Merry Christmas!

Turkey in the oven, dogs are walked, made a cuppa and now waiting for everyone else to wake up!

Snow Times

Finally the snow arrives in Argyll. Preceded by frosty days and frostier nights we woke this morning (some of us earlier than others...) to a couple of inches of the soft stuff. Initial childlike euphoria at putting down those all important first footprints was tempered slightly when I realised that the frost and ice was still there only now hidden under a lot of white stuff. This is Toby approximately 20 seconds after he stumbled to the bedroom window expecting another non event in the daily snow check. Pretty and seasonal though it all is it will be better once we have Mum, Pip, the turkey, the ham and the presents up here with us. Plans to drive are being abandoned as I type in a very sensible decision not to travel a very large stretch of the length of Britain in our snowiest week so far. We are so rubbish at snow in this country that she would probably arrive round about January 3rd triumphantly clutching the turkey....We would be happy for her to abandon the turkey at home in the freezer ditto the ham (but not the dog) as the thought of that combination of travelling companions on the UK railway system is a bit boggling (Have you heard the one about the ham, the turkey and the dog?.....). However Nigel is chief Mum organiser in residence at present and I am sure will juggle everything nicely. Howard and Myrna are also travelling at the moment but in the other direction down to Doncaster braving the infamous A66, however we gave them (or was it lent?.....) a bar of chocolate, a bottle of water and one banana and so can surely survive anything! We know how to do survival packs.

Frosty start

A quick run out this morning complete with head torch and ipod to make me not feel so hard done to at running in the cold and (very) dark...this is part of the "making Lucy lose weight" plan that seems to involve my doing more running than usual. The dogs loved the unexpectedly early exercise chasing off more than normal. I found the running different, jerkier as I tried to adjust to the uneven ground, the danger of slipping and the intense dark,I may have frightened the neighbours with my heavy breathing progress past their house at 7am. I was home by 7.30am to a very welcoming warm, toasty smelling kitchen with a cup of tea ready for me...and I feel all smug now at having got the run out of the way....just Braehead to survive now.

New blog!

Just finished creating a new blog for the running group in Inveraray. I shall just have to wait and see now if anyone else is geeky enough to want to look at it! As always your feedback whoever you may be is appreciated.....not had any comments for a while!
Just lulling around here in the pre Christmas week with few vague things lurking around left to do but not too many. From past experience this means that I won't rush around getting those things done and will suddenly remember them round about next Thursday night. Trips down to Lochgilphead this week number three in as many days, twice for me and once for Garret. Garret's involved taking a Lucy dog to the vet in a worry over a lump on her tummy that turned out to be FAT!! £21 later and immediately into a 4 mile run for the fat dog! One of my trips was to take Toby to fracture clinic where the consultant has cast doubt on the scaphoid break. The plan is to keep the (frankly, by now smelly) cast on another week and then re x-ray. Just to stop him losing credibility he does have a crack to the radius. This will throw me into the chaos that is Tesco on the 23rd December so wish me well.

Dashing through the snow

No snow but lots of dashing at yet another Christmas themed run on Sunday. The weather was glorious but oh so cold as we ran around Loch Barnlusgan. Soup and mince pies followed and hearty chat between runners...perfect!

Race time but not as I know it

A different sort of racing today, the equine kind which involved no more effort on my part than a gentle wander to the saddling up enclosure and a dipping into my pocket for a bet on each race. Actually even the latter was not a burden as Garret staked me for the day. We sadly, despite his best efforts betting on the winner in 3 out of 6 races did not come out in front as I failed dismally to pick even one! However a great day out with good friends and then an Indian meal in Edinburgh to round it off. Perfect!

Hot off the Christmas presses...

Inveraray jogscotland hosted their inaugural Jingle bells run on Sunday December 6th. The weather was kind and 31 competitors of varying ages and abilities lined up at the start line in the grounds of Inveraray Castle. The run was a one mile loop with the choice to run once, twice or three times round. There was some fantastic competitive running from everyone, with many running further than they had before. Inveraray running group would like to thank everyone who made the effort to attend especially those from Ormsary jogscotland and even one competitor who came all the way from West Yorkshire. The Inveraray group captured first over all place with member Toby Corner taking first adult male prize in the 3 miles in 18.36, first adult female in the three miles was Liz Feeney 24.47, log leader, mid Argyll group. The first junior female over 3 miles was Freya Corner 22.41, Inveraray . The first adult in the two miles Kate Gomersall from Leeds and first junior, Rosie Corner came in together at 17.30 making it a hat trick for the Corner family. Patrick Feeney, Minard joined his mother in the prizes as first male Junior in 14.54. The junior one mile prizes were hotly contested with local runner Ben Cameron putting in a fantastic run of 9.04 with another local Iona McCulloch coming over the finishing line with a big smile in 12.07 as first junior female. First adult female was Nicola Scott. Thanks also go to Argyll Estates and The Duke of Argyll for allowing us to use their lovely grounds to run in, the marshals and time keeper Dilla Patrick. Inveraray jogscotland meet every Tuesday night during term time at the shelter Shed at the Primary school at 7pm.

Therefore an agony of laminating, results collating andgeneral panicing about the weather came to a very happy, festive end!

Over the hills and far away

A routine run turned into a small adventure today as Liz and I took off for a bit of unintentional fell running. The run started off as routine and then in a bid to get up to the top of a previously unexplored hill we took off first along one quad track and then (after losing Molly, Liz's Jack Russell) another one that was more promising and did indeed taks us a good long way of walking/running up to near the top. Reluctant to turn back we (after checking that Claonairigh Taxis had not gone out and about on his other job) set off cross country through a field and then a clear fell to get down to the tracks above Auchindrain museum and our eventual lift home. Very satisfying and good fun...just got to wash the trainers now...VERY muddy indeed.

Round up and panic, panic!!

The weekend at Centre Parcs surrounded by floods seems now a distant but happy memory! In true Corner style we cycled, swam, badminton-ed and tennis-ed the weekend away lubricated by just a wee bit of wine and fuelled by more than a wee bit of food. It was great sharing it all with Liz who joined in wholeheartedly, well she had no choice really. There was a dodgy moment as she and I both simultaneously tried to find a valid and unique excuse for ducking out of the Laser Conquest...this desire to wimp out lasted until the first round was shot and then we were off and at 'em...Sisters against the world...well, the green team anyway! The weather was fine considering the devastation going on around us. No pictures at present as my iphone seems to not want to give up the pictures so if anyone can help get in touch!
As always December is looking as though it is going to flash past at the speed of a Christmas fairy light. This weekend inveraray jogscotland has its inaugural Jingle Bells run on the Castle grounds. A choice of laps from one mile, two or three miles. There WILL be photos this time! I am therefore trying to juggle all the details in my head and occasionally something falls out (of my head) and so we will be lucky if all goes well...or indeed to get any meals between then and now...