Winter is not over yet.

Too cold and windy to run Monday, spent the day writing my book. Making progress but it will be a long and winding road. Weather still cold today with fine snow in the air but we just had to wrap up warm and get on with it. Once on the move it was OK, we did a mixed course with some off road. Fields that are flooded had ice on them so were passable without getting our feet wet. Nearly six miles at a fairly brisk pace has set us up for an easy run in to the end of the week. Probably run five tomorrow and leave a short four miler for Friday.

No snow, got to go.

I had hoped that the snow which had been forecast would be lying two inches deep when I looked out this morning. This would have given us a reasonable excuse not to run. The last of the autumn leaves were bowling down the road at quite a pace, driven by a very crisp easterly wind. Enthusiasm was not great but I had stated that ten miles was the target for the day so we had to get on with it. Choosing a route that would keep the wind at our backs and with ample opportunities to shorten the route if necessary, we set off. The wind and a desire to keep warm made us set off at quite a pace. Downhill for a mile and a half followed by a mile and a half uphill warmed every bone in our bodies.
A left turn took us along a fairly level three mile stretch towards the next village. A few ups and downs but nothing to severe. The countryside was fairly open and in the distance I could see the village church ahead of us. It took quite a while before it appeared to get any nearer. We passed it with six miles on the Garmin. The route was a large triangle, this meant that passing the church we turned left for the run home. It was beside the main road with the wind coming into our face at two o'clock. The snow that had been forecast overnight was now beginning to fall. It was not big flakes just small icy ones. This last four mile leg of the run was slightly uphill and quite demanding. I had chosen a route that was all on the road. We had not run ten miles since October so I wanted to make it as easy as possible, if that distance is ever easy. The fact that it was all on the road meant it was reasonably quick considering which was satisfying. All in all a good start to the week.

Hit the right note, on target again.

Wednesdays band practice was the first we have attended for a month. Luckily there was enough plays who knew the music to carry me through. We have about forty members of all ages and all abilities. We play a variety of styles from classical to Rock around the Clock. I play the clarinet and my wife the alto sax.
Yesterday it was too wet to venture into the garden so I wrote another chapter of my book. It was tough going and involved quite a lot of research on the Internet.
Back to running this morning, only needed just over four to hit the weekly target. I find it is harder to motivate myself to go out for four miles than five or six but we did it. A circular route mostly on the road it was quite quick. I did consider doing a speed session instead but did not think my knees would be up to it. I still think we should be running ten miles on Sundays and will be looking for that distance this week. The weather forecast is snow at the weekend so we will have to see what conditions are like.

Run to be Social

Rain was forecast for the afternoon so it was decided that a morning run would be more comfortable. It was band practise in the evening and I find it hard to blow my clarinet after a hard run so that also was a factor. The run was five and a half miles long and circled the next village. The first half was mostly on road and slightly downhill, the second half was more off road and slightly uphill. We met a couple of other runners while we were out but they didn’t speak, obviously members of the Antisocial Running Club. The distance we covered makes a total of twenty one miles for the week so far; a four mile run tomorrow will hit our target. There is a local running club near to where we live but we don’t see them out running in groups. When we lived in North Devon we belonged to a club. Six days a week you would find groups running from the clubhouse. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays would be well attended and in the heyday of running Sunday morning ten or fifteen would turn out for a long run. The first four or five miles of which, some would be recounting their exploits of the night before in the bar. By the time we got to ten miles running was taken a bit more seriously. How times have changed. The curtain raiser for the season used to be the Taunton Half Marathon at the beginning of April. It was also a last chance for those runners doing the London Marathon to stretch their legs. It is the thirtieth anniversary of Taunton this year. http://www.tauntonmarathon.co.uk/ .Bideford Half Marathon which was run last week has been held for over ten years and also provides an alternative. http://www.bidefordaac.co.uk/index.htm

The rain forecast for yesterday has arrived today so all garden activities is postponed. I have chopped logs for the fire and it is time to get back to writing my book.

What a Carrion

Yesterday had to be one of the most satisfying runs of the year so far. After increasing our mileage slightly on Sunday to eight and three quarters we were able to follow that up with six and a half. Fifteen and a quarter by Monday takes away the pressure for the week. It wasn’t a fast run but it is what I call lumpy. Mostly off road as usual, one of our favourite summer routes, it rises and falls quite sharply over fields and through a wood that were drier than I expected. At one point I saw two buzzards circling overhead. I reasoned that as they only eat carrion if I kept moving albeit slowly at times I would be OK.

Recently we had two large beech trees pruned in our garden. The logs, which were left in a pile, should last through next winter if we are lucky. The log pile was sited in the wrong place so I spent yesterday afternoon moving them to a new location. I was not able to move all of them as there was just too many and my back was killing me. Anyone that tells you a log fire is all fun is lying.

Brilliant sunshine today so no running, just catching up in the garden. I left the log pile well alone and put a good portion of the compost heap on the raised beds ready for planting. It will be lettuce and other salad crops. While I was working a couple of frogs hopped by enroute to our neighbours pond, spring must be in the air. I have more compost to dig into the main vegetable plot and one of the first things to go in will be broad beans but not quite yet. I really like broad beans how about you?

Sunday in the country

Overnight frost meant two things; one it would be cold and an extra vest would be needed and secondly it would be firm under foot. Firm enough to get off road.  The first half mile along the road was a nice gentle warm up before taking to the country. With the exception of a short half mile section it was off road for the next six and a half miles. The route was one that we have covered a number of times. In the summer it is well used by hikers and dog walkers but at this time of year there was only a few hardy souls. The first part is across meadows that have cattle in them. These have become poached and uneven. Frozen ruts had crossed with care. A short path along by the old water mill is narrow. It is shared by horse riders, mountain bikers, walkers and runners alike and because it is by the old water mill it floods regularly and never drys out. It was very muddy and slippery requiring extra care. Once past that point a steep uphill run for the next half mile was followed by a breather on the flat. We then plunged down across another three fields before swinging left to run alongside a disused railway line. The old railway embankment prevented the water draining away. It also sheltered it from the frost making the ground underfoot very, very sticky. Mud clogged the tread on our shoes making them extra heavy. On the outskirts of a village noted for its Morris Dancers we turned left again. Over a wooden bridge that straddles a river we headed across arable fields. Exposed, the wind had dried them out and although it was uphill the ground underfoot was good. Past a small windmill, which I suspect had been used to pump water to the farm once, we ran on and up the Main Street of another village. Off road for the next mile brought us close to home. Checking the Garmin showed we were still short of the distance that I wanted for the day so we had to run a loop around the roads to make up. Home and showered it all seems ok now. Eight and three quarter miles done, a good start to the week.

Car Brakes Budget.

Yesterday was a muddled day. The car went to the garage for some attention to its braking system and was expected home again for tea. A morning stocking up at the supermarket was followed by an afternoon awaiting a call to collect the car. The call eventually came to say the car was having a stop-over and would not be coming home until lunch time today. We got up and despite having porridge for breakfast we went for a run. It was quite hard work as the off road bits were quite gluey underfoot. Some parts of the fields are still under water. The farmers have managed to plough some of the land but it looks very wet and will be a while before they are planting seed. We finished the run on the road, up hill for the last half mile. It always seems to be up hill coming home. The run was just over five miles which exceeded our twenty five mile target for the week. The car came home just after lunch. A gleaming new brake calliper and pads but none the worse for its night on the tiles. If anyone tells you brake callipers are cheap they are lying.