Land 'o' Burns 10k Road Race
Tonight saw me running the Land 'o' Burns 10k; for the first time in many a years and on a new course as well. Its a twisty, turny course that doesnt lend itself to good times, but it was all good as was my time, well within what I wanted to run and faster than Troon and Dunlop so cant be all bad.

So how'd it go
This one starts off down the prominade road and runs back towards town for about 400 - 500m where there is a left turn and then another left turn onto the prominade and heading away from town. First disaster occured within the first kilometre, where the car keys that I had tied to the draw string on my shorts came undone and dropped to the ground like a stone, I had no choice but to stop, turn and head back into an oncoming crowd of runners all determind and mind set on getting to the end in as fast a time as possible; and this here dumplin regardless of reason who was running against the tide so to speak was'nt gonna stand in their way. It was a case of head down and spot the keys and run towards them, swipe them up and make the turn to follow the flow of runners in as fast a time as possible. Its strange how them few seconds seemed to last for ever and half of ever, yet when running the time seems to fly past and the distance seems to be stagnant. Keys firmly in hand I find my place in the field again and gradually try to find my pace. A few hundred yards up the road and it is clear that the keys in my hand are going to be a total pain to carry around with me for the next 9k, I know that carrying them I just wont be able to relax properly, so the choices are, I carry them and be done with it; knowing fine well it will piss me off, I could stop and try and re-tie them onto the draw-string of the shorts; that would waste time or luck would have it, my coach was there at the side cheering people on and giving encouragement, so I ever so gratefully passed them over to him, thanks Kenny for being a saviour that night :). (only problem now is that I dont have an excuse if I run rubbish).

Finding something to carry you along
Everyone has something they have to carry them along the road, a wee mantra, a song on an iPod, someone at a particular point in the race, me I never take them things with me, I just go out and run, never really relyng on things to get me moving, just in case they aint there when youu need them; thats not to say I dont have a mantra or that I on ocassions dont shout at myself to 'move your ass'; tonight I dont have anything, but sometime one will inevitably find something that will spur them on a bit, make them push that wee bit faster or that wee bit further. Tonight was no exception to that rule. What was it I hear you all thinking, well to those seasoned runners and race participants, to those who run for fun, to those who run for freedom, male, female or otherwise, you will all know what it is I speak of and so there is no need to tell...no need to give away secrets. I was able to use this to carry me along for about a kilometre, which was enough time to be able to get my pace back and sort myself out from the wee set back earlier with the keys, after that it faded away into the distant past as I ate up the miles. I am sure one day I will find the same motivation, I may even find the same one, but for tonight it is in the past.

'Time does fly, but not I'
Before I know it I have came past the half way point of the race, it seemed to fly by quite quickly, however when I look at my watch it would appear that I don't carry the same same proporties in this instance and I am actually slower than I would have hopped to have been at this stage. Never the less I push on determind to give it me best shot and to see how my training is coming along. I shouldnt be to hard on myself with regards to my half way time, after all to get here ir has been an excursion of twists, turns and slinks to the right and slinks to the slef, and even a right - left bend that would make any F1 or GP rider wonder just what was going on, on the track that night.
Emerging from the loop in the houses I am instructed to saty on the right until the road is clear, as I cross the road I notice a distinctive vest up ahead and wonder how I managed to be in such close quarters to this vest wearer. As I close in I realise that they have developed cramp in their calves and have slowed to a mere walk, followed by an abrupt stop. Apparently he said he had gone away to fast. I pass my team mate and turn the corner to begin the assent of what can only be described as a long drawn out hill of torment, after all you can just about see the top of it, and thats how it stays until you are just yards from the top, this is because it climbs up but there is just a wee slight flat section whcih you dont notice about 2/3 way up which lasts only about 50-60 metres, but is enough to give this un-reachable top illusion.

My Clim-b-ax and Desent-ax to the end
As I start the accent I hear the foot steps behind me of my previously passed team mate and although no one ever likes to be passed, I was some what releived to have him back in front of me, this releif was however short lived as once again he slowed to a halt and I ran past him. Pushing on up the hill I catch another participant and wonder if I should wait behind them or run past them, the answer is given to me by the sudden sharp bit of the hill and there is suddenly no way I can pass the fella in front o me. I just tuck in behind him and get what cyclist term as a 'wee draft', probably not as effective as when on a bike but surely it must cound for something. We reach the top o the hll and turn a left heading back down the was and I finally manage to pass the guy, only to have him pass me again within about 10-15 metres, only for me to pass him again in about 30 metres and then for him to pass me; this went on for about another 2 passings of each other, until he found his over-drive and went passed and kept on going. I tempted my legs and body to follow on and catch him, but sadly they never had anything in the reserve, so off he sped as we began to come down th hill, and suddenly it looked like I might catch him again, but it wasnt to be I started to feel the sicknes in the pit of my stomach, move up inside and so I eased off the gas a wee bit in expecttion of what is normally the inevitable, but nothing. I turned at the bottom of the hill and followed the road on through the 9k marker to find my running companin for the past 2 k striding along. The finish was in sight, it was just through the hole in the wall and left onto the gravel path (it wasnt just a hole it was a proper gap for the path). I just eased off and let him enter the park in front of me, once in the park I slowly eased onto the gas and then sped past him like we had done to each other earlier and he had done to me on his final escape, only this time I pushed up a gear as I ran past and pulled the distance out to a good 10, then 12 metres. It was all I could do, my gas was at peak performance all the twists and turns from earlier and the stutters and farts as we say in running speed and style had taken its toll on me, but I turned at the bottom of the park with about 50-60 metres to go, ever listening for the burst behind me and the approaching of feet I gave another wee burst for security and I was home and safe.

I looked at my watch and I hadnt run what I would liked to have run, but on all the positives, I was faster than what I ran at Troon 10k, I was faster than what I ran at Dunlop 10k, according to the garmin it was more than 10k (so I did run faster than I had hoped, mmm), I was still well within my minutes per mile pace for my marathon, I had kept the insides on the inside (again) and I actually felt good after such a hard run. (Although maybe, jusy maybe I should have took last nights training a wee bit easier).

