Bit of a busy weekend.
Yesterday we went along to Pencaitland to take part in the very low key Pencaitland 10k.
The race is organised by a local play group, or some such, and as such the emphasis was a bit more on the "fun" than it was on "run". Though I was heartened to see a few more club runners taking part this time.
There was a "zumba" warm up session ... which I declined to participate in. Choosing instead to go a couple of mile warm up run with the two Ian's and take the opportunity to water some of the shrubs in the ground of the big house.
The route itself was really nice - just the sort of thing I enjoy training on - but for some reason hate racing on!!
Anyway, young Mr Crichton was taking part. He's finished a busy season of cross country races, has just had a "rest" week and was looking for something low-key that he could run "under the radar". Even taking it easy he was off like a rocket.
Quite a few climbs, sharp bends, gates and crossings on the route. Nothing too serious but enough to break any rhythm you may have. Still happy with my 37:16 though.
I did say it was very low key didn't I? It's the first prize giving I've been too where the organisers had to ask the runners who was the first lady across the line! I'm not holding out much hope for the results being published...at all.
As I'd hoped there were big biscuits on ribbons instead of medals. Great. At one point I went back into the hall to get my long sleeve top. Only to find Anne deep in conversation with a couple of kids while she decorated her medal with a tube of green icing!
Dunbar "bookended" the run with Andrew coming in first while Keith defended his "lantern rouge" admirably, still keeping enough in the tank for his trademark sprint for the line.
Went back to Ian and Jane's afterwards for coffee and scones - very nice, but had to leave sharpish as we were off last night to see Tord Gustavsen at the Queens Hall (and bloody excellent that was too).
This morning with the sun beating down on me like it was a July day I headed off over the hills via Crichness and Harehead etc for a 23 mile circuit. Just tried to keep the pace steady (not easy with so many climbs) and tried to keep the old ticker in the green "easy" zone. 23 miles and for the first 18 the only other person I saw was Anne who was doing a similar route, but in the opposite direction!
Then at 18 miles, when things were starting to get tough, I got stopped and asked directions by a couple of hikers. Obviously I was happy to help, and they don't know how far you've been... but trying to get started again after a short stop at that distance is really tough. Just a baw hair over 3 hours for 23.
One last weekend of long distance next week before the dreaded taper!
The rest of today will be spent playing with my new "toy" that I got on Friday. A shinny new Ipod touch.
I've always tried to steer clear of "I"-anythings, but it was time for a new MP3 player and the more I looked at what was on offer the more I realised that the Ipod did everything I wanted (including dual-mono playback!).
Loaded Itunes onto my PC on Friday and imported my *ahem* "modest" library of music. Feck me that was running most of the night and a part of Saturday. But now that its in its running pretty well.
I shall use my taper week as an excuse to spend time loading some "bangin'-tunes" on to it, as I believe the youth of today are want to say.
Won't run with it though. I prefer to run, as I did today, with my inner monologue singing along to me on "shuffle mode". There is a part of today's run (and I won't say where - because it's my place) where I always end up singing The Jam "The Place I Love"
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