Tag: Running

Janathon day seven: shop

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Today’s Janathon effort was a ‘shop and drop’. These usually occur several times during an Athon and come into play when I need both exercise and groceries. Basically, we go and do the big shop at Tesco, Ginge throws me out at the side of the road and I run home. Tonight I did the shopping in my kit (hi-vis vest in handbag, I’ve got to have some standards) and was chucked out with a couple of miles to go. Miles was having one of his sulks at being asked to find satellites (either because it was cloudy or because I was standing next to a tree) but eventually we both got our act together and legged it back in time for tea.

This was not the only shopping that I have done in the past 24 hours. My beloved Asics Kayano 18s were half price at Sweatshop this weekend and the Telegraph were doing a £10 voucher as well, so it seemed rude not to invest in a pair for when my current shoes give up. Unfortunately, I was given an education in the difference between ‘a sale’ and ‘an offer’. It turns out that I couldn’t use the voucher for my trainers because they were on offer, rather than being in the sale. Still it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Lovely clean shoes

Lovely clean shoes

The Telegraph also had a voucher for Women’s Health magazine, which went into the trolley tonight and will probably cause me to curse and mutter dark oaths under my breath from cover to cover.

So that’s week one of Janathon completed and 21 miles done!

Janathon day six: muddy

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I had the pleasure of some company on today’s run and was bravely joined by Ginge (I often become quite stroppy with him when we run together and I wouldn’t put with me if I was him). Running with Ginge means that I can do routes that I would be a bit nervy doing on my own (mainly through fields and the lonelier parts of the village) and today was no different. While we were out we toyed with two longer routes; one was a known 7.5 miles, the other an unknown distance (I’ve fallen for mystery tours before, it rarely ends well), but settled for a short (3.5 miles) hilly, mudfest of a run.

First past some sheep fields, saying hello to the occupants and making them flee with the sight of me flailing past them.

Posing sheep

Posing sheep

If you like all things ovine, Jovial Gnome is treating us all to Sheep of the Day on his Janathon blog. I am in sheepy heaven with this and am going to go round and rustle them all into the boot of my Renault Clio at the first opportunity. Technically my sheep are strangers to me, but I shall call them (from left to right) Muriel, Agnes and Maud.

Next up on the nature walk run was a hawk. We tried to sneak up on it but failed miserably although I managed to take a moody Kes-style black and white shot (entirely by chance than design) before it went and sat in a tree where it looked (a) less hawkish and (b) very precarious.

Imagine Brian Glover on a football pitch, stage left.

Imagine Brian Glover on a football pitch, stage left.

That can't be comfy

That can’t be comfy

There were some fabulously squelchy bits to the run. I splashed through these gleefully and oblivious to the fact that I was narrowly avoiding barrelling into Ginge, whilst he cowered in my muddy wake. Ooops.

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Beware indeed…

Janathon day five: park

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Despite it being Saturday, I had to work this morning. Bah. I tried to come up with a convoluted plan that involved running to or from work, but it wasn’t to be. If I ran to work I wouldn’t have access to showers and that would be at best impolite and at worst, in violation of any number of infection control policies. If I ran back from work, it would be a steady uphill trek and I would then have to catch the bus back to pick up my car (I couldn’t bus it to work because of the amount of stuff I had to take with me). I considered running the streets near work, but quite frankly this didn’t fill me full of joy. I thought about driving somewhere after work, but feared that this would end up taking up the entire afternoon.

And then I remembered that Saturday work is virtually opposite a park. So I decided to run there. It was a glorious spring-like day, the sun was shining and the paths were full of people searching the rhodedron bushes for children and dogs. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that most of the park is uphill and it was only when I got home that Ginge pointed out that it is called a valley for a reason. Still, I enjoyed myself, I tackled the hills with enthusiasm (until the enthusiasm stopped short of my actual legs) and took lots of photos of trees.

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Janathon day three: asleep

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Last night I asked twitter if I should run in the dark in the morning, or run in the dark in the evening. Turns out that I needn’t have bothered asking anyone because at half five this morning, I was physically incapable of opening my eyes let alone getting out of bed, getting dressed and getting out for a run.

After work, I had a cracking headache and it was one of those “if it wasn’t for Janathon, I would be at home on the couch with a brew” moments. I split the difference between a token one mile and a respectable three miles, notching up an acceptable two at a pace that I was quite happy with (I am chosing to ignore that the first half was downhill). It wasn’t an exciting run by anyone’s standards.

