General Running – Page 4 – Black and Tabby Runs

A long way from Tunisia

I ran on Friday around my village, a very small and quiet Wiltshire village that often feels a million miles away from the modern age (my teenagers agree with me). It’s a unique place, a place of beautiful sunsets and traffic jams involving ducks crossing the road. It is hard to imagine anything bad happening here, and yet on Friday the long arm of international terrorism reached down into this little sanctuary. The awful news about the shootings in Tunisia was shocking enough, but to learn that a lady from our village, and her partner, were amongst the victims was almost unbelievable.

I stopped off on my run in the church and signed the books of condolences. Was it disrespectful that I was in running gear? I don’t think so. Eileen had always been a big supporter of our village sports teams and the village hall so I felt it was highly appropriate.

On my run I thought about how we never know what is around the corner in life, and we cannot know when our time is up. I am sending love and sympathy to Eileen and John’s family and friends and I can’t help but feel a lesson to be taken from this tragedy is to live every moment to the full and to enjoy life.

R.I.P. Eileen Swannack and John Welch.

Juneathon Day 4. Club ‘social’ run

So a run isn’t very sociable when you run 6.5 of the 7 miles on your own. However I did chat to several people beforehand, and afterwards which was definitely sociable. I also found I ran faster, and for longer, knowing I had people to catch up with (I didn’t). I also surprised myself with how well I ran in the heat (yesterday was summer). Therefore I’m declaring this run a success, sociable or not. (I chatted to a guy at the end who said guiltily “we do all tend to get a bit competitive on Thursday runs”. I’ll not argue with that).

In Kitten News, the boys have been showing they have no concept of gender sterotyping by both squeaking girl-ily whilst running around with, respectively, a small pink fabric mouse and a pink fabric ball in their mouths.

An unplanned half marathon

I needed a long run, set off without a planned route, and ended up running a half marathon today. I ran where I felt like it, incorporated parts of routes run by my running club, stopped to find a geocache, failed to resist a set of steps I’d never noticed before, and took lots of photos.

Best bit of this run though was running through town and having an old man say in his broad Wiltshire accent “Oi loike your daps*!”

Yes -I’m not surprised. I like them too.

* if you’re not familiar with this Westcountry word, ‘daps’ are what people from the north west would call ‘pumps’, and other people would call plimsolls. Caused no end of confusion first time I had to buy some for my daughter.

I’m Back! And I’m a WINNER!

Phew, well that’s been a busy time. Our building work is really nearly finished, which has meant much last minute ordering of stuff, lots of snap decisions and a fair bit of painting. Our daughter is sliding towards her GCSEs so needs plenty of poking, gently reminding to work (i.e. nagging), and general supporting. Husband is spending more and more time cycling, and my son requires regular winkling out of his room and away from his computer before he becomes a totally stereotypical teenaged boy. So, all in all, busy times in the B&T household.

Despite all this I have been getting out running, just not as far or as often as I would have liked. Nothing spectacular, and no interesting photos hence no blogging. I did spend a happy few hours writing out a list of upcoming races, and am still dithering over which to enter.

It was pointed out to me this week that it was my local parkrun’s first birthday on Saturday, so as husband was getting up at stupid o’clock to cycle a ridiculous distance* I thought I’d set my alarm as well and go along to parkrun for a short and hopefully speedy 5K.

Conscious that only first timers and tourists get to parkrun early, I managed to get there rather late, just as the run director was giving his pre run talk. Yes, I was the one still tying my shoe laces as everyone else was applauding the first timers and visitors. (Sorry!) I was also the one who had to run back to my jacket to grab my bar code just as the run director mentioned not forgetting your bar code. Sigh.

These hiccups aside, I enjoyed my third official parkrun. I pushed when I could, but did find myself just trotting along behind a couple of blokes for a while rather than over taking them straight away. (It’s not a race, you see). Anyway I was very pleased when I stopped my Garmin to see I had a new parkrun PB of 26:26. I was impressed when I got home and saw this was actually a new all time 5K PB, and I was delighted when I got my official email from parkrun confirming my time, and telling me I was position 1 in my age category**. If it’s not a race, I can still be a winner, can’t I?***

*300K is a ridiculous distance to cycle in one day. Fact.

