On Monday morning I decided to take advantage of the dry weather by running a new route which included cutting across a field of sheep. It was quite a good run, but when I got to the gate that lead into the field there was a sign saying Stick to the Footpath, but unfortunately I couldn't see a footpath! I knew which direction I wanted to go in though, so I aimed for that. The sheep ran off, and I stumbled over some bumpy bits of grass and mud.
It was a pretty good run, but there were some very soggy patches of grass and mud, which were almost like marshland. Although i tried to tread very carefully on these stretches, I ended up sticking my foot squarely in a stinky brown pond of mud and water. Yuck! Luckily there was no-one around to hear me swear. My left foot squelched all the way home and I'm not sure my trainers will ever be the same. I think I have a lot to learn about this off-road running stuff.
On Tuesday I had planned to go for a cycle, and I was really looking forward to it. However, I ended up getting a last minute opticians appointment, and as I couldn't seem to get an alternative date, I reluctantly went to get my eyes tested instead. The fact that the sun came out while I was in a little room reading out letters from a screen just made me more grumpy.
Later in the week, my parents were coming to visit for the weekend, so I managed to get myself out of bed early 2 mornings in a row, and ran on Weds and Thurs before the kids got out of bed. This meant I didn't lose out on mileage and could still be a good host!
The weather has really brightened up over the weekend, and we had a lovely day yesterday visiting a castle, going out for a big lunch and then heading to the beach. The kids even had a paddle in the sea, it was great.
This morning I had a little run to bring my week to 18.2 miles. A shame that I didn't fit any cycling in, but I'm hoping to get stuck into some good running and biking mileage over the next few weeks - especially if the weather stays good.
It's so annoying when medical appointments get in the way of more important plans. You did well getting all your runs done this week despite the house guests and your appointment. I'm sure it helped enormously that the weather cooperated - although you're hard core and don't let little things like raindrops stop you.
ReplyDeleteBeach and a castle????? Where is the picture of the castle? Sounds wonderful! Are there lots of different castles open for visits? Is it something your children really like to do?
ReplyDeleteLove the "footpath" story.
Oh, I hate getting my running shoes muddy!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have been so thankful for the sun the past few days - although when we woke up this morning it was all foggy.
So nice your parents could come and visit!
Glad to hear you're finally drying out and warming up a littleover there :)
ReplyDeleteBarbara
My Running Shortz
Good to see you got some nice sunny weather for a change. I remember before I started running trail races I would dread getting my shoes muddy.
ReplyDeleteWhat awesome pictures! I'm glad you found your way to the trails.
ReplyDeleteGood job getting in the miles.