What I saw on my run today.

I ran past the footprint on the way down towards the Lochside in the middle of nowhere, did a double take and had to run back to take a picture. It looks raised up on the photo but was a real indented bare (not bear) footprint in the middle of the track...totally alone with no more to be seen around. I was not running bare footed and my new trainers remained shiny all the way home. The road seemed to go up, and up and up some more! In fact it was a lot steeper than it looks on these pictures I can assure you. The camera obviously does lie on occasion.Lucy and Ginney insisted on a water stop at the top of the longest hill.
PS Training log 7.9 miles (12.71km) 80 minutes =6.2 minutes/km. Route taken

Thought for the Day....

Todays full tank of fuel is tomorrow's investment.

Training log......7.5 miles in 2 1/2hrs (!)

Not a terrible training blip but the Inveraray Primary School Parent Council Sponsored Walk held yesterday on a gorgeous day just right for a walk along the Loch from Furnace to Inveraray. We had a great time with good chat and some very fast little legs that kept us going at a nice speed all the way to a picnic lunch at the School. There was a brief break away from the main group just after Kenmore as my three checked out our natural sculptures, see previous entry which were amazingly still intact although my "man" had apparently blown away, or is now a very silent companion to a lonely animal somewhere, but that is another story for another day dear readers. Anyway onwards to lunchtime.As always when cooking to share rather than just for yourself the stops were pulled well out and we had a wonderful spread, which was thoroughly deserved by all and hopefully raised some money for the fast diminishing bank account. Thanks to any of you who sponsored Me and Mine (and to Garret for doing breakfasts in our absence)

Photo One We're off!
Photo Two And the boys came too
Photo Three Halfway
Photo Four Meeting up with the second group at the "Loch Fyne Monster" Fynie
Photo Five Adults turn at the groaning lunch table
Photo Six Ahhhh... a sit down and food
Photo Seven Storytellers Chair and occupants.

Building up the miles (slowly)

Inveraray run today with Liz. Sanoodi Map site allows you to map and measure your routes and even has reasonable details for rural areas like this, it tells me that we did a reasonable-ish 3.9 miles (6.2k) whilst chatting away, liz has been under the weather and my legs still ache from yesterday. Not sure of the time, about an hour I guess but we did have to save enough energy for that chat and a swim afterwards. This is the route we took.

Training record (More incentive needed)

6.5km-45 minutes...well I did the maths and my increased motivation and training plans seems to have led to an impressive 2 minute gain on each km...so here come the excuses:-
1. Ran for just under a minute, started to wonder if I had actually locked the car (not mine of course, we viewed that yesterday with its guts pulled out looking as though the last rites were well overdue), ran on convincing myself that yes, of course I had...slowed... stopped, ran back and Yup, I had locked it.Spent the next few seconds having unlocked it to check it was locked checking that it was properly locked, we all have these kind of moments, don't we?
2. Talking on the ear piece to Gail for 15 minutes or so whilst trying to run
3. Met scary trail bikes and had to restrain Ginny from taking off into the wide blue yonder
4. Sore back
5. Ummmm...not as fast today as Tuesday?

Training record (incentive needed)

5k 29 minutes (subtract 4 minutes from that for stopping to talk to Julie who was painting the porch of Douglas Lodge and at least 6s for a car to pass...the seconds are vital) where was I, oh yes 5k 25 minutes.
Women's record is 14:16.63, Meseret Defar,Oslo, June 2007. Hmmm something to aim for then!
Evening spent at Parent Council meeting (the group formerly and quite happily known PTA. In its undeniable wisdom the government decided that not enough people were...what is the term? Ahhh yes, interactive ( getting their bums into hard uncomfortable chairs at the school to help once a term) enough so thousands of pounds were ploughed into consultation processes and expensive brochures etc for us all to reform...same members, no new faces under, and this is the key to successful communication/inclusion (Blah de Blah) a new more important sounding name) discussing fund raising, the boys toilets,more fund raising and some other things that I cannot now remember and, here is the best bit I don't HAVE to remember now I am merely Vice Chairthingy instead of secretary as I was under the old regime that was swept away so efficiently.

Ginny Dog

"Mine...all mine"

Then the reward.

A day of two halves.First the hard work (a team effort).....

What a nice place to live....(or even visit on your holidays?)

