I had planned to do about 17 or 18 miles today. And I did.
Just not in the one go.
I'd planned on going out with Ian S and doing a 16 miler in the Pentlands. Then events overtook my plans. The club is hosting the fourth and final leg of the Borders XC in four weeks time. We had planned to host it at John Muir country park and had the route all sorted.
Then last week I got a phone call to say that the cooncil could no longer accommodate us (they were double booked) and we would have to find an alternative!
Panic ensued...
Anyway. After a couple of discussions with the council it's now been relocated to White Sands and Barns Ness beaches.
So today. I ran the 7 miles from our bit to Barns Ness at a nice steady pace. Then stopped my watch.
I immediately re-started my watch and jogged around the proposed route looking for alternatives/problems/dangers/wet bit to take the runners through etc. Now, this "jog" will end up longer than the final route the runners will take, because a few times I wandered off in one direction, only to change my mind and have to retrace my steps and go another way. It was also very stop/start, but all in all it was quite an enjoyable trip.
Then I stopped my watch. Re-started it and ran the 6 miles home at a steady pace again. And I know it was shorter home, but that's because I went another way.
What I need to know is.. "do three runs, two steady and one jog, equate to one long run"?
Probably not, and I'm not sure how to record this in my log either.
And I've got XC both days next weekend. I'll get one bloody long run in yet.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
DIGA DIGA DOO...
Jazz gets very little coverage in the national press.
Anyway. It's part of my Friday ritual... coffee, cake and jazz while reading the jazz reviews in the Friday Review part of the Guardian.
Not his first album, but it is his first on the ACT label.... Hmm first ACT sign up Yaron Herman and now they sign up Gwilym Simcock. As long as they give them freedom and don't try to fill a void by turning them into Esbjorn Svensson clones.
But then... was it "fate"? Or, more likely, just happy coincidence... The Guradian article also mentions Andre Previn. I pop into an Oxfam books and music shop and whats there on the shelf? Well not an Andre Previn album as such, as it happens. But an album by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra featuring Andre Previn. "Happy Session" from 1958.
I might consider myself a bit of a "bop" fan who's really into small combos but I have a "guilty pleasure". I really do love a bit of big band jazz. So this was a must. Two piano players are listed. The other being Russ Freeman who is best known, to me, for his work with the likes of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan.
Luckily the coverage it does get in the Guardian is of a very high quality and is usually provided by John Fordham - a critic who I admire quite a bit.
It's very rare that I will make a purchase solely on the say-so of a critic, but I have a couple of times based on his recommendations and not, yet, been disappointed.
Anyway. It's part of my Friday ritual... coffee, cake and jazz while reading the jazz reviews in the Friday Review part of the Guardian.This week there was a fairly extensive article about the pianist Gwilym Simcock. He really does seem to be the "man of the moment". Read and heard a few good things about him lately. Quite a nice wee piece and I enjoyed reading the little extra bit about other pianists steeped in the classical tradition....
So. It was no great surprise that yesterday while out shopping I got myself a copy of Simcock's new solo piano album. Very Keith Jarrett like (or at least it seems to be after one listening).Not his first album, but it is his first on the ACT label.... Hmm first ACT sign up Yaron Herman and now they sign up Gwilym Simcock. As long as they give them freedom and don't try to fill a void by turning them into Esbjorn Svensson clones.
But then... was it "fate"? Or, more likely, just happy coincidence... The Guradian article also mentions Andre Previn. I pop into an Oxfam books and music shop and whats there on the shelf? Well not an Andre Previn album as such, as it happens. But an album by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra featuring Andre Previn. "Happy Session" from 1958.
I might consider myself a bit of a "bop" fan who's really into small combos but I have a "guilty pleasure". I really do love a bit of big band jazz. So this was a must. Two piano players are listed. The other being Russ Freeman who is best known, to me, for his work with the likes of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan.A really happy find and addition to my big band collection as it doesn't have that many of the old Goodman standards (there are a few). This album features a couple of really nice covers including a really atmospheric cover of "Diga Diga Doo" that's been done by the likes of Duke Ellington and Artie Shaw.