Tonights total is 6.10 miles (Garmin actually says it is 6.26 miles (someone elses said it was 6.25 and another said 6.27)
Weekly Total is 18.62 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 79.54 miles

A Run of Many Loops
Tonights run isn't one of those fun filled runs that takes me out into the countryside or even through some interesting parts of town, NO toights run is done at the running club. The route we took consisted of 3 loops of what we call 'The Rose Bowl'. For those interested The Rose Bowl is an octagonal (8 sided) bowled trophy, that has been an important trophy within the club for several decades, it is still a highly sought after privelage to get ones name on the trophy. More about this event in coming months however as it has yet to take place this year.
So back to tonights training, which will see me run this course 5 times; thats 5 laps of this course.

Lap One of this Loop
Starting any run half way up a hill isn't easy at the best of times and tonight is no exception. We used to start this run on the level, when we ran from our old home at the old cinder track, but now we have a new home and a new track which has moved over several hundred yards, the loop start is on the opposite side of the course and thus we start half way up a hill and sadly the top half is the sharpest and steepest part..
So with feet and legs struggling to get started I feel like; and probably look like as well; one of them wee cartoon characters that start to run on the spot and then shot off, only difference is, is that when I get started I dont actually shot of as more lumber forward. Moving along I finally find a stride that gets me up the hill and round the bend and over the top, brining me nicely to the downhill slope, which is for all intents and purposes just a slip road with a footpath at the side which takes us down and onto a gravel access road. However to get to the road one neds to either negotiate a kiss gate or a hole in the fence which is patrolled by over hanging howthorn trees, o the choices one has. I negotiate the hole in the fence by doing a dance that wouldnt look to out of place as a move in the Time Warp, yu know the one, 'Its just a jump to the left, then a step to the right' well here its a Jump to the left, a steep to the rear, watch you dont loose your sight, put your hands on your ears and bend your head just in time' After ma dance I find ma feet on the gravel path and jump and weave to avoid the ruts and potholes that are there, after about hundred yards its onto a tared road, with playining fields on either side. Being a nice warm sunny well light night tonight everyone is out in force, we have football matches going on, folks playing kick about with a ball and on the other side folks knocking golf balls around. To top of that we got every dog walker in the town out alking their dog, which isnt an issue in itself, if they would just keep them under control, or realled in on them damned extendable leads, especially when you hearly get tripped with them and your run turns into a hurdle session, but not only that the owner suddenly wakes up and tries to reel the dog in, which only makes things worse as the dog is no directly in front of you and you have the added distress of maybe hitting the dog if the jump goes wrong. All this excitment and i aint even halfways round the first lap yet.
Heading further on I pass the female football team with the subs sitting at the side of the park waiting for their turn on the pitch and their claim to fame. As I get nearer I hear a few having a wee snigger and making some snide remarks, but cant quite hear what they are, then i hear one of them say, 'actually I wouldna want to be running after him, he's fair movin' '
I head along the road and pass a bloke sitting at the side of the road, I recognised him from earlier, he was the fella that was sitting in the middle of the cycle path, whom I nearly ran over when I was heading to the club, he seemed fine and none the worse for wares.
Heading on I climb the hill and finally reach the end of the first loop with no more interesting tales to tell. I push on through the start point and into my second loop.

Loop Two for me - and for you
Pushing through into lap two I try to maintain the pace and force my way up the second part of the hill, the bit that always catches you of guard no matter how on guard you are. Managing to keep the wind blowing in my sails I encounter one of the ever friendly dog walkers that us runners encounter, sadly this was one of them that didnt know how to keep their pooch under control and once again I find I am the one having to jump left and right in order to get the doogie oot from under ma feet. I decide to take the safer option and resort to jumping onto the road and running up the edge of the road. Emergancy overted, I push on and get over the top and head down to the gap at the bottom. I manage to negotiate the gap and keep ma hearing, head and eye sight all intaked and not a sign of any transvestites from transelvania in sight.
Heading back round along the road and I hear the voices from behind the hedge, its the folks playing kick about, one of them says 'here they come again, lets fire the baw ower the hedge and see if we can get them', instantly they all go into a fit of laughter, probably at the thought o me gettin' a baw in the back o the heed and hittin the deck like a ton o bricks. I am pleased to say that on this occassion the baw never does come ower the hedge.
I pass the grils football team again and I hear them say 'hell here he comes again', moving along I think to ma self, shit i will be passing you a few more times in the course o the night.
As I move on I suddenly find that the fella that was sitting on the roadside has moved and is now staggering along the road sounding like he is drowning; for those that know of Billy Connelly and can recall his album Big Banana Feet, well remember the drunkman sketch on that, thats what it sounded like. To top this off he is deciding that it is a fun idea to wonder in front of me as I move towards him, now being the nice guy I am I move out his way, but this guy thinks he is ma mirror reflection and so moves with me, a burst of speed and a sudden swerve and I am clear of the obstical without disaster. Heading on I turn to head up the long steady hill towards the start point and once again I come across my friendly neighbourhood dog walker. This time i just move out and give as much space as I can, and still they don't get their dog under control. It dont bother me dogs off leads, I had one as you all know from previous blog entries and she never went on a lead, but 1 I had her trained to run beside me and 2 when she did run on a bit, when someone came I would shout her back if I thought she was going to get excited and want to play. Why cant others do that?
I push on and up the hill, past the start point and into lap 3 of this loop.

