Knee deep and running

On  Tuesday we had the home education group in a town 30 miles away.  The children enjoy this so much, with activities for different age groups and the chance to see some friends from all across the region.  Tuesday evening I had to miss aquafit as I was helping 18yos to finish his packing for his backpacking adventure in Europe.  We had to leave at 0400 on Wednesday to get him to the airport in time for his early flight.  I wanted to leave an extra 30 mins as the road are still quite icy and it is a bad road to the airport.  Managed to get him there in good time and waved him off, drove home and then we set off for another day with the home education group as we had the use of the ice in a town 50 miles in the other direction.  Managed to get a lot of shopping done as well - when we go to a town/city we always try to stock up on things which aren't available locally.  Good day altogether although I was really tired by the evening.
Yesterday we sort of had a day in more, doing work in the morning and other stuff in the afternoon.  I managed a 2.5 mile walk with 12yod in the middle of the day and did some cleaning in the afternoon ........it's got to be done you know.
Today is Good Friday so the children get the day off.  I got up and did 14yos's paper round for him.  It's still really cold here and was about -3 when I went out at 0700.  I like doing the paper round once a week, as you get to watch the town wake up.  When I first go out not many people are around, just those calling in for a paper and some early commuters waiting for the bus in the square.  By the time I am walking back from the end of the round there is a real bustle about the place.  Workmen waiting for lifts in the cattle market car park, people who work on the main street walking in, those who have overnighted in the hotel just going to their cars and it generally feels like the place is coming to life.  When I got back in, everyone was still in bed having a lazy morning.
I went out with M at 0930 for a longish run.  We managed 11 miles and it was really lovely.  There is no snow on the roads here now although the verges are really piled high.

However, once we got onto the forest trails it was a different matter altogether and we had to walk quite a lot while in the forest.  Lovely though.  Plenty of deer tracks and bird footprints and the silence was almost palpable.  Stunning run.

Roll on Spring

After  a really crazy weekend probably epitomized by the following photo............

 at least now most of the roads are clear and the milk tankers can get to the farms so they don't have to throw away any more milk.  The stories of how our community came together over the weekend are still coming out and it is great to see so much good in people.  Some people were up for 48 hours making sure the town hall and other emergency shelters stayed open.  We are now in the stage of everything looking really lovely but not dangerous any more.  We have more snow forcast but not the gale force winds which caused so many problems over the weekend.
In our garden our chickens seem to have survived fine as they laid the same number of eggs as usual.  We lost a tree which Rick and 18yos had to go out and chop up today so we could get down the path into the garden.  The newts seem fine.

The photos above are just of our garden which doesn't show much of the snow drifting around.  There are 12 ft drifts around the lanes and the snow is piled up even where it has been cleared.  It is freezing at night also which makes for slippery conditions underfoot.
Yesterday morning I got up early and went and did a 2 mile run by the river.  I used my kahtoola microspikes for the first time and they were brilliant.  I was running on hard packed snow and ice and didn't slip once.  They felt so secure and normally I am uneasy in slippery conditions.  I am really pleased with them.
This afternoon I had various things to do around town and wanted to go to my parents house.  Last Thursday I had gone shopping for them to make sure they had stuff in before the snow came and they were fine as their electricity didn't go off.  They have excellent neighbours who had cleared their path and checked on them so I didn't have to go down over the weekend while Rick was busy with Mountain Rescue.

I ran on some errands and then down to mum and dad's - about 3 miles altogether.  Their garden is still deep covered and these daffodils looked quite forlorn poking through the snow.

  I didn't need the Kahtoola's as the roads were clear to run on.  It was a lovely run although very very cold - about -2.  Enjoyed the run though and it was especially nice alongside the river.

Snow flakes were fluttering down gently although didn't come to much.  As nice as this run was today I am longing for some warmer weather - Roll on Spring Weather!!

more snowy pictures

Here are some more picies of the snow.

cancelled TTs and more snow

As I write this Rick is off out on a Mountain Rescue callout - it has been snowing all day and they have been kept very busy.  We are being especially hard hit in this corner of Scotland with very high winds and lots of blizzard conditions.  Road conditions are bad and lots of homes are without electricity.  I am glad it isn't me going out on a Mountain Rescue call out.
However - the children had a great time today.  Here they are

As a consequence of the fresh snow fall the club time trial has been cancelled for tomorrow which is a shame.  However, it is understandable as everything else has been cancelled from swimming lessons to youth fellowships - as the snow is predicted to last through tomorrow.
Not sure if I will get out to run tomorrow but we shall see.  Good opportunity to use my new microspikes

Getting up to run

There is really nothing better than the feeling of getting up and going straight out on a run.  The problem is in the winter/early spring it is so good to stay in bed an extra 30 minutes.  However I forced myself to get up this morning to do a 3.6 mile run in the rain.  It felt so good when I came back.  I must do this twice a week for my short runs.  Tomorrow will be a longish run with M and then I will get up on Thursday and do another couple of miles.  Saturday is our club handicap time trial!
Rick's mum left on the bus this morning after a week with us for the music festival.  Music lessons and orchestra again this afternoon so non stop.  Good to be back to normal after the music festival craziness last week.
The only thing I can say is "Where is Spring????"

