muddy puddles

Had a lovely muddy run with the Harriers today.  Rick had organised a club run through some trails and although we all set off at the same time we could choose our route.  M and I did 5.8 miles and got muddy, put some hills in, and generally had a good time.  Back to friends' house for soup and sandwiches and general running chat. 15 runners all together and that was a good turn out.  Mustn't forget the four dogs who tagged along - two labradoodles and our two.  The springer ran with my friend and I and the border collie with Rick. Good day.  Just off to get a shower before we head out to our ceilidh this evening.

trail or treadmill

Had an unexpected extra run today.  My nephew and niece are staying who live in Botswana and my niece runs on a treadmill.  I decided to introduce her to forest trail running. It was a great day for it - wet and muddy and we did 3 miles.  I think my niece enjoyed it and hope she isn't bored on the treadmill now!  I have never run on a treadmill and I don't intend to start!

Had a really good Christmas in all.  Did a 1.75 mile run on Christmas Eve and that was really good as I put some bursts of speed in and managed my fastest mile.  On Sunday we had been to the nativity play at the local village which 7yos and 11yod were in and that was really good.  Christmas Eve we went to the square where 13yos was playing is cornet with the brass band.  This happens every Christmas Eve and it is a great thing to do before our Christmas meal that night.  After a lovely meal we did all the Father Christmas stuff we needed to do and then Rick and I and 23yos, 18yos and 13yos went to the Christmas Eve midnight service at the church.  Another lovely Christmas tradition.

Above is 13yos with his hollister coat.  Below are pictures of some of the others with their main presents.

23yos is making a rag rug and he was getting on with it while we were opening some of our pressies.

Just before we had our lunch we went to see my parents and it was really nice to be able to get a photo of all the children with my parents.  We are not often all together.

So we have had a great few days.

The picture above is of 13yos and 18yos's girlfriend making a chocolate cake on Boxing Day.  There was a competition between them two and 18yos and 11 yod who were making chocolate brownies.  We were all the have a taste of both and vote on which one was the best.  If comedy cooking were in the mix then these two would have won hands down but they also managed to win on presentation and cakes too!

One of the pressies I got was a Nathan hydration belt which I will have to get used to wearing as I up the mileage.  Today I wanted to fit in a 12 mile run but as we were having visitors and I had a lot of tidying up to do I asked my running friend if she would mind only doing 6 miles.  She was really happy with that so we had a lovely 6 mile run along by the river - 3 miles out and 3 miles back.  Tomorrow I will take my nephew's wife on a little trail run in the forest which will be nice.

what real runners do after a run!

When I come in from a run, I sit down for a few minutes, update my Garmin onto the computer and then go and have a nice warm shower whereas Rick........................................well just don't ask. Today I did the same 3.5 miles as yesterday but felt much better.  I added on an extra half a mile to bring my weekly total up.

mud is slippy

Busy day today.  I left at 0930 to take 7yos and 11yod to a Christmas party for the home educated children.  It was really pouring down and stayed like that all day.  Came back home and was determined to get my 3.5 mile run in according to the plan I am following and knew that if I didn't go out straight away I would get nice and snug in the house and never go.  I had been supposed to pick up 22yos from station but that was put off so I went out and did my usual 3.5 mile route.  It was raining but once I got going I enjoyed it.  However, reached a muddy bit and didn't realize how slippy it was and went down on my backside.  Mud all up my legs and back but thankfully not hurt at all.  Not the easiest run I have ever done but really glad I did it.  Lovely shower when I got back in.
Rest of the day spent ferrying people here and there.  We are now 7 at home until tomorrow when we will be 6 again until 18yos and 22yos arrive home for Christmas on Sunday.