Pure "Cotton Club" era jazz!
Picked up another in the charity shop. "Blues at Bradley's" by the Charles Fambrough octet. Still to give that an airing.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
TWO RUNS
Two runs yesterday.
One at lunchtime. Through in the DGP. Work has been a bit hectic and fraught as of late, so I used my run as an opportunity to exorcise my demons through exercise and took in 6.7 miles at a brisk 6:35 pace. Quite enjoyed it and felt a bit calmer and more at ease with the world on my return.
The last night was club night, and it ended up as an "eyeballs-out-on-stalks-and-heart-competing-with-lungs-for-room-in-the-rib-cage" pace, 6.4 miles. Enjoyed it.
Anyway. Net result? What should have been today's steady 10 miler turned into a "in-the-name-of-christ-shoot-me-now" 8 mile plod. To be honest I felt OK for the first three mile or so, but by the time I came to the turn off for the small loop that takes the 8 mile circuit to 10 I just thought "feck-this" and kept on the short road. I don't like doing that.
Though in a twisted sort of way, it's useful to have a run like that every now and then. You go through wee patches where your running well, and the temptation is just to keep on and on, but down that road injury through over training lies. Need a wee reality check every now and then
As an aside.. I may have mentioned that my run in the DGP takes me past the tradesmen's entrance of the High Court and I often see the prison wagon in dropping off and picking up...
The one day I'm not there....
One at lunchtime. Through in the DGP. Work has been a bit hectic and fraught as of late, so I used my run as an opportunity to exorcise my demons through exercise and took in 6.7 miles at a brisk 6:35 pace. Quite enjoyed it and felt a bit calmer and more at ease with the world on my return.
The last night was club night, and it ended up as an "eyeballs-out-on-stalks-and-heart-competing-with-lungs-for-room-in-the-rib-cage" pace, 6.4 miles. Enjoyed it.
Anyway. Net result? What should have been today's steady 10 miler turned into a "in-the-name-of-christ-shoot-me-now" 8 mile plod. To be honest I felt OK for the first three mile or so, but by the time I came to the turn off for the small loop that takes the 8 mile circuit to 10 I just thought "feck-this" and kept on the short road. I don't like doing that.
Though in a twisted sort of way, it's useful to have a run like that every now and then. You go through wee patches where your running well, and the temptation is just to keep on and on, but down that road injury through over training lies. Need a wee reality check every now and then
As an aside.. I may have mentioned that my run in the DGP takes me past the tradesmen's entrance of the High Court and I often see the prison wagon in dropping off and picking up...
The one day I'm not there....
 |
| "Three in a bed"? No problem where he's off to.... |
Sunday, 23 January 2011
SAND .......................... AND SPINACH
It's Sunday morning. It's January. It's dull and dreech. The wind is picking up.
Yipee it's cross country!
Second leg of the Borders XC today at Spittal Beach near Berwick.
We went down early to help out with the registration. Peter and Jeanette from Berwick did the registration for the seniors while me and Anne did the registration for the two other categories - juniors and that sort of in between category of mono-syllabic teenagers who slouch along in their parent's/guardian's/keeper's wake.
Because the juniors star 30 minutes before the senior race I still had enough time to get changed and go for a warm up with Ian and Brian.
And then it was time for the race itself..
A difficult start along a narrow path through the dunes. Easy to fall or get boxed in.
However, once round the corner onto the main beach it's pretty wide open. There is a choice... "do I head in a straight line for where we come off the beach" or "do I dodge a bit down to the waters edge onto the firmer sand". It's got to be the later. I know it's good for you and I know it's good training, but I really don't like running on sand.
I just tried to get into a comfortable rhythm and keep the pace steady.
By the time we got off the beach and onto the cliff top pathway I found myself running behind Ian and Pete Buchanan.
