I did manage to get a run in on Valentine's day. A delightful 7 miles. The 10K was at a great pace - completed in 58.30 which pleased me no end. The last mile was in 10.50 - a gentle warm down.
Valentine' night meal was wonderful. Really good chat with the girls. Ruth brought us flowers, Helen chocolates, TheO made lemon cookies, and Teech had bought us a collective card! (I felt ashamed at my lack of participation in the gifted goodness.) Cafe Marlene was a real find.
The next morning (after a lovely sleep at HH & Teech's) we pegged it to Carluke to see a horrible house. It was entirely clear why it had been on the market for almost a year. Too much work; they'd sold the garage and someone had made it a tiny house; they didn't own the bottom bit of their own drive! A huge list of stuff to be done inside... just a bit horrid. We played nice with the owners then scarpered.
We scarpered as far as Staffordshire to see Bro and Sis in law's new house. It's a stunning old farm house in the Peak District National Park. We stayed for the w/end chilling out, going out for some scrummy food in the vast array of pubs and bistros availably locally, and playing an obscene amount of backgammon.
They'd worked really hard and managed to get beds and bed linen there before our arrival - despite only moving in 3 days before hand - so we were the first guests to appreciate the new beds. Nothing like a new mattress to make you realise what is wrong with yours!
16th - After a big meal I managed to get myself out of bed and into the great (and bloody freezing - I got a chance to try out my new running headband with ear protectors) outdoors for a run. I think being 500m up makes a difference. I was a bit shit. I was merrily running along admiring all the peaks and the mist in the valleys, thinking: lucky me, I appear to have found the only undulating rather than hilly, part of the peak district. I then had the misfortune to turn the corner. Running down was no problem, running up was deemed an impossibility. I had to walk, much to my chagrin. Pah! What is it about feckin hills that means I can run a long way relatively happily but can be defeated by 0.3miles of a steep slope? So - it was 5k in 33min.
After a great day antique-ing and pottering around the countryside (with our dogs, they came into the place for lunch and for tea - it was revolutionary) we went out again. I tried to be sensible thinking about the run the next day ...
The morning of the 17th dawned bright and much warmer than before. I drove to our lunch destination and started my run back. 3.3 miles took me 38min. It was about 2 miles up hill. I still had to walk for 0.25 miles. It was so tough, but a really spectacular view, being greeted by cheery walkers, climbers and boulderers; wonderful to see so many people enjoying the great outdoors. (But by gum it really was busy - the opposite side of the hill from Bro & Sis -in law's new place is walker heaven/hell.)
We all walked to the cafe for lunch - we went across "the roaches" - really getting to appreciate the enormous boulders that form the idiosyncratic peaks. It was a very pleasant hour's walk that made me ready to appreciate my lunch.
We were sad to drive up as it had been such a lovely wee break. Sunday night saw us back at home chilling barely able to believe we'd be to Staffordshire and back in such little time.
Valentine' night meal was wonderful. Really good chat with the girls. Ruth brought us flowers, Helen chocolates, TheO made lemon cookies, and Teech had bought us a collective card! (I felt ashamed at my lack of participation in the gifted goodness.) Cafe Marlene was a real find.
The next morning (after a lovely sleep at HH & Teech's) we pegged it to Carluke to see a horrible house. It was entirely clear why it had been on the market for almost a year. Too much work; they'd sold the garage and someone had made it a tiny house; they didn't own the bottom bit of their own drive! A huge list of stuff to be done inside... just a bit horrid. We played nice with the owners then scarpered.
We scarpered as far as Staffordshire to see Bro and Sis in law's new house. It's a stunning old farm house in the Peak District National Park. We stayed for the w/end chilling out, going out for some scrummy food in the vast array of pubs and bistros availably locally, and playing an obscene amount of backgammon.
They'd worked really hard and managed to get beds and bed linen there before our arrival - despite only moving in 3 days before hand - so we were the first guests to appreciate the new beds. Nothing like a new mattress to make you realise what is wrong with yours!
16th - After a big meal I managed to get myself out of bed and into the great (and bloody freezing - I got a chance to try out my new running headband with ear protectors) outdoors for a run. I think being 500m up makes a difference. I was a bit shit. I was merrily running along admiring all the peaks and the mist in the valleys, thinking: lucky me, I appear to have found the only undulating rather than hilly, part of the peak district. I then had the misfortune to turn the corner. Running down was no problem, running up was deemed an impossibility. I had to walk, much to my chagrin. Pah! What is it about feckin hills that means I can run a long way relatively happily but can be defeated by 0.3miles of a steep slope? So - it was 5k in 33min.
After a great day antique-ing and pottering around the countryside (with our dogs, they came into the place for lunch and for tea - it was revolutionary) we went out again. I tried to be sensible thinking about the run the next day ...
The morning of the 17th dawned bright and much warmer than before. I drove to our lunch destination and started my run back. 3.3 miles took me 38min. It was about 2 miles up hill. I still had to walk for 0.25 miles. It was so tough, but a really spectacular view, being greeted by cheery walkers, climbers and boulderers; wonderful to see so many people enjoying the great outdoors. (But by gum it really was busy - the opposite side of the hill from Bro & Sis -in law's new place is walker heaven/hell.)
We all walked to the cafe for lunch - we went across "the roaches" - really getting to appreciate the enormous boulders that form the idiosyncratic peaks. It was a very pleasant hour's walk that made me ready to appreciate my lunch.
We were sad to drive up as it had been such a lovely wee break. Sunday night saw us back at home chilling barely able to believe we'd be to Staffordshire and back in such little time.
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