Went and did the grocery shopping this evening - couldn't stand going in the day when it is busy.  I really do not like shopping for anything!!!
The picture is of Rick and his pals doing turbo training in one of their garages!  Just a bunch of big kids really.  Probably watching a cycling video on the dvd at the same time.

forest light

Just finished a stunning 8 mile forest run with my friend.  The light coming through the trees was exceptionally good today - at one point it seemed as though the trees were on fire and just a little further on the rays looked like clouds of silver.
It was tough running the trail we ran with around 600 ft elevation which is really good for the calf muscles.  It is a long slow climb and we managed to run much more of it this time and the walking bits are getting much faster.  We got to the car at 7.3 miles and couldn't resist carrying on to make up 8 miles. Stunning run.

frustrating forest walks, confused dogs and Christmas galas

Had a busy few days.  On Saturday Rick had organised a hill run for the running club.  It was to be in three parts - toughies did a really challenging hill run, other runners did a forest trail run and others could do a walk in the forest.  I went with the walk as I was in charge of our children. In the end it didn't work out like it should.  Rick began with a recurrence of his viral pericarditis and when then happens he has to take it easy for a few days.  11yod was invited to a friends' house for the day and 13yos opted to stay with his dad.
So 7yos and I went for the walk with my running buddy who chose to walk with us.  The toughies managed without Rick and only got a little lost and the others did their own thing.  So it was a good day in the end.  The slightly frustrating thing about our walk is that we set off on our chosen route and got so far only to find they were working in the forest.  There had been no signs up until then.  We then took a while to find the path, diverted onto another one and when we got to where the path met the forest track it was cordoned off!!  We then followed another path alongside the river which was lovely.  However what should have been a 4/5 mile walk ending up being only 3 miles.  Nevermind.

The photo above is of 7yos having his picnic in the boot of the car after our walk.

On Sunday morning I got up to do my normal Sunday morning forest 3 mile run.  I had to take the head torch as it was still dark when I entered the forest.  It's lovely and mysterious at this time of the year when the dawn is just arriving.  Took the two dogs with me and we had run 1 mile when another runner came up behind us.  I hadn't seen him before and he stopped to chat about routes and things.  After a couple of minutes he ran off while I held the dogs back so they didn't follow him.  As soon as I  let the dogs go the border collie shot off after him and was gone for a good while before coming running back looking really sheepish.  I am convinced she thought he was Rick and went off to join him.  Whether she caught up with the runner I have no idea but she delayed me for long enough that I had to cut my 3 mile run into a 2 mile run.  Very frustrating.  I shall do 8 miles in the forest this afternoon and shall only be taking the springer! 

Later on Sunday was the swim club gala where I am chairperson and normally started! 13yos and 11yod are members of the swim club and 7yos swam as a mascot.  Great fun, great swimming and a good end to the first term back.

Yesterday 23yos came home for Christmas!  Wonderful to see him and it feels like the beginning of the holidays now than they are starting to come home.

Finished products and brass bands

Yesterday 11yod and I managed to fit in our weekly 40 minute walk by the river.  Only lasted 30 mins this time as they had the river blocked off to repair the flood damage.
13yos supervised the finishing of the gingerbread house.  It really is wow now.

Then in the evening we went to the annual Christmas concert at the bandhall where 13yos plays the cornet.  It's a great evening with really good brass band music and feels like the real beginning of Christmas!

Wow and wow

Decided to make our Christmas gingerbread house today.  11yod not 100% and 7yos was busy writing his Christmas cards for his friends at Tuesday club this evening so they didn't get involved very much so the task was left mainly to 13yos to do it.  He hasn't quite finished it but I really do think it has the wow factor - not least because it is bigger than any gingerbread house I have ever seen.  Hope we manage to hold off until Christmas before eating it.  He just has some more colourful sweets to put on and it will be completely finished.  He did a great job.

 Not a brilliant photo above but gives you an idea of what the house looks like.  Well done you!!
The second wow in the title is to describe how I feel having ran 11 miles this afternoon!  Not sure how it happened but we were going to run 10 and when we got to 9.5 decided to add on another bit and it came to 11.  It is getting easier to add on more miles now and the half marathon feels more and more achievable. My running friend also feels really good about running this far.  The run took us past my parents' house where we stopped for a toilet break and then the elevation started.  I was determined to run more of the first hill than usual and managed to push quite a bit further before moving into a brisk walk for the second part of the hill.  Hills are becoming more manageable and that is so good for the leg muscles.  As usual the run from the farm down was wonderful - refreshing and the frosty fields and hedges looked stunning.  The photo below doesn't give much of an idea.  Ran the whole 2 mile down hill at a good pace.