And that's pretty much how it stayed for the rest of the race.
While Ian and Pete had their own wee race going I was trying to hang on to either of them.
At one point I thought I was doing not too bad, but in the last half mile or so they seemed to pull away a bit.
I knew that the runner behind me was not going to catch me so I wasn't too bothered.
Time of 29:14 and 11th place wasn't too bad. Only two more races left in this reduced series, but I won't be able to run the leg at Dunbar so I have to do the next.
Hung about at the end to watch everyone else coming in and have a bit of a natter. Then we collected the results sheets and headed home so I could fire up the Babbage Difference Engine and get the results posted.
After the race Ray from HELP kindly gave me a CD he'd picked up by Benny Carter. It's a profile of Carter's earlier works with various big bands, mainly in the 40's. But theer's also three numbers from Carters own quartet of the late 50's. Bit of a multi instrumentalist, Carter's main "thang" was the sax but there are a couple of numbers that feature him on trumpet.
His playing is mostly "swing" tinged, but there are a few boppish riffs, especially in the later 50's quartet numbers.
I've only got a couple of Carter albums and they are predominantly later works, so this is a nice addition.
One vocal track on it... "I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)" by Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends. Bit of a novelty number where Ms Lee tries to thinly disguise her growing appetite for sexual gratification as a growing taste for the titular vegetable. How that got past the censors in 1947 is anybody's guess.
Anyway, the CD kept me going while the Babbage chuntered away.
Yipee it's cross country!
Second leg of the Borders XC today at Spittal Beach near Berwick.
We went down early to help out with the registration. Peter and Jeanette from Berwick did the registration for the seniors while me and Anne did the registration for the two other categories - juniors and that sort of in between category of mono-syllabic teenagers who slouch along in their parent's/guardian's/keeper's wake.
Because the juniors star 30 minutes before the senior race I still had enough time to get changed and go for a warm up with Ian and Brian.
And then it was time for the race itself..
A difficult start along a narrow path through the dunes. Easy to fall or get boxed in.
However, once round the corner onto the main beach it's pretty wide open. There is a choice... "do I head in a straight line for where we come off the beach" or "do I dodge a bit down to the waters edge onto the firmer sand". It's got to be the later. I know it's good for you and I know it's good training, but I really don't like running on sand.
I just tried to get into a comfortable rhythm and keep the pace steady.
By the time we got off the beach and onto the cliff top pathway I found myself running behind Ian and Pete Buchanan.
And that's pretty much how it stayed for the rest of the race.
While Ian and Pete had their own wee race going I was trying to hang on to either of them.
At one point I thought I was doing not too bad, but in the last half mile or so they seemed to pull away a bit.
I knew that the runner behind me was not going to catch me so I wasn't too bothered.
Time of 29:14 and 11th place wasn't too bad. Only two more races left in this reduced series, but I won't be able to run the leg at Dunbar so I have to do the next.
Hung about at the end to watch everyone else coming in and have a bit of a natter. Then we collected the results sheets and headed home so I could fire up the Babbage Difference Engine and get the results posted.
 |
| Calculating results - the easy way. |
After the race Ray from HELP kindly gave me a CD he'd picked up by Benny Carter. It's a profile of Carter's earlier works with various big bands, mainly in the 40's. But theer's also three numbers from Carters own quartet of the late 50's. Bit of a multi instrumentalist, Carter's main "thang" was the sax but there are a couple of numbers that feature him on trumpet.
His playing is mostly "swing" tinged, but there are a few boppish riffs, especially in the later 50's quartet numbers.
I've only got a couple of Carter albums and they are predominantly later works, so this is a nice addition.
One vocal track on it... "I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)" by Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends. Bit of a novelty number where Ms Lee tries to thinly disguise her growing appetite for sexual gratification as a growing taste for the titular vegetable. How that got past the censors in 1947 is anybody's guess.
