DOUBLES HAS WON ME OVER

With greens waterlogged, frozen, then waterlogged again, the Winter Doubles League succumbed to the elements for five or six weeks.
As such, what turned out to be the final match of 2022 stewed for longer than anticipated. It was defeat to the esteemed home greens husband and wife partnership of Dave and Tracy Charlesworth. Whilst my partner that night, Steve Marginson was by his own admission off par, we nevertheless ground ourselves back in to contention after conceding four on the first end to haul the score back to 13-14. But then my game just suddenly went to pot and the Charlesworth's ran out seemingly easy winners over the next four ends.
It was a tough one to take. Teamwise, it could have been a statement victory to establish a top three spot against a main rival, but on a personal note I was fired up for playing these two and actually fancied sneaking a win.
It was a long wait until the next match to try and put it right, but that we did. I enjoyed another win in the company of Nigel Tomlinson, meanwhile Steve and Harry fought back to win their match and we were back on it with still a decent chance of a top half finish.
I've felt like I've played a bit hit and miss in this first doubles season, but five wins from seven* can't have been entirely down to my partners, so I must be doing summat reet somewhere along the lines.
I remember noting the thought of Winter Doubles being an unappealing proposition due to standing around freezing one's bits off. Whilst this runs true some evenings, I've been grateful for the opportunity to join the team aptly named 'Misfits'.
It's kept my eye in outside the main bowling season, whilst also revealing much about the art of doubles itself which I had also initially dismissed as not my bag.
Whilst the action came to a halt over the festive and New Year period, bold plans for the new season were put in to action by entering four Spring singles competitions so far. Prior to those engagements, a doubles tournament with the honour of young club mate Jack Dickinson happy to join me for Fox Lane's forthcoming big one. I'm quite excited about this and reckon we can ruffle a few feathers.

*Now five wins in eight. Up against runaway league leaders Westhoughton who haven't dropped a match, paired with Nige again we faced the brilliant pairing of double Waterloo winner Kevan Shaw and Ben Phillips - also holders of last Autumn's Fox Lane knockout no less.
Kevan and Ben don't give you anything, you have to earn every single point. Unfortunately Nige just wasn't quite on his best game leading, although I played as well as I have on these Wednesday nights. We put up a fight and whilst never in any danger of winning the match of course, we didn't roll over and took fourteen from them.
Losing is crap, but not so much against high calibre opposition like this. It's a buzz to be playing against them and excellent experience.

RACING AGAIN NOT SUCH A RIDICULOUS THOUGHT
On the running front, a fairly solid Winter of training with steady weekly mileage broke only by a few weeks out after venturing back to track sessions.
It felt good to be back at the Witton Park arena in Blackburn, but a few weeks in and speed work clasped a hamstring, which malfuntioned again a few weeks later in very frustrating circumstances, given that I felt I was running really well.

Too fast too soon? The weather too cold? Or maybe I'm just getting too old? Whatever the reason, whilst getting back to decent fitness again, there's a nervous reluctance to return to track until confident hamstrings can handle the pace.
A return to the fells has begun though, and ultimately that's where I want to be running, and racing soon I hope.
By 'racing' I refer loosley to the practice of giving what I've got these days and most of all, enjoying it. That said, I want to feel sharp enough before conregating on any starting lines again.
Whilst accepting (finally) that my best running days fizzled out a decade ago, there is a certain pride and a foolish one perhaps, that deters me from just trying to race on regardless. 

Plodding around in a race environment isn't for me. I'll know when I'm ready though and possibly not far off now to rock up somewhere and feel I can put a proper shift in.