First "race" of the year and music festival

It's been such a full on week.
First to today.  Rick left at 7am to run his 22 mile long run to the place where 14yos and I were running a 10k this morning.  He would meet us there and take 7yos to the park while we ran.
14yos woke me at 7.10 to say it was snowing really badly and ask what he should cover the papers with for his paper round.  It was really heavy so I got up and took him in the car, something which I very rarely do.  The snow kept coming down and I really did begin to wonder if the 10k would come off.  We had to drive to the run place anyway to meet Rick after his long run so we got into our running clothes and set off.  12yos went to swim club an she was coming home to be with Rick's mum who is with us for a few days.
By the time we had driven the 30 minutes to the race we had reached rain rather than snow.  Rick arrived soaking from his long run, with a very wet and weary dog, and we set off.  The rain turned really light and it ended up being a really pleasant run in the light rain.  14yos set a great PB of 55mins and I took 1 min 41 sec off my last 10k race PB which was on a much flatter course so felt really good about that.  I rain in my Galloway Harriers top for the first time which was nice.

The above photo shows the harriers who ran the 10k
We had to rush home as it was the music festival concert this afternoon.  Our children all won trophies, 7yos for his speech and verse, 14yos for a cornet duet with 12yod on clarinet and also his brass band won 2 trophies and 12yod won 4 trophies in all, clarinet solo, composition, duet as above and a piano duet with her friend.  So all the stress of practice plus the busy busy week has been well worth it.  The concert this afternoon showcased all the trophy winners and was really good.  Now time for a sit down and relax after a quite crazy week!!
Below are pictures of our three with some of their trophies plus Talitha with her three music teachers

Legs not working

After a really busy couple of days when I just didn't manage to get out I went out at 8am this morning (Mother's Day) and did a little 3 miler.  It was really cold with a low wind chill factor and short bursts of snow flurries and my legs just didn't want to work at all.  I felt like I was pushing all the way.  Nevermind - you take the good with the bad.  Music Festival here this coming week so it will be really hectic.  Rick's mum arrives on the coach tomorrow evening and 23yos, who is here for the weekend, leaves in the afternoon.  So it will only be short runs next week but no matter as it is a quiet week.

15.5 miles to get a picture for my sister!!!

On Tuesday I had to do my long run on my own as M is away down in England visiting her in-laws.  I was absolutely determined to do 15 miles this week so I could keep ahead of my training plan.  I knew it would be a challenge as the furthest I have run alone so far is 7 miles.  I mapped out my route carefully, going to some places I really love with some good elevation and nice down hills after.  I wanted to be out in the country on my own and really make the most of the challenge.  I got the lunch ready and then set out at around 1 pm.  14yos said he may cycle out to meet me at one of my road stretches and he did just that.  It was good to see him and it was also good that I was further along than he thought I would be.  He took this picture just before he left me - I was at 5 miles at this point.

The weather was ideal - about 9 with blue skies and a slight breeze.  Brilliant running conditions.  When I was running over a farm lane, I came upon some primulas and snowdrops and I thought of my sister in Botswana, who possibly doesn't even read this blog, but I took these pictures for her anyway!!

I felt like I ran really well - no more walk breaks than I expected.  I did struggle a lot for the last three miles but I reckon that is more mental than anything else.  Aimed for 15 and did 15.5 so very pleased.  Shorter runs now until the week after next when I will attempt 17.  I loved being out in the hills alone with lots of thinking time.  I loved the down hill runs and I love how far I am now able to push myself.  There is a real sense of fulfillment in being out and about in the hills and fields and forests and I feel so refreshed when I have been out.
There is so much going on in our lives at the moment, from circumstance change, to parents' aging and returning to nursing - I need that time of refreshing.
Yesterday the home education group went to go to a Wildlife and Wetlands Trust Centre about an hour away from home for some ranger led talks.  I took our 3 youngest and two others whose mum isn't well.  We had a great time.  It was very cold with an easterly wind - a contrast from my run which I am grateful for.  In the morning we observed the whooper and mute swans who are just about to fly back to Iceland for the summer months and learned a lot about them.  In the afternoon we had a touch session and learned more about feathers and also observed and learned about Barnacle Geese and how they are just about to leave for their epic journey to North Norway.  Makes a 15.5 mile run seem like a walk in the park.
Here are some pictures of us enjoying our day.

I passed!!!!

I am so pleased that I passed my exam, and with a really good mark too.  There's life in the old girl yet. Now on to interviews - but they scare me much less than the exam did.
Yesterday I got up and did 14yos's paper round which is 1.5 miles.  Tried to walk quite briskly.  It was a lovely morning.  I was out on a sewing day all day with a lot of the other ladies from the running club which I really enjoyed.  Then the evening was spent between ferrying children here and there and making tea.  I went to badminton this evening and had a few hard games which was really good.
Bit of a rest day today.  Rick went out on a 21 mile run this morning and I took 14yos and 7yos out with me to take my dad out for a run down to one of our local small villages and to see the bird life on the estuary.  He seemed to enjoy it and it was nice to take him out.
Nice day.