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Miles: 27.5; Units 23

A big race week, leading up to the Bramley 20 at the weekend (yes, the picture is an apple called the Bramley 20! You know what a race looks like). I have to say that work has been one of the toughest weeks in my last 15 years at B&Q, so it was a blessing that I only had two easy runs to fit in - I just don't think I could have come home and banged off a tough interval session this week. The big race on Sunday was the two 10-mile laps of Bramley, near Basingstoke - a perfect marathon prep. race. My goal was to crack 2:25, which I nearly did, coming in at 2:25:46. The last 3 miles just nipped the 46 seconds out of me. The weather was hardly promising, with sleet as I drove up the M3, though for the race itself, the rain stayed off, though there were some biting winds in the second lap (not from me I hasten to add!). All in all a successful race, given that the last time I ran that distance was during the London Marathon in April 2009 - clearly 6.2 more to go on that day! I also knocked just under 2 minutes off last year's Bramley time.

Wine of the week - well, with a race on Valentine's day, when I returned (and after a small kip on the sofa) it had to be champagne - Lanson Brut, to be precise - a complimentary bottle from Volkswagen for mucking up Janet's new car, as it happens. Apple-crisp (no malolactic here, as we know) and very refreshing, though with limited depth of flavour. I wouldn't say Lanson was a first rank Grand Marque champagne, however I am always delighted to see it in preference to a number of others. Fizz, Fizz, Fizz.

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