Orange Nightfall

Feeling much better, though still coughing a bit. Finished work at lunchtime so got myself out for a late afternoon run.  

Perfect day - still, cold and dry. As i finished and was warming down there was the most perfect sunset. Here and there the low red sun burst through the broken clouds, lighting up the sky a fiery orange-pink. But what was particularly spectacular was the way the sunlight caught the billowing steam from the distant power stations rising straight up in the still cool air; gleaming red against the darkening cloud behind.  

And then it was gone...

Have a perfect chrimbo everybody.

Viral Haze

Been sick all week with a tedious virus thing. Couldn't cut work either so just had to soldier through - rather have it now than xmus i s'pose. Head full of sawdust and lungs full of snot so fat chance of anything more than my nose running. Also led to panic shopping trip saturday through viral haze to try and regain lost ground. Pile of gifts on living-room floor looks impressive but not exactly sure who they're for... 

And the weather has gone mild - i hate 'mild'.  Bring back the crisp frosty sunny days.

Bereft...

First time i fell in love with a boy was on holiday in Ibiza, aged 10. He was a complete stranger who happened to be staying with his parents at the same hotel. He was a year older than me and we both knocked around together for the whole 2 weeks. 

When i got home i found myself totally bereft and trying to make sense of these unfamiliar feelings, cried my eyes out, in private of course, because something told me this wouldn't go down well with my parents.  So out of an act of self-discovery also came guilt and confusion.  

No Internet to hunt him down in those days, so i never saw him again...

An Injury Shared

Biceps is still tender but it's getting there i hope, and not nearly as bad as it was.  I got more concerned about my right knee.  I ran a half marathon last weekend, which i was really pleased about and in a pretty good time considering it was the furthest i had run for nearly 8 months.  Stupidly i then ran 5 miles 2 days later - i should have left it longer or at least not tried to push the 5 miles as much. I ended up with this really stiff and sore knee.  Trouble is every time i get something like that i go into a black gloom and assume that i will never walk/run/swim/climb again.  Just not very good at obeying my own rules i guess.  Anyway, its less sore today and i reckon i'll be back out by sunday, but not another 13 miles!

Sorry to hear about your shoulder Doug, I hope it starts to improve. My physio rarely recommends complete rest, but it's a case of knowing what's going to help and what's going to hinder.

A Multitude of Sins

I realise that my blog is becoming the 'diary of a long distance runner', which was not my original intention.  I think maybe that i was using the running as a topic to keep the blog alive whilst i thought long and hard about what i really wanted to say.  Truth is i think the running is an obsession behind which i am hiding a multitude of sins.  Oh, the running is for real, i am pounding the streets, i have been injured and i am enjoying the return to form - my great big endorphin fix, and for those that don't recognise the symptoms, as addictive as far nastier bad habits. 

It's just that there's a lot more besides...  and for some reason i felt the need to get up in the middle of the night and say all that.  That's blogging folks!

Small Victories

Knocked out the 13 miles i'd been looking for. Pretty knackered by the end but it was the small victory i'd been hoping for. Furthest i've run since May and not a bad time all things considered - hour 45 and there's more to squeeze out of that! Didn't push it as i am in no hurry to dip back into relapse hell. Its the fells i'm really after, but they can wait until after the New Year.

Perfect day for it - bright winter sun and hardly a breath of wind and bits of snow & ice still hanging about. Don't even think i'm gonna pay for it tomorrow with legs like barbledy-wire jelly.

There's a running story behind meeting up with an old BF, quite amusing really... but that can wait for another day.

Important Rule I Have Learnt

I thought i'd got biceps tendonitis.   I self diagnosed 'cos i thought that's exactly what i had after looking on the web - i'd been doing more upper body exercise than usual because of the problems running - so i mentioned it to my physio when i went about the leg and she got me to bend my arm while she pushed her fingers into the biceps until she found the spot near the base close to the tendon. She then told me to slowly straighten my arm, which was like teeth-clenching F@£$%^&G OUCH!!! but she said 'micro-tears in the muscle', not tendonitis, bit of massage, bit of ultrasound and its now almost gone after only two sessions, and she said continue with gentle exercise and stretching. Even better than that i'm running 5 miles a couple of times a week and on my way to a half marathon at the weekend, and the speed is going up, except at the moment we have snow and ice over here so the roads are a bit too icy for speed.  In the new year i hope to back up into the hills.  IMPORTANT RULE  I HAVE LEARNT: always respect an injury, doesnt mean you have to stop but you must do what's right for it - rest, ice, stretch, be gentle, whatever it takes to get back up again...

Moroccan Roll

Stayed dead in the middle of the old city which was pretty mint. We were in an old riad which was once the house where some senior royal servant lived. the surrounding streets were just wide enough for mopeds people and donkeys - you couldn't see the front door from the street just a manky looking passage which you wouldn't think to risk going down in case you got jumped. in fact the old city felt really safe and the locals were pretty friendly & easy going with us visitors.

The riad had amazing rooms round a courtyard with a pool and palm trees.  On the roof (three roofs really) you could sit or eat or just lean on the wall and watch the sunrise and set - plenty of Orange Nightfalls! The rain stopped by morning the sun came up and the sky was pretty blue. In the distance to the south you could see the snow capped Atlas Mountains.

Now it was time to explore...

Been away

Took some holiday - only a week. Nice to get away and supposedly see a bit of sun. Trains to airport were real crap though and got diverted and replaced with buses, which is brilliant of you've got big  suitcases and planes to catch. Bus driver even got lost going from Manchester Victoria to Manchester Piccadilly. People on the bus were shouting things like "where the fek is he taking us now!" and they were going to miss their flights and stuff. 

When i arrived it was pissing it down with rain, which its not supposed to do in North Africa. I thought i was going to die in the taxi as we actually went completely underwater on the way from the airport, or at least it looked like it. Then we were in the middle of the old city and the driver got lost up some tiny alley full of people and mopeds and donkeys and shit. People were banging on the windows as we tried to turn round. Welcome to Marrakech...

been thinking...

Still trying to find my way around - bit of a blog virgin.  Think i'll spend some time looking for inspiration by seeking out a few like-minded souls.  Did get out for a run last night (slow and steady, nothing special) which raised spirits.  

Can't quite get my head round pouring out my heart to the entire world, which is where i think i want to go rather than publishing recipes for sponge cake or stuffing 10,000 images of my babies into galleries for all to admire, especially as i don't have any recipes or babies.  Actually i do have a recipe for an especially good banana cake, so i've only been a blogger for less than a week and i'm already telling lies.

Don't give up on me, i promise it will get better than this.  Just give me time to find my feet...

Bit pissed off!

I broke two ribs over the summer in separate accidents, which kept me off the fells and limited my fun at the gym. A badly twisted ankle put the icing on the cake.  I now feel a little sorry for myself and desperately need to get back to fitness.  Before all that crap i was starting to run like the wind.

Not sure how the new blog will help with all this, and i've not really thought how I will make use of it (blog that is), but it seemed like a good idea after 2 glasses of wine and an inspirational (wet n windy) afternoon fiddling about with Safari - as a PC/Microsoft user for many years i cannot begin to praise the merits of an iMac (and Leopard) strongly enough.

Big thanks to Josh!

You were my inspiration, for which i am grateful

So, I've got a blog...

So, I have set myself up with a blog.  Not something I thought I would end up with late on a wet November Sunday.  Not even sure what direction to take it... or what direction it might take me.  We will all just have to wait and see...