Three, Three alreadee
Heading into the third loop of this session tonight I suddenly realise that I have found my groove and I feel really comfortable as I trundle along. I plow up the hill in what feels like an easy flowing motion and head over the top down the other side and negotiate the Time Warp Hole at the bottom without losing any time whatso every. By this point I have cought a few of the other runners in the group who give me an encouraging 'well done' and 'keep going, you're looking good', these lovely comments from lovely people all add to the good feeling I am having. I admit though that the night is warm and the air just as warm and every breath in makes the back of my throat rasp and feel like it is on fire. I head round the track and onto the road, passing the folks playing kick about and a few folks playing golf as before, but this loop must have the strangest sight I have saw to date, not quite standing in the middle of the open field as such, but he could have been a bit more hidden, a bloke taking a leak, with no shame on his face, I guess when you gotta go you gotta go, lol.
Passing the girls football game again, they are still sniggering and gigling etc and once again it is commented that I have been passed before as they say 'bloody hell, theres that bloke  again and he's still movin' ' Taking a litle smile to myself I push on along the road meeting a couple with a wee dog, at least they have the wee thing on a lead and under control so there is no worries. Further along I pass for the third time; clearly as they cant move anywhere; the two 5 litre milk cartoons that are sitting at the side of the path, one is half full of white liquid; would take a good guess it was milk; and the other is half full o pink liquid; strawberry milk?, as much as my throats on fire I wasnt tempted to try them and find out, but for that split second my mind was diverted away from my run, my pace, my training and onto something trivial like 'whats in they cartons sitting there' I dont know if its cause I was board, struggling or just so deep in the groove that my body was in control and didnt need my mind for that short spell. Rounding the corner at the end of the road and I start the assent towards home and the end of this lap, I push on up the hill and enter my fourth lap.

Lap Four, then its Just One More!!!
By this point I am catching and passing others who are in the other groups who have started off behind us, I am using them a short term targets, not treating it as a race but just using them to pull me along and keep me in the zone as we say. Each one i pass gives a welcome and encouraging gesture and/or statement; usually through broken breaths and sentances, but like them being a runner I fully understand what they are saying. Onwards and upwards passing the people kicking about and the guys playing golf, thankfully this time no persons who appear to be cought short. I pass the girls playing football and the subs sitting at the side and yes they had a comment about me going past yet again. I was tempted to tell them that i would be past yet again before the night was out, but to be honest even though I was running well and in control, I didnt have enough breath to waste on unrequired speach.
I stride out eating up the lap as i go and once again I pass the two peculiar milk botles and their even more peculiar contents and I once again find that my mind has wondered over to wonder what the contents actually is, paint, milk; which I thought last lap; or some other strange content. I round the corner and head on up the long dragged out hill and finish this lap in good time. I start my fifth and final lap.

Finally the Finale
Entering the final lap I push on up the hill, wondering if I will be able to push on through to the end. I doing so I pass a dog walker whom I have already passed a few times on previous laps of this route. It would seem to be that they cover a quarter of a lap for every full one I cover. I push down the hill and have to dodge my way round another two walkers, taking a step onto the slip road in doing so I almost lose my ass to a passing car, would know what type of car  it was had it took away ma ass that night as it was going so fast I never had a chance to recognise it. Happy ma ass is still in place I time warp ma way through the hole in the fence and zig zag the ruts in the gravel path for the final time tonight. The ball kickers are still there, the golfers have gone off somewhere else by now, the girls football are still playing away with the subs sitting on the grass looking bored as anything and by now it would seem that there only high light to their night is me running past as they make another comment about me passing by and they are all laughing and now I even get a few whistles; same I aint gonna pass by again who knows what I might get. So I push on knowing that this is my final lap of the night and again the strange bottles come into view  and like the last few laps my body lets my mind wonder off to ponder what the hell is in them bottles, I really dont want to know or I could have easily stopped and had a look, but then that would have broken ma stride.. No exciting happening, if there have been any thus far; come between me and the point at which I started and so it is with a full stride and a push to the end that I finish tonights training session.

Tonights total is 6.10 miles
Weekly Total is 12.52 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 73.44 miles

 Bank Holiday Numb Day
Well today was supposed to ba glorious bank holiday but that never happened. For the most part it was raining like it never rained before, the rain was bouncing aff the floor, well the ground, but if it kept raining I was sure it was gonna come in and flood my floor.. So as i stood and looked out the window I kept thinking to mayself should i stay or should I go; get wet just now or hang about for the rain toget heavier? Well as it happens I had things to do and I ended up working away. This inevitabily meant that one could not take ones run till later; that wasnt a bad thing as by the time I did get for my run it had stopped raining from the skys, because there was no more water to fall, it had all fallen and was now running down the streets like rivers in the jungle, a concrete jungle none the less.
Todays run I have scheduled is for 6 miles, not a bad distance; however I need to make a stop off at the hospital, need to go and see how wee Moggie is, after all this is all for her and her ways of saying a big thanks to Ayrshire Cancer Support and MacMillan Cancer Support; rember you can help Moggie ssay thanks as well but donating at https://www.youcaring.com/donate2moggiesmiles or directly via PayPal to email address [email protected]  ; Moggies Mony Money Miles where a little means a lot and we will go the distance for all of us

No it really is a Numb Day
I dawn my running gear; the running leggins, a t-shirt and a couple of long sleeve t-shirts; I never did understand the concept of a long sleeve t-shirt, I always though that a t-shirt was short sleeved and if it had long sleeves it was a sweatshirt ot a jumper, but having nothing else to call them i must bow down to the idea that they are long sleaved t-shirts. So I look at myself and with the black running tights and the black long sleeved top on I look like Jacques Cousteau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cousteau) than someone about to go for a run; but then in this weather this might not be a bad thing. Stepping outside into the dark, dank, damp day that is the 27th May I suddenly realise, yes it is bloomin' cold out here and it was far warmer splashing about in the sea yesterday than the puddles today.

Short - Long or Long - Short??? mmm
Off I flow as I ge t washed away down the street, I wonder which I should do first the long part or the short part. I decide to go with the short part first, thats just over 2 miles to the hospital to see wee Moggie, bearing in mind I was busy so i have missed visiting time at the hospital :).
Heading out to the hospital there is nothing to report, I dont pass any flying cows, beached whales, suffragettes or men burning their pants for anything either, its a quite 2 mile run to the hospital.
Arriving there I recall the ward that she is in and head off in that direction, only to find that when i get to the bottom of the stairs I have went the wrong way and thus need to walk all the way back and beyond in the opposite direction, tut tut tut, thats what happens when you dont pay attention to things and just go the way you think is right. So back on the right track I sprint up the stairs and find the corect floor, heading in I end up in the wrong ward, duh, or maybe it was wishful thinking seeing as Wee Moggie is in the HD Unit.
Anyways having spent a good waste of time floating from one end of the hospital and back to the other and then wondering round in the wrong ward; the hospital staff were beginning to think I had just left the ground floor ward, you know the one with the self hugging jackets and walls of marshmallow. I finally did find where i was meant to be only to find i was later and past visiting, but I told the nurses how it had been today and they gave me 5 minutes, well after all I aint seen her since she was admitted on Saturday mid-day.

