She's home!!

Youngest daughter is home after a great week away in Northumberland..tired and crumbled but happy to be home! The day seemed quite short as I stayed on in Inveraray after running up THAT hill again with Kerry. She shamed me totally by beating me down after managing to walk up almost as fast as I ran. Still she is a whippersnapper in her 30s so I shall comfort myself with that! The knee held up fine I just felt a little nervous at the steep down but not too badly.



Total total... 103.69 weekly total....21.24

Of Mice and...um...seeds??

No funny little map today, a small amount of stiffness round the knee area meant a day of rest and relaxation......well, it meant that I used a soft squidgy thing to kneel on when on poly tunnel detail. It looks great after all garret's hard work and is so much easier to get around. I have been in planting mode today and so peas, carrots, spinach, spring onions, lettuce, beans, turnip seeds and some others that I now can't remember are shivering in the ground denuded of their comfortable packets as I type.....some seedlings are paying the price for sprouting a bit fast in the warm house and so are out in the comparative cool of the poly tunnel now. The Little Nippers traps are patrolling the tunnel for us after losing so much last year to the mice....as of this morning Mice 0 Us 7 so fingers crossed for those poor vulnerable seedlings. The biggest challenge is keeping the tunnel cool enough but secure from birds getting in and finding the traps. Netted doors seems to be the answer and so that is what we have. The other event of the day was Toby's first exam...English. Not a favourite subject but essential to pursue at higher level for any of his many considered degrees/career plans. He was happy to find a question which involved a short story written on a theme featured in last nights reading. Just hope the examiner has not read it too!

The Fall of the Year

Poly tunnel day today as Garret worked on to sort out the tired over-large raised beds and dirty plastic over sheet ...and he has worked miracles. I now have a manageable space to work in with purpose made strawberry beds and a see through cover. I drifted in and out between taking Toby to an interview at school re his Highers and pinning him down to revision...English today.
Setting off early to js I managed a very slow two miles before meeting the rest of the group for a pleasant 3 miles at Port Ann followed by 100m strides times 6...This was fine until I caught my foot on a rough hit by a drainage pipe and went down like the proverbial sack of spuds. Dragged up with both hands bleeding by an off duty policeman I hoped the other group had not noticed. I am sure that they thought my curious lop sided run was just a training ploy.......



Total total... 98.69 weekly total....16.24

A good night for a run...

Actually a dreary night to turn out for a run and I did wonder as I pulled up at the meeting place tonight whether the other jogscotland girls would think it was just too dreary! But I have trained them well and a very respectable nine dedicated runners turned out for a 5 mile run along to the Caravan Park. I was so impressed with all back safe and sound (and smiling) in under 54 minutes which is a great achievement. With Liz to chat to and chase (fresh legs...boot camp just about finished me off last night with the bleep test followed by fitness tests...NEVER try to do the plank after skipping for two minutes) we managed it in 42.23 which is an 8.44 minute mile (give or take....). Home to a "all revised out" Toby (First exam Thursday...English) and a Rosie who has inexplicably forgotten how to tell the time (for lights out). Ah well...to bed to bed to see what tomorrow will bring.



Total total... 92.45 weekly total....10

Bye Freya...have fun!

Freya is off and Northumberland bound with the rest of the Primary upper school for four nights, I hope that the wellies I found by the door when I got back from dropping her off are the only thing that she forgot.
After the day off yesterday to watch others compete which let me tell you is quite exhauting in itself but did I get any sympathy....well, I shall leave you to guess the answer to that one. So, back on with the trainers this morning, at least they had had a chance to dry out. After a huge amount of prevarication which included doing yesterdays blog, choosing Euro millions numbers and chatting I finally got under way for a "Slow 2m Fast 1m Slow 2M" as dictated by my increasingly tough programme. This roughly translates to force tired calf muscles to do a very slow 2 miles...move into a lolloping, painful half trot for 1/2 mile...turn and lollop back to find that the timer didnt start so I have no idea how fast (!) I went although know really that the digital display would have read "Not very"....I collapsed gratefully into my 2 miles slow. No thought of not doing this bit absolutely accuratley and as prescribed.



Total total... 87.45 weekly total....5

Bute Triathlon

No room here for all the pictures but for anyone interested they can be seeh here
The day started with a realisation from Garret that yet again he had not trained and was not really looking forward to the race. This had to have a lid kept on it so as to not infect the other competitors in the car. The event is like the Mid Argyll race..smallish and friendly with loads of locals giving it a go. There were quite a few from the MATCC which was great especially for Rosie in her first event. Her nerves kicked in with 15 minutes to go before she and Toby had to go and get ready to get in the pool. They both swam really well, Toby battling his way through and Rosie just steady away. Toby was off and out third and set off strongly on his cycle. Rosie soon followed with a good transition. The cycle was 5k with some strenuous hills but Toby was soon back and troubled by a rouge shoe lace. Freya and I re-positioned ourselves to get Rosie coming in from her cycle but a hand grabbed me as a frantic Toby sought the car keys to get a change of shoe having had to turn back on the run when the lace broke. He completed strongly and crossly having lost too much time to win. Rosie soon came in from her bike leg and with grim determination set out on a good stong run...she managed an excellent sprint finish and was soon recovered to finally get some luch at 3.30! oh...Garret did good too!!

