Covid Christmas

Let me take you back to the middle of the month and local runs on wet cycle paths. Jeezo. Peter hates the winter -  like HATES it. Ask him about it some time and you'll hear about it. I generously took him on an 11 miler I recently sketched out which has lots of good features, but he didn't appreciate it much. I tried playing a word game with him which can sometimes cheer him up, but it didn't have any effect. The best medicine for him seems to be going to Tenerife but that wasn't possible this year. We had actually thought about just taking a gamble and booking a holiday from Christmas Eve for a week and I'm now awfully glad we didn't.

I gave him one of these lights that's supposed to help with SAD and he puts it on but he puts it behind him. He's a crazy person. But this is a blog about running.

In the interests of telling the story, I was trying to remember when the restrictions upped so much we weren't allowed to go to Gullane any more. I think it was the end of November but I already don't know. I'm a bit savvier this time in that I'm remembering to move the Berlingo, so hopefully it survives its statutory lay-off. It was interesting to re-enter that restricted space and remember what it was like last time. During the first lockdown at least the sun shined a lot.

Has this really been a crazy time or does it just seem like it? I've never watched the news regularly and that might be something to do with it. The 'news' that we get just seems skewed. Skewed and shallow. I don't know what I'm looking for though. Maybe facts and numbers or something. Was Trump a president or was that a cartoon that I watched? Will we all be able to look back on this time and laugh heartily?

Anyway, I saw a sign in the sky the other night, which definitely maybe might mean something or else it was only some clouds.

I know, right?

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So another day we went to the Pentlands. The sun came out sometimes and it was chilly in the shadows.

We hoped we might get up the hill for a spectacular sunset but it had clouded over by then. Still a good few hours out and a day nearer to next spring.

Someone decorated a tree on the banks of the Almond

We went out for a longer run last Sunday. I had already done more mileage than I usually do for the week because I wanted to go over 2000 running miles for 2020. I've made it so now I'm chasing 2020 miles for 2020. Actually I'm going to make that unless something goes badly wrong.

We did well to get out fairly early for a run, but all the excitement was right at the start. There were nice ducks and coots at Lochend Park and after that there was a no-show otter at Figgate Park and again at Duddingston Loch. Peter's spirits plummeted and I was running very slowly on tired legs.

We ran 16 miles but it was pointlessly slow and I kind of hated it. It was a good reminder to not push the mileage just for the sake of it. That might improve some people but it just makes me slower. I've been running better recently and it wasn't good to revisit that achy bodied slowness that I think for me is a sign of over-training. I've persisted with it in the past and it's never done me any good.

Back to signs and signals. There was a rare (so I'm told) conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn recently. I had a look out the window to see if I could see anything. I wouldn't know if I was seeing Jupiter or Saturn but it was actually quite starry for the centre of Edinburgh, so I set up my tri-pod and sat in the dark taking pictures out the window. I've been looking at bigger lenses on the net as a result, and cameras which are good for taking night pictures. The prices are astronomical!!!! - BOOM!!!

At last - Christmas Day....the weather was nicer than advertised.

We went an easy-peasy run up and around Arthur's Seat. There was a fierce, cold westerly wind at the top. We came home and didn't stuff ourselves. I had a few moments temporary regret about not having any hot mince-pies in the house but it passed.

I have blogger's fatigue. That was too much all in a oner. Merry Xmas to anyone left out there alive!

Thanks for dropping by!