Escape to write story
Thankfully exiting the hospital proved a whole lot easier than getting into it and I am on the road heading out to complete my run, before the realise ther is an empty bed and jacket in the lower levels. I head back along the way I came about 20 minutes earlier busy thinking of nothing and forgot about the huge puddle that has devoured the path, until I am suddenly in the middle of the puddle up to my ankles which is cold to say the least. Wadding my way out the puddle, once again i am glad I look like Jacques Cousteau, the only thing missing is a snorkle and fins; I am sure I saw a whale and def-fin-etly a shark. So swimming lesson over i continue to splish and splosh my way up the road, each foot setp sounding like I am smacking a bowl of custard with a spoon. A soggy mile up the road and the feet have stopped splishing and sploshing, which is good as I still have about 3 miles to run.
Onward and upward as I tackle the long long slow drag before I reach the turning point and head down hill. As I reach the turning point I pass a couple of strange creatures, one who looked like their trousrs were to tight and pulled up to high, the others who walked like their trousers were three sizes to big and not pulled up at all.

I push home down the last mile, even thouh I have a fancy running watch that gives me distance I always know where the last mile and a bit is from my start point and try as best as I can to push it faster than I have been running already, not always a flat out run but just faster than I have been running. I actualy fair well and the pace is comfortable, when i get to the end point i check my watch and I see that my last mile is about 30 seconds faster than the pace I was runing at, which is good. Although i am glad i managed to acheive this as not so far from the end someone steps from a car to head into the shop as someone is stepping from the shop heading to their car and I find myself hurtling towards this narowing gap between the two people whom neither of them has saw me. I twist and turn like a reed passing through into the eye of a storm and and come out the other side unscathed.
So there ends my Monday mayhem run.

Todays total was 6.42 miles
Weekly Total 6.42 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 67.34 miles

Storming the beaches
Today saw myself and Matthew take advantage of this glorious day and go and storm the beach at irvine. Running on the sand is fun, but it can be hard on the legs. Todays run would be just a short one on the ssand and then a secondary run in the water.
As we arrive there are horse boxes galore in the carpark which usually signafies that the beach will be full of horses and they don't tend to be hanging about either. Once on the beach however there is not a horse to be seen, there is however plenty of dogs in all shapes and sizes, just eager and ready ro run at you, knock you down and generally get in the way.
Running out along the beach for just over 3 miles, there was nothing much to write home about, no mis-haps, nothing. On the way back the only thing that could be said was a small yappie dug that came a running right as us, just begging to get tied up in our feet, I slowed down the pace in anticapation, while Matthew decided to do some add-hock ballet and leap into the air like a deer running through long grass; if he only done a pirowet and stuck the landing he might have made the glasgow 2014 Commonwealth team.
Finishing back where we started a whole host of horses and horse assocciated people had gathered and were having some nice brightly coloured cocktails of which i am sure were not completely fruit juice.
One did congratulate us on our ability to run along the beach and wished that she could do the same, asking how far we went, telling her we had done just over 6 miles, she again said weldone, stating that 'once round the toilet block would have been enough for her', wasnt sure what she meant by that but seeing as it was Sunday I took it to mean that she would not be able to run round the block without being tierd.

We did inform her to the idea that we were not quite finished and that with a change of shoes we were going for a run in the water.

Knee Deep
After a quick footwear change it was back to the beach and into the waters edge, to a depth of ankle to lower mid shin. Splashing down the water we were drawing some strange and peculuar looks, but I didna care i was having fun, sun, sea and sand, I am sure there is something else in ther but never mind it will come to later I am sure.
It is a hard thing trying to run in the water and style tends to take a back seat on some occassions, with high knees taking priority, or sometimes running from the hips with straight legs almost, so I am in no doubt that it was this that wa drawing the funny looks.
After a mile it was time to turn back, i could ahve gone on, but then i couldnt have came back. I turn and head back along the water once again getting strange looks. Some parts were harder than others and there were bits of sand that were really soft and flowing and as you ran you sank into the ankle and the water became knee deep, other bits the water would be lapping further up the shore owing to the lay of the land and this would create deep pools again knee deep. In both cases the waves and tide were still flowing, so this would make for good instability places where falling over would be the norm. Running through these parts was fun and i could hear people having a laugh and almost taking bets on whither I would fall over or not, but hey who ever bet on me falling, well sorry guys, you lose, i never went for a swim, not once; although I did end up soaked from top to bottom and bottom to feet :).
By the time we got back to the start the horses and the gatherers were all gone, pity really I could have been doing with one of their fruit cocktails :).

Good training day and good weather for it, not coold in the slightest and little to no wind considering we were at the beach.

Todays Total 8.22 miles
Weekly Total 29.88 mile ran (25 mile cycle)
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 60.72 miles

Sacred Saturday it is here, so what I do, I went and had a beer, yes folks I went  down to the pub on this lovely sun Saturday Afternoon and had a bottle of beer. I did have some grub in the hoose before I went though.

I had contomplaited going for a cycle with Richie and a few others again today but luck would have it that i was needing a long lie so i never bothered going out for that cycle. O well always next time eh? :)

Sacred Saturday not a mile to be near, but an ice cold beer was here.

Tonight I set out to do a nice wee cycle, but by the end of it something strange had occured. The days activity ended in me doing something I havn't done in many or should that be mony a year.

