'Mature' runners.

I could manage the cakes.

IW - I think you earned those cakes.

4 miles this morning, nothing special but by now I think I should be tapering. My race number arrived in the post this morning. Apparently there are water stations every 3 miles, so shan't need to carry a drink.

John went out with a mountain biker group today and managed to fall off twice - I think my man has more scars on his shins than skin, he has injured himself so often! He is really accident prone. Managed to cut both legs today, but the left is much more damaged. I told him to put plaster over the biggest cuts otherwise he's going to get blood all over his bed sheets.

Tomorrow is the annual bike day for our area - the whole Weinstrasse road, about 60 miles, is closed to cars from 10am to 6pm. There are food and drink stalls plus other attractions all the way along, it's a great day out. The police estimate of participants last year was 30,000!

BIW, hope your bike day went well, and the weather was fine. There was the annual Applemore Triathlon today, which meant the forest was invaded by hundreds of cyclists.

Went for an 11 mile run this morning in the forest with one of the Coaches and her husband. We are going to try and make an LSD forest run a regular event, with more runners partaking. It was hot and sunny, so I was glad I wore my cap.

Did a slow easy run this morning. Still ticking over. Lunch out with junior expectant
daughter. It was a very good fish restaurant with no meat dishes on the menu at all.
JJ

I am unable to run - have got accomadation booked at the Holiday inn Jesmond from 14th - 17th  - - - cost £319 - double room.------------unable to cancel but can transfer -will pay transfer costs -anyone interested . Colin

Morning all,

Hope you all had a good weekend.  Ours was so busy - Mike's with composing (he's having one of those 'flow' moments that creatives speak about!) and me with gardening and craft.  I was a good girl on Saturday night and didn't drink much so I wasn't hungover the next day for my plod.  Mike on the other hand did and was 

No running today as it's mega taper time.  Please let the weather be cool at the weekend as I don't fancy my chances in Thanet if it's as hot as last time I ran it (in the 30s!!!!).  My breathing has been particularly bad on each of my last few runs so I'm hoping it will improve for Sunday.

Today sees the start of hedge trimming in the garden.  This is done over the course of many days a s we have a lot of hedge to trim and involves Mike wielding the hedgetrimmer (which is too heavy for me to even lift!) and me either holding the platform on uneven bits or getting rid of the branches - some for shredding, some for burning.   All the birds have fledged now so it's safe to go ahead, except for an area of hawthorn where Mrs Woodpigeon is sitting on her nest.  The field hedges are allowed to be flail cut between November and February and we usually leave them until January so the birds get most of the berries off.

Have a lovely Bank Holiday everyone 

Redhead, you appear to be as busy as usual.

I am fortunately, still in the land of the living and still taking the pills and hoping to start my come back once again this afternoon. Mrs OT  is at work for the bank holiday and i have a list of domestic jobs to complete before i can run.

And thats as good as it gets in this household for bank holiday monday  

Bright and sunny today, despite the forecast being for heavy rain.

A steady 6 miles this morning.

Best of luck to all you racers at the weekend!

The local radio station has been playing recordings from the Pirate Stations  back in the sixties. Radio Caroline and Radio City were my favourites. They even played some of the jingles, which I remembered clearly. I had forgotten it was Tony Benn who got the Pirates banned.

Redhead
Flail cutting is one of the things I intend to ban when I become omnipotent.

TE
I used to listen to Radio Luxemburg which pre-dated the pirate stations by a long way.
JJ

Had an eclectic mix of activities today.
Did a 4 mile walk/run off road with the doodle. Bought a Tom Tom GPS for MrsJJ, bought two mirrors for the hall, ordered some carpet for stairs and landing, bought a new landing light, ordered a new mattress and headboard, dug up and replaced a plant that isn't earning its keep. Set up the GPS. Bought a 1930s Art Deco model of a beige greyhound for the hall table at an antiques fair in a nearby village.
JJ

A dogged 7 miles completed in the pouring rain this afternoon, a lot further than i thought  possible after not running for nearly a fortnight. Slow at 1-26-58 but at least i'm back on me feet. 

OT
Every mile helps.

JJ, I also listened to Radio Luxemburg on 208 metres. It was so annoying the way the sound kept fading.Jimmy Saville had his TTDC (Teen and Twenty Disc Club) . Remember Horace Batchelor and his Infradraw Method at Keynsham Bristol, spelt KEYNSHAM  Keynsham? I believe he died pennyless. You've been very busy, sounds like "60 minute make over!"

OT very well done, after a longish lay off! It didn't rain at all today in the New Forest.

I'm looking forward to tomorrows club session, which will be 100 and 200 metre sprint efforts on the track.

Rain all today in Wales. Been stripping wallpaper; now nearly done, but oh! it's been a tough job. 

Yesterday was a much better day weatherwise, and it was Youngest Daughter's birthday (her 24th), and I met her for lunch. In fact, there were 8 of us altogether, come from 3 different directions, all met at a little village called Much Birch, a few miles north of Ross on Wye.

Daughter arrived with her left arm swathed in clingfilm. She'd treated herself to a tattoo. I was slightly horrified, though as tattoos go it's an attractive one, - vaguely like twining plants, delicate and filigree-like, the length of her inner left forearm. 

Lunch lasted 4 and a half hours, which was quite good going.

Columba - have to admit I'm a tattooed person too - I have four, a black unicorn on my left thigh, a dragon on my right, the triathlon logo swimmer-biker-runner on my right ankle and a wolf howling at the moon on my right shoulder blade.

Tried last night to upload a photo of Charly but twice got a message from RW that a problem had been encountered. I managed to upload the same pic onto Facebook though.

Afternoon all,

No running today as I've been pummelled by Mary; in a good way of course 

Columba, I've never been brave enough to get a tattoo.  I didn't even have my ears pierced until I was 30.

IW, I like the sound of your wolf howling at the moon.

JJ, I agree about the old flail cutters as they ripped hedges to shreds.  Thankfully the newer ones are much more efficient and you get a really clean cut.  Our hedges look great now and the growth is really dense which saves on stock-proof fencing.  You don't really have an option on the hedges that adjoin a road as hedge layers won't touch them.  A local hedge laying group did one of our internal field hedges for free a few years ago as it was good practice.

OT, well done on your 7 miles.  How's your asthma/hayfever?

TE, I used to listen to radio Luxemburg on my sisters old radio which I put under my pillow so nobody else could hear!

 BIW, the tattooed lady!

How long ago did you get them done; and are you bored with any of them yet? - That is my main concern, that it's there for life; so anyone getting a tattoo needs to be sure it's not a design that will "date", or one that is ok on a young person but not so good on an older one who may need to project a rather different image. 

There's a lady who lives locally whose shoulders, arms and legs are covered in tattoos. She used to go swimming at the same time as me, and I was interested to note that there are some un-tattooed parts of her body, but not many.

Redhead, I got my ears pierced when I was in my early 20s. Many years later I got them re-pierced, as they'd been done unevenly (left lobe pierced higher than right lobe).

Been to Aberystwyth this morning, to discuss changes in working conditions. Now not at all sure that it's gong to be worth continuing with the work.

Back in time to go out with the running club this evening.

TE
The bit I remember most is "......................and the time by my H.Samuel Everite is.............".

Not keen on tatoos unless they're somewhere where the sun don't shine.

Redhead
I can lay a hedge. About 20 years ago I went on a hedge laying course and subsequently did a couple for friends. I often pass the hedges and feel a strange sense of ownership. They get flail cut now but still  remain very dense at the base.

Columba
Unless it costs you money you should consider working if it's possible. The mind needs exercise too.
JJ