With that in mind, and a lot of procrastination later, I have finally had a go at the 99 steps challenge. 'All this involves' is running from Sweetbriar Lane, between the allotments, up 99 steps, down Birchy Barton Lane and back along part of Sweetbrier Lane up to the start again. It's a circuit of roughly 0.25 miles. 

The challenges are;

Bronze - Do it once

Silver - Do it five times.

Gold - Do it ten times

Platinum - Do it fifteen times.

I've also set myself the task of running a marathon. Doesn't matter which one, but I have to run one next year. So today I went to Ironbridge Runners in Exeter where they filmed my wonky ankles and talked me into buying a very nice pair of trainers for £85 (did I say that they're very nice). 

So after scoffing a nice tea of breaded fish, oven chips and peas I felt full of bravado. I used the short trip to the start to get warmed up, stopping on the way to stroke a magnificent ginger tom on the way. Warm up over I got to the start and went like the wind. One minute later I was at the top of the steps (it's about 50 yards from the start of the circuit to the first step) and started my lap down. 

There's an old saying from the 80's (for those of you who actually remember the 80's as a participant and not as a little kid) which goes like this 'Acccciiiiiiiiiiddddddd'. That's what my legs were saying all the way down the hill. My feet were having a lovely time in my nice trainers (they're SO light), but everything else was realising that this was going to be much harder than envisaged. Then again, it's not exactly a challenge if you can finish it in one go without breaking a sweat and feeling like 'huh, is that all?'

The first time I had passed a portly chap watering his French Beans. The second time I passed (it took 4:01 to do the full lap) I gave him what I thought was a nonchalant nod and a confident 'hello', but which probably looked like the start of a fit and a breathless cry for help. His reply was 'getting slower'. Now, one of the other challenges that we set ourselves is 'to not think bad thoughts about people'. Must say I failed that one.

Anyway, onto the second attempt at the stairs. Did I mention that they slope downwards to the right? Well they do, which is disconcerting if you only have one contact lens in (boring story) and  you're knackered. If my legs thought they knew what it felt like to have lactic acid flooding through them before; they were wrong. 

Oh. My. God. 'Get some' said my Sadistic nature, 'I'm off' said my now not not-so-masochistic nature, leaving my somewhat dispirited '36-year old father of two' nature to deal with the fall out. I forgot to say that that side of me rocks (my humble nature had also departed for pastures of coffee and danish pastries).

This time the burn was bloody awful. The run down was fine on the legs but my lungs felt like I'd been smoking 60-day and that lovely tea was threatening to come back up. I finished the lap in 4:44 giving me a two lap time of 8:44, with a 43 second deficit the second time around.

I had planned on doing three laps, and my wife had actually said that I should do three as well. Unfortunately I truly did not understand how hard this was going to be. The upshot of this is - I can't wait to try again! I know that beginner student Dr Neil Cox has been trying this a number of times and is up to 7 at last count. He has also set himself the target of Platinum. We have yet to set a date for the official attempt but I personally can't wait to see him succeed. This will of course be followed by 'good' food and lots of Bombardier Ale because he'll bloody well deserve it! Huzzah!