 Once we did the 9 and decided to add on a stretch by the river we were slowing down a bit but it was great to have the energy to push on.  The photo below is of where the floods the other week pushed the path to the side as though it were a carpet.  It is really interesting.  Of course, health and safety bods have put up a "road closed" sign which can be safely ignored as long as you use common sense and take care!

Busy busy

 The running club craft session was really good.  "The crafty harriers" sounds good!!  We had a good evening, crafting christmas tree decorations and eating birthday cake as one of our number was going to be 60 the day after.  Meanwhile Rick and 13yos and 11yod were camping at an outdoor pursuits centre for the scout sleepover.  I know where I would rather be.
Rick came back on Sunday morning in time for our meeting then we all drove back out to the centre to help pack up and clean the centre and also because 13yos was going straight to play his cornet with the brass band at the Christmas tree sales.  It was freezing, mostly because of the wind chill factor.  It is a lovely atmosphere out there at the visitor centre though - band playing carols, children playing and the small of fresh christmas trees.
Today 11yod was not very well.  She has a temperature again - probably didn't shake off the last bug she had due to her extremely busy week last week.
That meant that she missed the orchestra concert she plays in.  7yos went though!

I had a really nice cold run this afternoon - about 3.5 miles in total.  Great to be out in the winter sun.  Ran in my trail shoes although I was on the road as I am trying to see if I can manage with just one pair of shoes instead of one road and one trail.  Not sure I can though as didn't feel quite right running on the road in the barefoot type shoes.  We shall see.

Below is a belated picture of 7yos singing in his choir concert.

Notice the maverick without a school uniform!!!

Felt a bit of a strange day really.  I didn't get up very early - 9am actually!!  Neither 13yos or 11yod went to swim club.  13yos did his paper round and then he and Rick left for scout camp at 1030.  It isn't very good weather at all so not sure how the orienteering will go.
11yod was allowed to stay in bed as she is having such a busy week with panto, music exams etc.  I took her and 7yos to gymnastics at the sports centre at 1030.
While they were there I did a 2.1 mile run.  Started to rain just as I set out and I started on a hill so I thought it would be a bad run.  Apart from my glasses keeping steaming up (must remember to wear my contact lenses when it is going to rain) it was a good run and my mile average pace was a little down again, and that was especially pleasing given that there was a hill at the beginning.
It has rained all day since.  11yod had a matinee performance of panto this afternoon, then they were all going out to tea and then the evening performance.  So 7 yos and I have spent a cozy afternoon in making Christmas presents and decorations.
This evening the running club ladies have another craft session so will take 7yos, and he can go to sleep there.  Rick will come back from scout camp, pick 11yod up after panto, pick us up and run us home and then he and 11yod will go back to scout camp for the night.  Rick will come back in the morning in time for our meeting and we will pick 13yos and 11yod up at lunchtime.  Then 13yos is going straight to play with his brass band for an hour at the Christmas Tree sales in the forest.  Hope he can keep his eyes open!!!

Lovely 4 miler

Rick and 13yos went out this morning into the forest to set the orienteering trail for the scouts weekend camp starting tomorrow.  It was very cold and they both came back muddy but had a good time.
I manage to get to the shops at lunch time and do some business and stocking filler buying and then had a coffee with my friends.
When I got back the children were busy with various things and Rick was staying around so I managed to squeeze in 45 minutes to do a 4 mile run.  Lovely run - legs worked well and got one of my fastest miles (still slow compared with most poeple!!) in the middle.  Added on an extra loop to make my 3.5 mile run into 4 miles.  Really enjoyed the run down the hotel drive - looking over the snow covered mountains with sheep and cows around.  Beautiful day, exhilarating run, and pleased with my time.  It's all miles in the legs as they say!!
Hoping to run 60 miles this month which will be my highest monthly total.  Rick has done 60 this week but doesn't do any good to compare...................
Rick managed to get his run in after then picked up 7yos from youth fellowship.  This evening 11yod has her 3rd panto performance - she is getting really tired but keeping up well.