Written in haste....

Yesterday Freya and I took on the night of Dun na Cuiche a)to prove to her that she can do it if needed as a Junior female on the 9th and b) to set the km marker positions. The day was cool and fresh as we set off from the Jail running comfortably together. This did not last long as at the first incline her fresh young legs laughed mockingly at my tired old ones and took off up the hill. She beat me up by a few minutes and then beat me to the finish line too ...ahh well, nice whilst it lasted! Rest Day for the old legs today I think!


Off to be support team for Toby and Rosie in the Bute Novice tri and Garret in the Sprint...pictures WILL be posted later.

Total total... 82.45 weekly total....28.97

Big Breakfasts and Big Runs (?!)

Back into the breakfast routine this morning with lovely great big brekkies to prepare (I love it when they all want the same!) and serve to some folk newly disappointed from training for the Vienna Marathon and being thwarted by a big cloud of dust. Never mind, Vienna's loss is our gain as we finally got some cash! Lovely folk who left looking determined to walk Dun Na cuiche. The misty drizzle that may have spoilt their view from the top helped Liz and I to keep cool on the Leicann run plus that we tackled this afternoon. The plus was a four mile addition along the Forest drive in the middle to make a ten miler as required by the dictates of the training programme. Despite the Leicann being billed as a 6 mile I have had my doubts the last couple of times and I reckon just over 5 which is, to put it plainly a right bummer! So, at the bottom of the run within sight of the cars I had to break it to Liz that we had to put in an extra little bit along the road in the opposite direction, I am grateful she did not hit me......Back to the car and still only 9.95...determined to get the magic 10 we hobbled up the road a few steps until the GPS obliged. So, that is over (for this week anyway).

PS I have just noticed just now that the map says 9.93!! But it was 10 honest...anyway I am taking it as 10...I am!!!


Total total... 77.81 weekly total....24.33

Not so early morning miles...

An intended 7.30 start became an 8.20 start into a rain storm, I felt so happy as I trolled up the hill wondering how I managed to end up with all my long runs at the end of the week. Just good planning I guess. There are many things to ponder on during a run, a time to tidy the shelves of your mind and emerge tidy and dustfree. I of course did not do this at all, I worried about the Jail break run as I now do on a daily basis. This I would like to say passed the run in a trice but it did not, neither did listening to the childrens music inexplicably present on my iphone. Another blow was arriving back to find the GPS reading 5.70 miles so off down the hill I went for another painful .3 or so with two very confused but happy dogs. Canine confusion involves having to run around and about my feet in an oh-so-helpful way that aids a tired runner on her way...shower time now and then into cleaning mode followed by hostess mode for an expected 5 guests tonight...yipeee Money!!



Total total... 67.81 weekly total....14.33

Fantastic Time trial...OR was it!!

Well, we covered the first mile a surprisingly short time and reached the two mile turn round mark in 12.12...bit of a slow down for the second mile but no matter....we were flying...WHAT a pace, the training is working, it is rubbing off on others in the (Mid Argyll jogscotland)group who are not training so it must be good!! Over the finish line in 24.26....to be greeted by the news that we had done 3 miles not 4 as thought due to a slight measuring error..to be honest with a 4,26 minute first mile I was just a wee bit suspicious!! So, a good work out nonetheless with 3.9 miles in total.



Total total... 61.81 weekly total....8.33

This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed at home......

This little piggie escaped once too often and so is now piggy meat. It had to happen and there it is....
No running yesterday. Just boot camp in the evening in Lochgilphead. June, a running friend turned up which was lovely as I was not Mrs No Mates in the paired sessions....
A real Argyll Spring day today. A cold wind blowing alternating brilliant sunshine with grey skies and sleet/hail. An in and out with the washing day. Back to training with the Inveraray girls tonight and a really good session with repeated interval training. Great to have Liz spurring me on for 3 minute sprints rather than going it alone. 2 minute recoveries were just not enough as our recovery took longer and chat time got shorter!



Total total... 57.91 weekly total....4.43

Long run out of the way for this week and ...friends in high places.