Anyway, the CD kept me going while the Babbage chuntered away.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
QUITE ENJOYED THE "SCIENCE". WHEN DOES THE "FICTION" PART KICK IN?
Did my LSD today. Normally I'd do it on a Sunday, but tomorrow sees my dance card already marked off for the second leg of the Borders XC. So "needs must" and all that, I ended up going out for a long un' today.
Maybe about 13.5 miles. But nice and hilly so I was out there "working" for about 1:35.
I'll try to do a 16 miler next week. The main thing is the weekly mileage is now up to about 55. A bit down on what it was this time last year, but maybe that's no bad thing.
I really do need to get new shoes. Given the fact that I got this pair before the Loch Ness mara' I think they've long passed their useful lifespan.
The state of the post thaw, muddy, salty, country roads has not been kind to them either.
Anyway. Briefly and elsewhere...
Never been a big fan of science fiction literature. Except the "classic" stuff like HG wells.
But I read a book this week by the authour Stuart MacBride - "Halfhead".
MacBride is best known for his Logan MacRae crime thrillers set in Aberdeen, but this is an earlier work of his. I enjoyed the MacRae books I've read so far so thought I'd give this a punt.
It's basically a crime thriller about a serial killer, set in a "not-too-distant-future", lawless, Glasgow populated by a mixture of semi-lobotomised menials and a large, feral, drug addled, unemployed, riot prone, under-class, crammed together in high rise slums..
There is a lot of humour in his Logan MacRae books (albeit very dark). While there are a few spots of humour here they are few and far between and come as welcome relief from the bombardment of gore laden murder scenes.
Entertaining enough, but I hope he keeps it as a one off.
Maybe about 13.5 miles. But nice and hilly so I was out there "working" for about 1:35.
I'll try to do a 16 miler next week. The main thing is the weekly mileage is now up to about 55. A bit down on what it was this time last year, but maybe that's no bad thing.
I really do need to get new shoes. Given the fact that I got this pair before the Loch Ness mara' I think they've long passed their useful lifespan.
The state of the post thaw, muddy, salty, country roads has not been kind to them either.
Anyway. Briefly and elsewhere...
Never been a big fan of science fiction literature. Except the "classic" stuff like HG wells.
MacBride is best known for his Logan MacRae crime thrillers set in Aberdeen, but this is an earlier work of his. I enjoyed the MacRae books I've read so far so thought I'd give this a punt.
It's basically a crime thriller about a serial killer, set in a "not-too-distant-future", lawless, Glasgow populated by a mixture of semi-lobotomised menials and a large, feral, drug addled, unemployed, riot prone, under-class, crammed together in high rise slums..
There is a lot of humour in his Logan MacRae books (albeit very dark). While there are a few spots of humour here they are few and far between and come as welcome relief from the bombardment of gore laden murder scenes.
Entertaining enough, but I hope he keeps it as a one off.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
RED LIGHT
One of the good things about working from home is that I get to put on the washing.
One of the bad things about working from home is that I get to put on the washing.
Why does there have to be so many dials and nobs? What in the name of god is "half wash"?? Who only wants rid of half the dirt?
I only have two settings that I need/use, and have been sorely tempted to take a permanent marker pen to the front of the machine and rename these "cycles" to more sensible titles: "running gear" and "stuff that needs a good boiling" (though to be fair to the olfactory senses of others the two need not be mutually exclusive.)
Now there is a third category of laundry that doesn't fit into either of these cycles.... "What's that? Oh sod it I'll just leave it for Anne".
Anyway. Thought I'd broken the dam thing this morning. I'd bunged in my running gear earlier and went into the kitchen to make a coffee while it was going through its spin. I looked at the glass bowl/window-type-thing. There were red flashing lights inside the machine! Now, I'm not much of a technical expert but I know that's not right! It was all lit up with flashy birling red lights - it was like something from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
In a panic I stopped the machine.
I peered into the belly of the beast.... my LED arm band!! Been wearing it last night and obviously just threw it into my kit bag with all my sweaty gear. How it got switched on I'll never know.
