War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

I very rarely allow politics or world events, over which I have no control, feature in my blog but I couldn't ignore Russia invading Ukraine.  Life is so precious and the people making the decisions that will kill hundreds if not thousands of people, will be safely tucked up in their bed at night while families are torn apart.  Why is it we do not learn from history?  It was the late  Edwin Star who sang War, what is it for?  Absolutely nothing.  He was spot on and I hope and pray from the citizens of Ukraine and Russia that a peaceful solution can be found.  
The song is also close to my heart as it was my "walk on" song when I started all this madness with a white-collar boxing event in 2008.  A sell out crowd in London, TV cameras and 3 x 1.5 min rounds and by the end I could hardly walk out the ring as I was exhausted.  Fortunately I lost which meant I have never entered a boxing ring again so I keep my straight nose!  It was brutal and I have nothing but respect for anyone who steps into the ring.  But I liked the fitness and 3 months later took part in my first triathlon and as they say, the rest is history.
This weeks challenges have been snow and alcohol.  During the week the weather was atrocious but I headed out onto the braes with a head torch on as the snow was falling and I was running through 4-6 inches of fresh snow.  The wind meant the snow was smacking me in the face and I regretted not having a buff with me which I usually do.  7 Ps springs to mind (piss poor preparation precipitates piss poor performance).  There's nothing worse than forgetting an item of clothing or equipment because it can be critical depending on the weather.  But despite being local, I still took the precaution of carrying a survival bag, a charged phone, waterproof trousers, jels and drinks.  It might sound like overkill but if I'm on the braes on my own and take a tumble it could be a while before anyone discovers me and I was literally the only person out that morning.  So think ahead and make sure you come fully prepared.
As for the alcohol challenge it's been a very busy weekend on the social front and I juggled my priorities.  A night out with "the boys" meant I had to "pace myself" so that my Saturday 8am 20km run would be ok.  I felt surprisingly good when my pal Stu turned up and with the last 4 km being uphill, I turned up the "burners" and finished strong.  An hour later I was heading to my next social function and paced myself again as today I had a 6.45am gym session followed by a 15 km where I had to run faster than normal.  Again I had a good run and my objective was achieved.  After the run I then went for a social walk with a friend for 6km.  I pigged out on food to replace the calories lost and now I'm resting, an important part of my training regime.  Once I finish my blog I'm going to close my eyes and have a cat nap.
How lucky are we that we live in a stable country and on a Sunday afternoon I can have a cat nap while my lamb is roasting in the oven.  Let's pray the invasion of Ukraine is resolved quickly  before too many lives are lost.  War is a stark reminder that life is precious and we should live in the present and squeeze everything out of life. This week appreciate everything, even if its snow smacking you in the face while running.