Aching Achilles

Doh! l guess two days of trying run quicker wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had. My achilles is sore again so I didn't get out for a run in the Malverns. In fact I didn't get out for a run at all. It was a lovely day though. I'm fifty-fifty on whether to run the LCL Cross Country tomorrow. I'm definately ruling out the Cracker. The question is whether my achilles will be up to slogging round and round some soggy sports field in a far flung corner of the Universe...

Getting Serious...

Another day. Another lunch time run. I think I must have recieved a bump on the head sometime in the last couple of days! It was only the Dundry run but I'm so unfit it felt like I ran a double loop I was so knackered.

The big question now though is, what to do on the weekend. There's the Cardington Cracker on Sunday but I'm honestly in such poor shape it might be too much to suffer. I'll maybe just go for a plod somewhere tomorrow. The weather is looking good. Chilly but sunny. Maybe the views from the Malverns could be a good shout.

A Turn Up For The Books

Well that was a surprise. Me, feeling energetic enough to go for a solo lunch time run. More of a surprise, I suppose, was that I quite enjoyed my run along the tow path beside the Sharpness canal.

I headed out from Purton in the direction of Sharpness. After fifteen minutes of running I stopped, turned around and headed back. But not before I took a moment to read about the old Severn train bridge, long since dismantled. Apparently a tanker crashed into it back in the sixties...

Been A Poor Week So Far

Totally forgot about the Pomphrey Sports 5k yesterday - doh. Hopefully I can get a run in over Dundry on Friday with Martin. Sunday there's a possible Cardington Cracker up in sunny Shropshire. Saturday could be a Blorenge blow out but not sure I can be arsed to travel for a two miler - a steep two miler, mind, but still only two miles..

What A Weekend

I reckon I might be recovered by Wednesday. Not sure I have the endurance for the Christmas season. Managed an hour on the bike - I just about managed to get through it without falling asleep. On the work front it was back to it with a bang. The grindstone continues to grind.....

And Relax

I'm happy to report that I've had no after effects from the achilles after yesterday's race. Hopefully that's that put to bed.

I've spent the day doing not a lot. It's been good to do nothing. I did an hour on the exercise bike - it's too cold for my poor hands on the real thing at this time of year. Finished off with twenty minutes on the concept 2 rower. I've let that slip over the last sixth months but it's such a good workout I'm going to make much more effort to include it in my training from now on.

More importantly I continued my baking training. My own recipe vegan pork pie style thing with chickpea, lentil, pepper, carrot and herbs & spices. Pleased with the result but I need to work on my crimping...

Curious Incident Of The Run In The Night-time

Well work had me worried for a moment but it all worked out in the end. I managed to get to the night race in plenty of time. And I'm glad I did. It was great fun. Just my sort of thing. Right up my alley - ooh, matron. Okay, I think I'll stop there.

It was a great route. Two laps of three miles through the wonderful Forest of Dean. Two thirds was on muddy meandering single track. The rest on forestry trails. And it was surprisingly Hilly.

I got held up a little bit on the first lap in the first mile but after that things spread out and I was able to use my death defying powers of mentalness to really go for it amongst the tree roots. I lost my footing a couple of times but recovered without falling on my arse.

I finished 10th from what I heard was ninety starters. Pleased with that. I honestly don't think I would have run it any faster in the day light. I could get to like night running...

Battery Recharged

I'm obviously talking about my head torch, of course. Me? I still feel knackered and I don't know why. Despite the tiredness I should be good to go at tomorrow's night race. I can't promise to get there in time for the early registration. I'm definitely going to take my kit to work just in case I need to head straight there...

Such Hard Work

Who'd have thought running the old Dundry loop could be so tough. We ran the more challenging anti-clockwise direction and to say I found it puff-worthy would be an understatement. Soooo out of practice. It wasn't fun. I did not enjoy it at any point - except maybe the lovely hot shower afterwards. But it was necessary.

Martin and I are determined to up the importance of our lunch run and whenever the opportunity presents itself we will run. Come rain, shine or cold we must run - and it was that drizzly stuff today. The stuff that gets you damp throughout.

Anyway, the achilles felt okay and I've no aftershocks from it this evening so I'm happy about that...

11km!

Yes, that's the distance I covered in yesterday's orienteering! No wonder I was out there practically all day. The other disappointing fact is that, looking at the gps plot, I was not actually very far from the devils control - that's number eight - on my first approach. I must have passed within 15 metres of it. Sounds a lot but in terms of a featureless acre of forest that wasn't actually too far off. And before you say it, a miss is as good as a mile. I know, I know. Now sod off.

Didn't manage to get to the cross country - not that my heart was really in it anyway. In fact I didn't run at all because my achilles is feeling a bit sore and I decided not to risk it. Most importantly though, I managed to bake a cracking pumpkin and sunflower seed wholemeal loaf followed by a pesto topped pizza for dinner.

Orienteerus Horribilis

Night - wait for it, wait for it - mare! I did not have the correct brain installed today. Come to think of it, I'm not sure the legs were quite the right ones either. I pretty much didn't have a handle on things from the start. I don't think I chose my routes too badly. I just failed to execute the plan at almost every turn.

It has to be said the lowest of the myriad of low points came as I ran towards control seven (of 19) while picking my route to eight. Suddenly it registered that control eight was the control I failed to find in the score event a few months previous. My heart sank.

