T + 26

Two pounds shed already and another twenty-two minutes of that running. At this rate I can expect to hit target in a fortnight. Fat bloody chance but nevertheless a nice little start. I've come off the midweek booze but can still go wild at weekends. Christmas is almost officially over and we are down to the last member of the case of Undurraga we use instead of tap water - very acceptable Chilean fizz.

No refereeing today courtesy of the wild, wet weather and consequent waterlogged pitch but the shuffling run made up for that. There's that last bottle to be seen off- its penultimate cousin went this afternoon. It's a serious business this diet malarkey. Trees down tomorrow hopefully or at the very least lights dimmed. Time to move forward and other meaningless bollocks.

It's a sport honest

Time for the official Overgraduate review of the PDC World Darts at Alexandra Palace. It is certifiably OBB (officially bloody brilliant). Bloke Central. The tone can be judged from the gratuitous picture of one of the Ladbroke's 'walk-on girls' whose job it is to lead the chubby warriors onto the stage. I shouldn't approve but for much the same reason that I like Titus Andronicus I like the darts. It's raw and electrifying. Thanks to BH who got the tickets and organised the trip and to TW and CC who made it such unqualified fun. Earlier in the day we had watched Saracens demolish Leicester at Allianz Park. Sarries work very hard at generating an atmosphere. I suspect that the Tigers fans look a little askance at all this but I rather admire Saracens' effortful professionalism and they can certainly play - more evidence of which in their easy defeat of Gloucester this afternoon. I watched the latter on BT Sport. The jury is out on their coverage. They try a little too hard for this old codger's liking. And yes I do know that sits inconsistently with my attitude to the Sarries commercial experiment. Rugby, unlike television, does just about have a soul.