The wind blowing in off Swansea Bay was strong to say the least and it made harder work of the 5 mile run than I’d experienced over the last couple of weeks. Couple that with what felt like an increased pace and I was certainly feeling leg weary over the last half mile or so.

My time of 44 minutes 22 seconds was a wee bit quicker than my last effort which considering the conditions I was more than pleased with, even if I did feel ’shot’ at the end of it.

I did joke this afternoon that my legs felt like jelly - which in all honesty they did - but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel satisfied by how taut they felt due to the recent mileage I’ve been putting in.

Who knows, one day I might even fulfil one of my lifetime ambitions and run a marathon!

As per Southampton the other week, Watford didn’t look like a ‘bottom 3′ team and their pace and trickiness in attack was evident - unlike lofty QPR a few weeks back! People say the table doesn’t lie and I suppose it’s hard to judge teams on just seeing them once, but on the evidence of today I doubt Watford will struggle all season long.

The game itself was literally a game of two halves (aren’t they always!?) with the first half being instantly forgettable bar the 1 goal apiece - some tricky passing, movement and finish (coupled with a sloppy clearance) giving Watford the lead before a Ferrie Bodde thunderbolt squaring things up less than a minute later.

The 2nd period was a more entertaining - if niggly - affair with the Swans taking control of the game and applying lots of pressure, with a fine Jason Scotland finish and injury time goal from Guillem Bauza making sure the Swans ran out comfortable winners in the end.  

Watford faded badly in the 2nd half which meant the 800 odd travelling fans turned their attention back to singing about “sacking the board” - spurred on by a large banner carrying the same message. I guess they were in no doubt as to what they felt about Ady Boothroyd’s departure earlier in the week.

On the subject of singing, our very own Dieters Bar Jacks tried their damndest to stir the Asbo East Stand into voice with a 8 minute plus rendition of “Martinez Barmy Army” - much to the amusement of those sitting near us!  Look out Norwich that’s all I can say

So another 3 points in the bag, which see’s us climb up to 9th in the Championship table and the perfect tonic before Tuesday night’s Worthington Cup game against the same opponents.  Quarter finals anyone?

Oh come off it.  I mean really, how hard could it have been for her.  She’s well liked (as the public/media reaction illustrates) and financially secure (having recently been awarded a £6 million pound recording contract). 

Can you imagine the outcry if a lesser known/squeaky clean personality had come out about their past misdemeanours. Need I say more?

Of course there is the issue of Christmas being just 51 days away and a certain ‘Sacred Arias‘ album having been released just a couple of weeks ago - so it couldn’t be one massive marketing and media push by her agent could it?

Nah, our Katherine is too nice for that.  Surely.

Perhaps most bizarrely of all was the fact that I actually phsically felt like going for longer which is rare to say the least - especially of late.  No doubt if I had carried out I’d have paid for it, so I took the sensible option (probably!).

Mrs DDWT even commented on how I wasn’t as red in the face as usual!  It has to be noted that I’ve ALWAYS been like a beetroot after running even in my primary school days, as opposed to being naturally unfit

I’d now like to try and sustain this time and distance over a few training sessions over the next couple of weeks and see how things go from there.

But to say I’m chuffed with my progress to date would be a massive understatement.

If there’s one good thing about living in the Swansea valley - there are loads actually but that’s for another time - then it’s the beautiful natural scenery that sprawls all the way from Ystalyfera right down to Swansea, which makes going for a walk a relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

We headed up along the Swansea valley canal towards Pontardawe, facing the full force of the usual wind funnel down the valley and feeding the ducks/geese along the way.

Our destination was the playground at Pontardawe leisure centre - how else could you get a 4 year old to walk several miles!!

Our walk and usual stoppages took us out of the house for around two and a half hours and despite feeling frozen by the time we got back it was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The walk was an great opportunity for me to push baby DDWT in the pram for the best part of three miles, whilst Mrs DDWT and DDWT Junior maked some cakes for Halloween at home.  It was lovely to be out and about on such a chilly winter morning, with the wind swirling the multi-coloured autumnal leaves around us as we made our way along the Swansea Valley canal.

After returning from the walk - which took us around an hour and twenty minutes - my inner conscience gave me the urge to go out for a run, especially as I hadn’t been since Monday!  So within the space of half an hour I was back out and about again - safe in the knowledge of knowing how cold it was though.  No running vest this time I can tell you!

I battled my way along a 4.6 mile course in 41 minutes 23 seconds - which from what I can recall is both the furthest and longest I’ve been out running for what must be the best part of 10 or 12 months!!!  How time has flown and oh how my standards have dropped.

Having said that I’m pleased just to be putting the effort in at the moment and am going some way to achieving the mini-goals which I have set myself pre-Christmas.  All things considered, I think I’m doing pretty well to date

For once though it was an extremely worthwhile early morning wake-up call as I got the opportunity to photograph the most amazing morning sunrise over the Swansea Valley.

Amazing or what? Needless to say I’ve now sent them off to the BBC and South Wales Evening Post to see what they think and whether they’ll publish them as has been the case previously.

With the beauty of hindsight I’m now actually glad that I did go along - for several reasons.  Perhaps most importantly it gave me the opportunity to see most of the Dieters Bar Jacks and ‘deal’ with the obvious and well intentioned condolences about my Dad.

The other reason was that it was another step forward in terms of returning to some kind of normal routine in my life - not that it can be rushed given the circumstances - but it was a step in the right direction all the same.

As for the football well I’m glad to say that the Swans returned to at least some kind of the form they started the season in and despite the end result being a disappointing draw, it was an improvement on Saturday - which was the main thing.

Personally I felt Derby offered very little even after going a goal up and if the Swans had shown more quality in the final 3rd then there’s no doubt the result would have been radically different!  As a result we had to settle for the Swans coming from behind and equalising thanks to a well taken goal from Ashely Williams.  Oh what we’d given for a reaction like that last Saturday!

The last 5 weeks or so have flown by and if the truth be known he was always fighting a losing battle against bowel, liver and lung cancer - so it is perhaps with as much sadness as relief that he is now suffering no more.

Rest in peace Dad, you might be gone, but you’ll never be forgotten.

Thankfully it was good news with both Mrs DDWT and I shedding 3lbs each - taking our weight to 12st 9lb and 17st 3lb respectively. It was a welcome surprise and lifted our spirits quite considerably on what was proving (mentally) to be a tough weekend.

After I’d spend the morning doing a bit of landscaping work in the garden - removing some lawn and replacing with chippings (in readiness for some large flower) pots - it was time for a family get together at ours.

I think it was just the tonic the whole family needed in light of the events of the past couple of days. DDWT Junior and I kept everyone amused with our water antics - which was great fun and Baby DDWT was all smiles especially for my Dad, which lifted his spirits no end.

So all in all it’s been a nice end to what’s been a thought provoking couple of days. I think that we’re going to need as many of these ‘days’ as possible over the coming months.