Another wee ramble yesterday which delighted dogs and children alike. This time we headed down river which involves more scrambling. The bridge photo is from the other side of the "Roman Bridge" on our land (see "Fluffy Cloud Day" March for the other side view), and Toby is putting my walking boots on after giving his wellies to me for an impromptu trip across the river (it is deeper than it looks in the photo)to get home. I discovered much less than 1/2 way across that the wellies leaked and so he then decided he had better wear mine rather than put me to all the trouble of removing his from my now quite soggy feet.Such a kind boy. Today is lovely too but the gardening beckoned and now I have a very sore back! Slight relief to the lumbar region was in making preparations for tea, Toby has deemed it to be a "French" day. this means that after scouring the little grey cells for ideas and the fridge for ingredients we are having homemade french bread sticks with pate (if Dad gets home from Lochgilphead Coop in time and tuna mayonnaise if not (well, the French eat a lot of fish don't they? and what is more traditional than mayonnaise?!) followed by meringues, currently toasting in the oven, with strawberries and cream (the latter also dependent on Garret's return otherwise it is that well known Gaulic invention:-Squirty cream from Lidl)....and a large glass of Red for me.

Monday. Nails and cake

First visit to a nail bar...fortified by cake

Sunday

All annoyance from the previous day blown away with a frantic game of football.No. 1 photo..."where'd dat ball go....?"

Weekend break...Saturday

So there we all were…brim full of pride, excitement and nerves. The transportation of all of us to Liz’s in Doncaster in Garret’s car had been an adventure in itself involving a threatened cancellation and subsequent reduction in time away due to a faulty Water tank (now fixed) but we were THERE at the N.E.C waving frantically at the West Coast Motor bus passing us as we left our cars…who else could it be but the Scottish team for the Junior Indoor Athletics Championships. This was the culmination of months of qualifiers and hard work for all and judging from the opening procession promised to be a great day…..then it all went horribly wrong! In short the arena floor was not suitable for the children to run on and they slipped and fell all over the place. Inevitably, with Toby on the starting line the track events were cancelled with little regard for the hopes and anticipation for scores of children and families… shame on them.

PS got last photo in the wrong place as it was during the procession.
1 and 5.Toby 4th from left
2,3 and 4. Ready in anticipation...

A day in the Hills

Still carless we took to the hills on our bikes, and subsequently pushed our way up most of them. From the back of our house the track through the forest rises steeply to an old Quarry at the summit, and it defied us all except Toby. My excuse is my status as pack horse carrying provisions deemed vital for any longer than ½ hr away from home such as Hot Chocolate and Mini Eggs left over from Easter. This as well as cheese and branston sandwiches etc weighed me down and will earn my osteopath a few more contributions to his children’s school fees. We went to the old village perched up on the hills way above Loch Fyne looking over to Strachur. Someone has made a picnic bench up there and we ate the sandwiches in a fine drizzle of rain that reminded me about my washing left out a couple of miles away. We then descended and left the drizzle behind winding our way down to the shore between Pennymore and Kenmore. Some of us went down faster than intended to start off with as I discovered a distinct lack of brakes on my bike. We had another stop for eggs and a complicated game of deer/hunters followed by a “natural sculpture” competition. I felt very hurt when the judge ridiculed my wigwam and pine cone man as she felt the man was too big for the structure…this is fine coming from a judge who only came by the position because she firstly knocked her effort over and then trod back onto Toby’s. The exciting highlight of the ride came when I suddenly slowed to a halt (using my feet to fine effect) to check out the snake I was sure I could hear only for it to turn out to be a very fast puncture in my back tyre….luckily only about a mile to walk home.

1. A monument in memory of Evan McColl the Gaelic poet who was born at Kenmore on Loch Fyne that was unveiled by His Grace the Duke of Argyll in 1930.He was the author of the "The Mountain Minstrel" or in Gaelic "Clarsach nam Beann".
2.Toby and a big Tree
3. The sculpture contest in action

Chanter Competition

So, picture the scene.....17 or so children,17 or so chanters clasped in sticky hands, 17 or so proud but anxious parents perched on infant class seats,one large genial judge in kilt mercifully provided with a normal sized person's seat, the inevitable small but cute child at the back making funny comments in the quiet moments and a very very hot sun blasting in through the classroom windows. This was my fate this morning, to accompany a white faced Freya to her first chanter competition where she performed very creditably and was 5th in her class so, inevitable here are the photos....just count yourselves lucky that I do not know how to insert a video (yet). The rest of the day we hung out here and then I thrashed them all (at Pontoon and won all their marbles) before bed.Hee hee.

Tired bunny

Far too tired to write much, what is the saying about a picture tells a thousand words? This will save me a lot of typing. Me and my boys hit the slopes today (sorry girls, but we did have fun!). Toby was a star, snow ploughing down Mugs Alley and the Main Basin, and I managed the dreaded tow alone whilst Toby rode with Garret...how brave am I?!

Ps Picture no Four is Toby descending to the Bottom of the Main basin