Unadventurous Adventure
Meeting my cycling companion at the start of the cycle track we head off down the slop, neither of us still having any idea as to where we will venture tonight. We did decide howver to follow the cycle path as far as Irvine, mainly because they have recently relaid the section beyond Springside; which was in the past like riding over a washing board, due to the tree roots and grass etc breacking up the surface of the path. I must say as well who ever done the job of relaying and resurfacing have made a fine job of it, smooth as you like with not a bump in site or under tyre. They have even placed a few benches beside the path if you decide you need a well earned rest. Already the benches have been accommodated with Friday night weekend revellers and this was bearly 5:30pm and some of them looked like they had been at it since 5;30 am, but in fairness they only said 'Hi' and I am sure they even offered us a 'swally o their buckie'. Had I had a lighter with me this rocket fuel substitue could have saved us some leg effort, but seeing as we did not,we gratiously turned down their offer.
Coming to the end of the relaid part there is a short, sharp hill and bend combined, having cycled the old path before I was slightly aware of this and prepared for it with a gear shift and a seat position shift, Richie on the other had got cought slightly un-awares and found himself with a wee struggle on his hands. Lucky for him they had made the path a wee touch wider or he might have ended in the bushies.

Avoiding disaster we cycle on continuing down the cycle path through bordom and to infinity and beyond. Reach the point where desitions have to be made the lazy mans choice was to follow the path round, seeing as we were in no mood to a) naviagte through some wondering lost souls from oldsvile and b) navigate the bloody great big busy roundabout with more lanes and tracks than an Album on 12 in vinyl (If you aint sure what that this is then here is a link  -
http://www.fugitivesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/vinyl_record_lp_10inch.jpeg or
http://www.predisc.com/products/vinyl-record-pressing/images/12-inch-vinyl.jpg )

Still Unadventurous But Slightly Unpositioned
Following this path took both Richie and myself into an area that neither of us had ben before and at several points along the way we found ourselves unpositioned and lost of our bearings. Cycling along, figuring as one does, that the path being a cycle path will eventually lead somewhere we know and sure enough it does.
Before that however we cycle along and round a bend only to find that we have cycled onto what loks like a blooming golf course, silly us the golf course in merely a pitch and putt short course attached to a local hotel, no worries there then according to the sign. Sorry but a golf ball up side the head is a golf ball up side the head regardless if its a golf course or a pitch and putt. Swiftly approaching the end of the path once again we find there is a short sharp incline with barriers at the end. Now these barriers aren't very cyclist friendly at the ebst of times but when one rides a bike where ones feet are connected to the pedals things can get slightly tricky. I manage; with some short sharp back and forth paddle action; to get up the hill and through the obsticle. Once again Richie was not quite prepared and once again he finds himself cought out, luckily the way the barriers are set, he gets cought on them as he tips over and the bike stays in an upright position, allowing him to get his feet out and walk the bike up the hill. Crossing the road and joining the cycle track again the other side isnt much better and this is a sharp twist into a down hill with 2 more bariers, so its just a twist to the left and a flick to the right, hands on the brakes bend your knees and flick to the left, lets do the cycle warp again; na your fine I will pass thanks :) . Who ever designed such an obsticle on cycle tracks should be taken out and cycled over.

Finding free path in front of us we quickly realise that it is seldom used as there is weeds and crevises on it, but we follow along it anyways with a sence of inquisativeness about ourselves. One thing we did descover about cycle tracks and paths is that they tend to take a long way for a short cut, had we negotiaited the big roundabout I mentioned before we could have saved ourselves about a mile and a half of cycling and been at the same point, but then what fun would that have been, huh? Finally coming off the cycle track; after giving the same old lady a heart attack twice; dont ask; we find ourselves on the roads again. taking a slightly different route to the last time we passed this way we come across some cobbles. Now we know what it must be like to cycle in the Tour De France, Richie on the other had thought I went that ways just for a cheap thrill. Leaving cobbles and cheap thrills behind we head out the long road to what seems like nowhere and the wind seems to pick up a bit and no matter how we position ourselves there is just no drafting off the person in front. Pushing through the wind it is still comfortably warm although it is some what slightly taxing and does require a wee bit effort to maintain a good pace; for us anything over walking pace is a good pace, lol.
Turning down towards Troon and once again we find the wind, nothing to exciting takes place and the only thing we have to do is decide which way from here; do we turn and head back along the main road, definatly no, to busy at this time of night and the roads full o nutters. So do we head over the 'Hill' or go on a bit and head via symington. Rather than make the choice, Richie is lead rider so I give the desition to him.

Right or Wrong the Torture is on
Approaching the mini-roundabout the left hand goes out indicationg we are going over the 'Hill', the man is possessed by this demon hill. Its not to bad as we start our assent and there doesnt seem to be any wind, things should go smoothly. How stupid it was to think that, not even 300m into the climb and my chain jumps a ring and has came off, luckily I am able to free myself from the bike and get the foot down; only because I had managed to build up a wee bit of momentum was all that saved me from a side plank. Bike upside down as the chain is cought, chain back on, wheels on the ground and now the fun begins, trying to mount a bike and get moving while on an assent, but surprisingly things go well and I dont need to push the bike up the hill after all. Pushing on Richie comes out of hiding on a small side road he managed to slip into and stop while checking I was alright. As we climb ever nearer the top a couple o blokes are fast approaching on the desent, to be followed swiftly by a couple of cars. The car in front decides it is a good time to over take the front cyclist who is a good bit out from the edge doing a fair speed, Richie and me are climbing doing no speed but between us and them there is bearly enough room for a car to fit, however this guy is getting through no matter what and luckily enough he is passed and in just in time before we all meet in the middle so to speak. The second car pushed through forcing us all to breathin slightly but its all good. this little bit of action forces a slow down and so further up the hilll I try to change up my back ring, only i am already in top ring and I should have dropped a front, so guess what; yep the chain jumps again this time i have no momentum and the feet are well and truly stuck in place. Things tend to happen in slow motion at this stage and it was all I could do to have a look round and assess the situation; I have two choices here 1) I have the road and gravelly bits to the right of me or 2) I have softish grass verge slightly out of reach to the left of me, as much as it was just out of reach I opted for the softness of the grass verge and somehow manage to get there without touching the road. Richie who was behind at this point was fair impressed as he explained 'You sme how managed to elongate your legs and body to reach that grass' Once again the chain is back on and once again with little effort I am on the bike and moving. Reaching the top, finally the view is well worth it; as the photo at the top shows; from here it is all down hill. Dropping down through the gears I push as hard as I can, today there is no wind or rain like the last time I was still unable to get past the 35 MPH Grrrrr, although there is a section that goes down ten dips and comes back up dropping about 8 MPH. Still managed to come back into the village speeding, do you think you can get a ticket on a bike for speeding while cycling?

