Situations Vacant

Well Peter has decided he wants a blog of his own, so I'm in need of a new photographer. Or I have to carry a camera myself. Or I could just illustrate the run as I have done above. That picture pretty much tells it. Except we met the fat wheeled bikers.

I set the set top box thing to record the x-country at Holyrood today at 11.30 and while I had the telly on I got captivated by a cookery programme where they were making fried chicken in a creamy sauce, a side helping of chips and a white wine to accompany it. I could have eaten the lot then and there and I guessed it didn't augur well for running today, if I already felt ready for a big meal probably followed by a sleep.

So I had three rice-cakes and a banana accompanied by a lovely cup of redbush tea and then we set off for Gullane. Before you accuse me of being boring, I actually suggested we go somewhere else today - but Peter had a quote to do in Longniddry so Gullane it was.

We did the 12.5 mile loop. Gullane - Aberlady - Yellowcraigs - Dirleton - Gullane. It was a bit of a grey day and I kept my head down and kept running. I didn't see much. We had been following  wide bike tracks on the sand for a while so it wasn't a huge surprise when we ran into Bruce, Jason and a posse of other fat-bikers just before the difficult cliffy bit.

I don't have much to say about the running, it was hard work. It probably doesn't help that I've just massively upped my mileage. Last week I ran 45 miles and thought I should really back off - being more used to running in the early 30s these days. Upping it so drastically seemed just like asking for trouble. Not that I've never done it before. I actually always do it. So this week I was going to calm it, but ended up running 44 instead - although these were flatter miles, so a lot less time on feet. My niggle from last week is all but gone, so that's good - but I think I'm paying a price more in terms of feeling a bit grim when I'm out running. It would help if the sun came out!

I'm still a bit slower than I was pre-op and I'm reluctantly accepting that recovery is going to take longer than I had hoped so I've trimmed some of my more ambitious plans. I think, for instance, that I'll give the Selkirk Hill race a miss on the 19th Jan. I can't bring myself to miss out the Carnethy  so I must get out and do some hills none-the-less. Probably tomorrow.

It seems I'm getting some photos from today after all....

We saw the fat bikers again in Gullane, eating cones and drinking coffee in the square. They know how to enjoy themselves. I think a night of telly and eating is on the cards.