End of the Challenge, Start of New Days

So after little fall on Tuesday (in my work shoes !) and a little sniffle, with the TTFU cabinet empty I had my first DWB for the year... Gave up on the challenge after 22 runs, so great to see Fiona and Debs and my mate Norman still going.. The later left me in no uncertain terms of how he felt with a "Veinte y Tres" and a picture of him arms aloft.. Quite rightly so !! (Brrrrsssttttttrrrrrddddd !! )

So no running for a couple of days, but time around the house, building a snowman with my wee girl, cooking truffles with my big girl, and just trying to help out my good friend and just having a nice day or so.. Christmas was really nice, morning with the family and in a fhanged world it was really good and warm and girls running around mad and ... good really..

Bit of soup, and Doreen and Coralyn and then there were 4 mad girls (including 2 bigger girls who really should have known better from Strathaven and Austin TX) on the trampoline ... ) Then the girls went off to Grandma and Papas and I went down and spent the arvo and evening at my friend Krusty Mitchells house..
What a great arvo.. Great food, people, a few drinks, a couple of games and a very nice way to spend a few hours .. Then watched the first over or 2 of the cricket from the MCG

The rest of the year has been going well, went out for a Boxing day run with Doreen and Coralyn up Costorphine Hill which was cracking with the snow and the lovely white vista of the city opening up below us.. Then out with Ardrian for a belting 15 or 16 in the Pentlands in the snow on Sunday .. What a great run, sometimes knee deep, always with the snow on us, saw 3 other runners out.. Adrian lent me a pair of Yak Traks - what a great bit of kit and stopped me falling on me erse a few times.. Wish I had them later that night ! !!

Went to see Tom Staid at the Stand comedy club in Edi. Toms daughter is in the same class as my wee girl and so we got to go back stage to the Green room.. Ok so not quite as glamorous as the one one Mr Ross's show but it was still fun... Then to the Basement for a beer or 3 then a walk home.. And my 3rd fall in 2 weeks... This time a sore one right on my bum bone !!

So now just getting ready to head out for Hogmonay - was hoping to be out of town as it is quite a different place I am in at the moment (well different but somehow the same) but that did not work out so away we go..

Year review next week.. All the best to you and yours for 2010..

An open field of Dreams

Tis definitely the season
to be jolly and not wallow
in the mire of the
melancholy meanderings of
things that mightve, couldve
should've been or are yet to be

The dark is swept away on a
white sheet of clean and thoughts
can only be of the bright and the good
and the winter sun
that beats the dark if only for a few hours
of bliss

The field on the hill in the sun
to get there, is why I run
for all the dark and dreich is
only the path to the clear and the light
and the sunshine and a smile
from a girl who's
needimg a hand

Tis the season to be jolly
to rejoice and be happy
in the beauty of the light
the shine, the glow
the ever never after
of the first fallen snow

Plodding along - over half way

Felt really ordinary on Sat and was ready to bin the challenge.. But 4 days later and a 7 or 8 miler with Norman, Ian, Adrian and John Sneddon and I am feeling brand new.. And over 1/2 way with a week of Christmas parties and excess to go !!

Got the rest of the week planned out so should be fine.. Saturday is a going to be a tough one, works Christmas do on Friday night so there is potential for damage.. oh well

Beach Run pt2

run 14 and i am beat
knees sore and even
though me
feet are ready to keep
going may be i am not

a day that started in a red
suit with my girls, and ended
with mulled wine and
a train back to my
world

running along the beach
again i was free,
running with new friends
but really just running
with me
hard sand beneath my feet
and a breeze to push

yesterday picked up my boy
now he's just sand in a box
but today i was running with him
along the sand, he was
in the waves and me and
he were free and enjoying the company
and the sound of the sea
and i was alone
but he was there with me

Marco Challenge - Double Figures

11th run today and what a top one it was .. Just a usual Thursday run with the guys from work .. we usually stick to the flat paths between Canonmills to Leith or Roseburn, but today we went up Calton Hill and it was tops.. Great early winters day, sunshine, clear skies and views across to Fife..

Gotta love it..

The next 14 days are going to be a challenge to keep it going.. Was thinking about it last night as I went out for number 10 that another Month challenge would be to run a mile for every day in the month... Starts off slow - Day 1 = 1 Mile... Day 2= 2 Miles ... But it becomes quite challenging towards the end.. :-)

Hope you are travelling well - cheers !

It was damp but warm - repost

Signs and portents of dooom
Go no further
Flashing neon and bright
along with family and friends
saying
"Your mind - it isn't right !"

Heavy weather, rain and sleet
All the reasons that anyone needs
to stay home in bed
with the telly at the end of the feet
and a warm coffee, the game on the tube
as your slice of life for the day

But past the signs we go
Loch Lubnaig and the breaking of
light through the high cloud
the crimson heather lifting us
and the cranked up AC/DC
starting our hearts racing

The rain closes in but we are there
and amongst family new and old
in the rain, fueled up and
ready to go


What is there to say
It rained, but we carried along up the Way
Chatting along about wine and food
and what to eat
and what things (if any)
we should wear on our feet

Rannoch Moor with cloud high
and wind behind and company
Queens having a Drama
Princesses to the rescue
and at halfway sunshine after a bowl of soup in
the House of Kings


More spread out on the way back
but tired limbs still up for more
some stop at the Bridge
Others going further
than they thought they could or had even dared
when early that morn they lay in their bed...

As a parting gift and perhaps a reward
The rain abates and the wind turns to end up
behind
and pushing us down the hill
10k to the end of the line

In failing light we made it just
to the dry
Our day is done and the rain and wet is
all but forgotten
Just smiles and friendship and the warmth
of some real food and the glow from the
slice of life
we chose for our day

The Marco Challenge Pt 1

So I am day 4 (or 5) into the Marco challenge.. This is a challenge laid down by the Lovely Debs, and is named after her vet bloke Marco - it's a run every day for a month...

So I went out on Monday for a little 4 or so, then Ian Beattie called me for a beer, Tuesday was a 9 with Norman and Adrian, Wed I was not that fussed but the challenge was laid down so I ran around to see my girls and then ran back to mine at about 930. Thurs 4 miler at work and this morning because I knew I had a busy weekend, I got up at 630 and ran for 30 ..

So 5 from 6 or 4 from 5 this month.. This morning I was thinking what it must be like to do the 6 day challenge, when you are sleeping far less and running far far more... My legs are a little tired, but what would they be like if I had run 150 miles or 200 by now ?? Something to think about ...

Am thinking of going out in 53 mins, if not then when tomorrow... Nahh reckon I will have a quiet beer and sort it out in the light.. I have already wound up my mate Norman, he is also onboard, albeit he has done a couple on the softy tradmill .. He ran 2.5 at lunch which I told him was not enough, so he did more tonight.. Gotta laugh !!

More later ..