Sometimes words just fail me.

Yesterday we set off on our run and I can honestly say it was with little enthusiasm. Heading in a westerly direction to avoid the icy blast of the east wind on our faces we maintained a steady pace for the first mile which sloped gently downhill. A right turn took us along a slightly undulating country road to a small village that saw significant action during the English Civil War. We ran past the royalist castle up a steep hill and across a field, a climb of one hundred and fifty feet. The view from the top on a clear day is pretty good. It was too cold to hang about admiring it so we descended the fields bypassing as many muddy bits as we could and popped out at the top on the next village. Down through the main street which is lined on either side with Cotswold Stone cottages we gathered pace only to be halted at the main road by traffic. Across the main road we ran up the former cart track which, after the winter rains is now nearly dry. A short run along the road home measured a total of six and a half miles, only another five on Friday to hit target.

The afternoon was spent wrestling with my book. I knew where I wanted to arrive at but it was difficult to see the route. Completing nearly a thousand words, not to mention the thousand that I discarded, I am reasonably happy that progress was made. Today was set aside for more writing but the car had to go to the garage and that has not gone to plan. I have to pick it up tomorrow but not sure what time it will be ready so that looks like being another muddling day.

Everyone says you should be disciplined, allocate times and days for writing, but then life seems to interfere.

I'm writing a book, well someone had to.

Completed a six mile run this morning which makes a total of thirteen and a half for the week so far. It was an effort to get started and to be honest a bit of a struggle all the way round. Started off a bit fast for the first two and a half miles, some of which was off road and predominately down hill, then just ran out of steam as we hit a couple of sharp little hills in quick succession. The two miles home was up a slight gradient which sapped the last of my energy. While we were running it was quite quick but I paid the penalty by having to walk in places. We still need eleven and a half miles to reach the target for the week. When we don’t manage ten on Sunday or thereabouts it makes twenty five a bit more difficult as I am unable to get an easy day of four to four and a half miles. Sunday should be the backbone of any distance running as this is when stamina and endurance is built up.

Has anyone read the book I wrote “Reflections Tall Stories and Short Poems” It is available on Kindle and I would be interested to read your comments? It is my first attempt at writing and feedback would be useful. I have written a short book of children’s poems which I will be publishing soon; also I am in the process of writing another book.

Running, writing books and a whole host of gardening is just around the corner. Lucky me.

It would have been easy to stay in bed.

It was the sort of morning that you just new it was cold without going outside. People walking by in hats, overcoats, scarves and gloves. Birds sitting in the trees with feathers puffed out to retain body heat. Branches swaying in the wind indicating a north easterly is blowing. It was dry with just a hint of snow. We tried to find a reason not to go running but were unable to find one. I put on an extra vest and we set off. Anything between six and ten miles would be ok. The first two and a half miles were along side of the main road. Quite a lot of cars moving taking people out  for the day. Not many walkers or other runners it must be too cold for them. We turned off the road and took to the fields which were frozen. We passed a Sparrow Hawk on a hedgerow looking for his Sunday lunch. It was quite a contrast after the weeks of struggling through glue like mud. We ran about two and a half miles before we hit Tarmac again then a gentle incline all the way home. Seven and a half miles recorded which was just about the right dose of medicine under the circumstances. I had a quick brush with the Scales of Injustice when I got home. Disappointing.

Porridged again but unbowed.

Five and a half mile run yesterday followed by another five this morning. Porridge for breakfast again. This kept out the bitter north easterly wind but took a lot of carrying up the hills. Twenty miles for the week will have to be enough as I like Saturday off. Snow is forecast so I have chopped enough wood for three days just in case. Quick update it is snowing slightly as I write. Looks like a weekend watching sport on TV again.

An "I can do that" moment

Have you ever had one of those “I can do that” moments? I have had a few in my lifetime; one was in 1988 when watching the London marathon on TV. I have a picture of myself finishing the London marathon in 1989. Between those two events there was an awful lot of blood sweat and tears not to mention black toenails pulled muscles and many more aches and pains. I went back to London in 1992 and took thirty minutes off my first time. Several marathons, half marathons ten milers ten kilometre races and a host of off road races later I still enjoy the fun of running but the competitive edge has long gone. I find walking is too slow and takes too much time out of the day. A ten mile run on Sunday morning and three runs in the week to make up a target of around twenty five miles for the week are fine. A far cry from the six days and forty plus mile weeks we used to do. That’s called older, wiser and slower not to mention heavier. Unfortunately other issues seem to mean that this is not always possible such as gardening and writing.

I came I sawed I Conquered

A hard frost greeted us this morning although the bright sunshine soon began to thaw the ice. Venturing off road onto the tracks the ruts were frozen and rutted. Care had to be taken not to turn an ankle. The fields were still very wet in places with standing water in the lower places. Because we had not run for a week four and a half miles was plenty.

The rest of the day was given over to pruning another of our neighbours trees. It was an ash that had been left to its own devices for too long. Little shape and bits sticking out all over the place it needed some tough love. Several hours of sawing, pruning and clearing out the dead bits in the middle and it now looks a bit like a tree again. It will take a while to recover from the hair cut I gave it but it will, and look all the better for it. My neighbour helped with some of the larger limbs that needed to come down and with the tidying up. The tidying up is the worst part. Anyway the jobs done and everyone is happy. Alls well that ends well.

