Sunday, 23 December 2012

OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL....

....But you've still got to get your arse out the door to go a run.
I would never want to be considered a "fair weather runner". But the weather, so far, during my Christmas holidays is really testing my resolve.
I don't mind the rain too much, and I don't mind the wind too much...but add them both together! Bloody awful.
Yesterday I could have quite happily not gone a run at all. But then as we were heading off to Knowes to buy the fruit and veg for the week we saw Theresa and Sheila, from the club, battling through the wind and rain along the A199 towards East Linton. Well, when you see someone else make the effort it's even harder to bail out of a run, isn't it?
Nice thing is once you've done your run you can loaf about guilt free (well, that's the theory).
Yesterday's run was a tough, tough, 8 miler. By the time I got home I was absolutely drenched. Soaked through to the skin.
In the shower afterwards I noticed what I though was lumps of mud stuck to my legs. I attempted to wash them off. Only to discover, to my dismay, that it wasn't mud - it was tar!! The council have this machine (a "jet packer") that they use in a  futile attempt to fill in the potholes in East Lothian. Basically it just shoots a mixture of small particles, bound with tar into the pothole.
All good and well in principle, but they don't know how to use it - we've seen them in the past blast this gunk into potholes that are already full of rain water. Obviously the roads should be dry before use! Net result? Well it would appear that all the tarry crap has been flushed out of the potholes by the rain water.
Anyway, I could not shift this stuff from my legs. Ended up getting a razor and shaving bits of my legs in an attempt to shift it (the tar would not budge from the hair). Much to Anne's dismay I also managed to get it sticking to the bath! Jesus, what a fuss she made...we're getting a new one soon anyway.

Luckily I avoided the tar today in my 11 mile battle through more wind and rain.
Forecast isn't looking too good for the rest of the holidays.

Next up in my top five? Keith Jarrett "Sleeper". Recorded in Tokyo in 1979, this is the same Jarrett group that recorded the albums "My Song" and "Nude Ants". Garbarek on sax, Palle Danielsson on bass and Jon Christensen on drums. Why this recording lay dormant for 33 years is any body's guess.
Sadly the wonderful "My Song" is not included and the material is mostly from "Nude Ants". But this live recording is so much better than the studio output. The near 15 minute long version of "Chant Of The Soil" is an absolute "lowdown and funky" joy!

1 comment:

runtwo said...

Mary, Susan and I ran past Knowes farm yesterday - we thought we saw you languishing in one of the yurts.