We were thinking we would take it easy New Year's Eve and be nice and fresh for the Portobello Promathon, but then our friend Amanda texted and said did we fancy a run out Aberlady way? Of course we did, so we changed plans quickly and drove out to Aberlady to meet her. (We have a new Porty gang hut in Aberlady, but don't tell Amanda's sister Alison, - she thinks it's her new flat!)
Amanda had been going to run home from Aberlady to Musselburgh which would have been 10 miles or so into a nasty head wind so we got her to come on our happy 10 miler from Gullane. It was only half into the wind.
Quite early on in the run I remembered that Amanda's an awful good runner and so while her and Peter jogged and chatted in a relaxed manner I held on to the back of them and tried to keep up. I only heard snatches of random gossip. The wind was fierce and very cold so it was good to get it behind us on the run down the coast. We finished up just as it was getting dark. Its something we almost have a knack for, and I did feel pleased that we'd spent Hogmanay out down near the beach which had been pretty much my favourite place for the year.
Little did I know that Hogmanay was not spent yet. We gave Amanda a lift home and popped in to see Scott who was just in from work. We haven't seen him for a long time as he's mashed his ankle and hasn't been running. Him and Peter share a common passion for cameras and so they spoke pure camera (14mm lenses, pancake lenses, focal length, bokeh, f-stops, apertures, you get the picture!) while Amanda filled up their glasses with red wine from some flagon Scott has taken to drinking from since he lost the running. (Actually it was a litre and a half bottle.) It was a while til we got home...
I couldn't be bothered with Hogmanay in the slightest and was more than ready for bed at 11.30pm so probably the first words I uttered for 2013 were "Roll over you're snoring!".
This morning neither of us were feeling spectacularly racey. It didn't matter too much for me, not much at stake, but there are a few Portobellos all in very close contention at the moment in Peter's part of the field - including new lady, Nicola Duncan. So there was more pressure and tension there.
It was good to see all the people today, though I did wonder why on earth I was running a 4 mile race.
The first mile was okay, and the 2nd, although I knew I was slowing,...mile 3 I got a horrible stitch and was tempted to walk but couldn't quite square it with myself, and then I did something different with my breathing and felt better in the 4th mile although not any quicker. I guess it will take work. I need to invent some kind of "speed" workout for myself once a weekish I think. I'm not sure the 2 weeks until the cross-country is long enough...
Peter did not win the race for first Porty - not at all! But he did win a big, spanking trophy for coming first over 50 which probably helped with the pain.
And so, if I had any sense I would be stretching just now. Happy New Year to you people out there, whether you believe in it or not!
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