Happy Friday! As the week draws to an end I feel completely battered. I think the trips to London for a demanding role with a young family at home is starting to take it’s toll a little. I’m also conscious this may just be a January thing, so the best thing to do is just ride it out and see what February brings. Then March. Then April… All the way through to December. And if that doesn’t work, maybe 2026 will be different. Then 2027. Then 2028. Gosh these numbers are getting big.
Anyways, the realisation of pushing myself too much probably came yesterday. I was getting things prepped for dinner. Suddenly, my back seized. It was such a weird feeling. I literally froze on the spot. My very reality was at risk.

The OddDaughter – who was nearby was as perplexed as me. Usually, I do the whole “freeze” thing as a game. But a game, this was not. I could not move even slightly without feeling excruciating pain. My only solution was to stay still. Much to the confusion of both OddKids that sat there watching me. Mrs OddFather was at work, in case you were wondering.
Eventually I started making micro movements so I could ease myself back into motion. And though my back was still in pain, I was at least able to move around. Luckily the OddDaughter was useful to help me pick things up off the floor that I accidentally dropped.
On the flipside, unluckily, the OddSon decided now was the perfect time to soil himself.

His nappy changes are a pain at the best of times, this was next level shit. Quite literally.
Anyway, I managed. The strain of moving unnaturally due to my back ended up with my knees hurting. Today I feel rather broken. It’s a good job I have a ticket booked for the Arsenal game tomorrow. Nothing like standing in the freezing cold at a stadium when you’re in physical agony.
It would be typical if I were to get ill – given next week is my birthday. Can’t a guy ask for a break?
I guess this is a bit of a wake up call. I need to join the gym. Or at the very least start running again and do some body strength exercises at home. It’s not that I’m not moving around enough – I move around a lot at work to be fair.

It must be more core body strength not being at the right level.
If ever a reminder that I’m getting old, this is it. Couldn’t it just be the yearly reminder of an extra candle on the birthday cake? Instead, I’m having to deal with a painful reminder that for every bite of a Snickers bar, I need to run 10 miles or something stupid.
How I wish I could go back in time to talk to my younger self about eating habits. Would I tell him to take it easy? Fuck that, I’d tell him to enjoy it before he loses the ability for it not to make any difference to weight and fitness. And then I would go and grab a kebab with him.
And they all lived happily ever after.