** on telling him I was first in my age category, my son promptly asked if I was the only one in my age category.

*** the correct answer to this is YES. It’s the first time I’ve ever come first in anything that didn’t involve sitting exams, so I’m pinning an unofficial winner’s badge on myself.

Janathon Day 21. If it’s good enough for Jens Voigt…

After yesterday’s creaking plod, today was a better effort. 4 miles keeping the pace faster than 10 minute miles. Done, and a new series of geocaches recc’ed. Well, if Jens Voigt can do it…

Janathon Day 5. Does this count?

So does taking down most of the Christmas decorations count as a Janathon activity?

No. Hmmmm.

Does dashing around Sainsburys to buy the ingredients to make ‘trench cake’ for forgotten homework count? No. Oh dear.

How about painting inside another new under the eaves ‘loft’ cupboard? I was so contorted I’m sure I invented several new yoga positions? Still no.

Well, good job I pulled a 5 mile run out of the bag then. Ha!

Hallowe’en

Running at dusk. On 31st October. It had to be a Halloween run! I passed a few treat or treaters on the lane, then running over the field I had bats swooping around my head. Very atmospheric.

In my own little homage to Hallowe’en I tried another run picture (see here for my first, and more successful attempt). In my defence, it was a bit dark to see what I was doing.

First Muddy Legs of the Season

So you set off on a run looking for hills and mud. You come to this sign.

You end up with the first muddy legs of the season, and trainers that have to be hosed off before they can come inside the house.

Result!

Running vs. Cycling

Five years ago I started running.

This year I was bought a new bike for my birthday and I started cycling as well.

Both of these activities have their advantages, and disadvantages, but having cycled yesterday and then run today I thought I’d consider which activity I preferred.

Running is quicker to get ready for, requires less kit, and doesn’t require a bicycle. Cycling *does* require a bike, which then requires maintenance and washing (apparently).

Running means I get to spend time on my own. Cycling means I go with Mr B&T and sometimes our son as well. These can be advantages or disadvantages, depending upon how much my family has upset me at the time.

I’ve tripped, slipped and got muddy when running, but it’s only when cycling I’ve properly fallen off. Usually at 0mph.

Cycling is faster than running and involves whizzing down hills. Unfortunately I’m scared of going fast, so downhills involve white knuckles from squeezing the brakes very tightly.

I have to concentrate on the road (gravel, pot holes, crumbling edges of road) when on my bike, but when I’m running I can look over hedges, into gardens and spot wildlife.

When I run I can manage water, an occasional veggie ‘Percy Pig’ sweet or a gel and that’s it. Yesterday’s 2 hour bike ride included a mid-ride stop in a pub, and also a tea room. The pub said they’d just stopped serving food, then brought out a plate of leftover roast potatoes for us to help ourselves to. Well it would have been rude not to!

We then needed a cup of tea to wash the spuds down, so crossed the road to a tea shop. Have you ever seen such a cute milk jug?

Thank heavens the chocolate brownie isn’t in shot as well. Nor the cheese and tomato tart

To sum up, trying to decide whether I prefer running or cycling, I think the roast potatoes might give cycling an unfair advantage. What about you?

The Unposed Selfie

When time is short, you have to squeeze in runs when you can. Last Sunday was a long run – 10 miles- which felt more like half marathon training should do. Twelve hour working days meant no more running in the week until Saturday. Obviously I needed to make this run count, so I opted for hill repeats. Leaving family* and visiting in-laws in bed, I grimly set off.

A 20% slope is tough, but as it’s only short I felt the need to run up it three times. It was hard work, I had to walk bits, but I did it. I took several selfies for the blog, and was thinking ofanything interesting to say, and failing dismally. It was only later when I was looking at the photos I saw the selfie below. Taken accidentally, unposed, I love it. Wonder if I can take more accidentally?

*I should add (before he does) that my husband was out on a 100 mile cycle ride, but everyone else was still asleep.