A lovely run today along the canal at Crinan along to Ardrisaig near Lochgilphead...a steady gentle run with lots to chat about with a friend I have not seen in a while. Then back for a swim and training session for next weeks triathletes (Rosie, Toby and Garret!!). There will be pictures!! Talking of pictures the other one is our house (before the flight ban ) taken by friends (we have such cool friends!!) from their plane on a fly past last week. Great huh!!



Total total... 53.48 weekly total....26.48

Friday and Saturday catch up.

Day off running yesterday so the kids and I played tennis...well...I just about kept up with Toby in a knockabout but he beat me in the sudden death. Quite nice that this is what they chose to do given a choice...fine with me, cheap, healthy and local. Howard and Myrna called in pm with their grandchildren for a catch up (H and M) and a play with the dogs (Iain and Ben...). They left late afternoon for a pizza in Inveraray with the boys "being" pigs...not sure of the influence we have on other people's children. Woke this morning to the thought that some running should really take place but what?? This was decided with a phone call to Liz and a date to meet up for a run along Crinan Canal tomorrow with some others and so the dreadeed 3 mins fast and 3 slow beckoned tonight...it is a killer especially with the hills round here and I am not at all convinced that it is making me faster merely more tired. Later that night Freya learnt not to use her psp to go on line and have a moan on facebook about being unjustly sent to bed early...now she has to go to bed early AND has no psp!! ahhh the trials of parenthood!!




Total total....44.98 Weekly total...17.98

bless the early guest...

who breakfasts at 7am! Off and on the run with Liz at just after 8am. The lovely Leicann run before the heat sets in today. I ate her dust almost all the way round as she set a blistering pace!! Shower time now.....

Total total. 40.46 weekly total 13.46

Running, running, running

Early morning run with my boy along the shore at Furnace....

Total total 34.46 weekly total 7.46

Runs and buns (Burger buns that is)

A very hot day for a run so I left it until nearly five when a slight breeze was wafting around the hill...this relef lasted about 10s into a run that was supposed to be 90s fast 90 slow and once again became slow and slower.....On the plus side we had a lovely BBQ with the Dalchenna crew on a warm barmey MIDGE FREE evening.

Total total.... 30.46 Weekly total 3.46

Quickie morning run

Met liz at Furnace for a lovely early morning run along the shore after booting Toby in the direction of work....



and now we are off to Gigha for a cycle.
weekly running Total 27 miles

First Sausage Sizzle of 2010

and what a lovely day it was too. Dogs, children and new initiants to the art of burnt sausages and marshmallows on the beach.

Nice day for a run..and a roll

Russ and Kate arrived up yesterday ...well, this morning really after a drive through the night so had some comapny for todays run. Kate and I set off having not decided on the length of run as as you can see made it a 7 miler so three cheers as the longest run of the week is now behind me and with a nice cat along the way too. thsi was after we had gathered 5 children and 8 adults together for the traditional Easter Egg rolling (or throwing at the dogs) competition won this year by Kate and her amazingly indestructable egg!


Weekly total..22 miles

My Achey Breaky legs

Half way through the second week (and remember I misssed the first half of the first week) and my legs are trembling at the thought of a walk let alone another run! This morning's istructions were for a 5 mile run with 16 minutes of 1m fast 1m slower incorporated into the run...so you warm up and get that bit over with, right? So I went right in with a one minute slow. Somewhere in other dimension I had translated the intsructions to mean 16 minutes of each meaning 32 minutes of torture as the fasts got slower and the slows nearly went backwards. However, at 17 minutes I decided this was a very silly running programme and resorted to just running a meduim pace for the rest of the 5 miles. The GPS was better behaved today although curiously I ran to 2.5 miles, turned and retraced my steps to find I had only done 4.89 (as i have said before that .1 or so is so important!) so therefore had to run round the house to make it up. Back home to find that finally the last of the Corners and Fynns (friends) had finished breakfast whilst I am very nearly in the lunch zone.



Weekly total 15

Training update.

After a day off yesterday ("How to train your dragon" in 3D...ruinously expensive but great fun!)and before an appointment this morning it was a quick scan down the training programme to get the easiest session this week...a 4 mile easy route. So off early and into a lovely, fresh April morning with the mist still keeping the cool at ground level..perfect for running. Am a little surprised that my GPS recorded this run as a 3.82 miler when ! have always taken it as 4 so therefore the GPS must be wrong....Also not sure why it has decided to call the run "Tullochgorm" which is about 6 miles away...

Mileage so far....10 miles give or take.

Freya on growing up...

" The problem with ladies jeans is that they have big hip room".....Enjoy it while you can Freya...soon it will be no hip room like the rest of us.

Easter Day Walk

This was lovely...an eight mile or so walk with something for every-one..snow, a hill to throw ones self down and a good down hill on the way home....

Hmmmmm Chocolate Times......

Happy Easter

A very Good Friday

After the dump of snow for mid-week blizzards there was only one thing to do.....