When I was home, I asked twitter if it was acceptable to blog about knitting during Janathon (I have days where I am incapable of making decisions without the aid of twitter – you people have no idea how much power you wield over me, do not abuse it). The answer was a resounding YES. Part of the reason that I asked is that I’ve been mulling over the idea of having two separate blogs for running and knitting, but fear that I would end up with two blogs that I neglect equally. And while there is such a vast overlap in the venn diagram of knitters and runners, I think I can get away with the odd woolly post.

The question that I struggle with the most is “what are you knitting at the moment?”. It should be simple. I should answer “sock” (well it’s been true for the last two years). I was asked the question last week and my answer was something like “well, I’m merging two patterns, one for a little woolly Woody Allen and one for a little woolly Holly Golightly and am turning them into a little woolly roller skating hot pant wearing granny with her arm in plaster”.

Roller derby granny

Roller derby granny

I am very proud of her bun

I am very proud of her bun

I should have said sock.

The basic pattern is for a Knit New Yorker from Lauren O’Farrell’s (aka @deadlyknitshade) latest amazing book Stitch New York. It is just as wonderful as Stitch London and I was very pleased to find it under the Christmas tree!

It was a good haul under the tree

It was a good haul under the tree

My New Years Eve review of 2012

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What’s happened this year? Well for starters, it’s passed by in a blur. I know we all say that every year, but I’ve felt it even more so this year. So much so that I seem to be able to remember events of 2011 clearer than those of 2012. Looking back on my running is making me feel a little blue because I have finished the year with fewer miles under my belt and have lost what little pace I picked up in 2011. However…

I did complete the whole of Janathon. Again it was mostly cold and dark.

Janathon sheep - predicted to occur again within the first two days of Janathon 2013

Janathon sheep – predicted to occur again within the first two days of Janathon 2013

At the end of 2011 I had knitted half a sock. By September 2012, I had knitted a whole sock and had cast on another sock. I am proud to announce that at the end of the year I now have one and half socks. One day I hope to have a complete pair.

75% of a pair of socks. Or one sock and a very short leg warmer.

I also made a last ditch attempt to learn crochet before I ran out of year. I am no further along in learning to crochet since I wrote about that. In fact I have accepted that this is probably a sign that I’m not that bothered about learning to crochet. I am a knitter. I need two sticks to be happy.

2012 also saw me running more races than ever – I did the Age UK Wrap Up and Run 10k at Southport, the Bolton 10k, the Badger 10k, the inaugural Port Sunlight 10k and the Royal Parks Half. Crikey. That’s more than double the number of races that I did in 2011, which is something to be chuffed about.

10k penguin

10k penguin

Looking back, I remember that I joined a gym and was going quite regularly until we went on holiday and I haven’t been since. I should really go again. It is warmer than the outside and I don’t have to dive behind a bush if I need a wee.

Oh, and I did my treasure hunt for Juneathon. I loved doing this and it made me very giddy.

Athon barbecue and camping - well worth the previous 30 days effort

Athon barbecue and camping – well worth the previous 30 days effort

So what will 2013 have in store? I’m not setting any grand resolutions, but I do have an ever growing list of stuff to do in 2013… The year will kick off with another Athon (of course) and after that we shall see where the wind takes me… During last year’s Janathon I entered the ballot for the Royal Parks Half and was quite unsure whether or not I wanted to be selected. Now that I’ve done it once, I’d like to do it again and would be a little bit disappointed if my name wasn’t drawn out of the hat. Inevitably this means I will not get a place.

After the Royal Parks, I rashly decided to do a spring half and had been eyeing up the Blackpool Half. However, I’m already questioning the wisdom of this and will either weasel out of the whole enterprise or choose another spring race, probably miles away from home. I suspect that there will also be a couple of 10ks – I think I’d like to run Bolton and a Badger again, and I’m getting good vibes about another in Southport (I pick races on whether they give me a warm fuzzy feeling of excitement and joy).

This year’s new craft is going to be machine embroidery – I am booked on a course and everything. I may also try to deal with some of the more excessive corners of my wool stash. Or I may just add to them. It’s one or the other.

Oh, and I think I’d like to swim a bit too. I actually swam four times this year. Not in any kind of dolphin-like way, more of a splashy-don’t-worry-I’m-not-drowning kind of way (sometimes just floating around clutching a noodle) but I quite fancy doing a bit more.

Thank you for visiting and reading my ramblings this year – it really is appreciated – and I wish you all a very happy, fulfilled New Year.