Sightful, but not Eventful
From here it is back along the same old roads as before, the differrence being that there is little to no wind and ther is no rain in sight. Nothing happend on the way back and the right home is some what uneventful. I will say however that the views are fantastic, we can see for miles and miles. Its amasing though as you look out over the place we can see where we have been cycling and it looks like it is miles away in the distance, yet not so long ago we were over there looking over here, now we are over here looking over there.
Coming back to the final few miles we take an unshedualed detour along a wee back country road, that was closed for months due to water works etc being done. The road looked like the surface of the moon, but now the works are all but finished they have resurfaced some bits and put in a new road for the most part, sadly there are still bits that could have been doing with resurfacing but that aint been done, cant grumble to much though as the new surface is fantastic makes for good cycling.
Heading home the last thing i see that shows that shit can happen to anyone is a police motor coming round the corner with a nice pop and a gush. It suddenly had a blow out. Must say some mighty fine driving from the guy at the wheel though as the car is sliding across the road, he navigates his way safely to the side o the road on a busy one-way street.

And for my next daft thing
arriving in the house I spuradically decide to go for a run, I have no idea as to why I just do. I do some stretching and the nosion for the run passes. Next thing i know i am chnged and heading out the door. Weird, but off i trot, legs feel like I dont have control over them and they are under the control of an external force or even their own force but certainly not mine. I head down the hill and round the bend, a few people looking and wondering, probably as to why i look like I am drunk from the waist down and attempting to run. After a fe minutes the legs begin to find the ground beneath then and things begin to get into a rythme. I actually feel not to bad and the pace isna half bad either considering I have just came of off a 25 mile cycle.
Heading back to the start I feel good, I know i might not be able to manage any furtehr than the two miles I have just done but have not done anything like that for a long time; 23 years; except for the odd 2 mile cycle to training etc; I think I done not to bad.

Not sure if i will make a habbit of a cycle & run on a Friday night however.

Tonights run was 2.01 miles
So the miles for the week so far are 21.66 miles ran
(25 miles cycle)
Total Moggie's Mony Money Miles Ran is 52.50 miles

Well tonights run was a sad run, today saw the passing of ma wee pall, 'Wee Jess' (Jessica Orange Ferguson). I was late in going for my run and it was difficuilt to get out the door in the reality that when i came back ma Wee Jess wouldna be there. I finally managed to get out the door for my run however.

To run forever and beyond
So as I head out the door I can't help but be sad, but I know that my wee running buddy will now be running free in the parks and the beaches when ever and where ever she likes. And tonight is no different I take my Wee Jess with me on this run and this will be one of many she will now come with me on. I had her with me every step of the way and I don't just mean in my heart and head; I dont mean physically either in case you all start thinking I am carrying a dead dog around, pppfffftt silly. I had here there running beside, in front and behind me as she used to do. People must have thought I was a loon (lun) as I ran down the street laughing but then they never saw what I saw, my Wee Jess running along in front doing what she loved to do :)

Down the street and round the corner every so often stopping and looking back to make sure this auld man was keeping up. I went into the park and onto the big loop, as I went over the bridge and round the bend I felt my lace flap a bit so I stopped at the top of the roller coaster dip to tie it and had a wee look round and a wee thought and a smile. I suppose the funniest part for me in the park was at the imfamous 'B' Hill, I was running past the horses in the field and it was strange, they used to come to the fence when i took Jess there and they would sniff each other as animals do and then Jess would dart off and the big horse would plod a way and there would be a wee bark and wee neigh. As Jess got older the running in the park became less and the horses would just neigh as I went past, but tonight one of them came up to the fence stuck his head out and kinda almost nodded and then walked away with a wee neigh, mmm.
But then that was me going off on a tangent, what i was going to say was at the 'B' Hill I felt Jess there at the bottom of it as I approached looking ears up as she always did, tail in the air in here 'ready to run playful stance' with the look of come on daddy come and get me. Being the Loon that I am I sprinted after this imaginery dog up the 'B' Hill forgetting for a moment that I wasnt the one with eternal life, although by the end of the sprint I nearly did have :).

I pushed on and followed my Spirited friend as I went, and then when I was coming down the other side of the 'B' Hill I got slightly tearful as Wee Jess used to hammer down the hill and skid at the corner as she tried to stop herself from crossing the wee wooden plank bridge as she never liked it, she always walked across these bridges crouched down and looking like she had bandy legs. By the time I reached the botttom of the hill, I was blinded by both sweat and a few tears and had to pause for a moment once again and just have a wee think.
Pushing up the road hill and through the swing gate nothing excited happened. The rest of the run went smoothly, although not to fast. All the way home I could see my wee Jess there in front moving me along. She will run with me always.

R.I.P Jessica 'Orange' Ferguson
October 1997 - 23rd May 2013
You will run for ever and beyond

Tonight was a short run of 3.36 miles
Weekly Total stands at 19,65
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total miles is 50.49

Wednesday runs or mid-weeks runs are generally the second longest run in the training schedule and for me that is how it is.
A lovely warm night with little to no wind I leave ti till later on to go for a run and have the great company of a training partner on their bike, cycling along with me.

