Slow progress

A 4 mile run round my Dollar loop on Sunday and 4 miles at lunchtime yesterday. No hope of any more this week as I've got things on every lunch time and evening until Sunday again. Too busy.

Apparently the midnight sun marathon I mentioned in the last post is, like, a million miles from anywhere. Doesn't look like we've got the budget to get to northernmost Norway next year, at least. Not sure what holidays are on the cards at all, with my annual leave entitlement and salary yet to be confirmed I think I'll hold off booking anything until I know whether I have both time and money!

Passing thought

Loitering on the Runner's World forum (thinks: is there an apostrophe in the mag title?), I came across this:

http://www.msm.no/midnight-sun-marathon.9866.en.html

Kind of tempting.

Leith run

Four miles down the Water of Leith on Sunday. Wanted to get it done first thing, but Al suggested a walk with Dougal and Callum, so did a hour's walk by Cramond first. Then managed to persuade Cal to come on the run on his bike and Al to do 30 mins of it too. Lovely weather for it, and made me feel better about the cake overdose that followed in celebration of Morag's birth.

Actually, didn't do it all along the water but turned off past some allotments and discovered a new tunnel has been opened by Tesco's leading to a delightful park. Which made a nice change.

Yesterday planned to go surfing but instead had a sore throat and cold so cried off. Feel much better now so am annoyed with myself for not going as I haven't been surfing in AGES. But then, maybe if I had gone I would now have double pneumonia. You never know.

Autumn run

Four miles (ish - going by timing and need to look out the magic satellite device to tell exactly) at lunchtime today. It's nice when I can get away from my desk, even if I do return bright red and shiny in a way that may not inspire confidence in my pronouncements to colleagues. Went down the Devon Way to where the tarmac ends and back. Next time maybe I'll make the turn off to the stables. I was inspired by feeling particularly fat last night at dinner in my previously-favourite-now-too-tight jeans. Something Must Be Done.

In other news, have found a lovely house to rent in Muckhart! The letting agent is an idiot who could tell us nothing useful about the heating, council tax or use of the garage and who told us the gardener was included in the rent, which turned out to be far, far from the truth. So I explained we couldn't afford it with all the extras he piled on at the last minute. Next day he called back and offered an affordable (just) price, so warmth and dryness and millions of (ok, five) bedrooms await. Very excited.

Off to do the horse tonight. She's just started back in work and is allowed 15 mins of walking twice a day. Last time she only freaked out once, which is an improvement.

So far so good

Four miles at the gym to check the trainers, which are exactly like their predecessors, hurray.

Then a 6 mile walk yesterday with F&A and dogs, followed by a 4 mile run round Dollar today. Dougal is very happy with all this activity. Will try and get another run in tomorrow before heading to Edinburgh for Barry's birthday brucnh, which will probably weight me down for the rest fo the week.

New shoes

Just bee up to Bridge of Allan to pick up my shiney new trainers. Asics GT 2140s to be priecise - lovely violet colour this year, much nicer than last year's black.

So, now I have to actually go running to make use of them and justify their exoribtant cost.

I've done bits off and on but nothing really concrete. What with riding and working it's hard to fit in. But not impossible - there's a fair bit of laziness coming into play here too. Al and I have pretty much decided not to do a 2010 marathon but perhaps to aim for a good time in one in 2011. But I need to do something so will look up a few spring half marathons to aim for.

Out of excuses

Yep, my orthotics were here but my will power wasn't. I've driven round with my gym kit in the boot for a week and a half and the most exercise I've done is two 40 minute walks. Ah well. I don't normally start training till December anyway. But secretly I'm scared that without a marathon hanging over me I'll Never Run Again.

Must set myself a difficult time goal for the Alloa half to inspire me, and record it here so I can't wuss out...Let's see. How about [checks past blogs for previous half marathon times] ... 1 hour 40? That's what I would hope for just before running a (mythical) 3 hour 45 minute marathon. We'll see.

Very busy at work at the moment. Looking forward to next week's holiday - even if there's no surf I'm just going to sleep and read and be warm and not work.