straightforward, in and out in the day and under the knife for an hour and a half of general anaesthetic. My recovery has been good too, with only moderate pain and - if I'm honest - far too much activity culminating in a very painful 10km run today, so I'm now going to ease back a bit.

The week's schedule was as follows:

Monday 30 miles recovery bike ride, 1 hour 38 mins
Tuesday 45 minutes easy run
Wednesday 5km run followed by operation
Thursday 5km walk
Friday 10 mins weights, 10 mins jogging, 15 minutes cycling
Saturday 30 mins run at 8:30 minute miles
Sunday 5 mile walk (easy) then 19 mile bike ride on road bike at 18 mph average speed

The hardest part of the training is getting past the initial pain and discomfort of the wounds themselves ( I have a 3cm wound in my groin and a similar slice at the back of my knee, plus dozens of smaller nicks all over my calf where smaller pieces of the vein where removed). But I'm happy I can move on from here and I'll be taking my barbequed leg swimming at some stage this week (though I'll have to wear my compression tights as children would be running screaming from the pool where I to not cover it!).

I was very proud of the fact that my heart rate was 43 beats per minute immediately before the op, causing the heart rate monitor to which I was wired to emit a warning beep every few seconds. I told them about the Ironman thing and they smiled understandingly (secretly thinking I was a complete dingbat). The guy behind me told me they were laughing about it when his heartbeat reached 127 !

Anyway, here I am, out the other side and thanks to everyone for their positive thoughts and good wishes. Here's the last ever shot of the veins prior to them being whipped out but after being 'marked for death' by the surgeon's marker. It's the first time in 20 years that you can't see the damned things !!

More film quotes next week I'm afraid, just a word about some movies I've seen this week. I watched the Spanish movie .REC which was a very good horror flick, BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD which is over-rated crap with a cast that should know better and IN BRUGES which is outrageously black and funny and I urge you to see.

Checking up my oscar predictions I think I got three wrong which I can live with...

Congrats to Ben who's also back training.

Sorry to rush but school beckons. I tell you, it's no fun getting old, but I'm glad it's not my 'O' Levels again !!!

Soon.