Trying, very trying

I'll cover the basics first. Since we were last here I've managed a paultry 11 miles. A 5k on cross country setting ( harder hills), a fast 4 miles and another 4 last night.
The running is going quite well. I seem to be able to maintain a sub 9min pace now over about a 10k distance which is really a massive breakthrough for me. But not being able to test it outside is a real pain.
Hopefully that'll change soon as everything is beginning to melt - finally.

We also had a visit from Maya and her two youngest last week which went v well. Ok - it was wonderful desire the stress of managing to lock TheO and the boys out of the house. But I think she told you about that I'm her blog. It was wonderful to spend quality time with my godson and see what he's like on his own. (Delighted to report v sweet and pretty good at craft, also a big lover of computer games. Got to love it. There weren't even home computers when I was his age. Man it makes you feel old.)

The highlight of recent times has been a fantastic trip to Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh with the cheeseboard. It was wonderful - cocktails, fine food and feeling safe in the knowledge that we all really were FABULOUS.
We stayed with Blarney and it was wonderful. Nice trip to North Berwick really topped it off.

Other jaunts with neighbours have kept us busy but really - after all that I'm here for a good old fashioned rant.

Our heating has gone off again. And it's just a bit too much to bear. So far 2010 really is just a case of wading through stuff. Heating, mice, rats, ice, moles digging up the entire garden... It's all just a bit much. And it's making me v down. I'm trying to just be positive and 'get stuff done' but there's always something getting in the way - and for the last month it's been snow and ice and biting cold.

And it put us in a permanent state of concern. We've got 7 people and 2 kidscoming to stay at the w/end. If the heating is still giving us gyp then I'm not sure what we'll do.

Maybe I'm just moaning becuase I'm sick of being cold and I'm sick of lying in bed fully dressed as is the only place with heat. And I'm not sure that should even count. See picture.



Looking back over 2009 just managed to remind me of the heating breaking then, and the drains, and the mower. But also a fantastic amount of time spent with friends. The kind of time that makes your soul happy.

However I don't think I achived anything in 2009 and I have no one to blame but myself (god that sucks, it would be most excellent to be able to blame someone).

Jesus I might just have to quit this blog post here as I'm not really cheering myself or anyone else up. So adios for now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Heat and aching muscles.

The heating has been "fixed". I say "fixed" as there were some horribly unanswered questions, the kind that are always true but deeply frustrating. "Oh, we have about 5 or 6 units in Scotland that break down in winter, yours is one of them, we don't know why!"

Also when your heating engineer suggests you call his mate and have a different boiler/furnace system fitted ... well, let's say we're not that desperate yet but I do spend a considerable amount of time delighted that we only have to pay the bills, we didn't pay to have the world's least useful system (for this house) fitted!

And breathe.

So, in retaliation for being sodding cold I went to the gym today with a mission. A mission to beat my 10K time. And, luckily for humankind as you'd have heard the shrieks of anguish world wide, I kicked my old time's arse. 53.40 (45 seconds off my old time) and this did involve running up a 3% slope for 12.5 mins of this time and a 2% for 12.5 min also. It was a damn hard work out but it felt great.

This week I've managed 13.3 miles which is a huge improvement on the last few months.
I desperately need to kick-start this year.
With the heating off doing anything (apart from waiting for engineers and leaving the house to go somewhere warm) has been pretty impossible. Everything has felt a bit like being on holiday, but not in a good way. You feel you should start the year with a bang or January will be over and then... and then.

So tomorrow - back to some sort of grindstone.
And preparing the house for MaYa her youngest too and MaryPoppins ... a flying visit starts on Sunday and they leave on Wednesday so we'll be lucky enough to celebrate Goose's birthday! My godson - I'm delighted.

Right - make a list for tomorrow and lets get this month started.

ps/ We can't really turn the heating off properly... just in case. Anyone care to imagine how crap the bills will be?

It's cold here.

Now I know that a lot of people are suffering from the cold but our heating is broken, so it's genuinely cold.

So cold I can't sit in my study and blog.

We did have a fantastic Xmas and New Year a topic I might revisit in warmer times, but for now I'll just say it was all good.

All our friends left by the 2nd and the heating broke on the 3rd so normal service has yet to be resumed.

I have fitted in a few great runs in the gym though -anything to lose the post Xmas lard! The gym also has heating AND A SAUNA which does help to knock the ice from my bones. We've had 17 days of sub-zero so far and probably another 14 to go ... So the heating dude had better work some serious magic tomorrow.

Also I was lucky enough to get an iPhone for Xmas - so I can sit by the fire and let you know how I'm doing.

So much more to say but I think I'll keep it simple and say a v happy 2010 to all, and thanks for the kind wishes.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone