Forgive me Blogland...

...for I have sinned; it has been over a month since I last blogged. Primarily because I don't know whether to keep doing it, secondarily (is that even a word?) because I haven't had a lot of time. But the trouble with leaving a month between blogs is that of course I now can't remember what I've done in the intervening time, so am not sure what I'm going to blog about.

I guess first things first - the running. That was the original motivation for the blog so I guess I should at least keep up to date with that. I have continued to run, just for fun as I said before, so if it's too hot or I'm too tired or there's the World Cup on the telly I may decide not to go running, or I may. I am that "laissez-faire" about the whole thing! Two notable running related things to tell you though:

1) I have parkrun three times.  I told you about this before, it's a 5km timed run on a Saturday morning, and my challenge is to get round in under 30 minutes. The first time (see previous blog) I did in 31:55. The second one, after a few weeks' gap due to the park being unavailable or me being lazy, was undertaken with a head full of hay fever - the worst summer I have ever known but I'm not going to go on about it, much! - and even though I was really not feeling in the zone I completed it in 31:45. All heading in the right direction. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I dragged number 2 son down to the park with me. He is on summer break from Uni and is on a huge keep fit programme from the football club - he has a strength and conditioning gym routine he has to do 3 times a week, he has to eat loads of protein and he has also promised to run a bit. Both of us were full of hay fever but it was a lovely sunny day, if a little warm, and I was determined to give it a good bash. In fact I failed to run all the way round - because it was so warm I had to stop and walk at one point, just for 50 or so yards in a shady bit as I felt like my head would explode if I kept running. I got to the final corner and allowed myself a little peek at my watch - 29:20 it said. So I ran, probably as fast as I've ever run in my life, down to the finish (fortunately the finish is downhill) and then had to wait on tenterhooks until the results were published later that afternoon. 30 minutes 02 seconds... Sooo close!! Of course I told myself I shouldn't have walked, but I think if I hadn't I would have slowed up more towards the end. I do find that running/walking helps me to keep the running bits faster, and I am not quite so exhausted at the end. And number 2 son completed his first ever park run, in fact I think his first ever organised run event outside of school sports day, in 20:41! He was a little disappointed to finish last in his age category, but then there were only two of them.

I have one more window of opportunity to smash the 30 minute barrier this weekend, before we go on holiday where I will get fat and lazy and be in no condition to complete the challenge when I get back. So we'll see...

2) I completed the Marlow 10k with my sister. This was a lovely race, all along the Thames out from Marlow to Hurley and then back again. It was a gorgeous day, even at 8:00 when hubby and I arrived it was very warm, and it just got hotter. 

Before

We crossed the river four times, over bridges that were very hump-backed and quite a climb up, and we had to wait in a queue in a field to cross a stile a couple of times too. You don't get that in London I tell you! 

After

What you can't see here is the muddy graze on Lisa's chin where she went flying over a hedge root and face-planted in the dirt - just where we entered the park for the last 200 metres sprint finish, and just where all the spectators were gathered to cheer us in...! Fortunately it was her pride and dignity that were most hurt. The results were not what it was about, we had a really lovely time chatting and laughing all the way round and just enjoying the countryside and the weather, but for the record I came 314th (out of 361) in a highly respectable time of 1:06:55. Lisa trailed in one place and two seconds behind, due entirely to her unfortunate stumble. She would have had the beating of me in a fair sprint finish!

In other news, I had a very enjoyable week away in the Isle of Wight, where I voluntarily accompanied a group of 95 Year 6 children on a sailing and watersports school trip. It was with the school at which I used to work as a classroom assistant, and I have been on the trip before and on the whole a great time is had by all. This time we did less sailing, which was not a bad thing, in my opinion, as it is quite tricky to get the hang of and can frighten children (and me!) if it's too windy and your boat keeps tipping you into the water. If you have been put off like this it can be difficult to get excited about going out again for another two or three sessions. So we only had one half day session of sailing (which in fact I "supervised" from the safety boat with the instructor, handing out sweets and keeping morale up!), which left more time for having a little taste of other things - like keel boating, where the instructor sails the boat and you just fiddle about with the ropes and enjoy whizzing along; stand up paddle boarding, my new favourite activity; surfing, where I failed utterly to stand up on the board but I did have a great time jumping in and out of the waves and body boarding into shore; and kayaking, where I was persuaded by one of the other accompanying staff, who happened to be a proper kayak instructor, that I would benefit from a proper lesson with her rather than messing about with the kids... Ouch! Such sore arms! And I couldn't keep the blessed thing straight. The kids also did some raft building and windsurfing, where I stood and supervised from on-shore. The best bit of the windsurfing was the journey from Cowes to Thorness on a giant speed boat. Fantastic! All in all a really fun, if exhausting, trip.

My plan to make the most of my free National Trust card is not progressing well. Since Polesden Lacey I haven't been anywhere, until last week when I went to Grayshott to have lunch with some friends and then went to the Devil's Punchbowl. I am not convinced this actually counts as an NT visit as anyone can just go walking around there, but I did get free parking and 20% off a cup of tea in the (very nice) cafe. (They had some delicious looking cake but I was full of lunch.) I had taken my running kit but decided just to walk because I wasn't too sure where I was headed and wanted to keep stopping to check the leaflet with the map on, and read the information boards at various points. I picked the "Hidden Hindhead" trail, which it said was about 5km, and takes in Gibbet Hill with its lovely views.

I haven't been to the Punchbowl since the A3 tunnel was completed - nowadays you just sail underneath - but it was amazing to see where the road had once been, and to remember the hours and hours spent sitting in traffic jams on this very corner.

I had a really lovely afternoon, and reminded myself of the beauty of the countryside around me. Sometimes a good walk is just as nice as, and maybe even more rewarding than, a run, as you can stop and take it all in (and you don't get nearly as hot and sweaty!!).