Or is it Summer? Or after a week of snow showers is it Winter? When they say lockdown makes you lose track of time, they were not kidding!

So hello lovely readers. Apologies for another extended absence. As you will know, the global pandemic has not yet abated. Here in England (because the restrictions are different in different areas of the UK) we were, when I last wrote, getting ready for Christmas with contact allowed for a brief period. This was then stopped, and then after the oldest boy went back to school for 1 day the schools were closed in January. We then had a period with him at home for home learning whilst we worked, and his brother at nursery. He returned to school in March. I have now had my first dose of vaccine (with my second dose due next week) – although this is because of my job rather than my IBD (I am not on any immunosuppressants or other treatments). If you are in the UK then it is recommended if you have IBD that you get the vaccine. There is also research in support of that position.

Within that time we have had periods of isolation when the youngest child developed one of the key symptoms (a temperature, new continuous cough or loss of taste or smell) and we had to get him tested. My wife also then tested positive, but recovered quickly. I am taking lateral flow tests twice a week (because we have a child at school) but, as the hairdressers and beer gardens reopen tomorrow, it does feel like here in the UK we might be getting on top of things (finally – I won’t go into my thoughts about the handling of the pandemic here today. If you want to know, bring booze).

I have another week of isolation looming ahead of an Exam Under Anesthetic (EUA) at the end of April. This is a follow up from last summer when in August what is presumed to have been an abscess burst our of the scar where my anus was. I had an MRI shortly afterwards to check there was no collection (there was not) – however the wound has periodically leaked/ oozed since then, and so needs looking at which I am looking to forward to having done so hopefully if anything needs to be done it can be.

Since February my running has taken a big pause. Work has been very busy, and my motivation, alongside the restrictions, have meant it has been tricky to get doing things outside of the home. I am looking forward to May, when my isolation will be done and I can get back to that. I have put on some weight over this period, and a clear out of my wardrobe last week means I would like to lose some weight before I return to the office, or I will need to buy new clothes. I’m not sure if the running events I have entered will take place, but in theory I’ll be running Westonbirt 10K in May and Chippenham Half Marathon in September – so will need to get my training going.

Anyway, I will also try and post more regularly – let me know what your interested in!