Birthday cakes, rainbows and icy walks

I had a lovely late birthday cake made by 11yod - carrot cake which I really love, with cream cheese icing coloured green.  It was very much appreciated.

                                           

B left on Sunday afternoon and then I took 23yos to the train station on Monday afternoon for his journey north back up to uni in Aberdeen.  On the way to the train station there was all kinds of weather - snow, sleet, rain, sun and a marvellous rainbow

Yesterday just before lunch 11yod and I went for our weekly brisk walk together. It is lovely to have some time just the two of us and we do the lovely river walk for 40 minutes which made around 2.5 miles as it was quite icy yesterday.  It got really cold so we had to wrap up warm.

  Last night Rick, 13yos, 7yos and I went to see the Christmas Pantomime which 11yod is performing in all this week.  Just off to her first music exam today - clarinet grade 2 this morning and piano grade 3 this afternoon. 11yod really has a crazy week this week!  7yos has his choir concert this afternoon - all go!!!

Tough forest trails

It was such a struggle to get out of bed this morning - I was so cozy!!  Managed it though and had a busy day.  Had to go to the nurse for a blood test to check my Hep B status and she asked me how I would feel doing holiday cover for her.  I would love to do that, although would need more than that to keep me going with work.  Walked the 0.5 mile to the surgery via the main road to go to the Post Office, and tried to walk back over the path to the footbridge over the river and it was flooded again as it has been pouring down since last night!
This afternoon my running pal and I took the two dogs and did 9.1 miles in the forest.  It was a hard run and my legs feel it now but a great work out.  It's really hilly and the trails were very wet with the water flowing down out of the trees.  It rained most of the run but it is really refreshing to run in the rain (with the right gear on!!)  Sometimes we were literally running through water but it was good fun and keeping going stopped us from getting cold.  The springer got tired after seven miles so we did a detour back via the van and left her there before setting off for the last 2 miles.
This evening a nice electrician came and fixed my cooker by bypassing the timer and auto switch.......I could have hugged him although I don't think he would have appreciated that!!

Frosty mornings

It was -3.5 when I set off on my forest run this morning with the dogs.  It was amazing to be out among the sparkling trees.  It was quite slippery underfoot so it was a slow run/walk so only managed 2.1 miles but no less enjoyable for all that.  There was no-one around and it was very quiet.  What a wonderful thing to be able to do at 0730 on a winter's morning.  The dogs love it too!

Busy day after that.  Needed to eat very soon after the meeting so after making pancakes had to get a shepherd's pie and rice pudding in the oven ready to eat.  Busy afternoon with different people doing different things and Rick is preaching in a little place around 10 miles south this evening.  I am chairing a swim club meeting this afternoon so just grabbing 10 minutes before walking up to the sports centre.

winter walks and Christmas trees

Busy busy day.  Managed to stay in bed until 0845 though!  11yod left for swim club at 0825 but 13yos's alarm didn't go off on time for him to do his paper round before swim club so he missed swim club!  Rick went off at 0830 for a run with his two pals so I got a lie in.  I had time to do a quick scoot round and tidy up before driving 11yod and 7yos to gymnastics, drive back, leave the car, and take the long walk round the village to pick them up so I could get a brisk walk in today.  11 yod, 7yos and I called at the shops once I collected them to pick up bacon and sausages for butties for lunch.
Meanwhile 23yos, his girlfriend, 13yos and Rick went into the forest to collect some more wood from our wood pile - and came home this week with an intact windscreen!!!!
After lunch we went for a lovely walk in the RSPB reserve about 4 miles up the road from us.  Beautiful crisp, icy and invigorating! We walked up past the waterfall and around through the tree line.  The waterfall was quite full

7yos, B, 11yod and 23yos halfway up the path

although down a lot on what it was a week ago.  

There is so much to see in a forest.  We noticed the patch where we picked billberries in the summer and added them to pancakes.  We saw where the river had flooded over and made a path through the autumn leaves.