Birthdays and Poems

Running was lost last week due to another birthday. This time it was our grand daughters turn. The week was spent composing and illustrating a series of poems for her and putting them into a book format. I will probably tidy it up and publish it on Kindle as I did with my other book Reflections Tall Stories and Short Poems. Watch this space. We travelled to Essex to see her over the weekend and visited Southend while we were there. There were lots of people of all standards running along the promenade. It looked a bit boring; flat, windy and dodging pedestrians. Coming home on the M40 late Sunday afternoon we saw two Muntjac Deer grazing on the grass verge. They took little notice of the large volume of cars speeding by. Running must start again tomorrow although I also pencilled in for more pruning if the weather is OK.

Back to North Devon

Friday we left the arable landscape of Oxfordshire behind and headed down the M5. Turning right at Tiverton we were soon among the familiar green patchwork of fields dotted with sheep. It was Stuarts birthday party, I will not reveal his age but will only say that Health and Safety restrictions prevented all the candles being put on the cake. We shared a table with Jason, who was a very talented runner before turning to football, and his girlfriend, Craig who has a PB of thirty two minutes for a 10K but prefers cycling now and Callie. Callie’s most recent claim to fame is that she overtook Stuart in a cycling race.

Saturday morning Stuart was left in charge of Maddie, my wife and cooking the breakfast while Sam insisted on taking me out for a run. We set off on the Old Barnstaple road then turned left up to Westleigh. Sam was very gracious and walked up the hill with me. One of Sam’s claims to fame is that she once beat Paula Radcliffe in a race. Running out of Westleigh to the Tarka Trail gives views over Appledore and the Torridge estuary. The run back to Bideford is flat but there was a sting in the tail. The run, which was almost six miles, pushed the weekly total up to nearly twenty seven miles.

Sunday we were back on home ground. It was mild, raining slightly and trying to snow. We stayed on the road because the fields are still like a quagmire. It was a seven mile round trip with a few lumps and bumps in it. We only saw two other runners out, one a woman, is training for the London Marathon. That’s the trouble with marathon training you cannot afford to get too far behind your schedule. I think that’s what Stuart said.

Target achieved

Reached the target today with a bit to spare. I used to say it wasn't worth getting your clothes dirty for less than five miles. As the years have passed and ambition has diminished I have revised it to four miles so that is what we did. As the run was shorter we did it at a slightly higher tempo. I ventured onto the scales of injustice yesterday and was disappointed to find they did not point to the same position as they did before Christmas. Due to the festive fare and the lack of running because of the bad weather I guess.

Closer to the target

Commitments at the end of the week means that we have to achieve our mileage target before Friday. I decided we would try one of our usual off road routes and see what conditions were like in the open fields. A slight detour avoided a very muddy track replacing it with a slightly less muddy track. The fields in the main were not too bad, the exception being one low lying area that appeared to have no way around. No time to faff about we went straight through the middle and dry the trainers out later. Gortex is good but has its limitations in water ankle deep. Four and a half miles were covered which leaves a very comfortable three and a half today although we will probably exceed that. I keep using the WE in my blog as all my runs are with my wife. She is good on the road and I am better off road. This is why we spend as much time as possible off road. We went to band practice last night. I play clarinet while she plays alto sax. I find band practice on the same day as a difficult run is hard. My breathing goes to pot trying to blow some of the longer passages of music.

Bright and Breezy

The forecast was for snow in the afternoon so it was common sense to get the run done early. It was cold with bright sunshine when we set off. The temperature was around freezing and the pavements that were in shadow had ice on them. A mile down the road we hit the first hill. It went on for about a mile, at the top we turned into a farm road which was metaled but slippery . From the road which runs along the top of a ridge you can see for about ten miles. The view over the countryside is great but the wind which was blowing from the north west cut right through us. Soon we were on the fields which, although still wet were a pleasure to have under our feet. Crossing the main road we climbed the bridle way for a mile before finishing the last bit on the road. Five and a half miles making twelve for the week so far. Target again is twenty.

Non edible prune

Today was a non running day.The weather was good but a neighbour has an apple tree that had been neglected for several years so I left the trainers in the box and took out the shears. Cutting out the dead bits and the long straggly bits I was then able to let some light into the heart of the tree and give it some shape. The summer will show whether or not it has been a success but it does look better. They have a willow tree that is need of attention but that will be a job for another day.

Off the road Yippee!

I think every man and his dog must have been out running today. All shapes and sizes, speeds both fast and slow. The temperature was just above freezing but it was dry. A mile down hill followed by a mile up hill soon got the circulation going. After another mile on a side road we went off road. It was still slippy, and in low lying places the mud made running difficult but enjoyable. The last two miles were on the road and uphill which meant the scheduled seven miles was cut to six and a half. Target again this week will be twenty plus miles. Garmin said I used nearly seven hundred calories today so that at least is good news.

Porridged Again

Ran five and a half miles this morning which achieved the target of twenty miles for the week (Saturday is always a rest day ready for a longer run on Sunday). It was my wife's turn to get breakfast today and she is a porridge person. I am toast and marmalade which indicates my culinary skills. My breathing was ragged and I threw in a couple of hills which accounts for the slower than usual speed. Heart rate was a little high but not too bad. I always run with a Garmin so that I can monitor heart rate, speed and distance etc. I think we should award Scotland Independence on condition that imports of Scots porridge oats are banned.

Still haven't got around to a proper profile yet. I am still experimenting with the layout. I thought it would be a good idea to add AdSense to the blog site but it's causing so much trouble to set up I wonder if it is really worth. If you are having a problem the help menu seems to send you around in circles.