I am not built for running. I am 102KG, I injured my knee as a child, and generally I have accepted that my comfort zone in a gym is next to the free weights.

Whenever I visit my family in Kent, I go for a run. Usually I run 3 miles up and down hills and I’m done, sometime 4 miles at a stretch.

After explaining to my friend about my 3 mile wall, he told me I could run a lot further in a matter of fact way. Having personably struggled at 3 miles, I did not agree.

Yesterday however, I thought I’d try. There are a few ground rules that helped me achieve a personal best:

Nike+gps helped me keep track of time and distance

I ran a route I’ve not done before and it had lots of beautiful scenery

I didn’t set milestones, the goal was to run to failure.

And so it started. At first, I didn’t feel particularly up for it and made slow progress up a long hill.

At about the 4 mile mark I got my second wind and despite being covered in sweat, I felt strong.

At 8 miles, my knee started to hurt but I kept the pace up. I wanted 10 at this point.

The last mile was the hardest with cold rain starting and I’d finished my planned route so ended up running a familiar circuit with old milestones.

Then I got to 10 miles. 1 hour 30 minutes running. I am amazed at what my body achieved, I’ve tripled my run time and I’ve not even done any training.

One thing I did learn. Whilst I may never try to run that far again…. If I do go for a run I will cut my toe nails first.

Mental barriers hold you back. You never truly know what you’re capable until you push yourself. Ignore the blueprint of the past and take up a new challenge with fresh optimism.

…. Probably a more concise way of saying that…. But I’m writing this on my phone in the bath.

MM

Ps. Warning – there is a manky foot shot below. Damn toe nail.

This Autumn, we’re having unusually warm weather and bright sunshine. This time last year, I think we had snow.

Because the weather was beautiful, a gift, this weekend I went for a long bike ride along a river. One of those moments you thoroughly enjoy, that you truly appreciate, and that you would probably keep to yourself but would go on to forget about as you carry on with life.

Well, no. This blog post is something for me to reflect on. And after a long bike ride, what better way to relax than with a cold cider.

So I find myself on a train back to London town after another enjoyable weekend away in the countryside. A little drunk. Definitely buzzing with life. And relaxed.

Life is good. I love these little adventures, where little happens, but you go away feeling full of life and well.

Good weekend.

MM

This November I am participating in the Movember charity campaign, raising funds and awareness for mens health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men, by growing a moustache for the month of November.

So far, our team of three has raised over 200 pounds which is excellent! And we are only half way through the month. To kindly donate or to laugh at pictures of my face with a mo, visit my Movember page: http://mobro.co/MattRoobol

I wanted to talk about life with a moustache as this is the one time in my life I will ever attempt to grow one. It can be summed up by what really happened to me this morning – my colleagues laughed at my face as I arrived at work. It’s not good. My mo is made up of ginger hair (where did that come from?!), black hair (hooray!), and fair blonde hair (resembles patches). In short, there is a reason I’ve not grown a mo to date and in mo standards, it’s car crash territory. However, I am determined to see this through and raise as much as possible.

At the beginning of the month I was full of hope and ambition. I was excited, actually excited. In my mind I had ideas of modelling my mo in the style of Tom Selleck from Magnum PI and rocking into work like a rockstar, or perhaps a pencil moustached Errol Flynn and looking mildly sophisticated in meetings. Back in reality however, I have a passing resemblance to the used car salesman from true lies (image below), and even he doesn’t have the patchy rainbow colours in his mo. No, other than for this charitable cause, I will never grow a moustache again.

Well, almost half way there. All donations are greatly appreciated.

MM

Every now and again, Mustard Matt comes up in conversation. Typically, the second question after – what is that? – is – why mustard matt? – Well, depending on the day of the week, my general mood, and who I am speaking to, you may get one of the answers below. They range from sensible, to ridiculous, to downright bizarre, but all of them apply:

I am keen as mustard see… to get the job done. This is the sensible answer and it is typically enough information without someone wanting to know more.

“Must admit” – I hear this saying a lot around London. Say it. Hear it. Get it?

It’s kinda memorable (vivid). You don’t have to spell it out. It’s short enough not to take too long to type. I can get away with yellow links. And it fits with this particular stay in my life.

And lastly…

Matthew 13:31-32 (to quote from the bible)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches”

…spooky. I found out about this nearly two years after setting up MustardMatt.com

Also, my mission statement, cobbled together a year ago, bizarrely fits this bible quote – “happiness held is the mustard seed; happiness shared is the mustard flower” – now, if ever there was a time to like www.facebook.com/mustardmatt and share the happiness, now would be it.