23yos and B

Rick and 13yos with warning signs

When we got to the top of the hill where the path leads to a ruined cottage Rick was going to show us, the path was blocked off with tape and notices saying the it was a biosensitive site because a larch disease has been found in the area and they are trying to contain it.  So nothing about ash trees but larches are sick in our area!  This meant we couldn't go the way we wanted but the upside was that we followed a path we haven't followed before and found another way down.There are so many parts of this area I haven't visited and I really would be keen to run through this area.

The photo on the left is 7yos, B and 11yod watching as 23yos and 13yos climb down a gorge into a waterfall.  The water here was really bouncy and sparkling as it jumped over the narrow rocks.  We hadn't been on this path before so it was an unexpected surprise to find it.  When we got back down to the car park we took another short walk along to a viewing post over the river where you can sometimes see otters.  Didn't see any otters today but quite a bit of the river was frozen over.  As we walked to the viewing post we could see where the water had risen to in the floods last week, quite high up the bushes and all the grass had that washed look where the water had flown over it.  The frost hadn't cleared all day really.

Rick and 13yos walked to viewing point over frozen grass

We were glad to get home and have a coffee and now 23yos and B are making tea and 11yod is making pudding.   I am really rather well looked after!  After tea we are going to put the wood burner on in the lounge and put up the Christmas tree.  It is so hard to believe that it is nearly Christmas again - where does the time go!!!

Train stations, advent calenders and sewing days

Got up at 0715 this morning and did a little 2.5 mile run in the frost.  It was dark and cold and the world (or our little part of it) was just coming to life.  I passed 13yos already on his paper round but the rest of the family were still sleeping.  Got back, showered and had breakfast then 13yos, 7yos and I left to pick 23yos up from the train station 17 miles north of us (our nearest) while Rick stayed in to study and 11yos had music lessons.  It was still frosty, and stayed that way all day.  I had a sewing day booked for the day with my friendly local textile artist but was 30 minutes late for that due to all the rushing around.  23yos enjoyed the day with the children doing various activities.  This is what I made today - a Christmas tree advent calender for all the notes I write for the children.

Now have to finish writing the notes.  Had a great day though - good company, good instruction and really good leek and potato soup for lunch!
23yos made tea and then we headed straight off to pick up his girlfriend from the next nearest railway station which is 50 miles east of us.  Mad rush as we had to get back to a village near here to listen to 13yos with his brass band playing Christmas Carols at the "switching on of the lights".  We missed the chilly outside part of it and when we got there they were serving soup and mince pies in the village hall and then we heard another small concert by the brass band.  They are really good.  Nice evening rounded off with a great session of auld lang syne, with B joined in as though she had been here all her life, which was nice.  Feels like the Christmas season is almost on us!
Hasn't got above freezing today - how I love our wood burners!!!

Frosty river walk

Yesterday and today have been really cold and crisp and frosty.  I have kept 7yos in as he has a nasty cough and is still under the weather, so he didn't get swimming yesterday and won't be at choir this evening.  Last night he fell asleep at 7pm - shattered.  I had sewing group here last night and got on top of some of the Christmas presents I need to make.
This morning, after doing book work, 11yod and I went for a brisk walk for 2.2 miles down by the river.  It was lovely an we took about 36 minutes to do it.  We plan to do one each week - it's nice to have some together time and to be outside.  The boys watched a history programme while we were out.  Looking forward to having 23yos home in the morning.  18yos has his theory driving test today.

First 10 miler

Wow - today my running pal and I did 10 miles.  It feels so good.  We set out just after lunch - just catching Rick who had cycled 25 miles to the next town and back.  We planned on doing around 9 miles but the route we chose got us to the front door at 9.4 miles and so we just HAD to carry on a little further down the road and back to make it up to 10 miles.  Actually 10.2 miles according to my Garmin!
Here is Marie at about mile 2.5.  You can't really appreciate the lovely view behind the wall here!

Here we are having arrived home feeling really pleased with ourselves!