True to form I didn't find it again... at least not quickly. After ducking and dodging around for more than too much time I decided to find a suitable space amidst the overgrowth of foliage for an impromptu spot of meditation - also known as waiting and listening for others to turn up and then use echo location to home in on the sound of them pinging the control....

I did finally complete the course and am I ever glad it was only an informal because I'd have been looking at seriously low score towards the series. There's always cross country tomorrow - but do I really want to do cross country? Cross country? Really?......

Back From Plympton

Quite a productive two days. It all went okay. Didn't get time for a run last night though. By the time I got to the hotel, after a full day of software testing, it was too late and by the time I'd finished dinner it was gone nine and I was done. It's nice to be back home now.

Still undecided on the weekends action. There's a few events on offer - not forgetting more baking practice of course.....

The Cake Went Down Well

All positive reviews I'm happy to report [wipes brow]. It's official, the panettone is my signiture bake...

Off to Plympton for a couple of days tomorrow. Won't been doing any surfing though (do they do surfing down there?). It's strictly work. I'm going to take my running kit but not sure I'll make it out. The one definite is that it's going to be an early start tomorrow - let's all just hope the M5 takes a day off from being utter numpty!

What A Damp Day

The fog did not clear all day. Still a bit gutted to have missed yesterdays Lyn-y-fan race. Ho hum. Busied myself with some more baking practice today. Used my new Panettone tin. Waiting to slice it to see how I did. Made a few meringue sandwich things with the left our egg white with a black current butter-cream filling. Jamie O's high elbow technique was good for the whisking.

What A Cracking Day

Just wish I hadn't had to go to work. I imagine it would have been a great day in the hills - for those lucky enough to have been able to go. The early morning sunshine looked stunning - as I drove along that most scenic of roads, the M5, on my journey towards Bristol. Pretty sure the scenery over at the Lyn-y-Fan fell race would have been substantially better. Still, at least I got home in the light but my heart wasn't in it and all I managed was a rather pathetic twenty minutes in the rapidly cooling autumnal sunshine.

Looking for positives, at least I don't have to go back to work till Tuesday as I have a day off tomorrow. Now for the negatives, the forecast doesn't look great. Today will probably turn out to be the last day of sunshine before spring :-(

Oh Well

No Lyn-y-Fan race for me :-(

I don't normally do emoticons on the blog but I was really looking forward to it. Had the day planned and everything. I was going to park up near the Usk reservoir and jog across to the race for a bit of extra mileage. It looks like being a lush day.

Not going to say where I'm headed tomorrow, except as to say it's somewhere I normally go Monday to Friday - suffice I won't be getting a lie in. Tomorrow is going to be possibly the last best day of the year weather wise and I'm going to be working. Cue grumpiness....

Not Looking Good For Tomorrow

Tomorrow might be a good day for umbrella testing. Just to confirm, I'm not going to be umbrella testing. I was thinking of heading down to Bristol for the BOK orienteering but I'm not so sure now...

Sunday looks better. In fact, if the weather pans out anywhere near what's forecast then it will be a cracker. The Lyn-y-Fan race might actually be quite fun. Looks like I'll be baking the panettone tomorrow then - of course, that could wait till Monday....

What A Lovely Pair...

Of panettone tins! Almost can't wait to try 'em out. I've restocked. All good to go on the weekend. It's almost too sad these days that a bit of bakeware trumps a techno gadget everytime!

I've my eye on a battenberg tin....


...what a pair

Don't Mention Lunch Time

It's been a while but after many false starts Martin and I finally managed to both be in the office at the same time on the same day at around high noon. That's all the ingredients for a Dundry run.

Blimey that was tough. It really has been a long time. To be fair I was actually quite surprised by my time. No, it wasn't quick but, packing a few extra pounds as I am these days, I was quite pleased it wasn't as slow as I feared - and I have been over a minute slower in the past! Maker down it's time to run Dundry as often as possible. It really is about as good a thirty minute training run as you can possibly pack into half an hour....

Christmas Panettone Test Run

I managed to get out for a shortish run before the rains came and I headed back indoors. Finished off in the dry in front of the telly on the exercise bike. After last weekend I just couldn't face being out there in the rain for too long.

From thence - is that really a word? - I focused my attention on a spot of baking. Christmas panettone. It really is a wickedly rich bread. Practically wiped out my supply of eggs. After a slow first prove I added the fruit. After an equally slow second one, Tony finally made it into the oven. In between times I cooked up a kind of fried rice come paella 'thing'. I was happy with the result - although I ate too much.

Back to the 'ttone - yes, I will type it differently each time I refer to it. Best attempt yet! I tried a different recipe to the last time I tried a PT and added my own tweak - it worked a treat. That's Christmas sorted then...

What To Do On The Weekend?

If the forecast wasn't so pants I'd be heading to the Black Mountains. It is so I'm not. I can't face back to back weekends getting soaked - I've only just died out! Guess I'll be running locally but you never know, I might think of something completely different come the morning...

On a sad note, it looks like National Drive Like A Complete Tool Month has been extended into November with some numpty caravaner managing to flip his (or her, don't want to be sexist) caravan on the M5 above Falfield, causing me much sadness during my extended duration drive home. Still, on the upside, that's one less caravan to hold us up on the A roads....