Problem was, the drum was full of water. Did I stop the cycle and try to get it out? If I'd done that I risked flooding the kitchen floor.
Just left it... Seems to be OK. So there you go. ASDA's own LED armbands - 100% waterproof.
One of the bad things about working from home is that I get to put on the washing.
Why does there have to be so many dials and nobs? What in the name of god is "half wash"?? Who only wants rid of half the dirt?
I only have two settings that I need/use, and have been sorely tempted to take a permanent marker pen to the front of the machine and rename these "cycles" to more sensible titles: "running gear" and "stuff that needs a good boiling" (though to be fair to the olfactory senses of others the two need not be mutually exclusive.)
Now there is a third category of laundry that doesn't fit into either of these cycles.... "What's that? Oh sod it I'll just leave it for Anne".
Anyway. Thought I'd broken the dam thing this morning. I'd bunged in my running gear earlier and went into the kitchen to make a coffee while it was going through its spin. I looked at the glass bowl/window-type-thing. There were red flashing lights inside the machine! Now, I'm not much of a technical expert but I know that's not right! It was all lit up with flashy birling red lights - it was like something from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
In a panic I stopped the machine.
I peered into the belly of the beast.... my LED arm band!! Been wearing it last night and obviously just threw it into my kit bag with all my sweaty gear. How it got switched on I'll never know.
Problem was, the drum was full of water. Did I stop the cycle and try to get it out? If I'd done that I risked flooding the kitchen floor.
Just left it... Seems to be OK. So there you go. ASDA's own LED armbands - 100% waterproof.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
DID A BIT LSD TODAY
Since turning my back, metaphorocally, on alcohol there are still things I like to do that give me a bit of a "high"...LSD. I've actually been into LSD for a wee while now and at this time of the year I like to start to up the dosage a bit at the weekend. Not the sort of LSD that Timothy Leary may have advocated though - I'm more into Long Slow Distance.
I've decided, again, that I am not following a structured plan/schedule/what-not prior to the next marathon. I'm going to stick to what seems to have worked for the last couple of years.. Two speed session during the week (club nights), a couple of steady runs during the week on my own and a couple of longer runs at the weekend, including one really long 'un.For various reasons I missed out on long runs this festive season (weather, injury, etc.) So today saw me start off on my first long run for a bit. Did about 14 miles. Pace was quite slow but I enjoyed it all the same. Went through Spott, Burnhead, Pitcox, along the bridle path at the A1 and then back via Starvation Brae. It felt like the first proper "Sunday run" I've had in a while.
Unlike yesterday, when the run got cut short from about 12 to 8. The bloody wind was really picking up, and on a few stretches I was leaning 45 degrees into the wind, the heart rate was going through the roof and I was getting nowhere. Not nice at all.
Books. Last week I read "Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming. Read a few of the Bond books when I was younger, and I've always thought they were better than the films they inspired. To be honest this is more of a short story than a novel and I read it in two sittings.Timid by todays standard of crime/action thriller but a dam fine ripping yarn. Got the whole series to look forward to. Added bonus? Nowhere in the novels is the action ruined by a lisping, golf club wielding, beardy, SNP loving twat!
Jazz. Oh lordy, too much to talk about. Way too much lately. I've been getting it quicker than I can listen to it. Got round the other day to "re-listening" to an album by Julian Joseph - "Universal Traveller". What a great album this is. There is a version of the standard "Never Let Me Go" that is breath taking. Every note from the piano sounds like it has been precision engineered. Each note falls into place with such clarity. It's as if icicles are melting and pure drops of water are falling into crystal glasses from a height. This sounds like vintage Bill Evans!Then, as if I didn't have enough to listen to, I aquired today a recording of the Carla Bley band live in Hamburg in 1984. Only three tracks long but what the hell. Especially when one of those tracks is a version of one of my favourite Monk tunes "Misterioso".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)