Getting to know my Garmin and washing machine problems

I love living in a rural part of the UK.  I love living in a "dark sky park" where we are so far from a large town that we have no light pollution and it feels like we can touch the stars.  I love living a long way from the nearest Costa Coffee so that going there is a treat and not routine.  I love looking out of our bedroom window and seeing fields and hills and itching to be out in them.  I love running along and smelling cow manure and hearing the gentle moos from the other side of the hedge when it is dark.  In fact I love country living all the time................... except when my washing machine breaks down and the insurance tell me they can't come out until 10th December because of the distance it takes to get to us!  They have to allocate a whole morning to the one job.  Then and only then do I wish we lived nearer to a city!!!
Enough moaning.  The three youngest children are full of coughs and colds at the moment.  So they were in today and had to miss music and orchestra.  18yos came home again this morning.  It is always so good to see him. He has his practical driving test soon so needs to practice for that and also has a swim teacher course during the first week in December and has lots of theory for that.  Between that and his hotel and lifeguard work he is a busy person.
This evening 18yos went on a 3.5 mile run in the dark with the head torches. I took my Garmin again but unfortunately pressed the wrong button at some point and so lost some of my data.  Anyway - it was a good run and lovely to be out with 18yos.  I am getting a little faster which is good - my run/walk technique will get be where I want to be!  Tomorrow I will be up to 9 miles with my running buddy.

Using Garmin and club prize giving

We were taken out for a meal last night by some very dear friends of ours and had a lovely time.  It's so nice to be grown up for a while and relax with friends.  We went to a place not far from here and enjoyed the evening very much - lots of good conversation and a good number of laughs.  Thank you very much (hope you are reading this!!!)
I went out for a run this morning.  It was a really cold crisp day and was a little bit slippy underfoot.  I did 3.5 miles and used my Garmin for the first time.  It was stunning running through the hotel grounds with the view over the fields and hills where every blade of grass seemed to sparkle in the winter sun.  My time was slow as usual but it was a great thing to do on a Saturday morning.  We had a quick turn around then as we were heading out for the running club end of season run and prize giving.  13yos and 11yod had left their things by the front door and headed up to swimming club and Rick was cycling the 10 miles to the event with a friend.  I had cream to whip to go with the scones I made yesterday plus prizes and dogs and changes of clothes to load into the van.  Managed it all and we arrived in good time.  I chickened out of the adults run as it was a steady 4.5 mile climb (hence I did my own run early on) and decided to run with 11yod as running isn't her favourite thing to do at all!  It was really cold and crisp but great that it was dry after all the rain.  The adults left first on a handicap so 25 minutes from first one leaving to last one.  The border collie ran off with Rick and then the children and I left - 3 of them doing two laps of a one mile route and the rest doing one lap.

The photo above is some of us waiting for the run to start.  7yos wasn't allowed to run as he was unwell yesterday with a temperature.

The above picture is of some of the adults waiting around for their handicap time to come up.  Rick has the blue buff on his head.

Photo above is Rick just about to start off.  The children did really well on their run.  13yos did the two laps and was a little disappointed with his time but he had swum a lot this morning and has a cough so there were reasons for his slower time.  11yod and I ran/walked the mile and she did really well to keep pushing herself. After the children's run finished the marshals and I took the children back to the village community centre we were having food, prizegivings and quizzes in.  Then the adults followed on down in their car.
Rick got the prize for male athelete of the year (shared with an amazing chap who ran his 100th half marathon this year) and 13yos got second prize for the 5k handicap series we have had over the last year.  It was a good day with good food and good fun.  First picture is Rick and his friend who won the handicap race today.  Rick won a £10 voucher for a local outdoor pursuits shop.

The picture below is 13yos with his second prize trophy for the 5k series - he also got a box of chocolates.  He has really done well this year with getting fit and pushing himself that bit further.

It was a good day in all - lovely crisp and cold after all the heavy rain and flooding.  It was good to get back into the house this evening, put on the wood burner and relax.  Winter is well and truly here I guess.  There is also no way that I can stop running now that Rick has bought me a Garmin.................... it is the sign of a real runner and it cannot be left unused as it does not lie!!