Sunday 9 March 2008

Sweaty, achy and content (that'll get the Google hits up...)

I've had rather a good weekend, all things considered. I had a Torchwood fest on Friday evening, accompanied by home made pizza (I made the dough for the base and everything) as husband was out. I had two episodes to watch back-to-back and I would have watched three if the PVR hadn't decided to take the huff and not record last Wednesday's episode. Grrrr! I need, desparately need, to find out what is going to happen to Owen. I may have to resort to the BBC's iplayer thingy, although I am told it is not great.

Saturday I was awake early and off to Sainsbury's by 8am. It's a sign of just how dull I am that I find the fully stocked shelves, aisles empty of people and waiting vacant checkouts at that time of the morning quite so exhilarating. Who needs bungy jumping when you can experience the thrill of having the fruit and veg section to yourself?

Second Born had another one of his social events to attend (a party held in the sports hall at his school) and I had formed a vague plan to take him there, leave the car in the car park and head down to the canal, which is nearby, for a run. Canals are good to run along, being invariably flat. The party was due to start at 12.30 and if you were watching the rugby on Saturday, you will have some idea of what the weather was like in Edinburgh. Rain was stottin' off the pavements, wind howling down the chimney - really REALLY unappealing as running weather. But I really needed to run and what's more I really needed a long run - that 10k in May won't run itself, you know. So I got kitted up for wet weather and headed out. Lo and behold, by the time I had deposited SB, the sun was trying to come out. I ran out along the canal, which was pretty quiet because most normal sane non-running loon people had not yet ventured out. Or they were staying in to watch the rugby.

(Dull bit coming up for anyone not from Edinburgh) I ran right along from Polwarth, past Longstone over the aquaduct (Ooh! Help! High! Path narrow! Might fall off even though I have never fallen off a four foot wide path in my life before and there are railings on the side where the drop is!) and kept going till I hit the next bridge (not sure where that is exactly!) and then turned round and ran back again. I only walked once for a minute at the turnaround point, and that was mainly because Bizet came on the iPod and it just isn't running music and I can't fiddle with the iPod and run at the same time. Certainly not alongside the canal, anyway. Asking for trouble.

I ran for a total of..........wait for it.....54 minutes. Then I walked about a bit to cool off before collecting SB and heading home. I've never run for that long before and it's beginning to feel like the GER might be do-able. I mapped my run on MapMyRun when I got back and I covered about 6.5km or 4 miles.

Then, today, SB wanted to go for a run too so I hauled my aching limbs off the couch and went out with him. He was gentle with me, as I requested given my aged legs, and we had a nice quiet run, up past the Highland Cows, for about 40 minutes, covering about 4.5km. We walked some of that, but still. 11km in one weekend! I have a slightly blistery right foot now so will have a rest day tomorrow to recover. Especially since I gather we are again to be favoured with gale force winds and pouring rain. That solitary daffodil that has ventured out in our front garden won't know what hit it.

Finally: I can't not mention the rugby. Wahey, what a brilliant match to watch! I know nothing whatsoever about rugby but thoroughly enjoyed it. Good to know that we are maintaining our hard won reputation for winning when it no longer matters!

4 comments:

  1. Pizza? Did someone say pizza? Oh today I am feeling so deprived as everyone had birthday cake but me! I'll be over later for pizza!

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  2. You're going to have to re-title the blog to "The Gym Isn't Working but the Canals Are"

    Congrats on your long run(s).

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  3. I too find it very exceptionally nice to be able to shop early, before everyone else in the world begins to clog the isles. I wonder what people are thinking when they stand in your way, knowing you are waiting for them to move. And standing in line to pay, behind three or four people who look to be buying two month's worth of supplies is not my idea of fun. Therefore, I get up early on the weekend often, just to get to Walmart before everyone else in Arkansas does.

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  4. Greetings from Suffolk. I picked all of my daffs yesterday so they wouldn't be flat after the gale force winds and driving rain today.

    How great it is that your sons run with you.

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