Cheshire

Not much running as been to Alton Towers this week...lot's of walking and getting very wet!
Ran about 4 miles in cheshire this morning and was reminded how lovely the cheshire countryside smells...Farm fresh! Jeeesh.

It is good to hit familiar roads...with many secrets of a miss spent youth..lets just keep them that way hey!!

A lovely bit of wattle on daub don't you think!

Sunday six

came off night shift planning to run straight away but the family had needs, Rory needed shoes for his holidays and so off he went with his dad while I entertained Lucie and Cody. It was 12ish before I could fit a run in and so I had to keep it relatively short. I ran from home round the reservoir, a route I cannot do without hearing Morrisey in my head....'you have never been in love, until you've seen the stars reflected in the reservoir.' I must pop up there in the winter one clear night and see for myself!

I was a fresh run, the cool westerly breeze present that I had heard mentioned by the weather girl! Got completely drowned in the last mile...twice. I love runnin in torrential rain...makes me feel about 10!!

Here's moozzer hisself! My kids love this track!!

Home run

Ran home from work for the first time! It's not far but it is all up hill! Will take garmin and measure it tomorrow! Somewhere between 3 and 4 miles!

late 4 miler.

Another busy school holiday day. I am no longer in control, before I know it the kids have made all their social arrangements and my diary is filled with accommodating them! Just when did that happen??

At 21:40 last night I sneaked out for a short run..4 miles down Milngavie Rd to Canniesburn and back. 32 mins. Off to see what the natives of Clydebank have in mind for me this week..

With life comes loss

Went out for a 3 mile recovery tonight, Tesco route.

I was so lost in thought that I was shocked to look at my garmin and see that I had nearly finished without thinking about it. The fastest recovery I've done in a while.....
That's running for you, it clears your mind and creates a bit of space to work out what's actually going on in there!

My thoughts were with the news that today has brought, and why it should affect me. I have no real link with any of the tragic events that have occured. Dario the whw way race organiser. The L and B Firefighter or the latest young boys out in Afghanistan. Just a feeling of sadness that with life comes loss, and death is often so unfair in who it chooses.

A Run!

Well you wait and wait and then all the buses come at once. I have had the busiest shift so far and have failed to fit in a run all week. Correcting this I headed out tonight but being aware that I haven't seen much of the kids limited it to around 9 miles.

It was a lovely evening and I ran from the house, ipod intact, down the wedge to the West of Scotland rugby club (APPROX 1.5M), from there I did the M & B 10k. I am getting to really like this route as it gives good views and is a change from the usual routes I do. It's country lanes that are mostly quiet. And the hills are the nice kind...you know the rolling ones that you can work your way up without loosing too much pace!
When I hit milngavie I cut through the town centre, up Craigdu and home through the wedge again.

I started my garmin but annoyingly must have knocked the stop button at 5m. I was doing around 8-8:30mn pace. Felt a niggle in my left knee, not sure where that has come from!

Welcome yoga

Went to yoga at blanefield straight from one of the busiest days I've had since starting! I was pretty tired but the yoga sorted me out. It was a great session and the focus was welcome! Nearly fell asleep in relaxation session though!

Ben Vane bagged at last!

Today I woke up early, the sun was shining, after a few days of intense decorating I decided it was time for some air, for me and the kids. We hit the hills...the one we have unfinished business with. remember..back in January? That's right...Ben Vane! A munro in the Arrochar Alps reaching 915m.

And so we set off with a picnic and a munro in mind.

We left the Inveruglas car park at 10am and hit the trail. map in hand.

Cody was a little unenthusiastic at first but by the time we had reached the bottom of the mountain he was more open to the idea.

Rory was complaining about blisters half way up...I was not impressed as he had insisted on wearing an old pair of hand me down hiking boots instead of his own with school socks it turned out! So I told him to get on with it..caring huh!





Anyway it was a fabulous day...Cody lead us up not always the most straight forward route but by far the most exciting.

We made the top in 2h40mins which I thought wasn't too bad!

The picnic was quickly devoured as was the view!


On the way down Cody once more chose the tricky route....only getting himself in a fix once!! He sat happily swinging his legs...and believe me it was pretty steep....when I reached him his words were..."well you're a firefighter now...it's your job to rescue me!" Cheeky wee rascal!

I finally took pity on Rory realising that the boots he had on were a size 5. I switched footwear with him...see I do care, and he was fine after that.

Here's a few more pics.

Sunday run

Things have been a bit chaotic with the school hols , weekends become meaningless and blurr into the week. it got to Sunday evening before I was able to get out for a run. Ran from the house. Not sure where I was going to go but having taken a roundabout way to milngavie found myself pounding along the all to familiar whw. Ran out until I got to the brick wall/style which has now sadly become a rather boring metal gate! WTF! then swooped right to head back up stockiemuir and back through Mugdock. Finished around 10pm just ready for a nice cold beer!

12.5m

Help!

School Hols!!! Help! Extraordinarily hot weather!! Help!!

Trust me to get a job which requires me to wear a BLACK uniform as the light option and extra thick Kevlar gear the rest of the time just when Scotland goes continental!!

I think I have sweat at least half my body weight and I haven't even been near a fire yet!!

I popped down to the start of the west Highland way race where I was dazed and confused by the sheer number of peeps carrying out their own special pre race rituals. It was a pleasure to see and wave them all off from the prime viewing point on the wall in Milngavie. (Thanks Deb, would ha been lost wi out ya)Well done to all who did it..totally blows my mind!! It was great to meet Davie at last, sorry I didn't spot subversive and Mrs Mac tho.

Despite a lack of blogging about it I have been out running pretty much 5 or 6 times a week. Not always long but running all the same. I ran with Roger of SFR last Wednesday despite being very hung over, and run we did. All around Pollock Park, it was a great work out and much faster than I would have done alone.

There was a longer run last weekend along the strathblane-killearn-whw route. And a few wee jaunts around Mugdock. One with Daisy ma wee dug who never ceases to amaze me, she just runs and runs!Managed to make a couple of torturous yoga classes followed by the delights of the Blane Valley Inn, this was a surprise to the two locals who have never seen women before it seems! And so it goes...