Out the door, foot to the floor
As I head out the door I begin putting one foot in front of the other, had I put one foot behind the other I would be running backwards, lol. I dont have any pace in mind just the intention of getting the miles in as it is still early on in the training schedule. Down the hill is always a good start and I figure by the time I reach the bottom of it and start the climb up over Strawberrybank I will have slowed down some what. I reach the bottom of the hill and begin the assent over Strawberrybank, about half ways up I pass two people walking, on the other side of the road. lightly bigger than the average girl in the street, wearing tight, tight denam shorts that have somewhat all but dissapeared at the rear. The shout over the road, something about me running and being daft and something about my cycling compain and how we were taking part in physical activty, the thought ent through my mind that maybe if said persons took part in slightly morre activity than they done they may not be lying at the side of the road as people through buckets of water over them mistaking them for lost orca. I push on and bit my tongue, afetr all its only taken me 40 years to begin to be rude, these two have got it down to a fine art and are lucky if they are half my age.
You would think that not much would happen within the first mile of a run, but already you have seen that this is not the case and I have to say I aint finished yet. Desending the other side of Strawberrybank, I naviagte the roundabout at the bottom and head to the right. As I move freely; cause yes I am, I have still managed to maintain my fast go floor speed from the door; I find i have to suddenly weaave my way round some Old Bowling Pensioners, who ran across the road from the bowling club and suddenly decided to stop right in my path and light up a cigarette. Now i wouldn't mind so much had the path been narrow but at this point the path is double normal size, they managed to take up all of it and then they decided to blow there smoke right into my face as i ran towards them. Yes they saw me as they were facing my dorection to shelter from the sudden gust of wind that pushed up the street against me. With everything going on I was hoping that mile two wont be so busy.

Into Mile Two I take you
Turning under the bridge and into mile two I hope that I can have sometime to run for fun and I am glad to say i am blessed as nothing much happens. I am still plodding along at my previously from the start pace; or close enough to it, so that it feels like I am. Heading along the road with my cycling companion we receive some strange lloks from folks as they pass us by, a fella in a motor was looking so much that he started to drift on to the wrong side of the road and a fella walking down the road fell off the end o a curb as he was staring over.
Heading up the road I cross a junction, just an ordinary junction but there is a cyclist approaching it who was going slightly fast on the approach and clearly no paying attention to the road, seeing as he nearly ran into me as I crossed. As I head down the hill and away from the junction I have travelled probably about 300m and feeling good and who swans past with a stupid grin and laughter in his voice direccted at me but the guy on the bike; now i dont know about you, although it would be great to run at a sustained pace and speed where they couldn't, I would begin to worry if a cyclist wasn't readily able to pass me on a bike when I am out running, even if he does look like something from 'Last of the Summer Wine' in his flannel trousers and bike clips. Funny thing was though about another 300 - 400m up the road I cought up with him just as he was leaving a roundabout and almost cought him on the uphill on the other side of the roundabout, if I never had to turn right as he went straight on.

Heading into Mile Four
As I said I turned right and Mr cyclist went straight on, I came to a sudden stop as the wind was blowing down the street right into ma face, from here its an easy non-eventful run for the next 1 1/2miles where I have a short stop as my friend has to call in and collect a parcel from the sort office. Having stopped I begin to stiffen up already and when I try to start running again I find that i have developed wooden planks instead of legs. They dont move as well as they should, but I force it on and quickly lossen off and pick the pace up to what I feel is the same as it was.

Mile 5 makes me smile, mile six makes me sick
So taking it head on I try to maintain the pace and as I approach 5 miles I smile inside as I know a few things, I have done well so far, I will be able to hold this pace till the end and that end will only be about a mile up the road. Pushing on I cross the road and my cycling companion is held up at the crossing, I am a good distance up the road and a few turns later before I have been cought back up. With three quatrets of a mile to go I again slip away from my cycling friend as we cross a road but am quickly cought this time, but suddenly my own cycling companion turns into an ass and speeds free wheeling down a hill past me going 'weeee' they have joined the ranks of 'ass cyclist' these are different from proper cyclists who realise that they can and do move faster than runners, as apposed to those cyclists who find it entertaining to pass cyclists. who are different from the boys last night who were making it a challenge :).

Mile six is truley been and I felt a little sick and green, the pace I run begins to tell, now it feels like bloody hell.
My pace is slowly catching up on me and I have got a wee bit further to go, I push on regardless and the sick feeling disipates; which is a good thing in so many ways, which I will not boar you with. as we pass through into the seventh mile we are met once again by our Orca friends coming in the opposite direction and heading towards us, they havent obtained any mannors however as they decide to take up the whole path as well as the cycle part, laugh and snigger and force my cycling friend onto the road in the path of oncomming traffic.
Up the Hill I have had my fill, I trundle on and stop in a bundle, I stop my garmin and look at the harm din, Fast I see the pace did be, The time I ran was good for me.

 Tonights distance is 6.79 miles
Weekly total is 16.29 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles miles is 47.13 miles

Tuesday is my Chose Day
Tuesday night is the night I go to club training sessions, I do this for the change in scenery and company as weell as for a different style of training. Another reason I chose the Tuesday night training over the Thursday night training session is because Tuesdays are done on the road rather than the track; which I dont take to well to doing sessions on.
I cycled down to the track using my trusty old mountain stead, the old girl never looked so tierd and dusty in all her 20 somewhat years of ownership; thats because there was some building work going on and the dust and drit got everywhere including all over my Mountain (style) Bike. Giving her a quick dust down I speed off down the road and head towards the club.
Its an uneventful commute with not an idiot, impatient or inconsiderate driver to be seen.

Three, Tue (two), One
Arriving at the club, I chain up my stead and head inside, coach Kenny is doing his circuit/strength pre-training session. Wondering in I see my fellow athletes are moaning in pain and agony from the torture they are enduring. Once complete we all head out doors to learn our fate for this evening. 3 laps of the clubs Christmas Handicap Route - pace...Hard or as Coach Kenny says 'Balls Out people, Balls Out' Although I must admit it wasnt balls out tonight but more butt; as in butt cheeks as one of our groups decided it would be funny, and it was to a point, pull their shorts into a thong and show off their ass cheeks to the world. A sight you wil be glad you have all been spared :) .

Reaching the start point we depostit bottles of water, jumpers and other items that we now decide we dont require, position ourselves on the line and 3.2.1.GO we are off. Down the hill, round the corner, round the corner again and up the same hill just in a different street, breathing gone to pot already and I begin to wonder only 100m in to the session if it will be a run of fun or a bum of a run. By the time I pass the top o the hill and head down the other side I begin to find my feet, breathing begins to settle and I hope I wont over heat as tonight is hot and clammy.
Now the problem with doing lap running is, you know whats coming in each lap and generally its the same old thing over and over again and I felt tonight was just gonna be one of those training nights, I am glad to say that that wasnt the case.

Lap Uno
On the first lap I head down the long straight, noticing that there is a car parked on a drive and partiially; atually completely; bloking the path, already I am already thinking about the best path to take for when I approach the vehicle on the road back to the start. As I approach the car that is blocking the path; as apposed to there being no clear way round it; I see myself running up and hurdling over it, maybe even with a twist or a somersault over the car and continue running, in reality I ran up, jumped...onto the grass and ran round about it, hey no harm in being creative in ones head and besides I wasnt fully warmed up to perform such a monouver I will get it on the next lap. So nothing else interesting occured, until close to the end, the route takes us past a large grass are in the out and back sections of the route, as it was a nice warm night loads of children were out playing in the sun with all manor of toys, I end up playing dodge ball for abit on ma final stretch of the first lap. Nearly standing on the ball I dodge quickly and am luck for my cat like reflexes or I might have shoulder tackled the ground as I rounded the bend.

Lap Tue (two)
Entering into tthe second lap of three I feel slightly tierd, but wonder if its just the heat; after all I am running at a pace that is within my target pace for the marathon and capable of running comfortably. I turn at the boot of the hill and then turn again to climb back up thesame hill one street over. As a reach the top a couple of boys who; and suddenly the theme tune to the 'Fresh Prince of Belair' came to my head, no not when running - just there when typing. Anyway A couple of guys were stiiling there on their BMX bikes, not surre if they were being helpful or wanting to send me on a wild goose chace, but they piped up 'Hey Mister, Mister, they went that wiy' and pointed in some obsure direction, 'Hiay Mister, that wiy'.
I asked then what they were saying and they replied 'thone runners, they went that waiy'
Thanking them for their assistance I shouded  an explination of what we were doing and gave them a cheery wave and off I sped. The thing about doing loops apart from the repetative senery is that you begin to cross paths with fellow training peoples and tonight was no different. As i was going out the way i passed the last two heading in the way, this is used to encourage and support our fellow runners and gestures of thumbs up, smiles and the odd grunt of encouragement are passed between us. These do help all be it for only a split second.
So as I pass the car blocking the path I see it is stil there and I think 'right I will get it this time round on the way back. But before I can negotiate that obsticle I have to first weave my way round a few people who have crossed the road and have now decoded to take up some form of tribal street dance in front of me, nice as it is the pattern of this dance seems to clearly put themselves in the path to which i am running, maybe they think I am dancing as well for every time i take a step to the left or a jump to the right; hey thats what it was they thought I was doing the time warp; anyway they always seemed to be infront of me and in my path. Dancing over I loop round at the bottom and of the lap and begin the long road back. Rounding the bend I approach the car and this is it a hurdle over the car and on my way; reality hits and once again its onto the grass and continue at the same pace. Next lap for sure, afte all its the last lap. Going back up the long straight between the two circles loops of each lap I once again am welcomed by smiles and thinbs up, this time its more than the last time as there are other runners in the group heading back out on their second lap. In the distance i see two runners whom I am not familiar with, wondering if I missed them at the start i dont bother to much. I approach them and they have slowed to a walk, I quickly realise that they are not from our group but to other fitness freak just like us out doing their own thing. I offer up a smile and in return I receive a smile, a smile that changed the world, the mouth opened and there was nothing just a gapping hole of nothing barr a single solitory tooth on its own, not only that as the smile came the face creased up and developed cracks across it, like the opening of the ground as an earthquake moved through it. The complection of the skin went from smooth like silk to broken, crevise filled roughnes like alligator skin; Leather Skin and Toothless Grin filled me full of fear.

Heading into Three
Heading on to finish two I hear voices and the bumping of bumping of cycle tyres/wheels and skate wheels from behind. Not bothering to much I push on; this actually giving me a small incentive to push harder to see if I can finish the lap before I am passed, I finish my second lap and continue down the hill into lap three, the final for me. Down the hill round the corner, along and round the other corner heading up the hill from another street. half ways up I am passed by two boys; the same two boys from lap two; they had seen me at the far end of this circle and chanced me down to try and beat me. At the top of the hill they stopped into their wee spot and asked how many times I had done this already. When i explained that I had done two already and that this was my third, they replied with a 'bloody hell, well done, but we quite', pity really I could have been doing with the use of their bike later on in my lap.
Heading down the road I now pass most of my fellow runners.
I head down the long straight for the final time with nothing to bring to your attention, round the bottom circle and heading back I see a nice sight in front, but the sight is suddenly thrown away as they turn round, smile and give yourself a chance. Coming back up to the car that is blocking the way i decide that i will not hurdle over the car, I am feeling slightly tierd after this session and dont want to hurt myself. I push on past on the grass as i have done the two previous laps and head back up the straight. Down the path and up the hill back to the start or in this case the finish for the final time.

Done and dusted is the session, but I head out for a small cool down lap, this takes me round the top circle only adding about another 0.61 miles to my total.
Tonights session is 4.61 miles and the 0.61 miles cool down gives a total of 5.22 miles.
Weekly total 10.03 and Moggie's Miles total to 40.37 miles

Enter Week Two
So afters yesterdays wee race I half expected to get up and be stiff this morning. I know you have hear me say that before and I followed it up with not being stiff, well today was the same although i had difficulty dragging my carcuss from under the duvet I was surprisingly feeling good.
Getting ready for work I really only wanted to go out for a run, but that would have to wait till later.

Later rolls in
Afte a good day at work I venture homw with the intent of heading out the door by four, but i sat down for a few minutes and i could feel my upper eye lids slowly sliding down my eye balls to form a nice tight seal with the lower eye lids. After a few attempts and a fight for domination between sleep and awake, I dragged myself from the chair and readied myself for a run in the sun. Now the sun a big gasious ball of hydrogen and other elements burning in the sky, it is good to see but it certainly brings things out in the open; it is no wonder the sun has been in hiding after all some of the things i saw tonight bareing body parts that only the mortitian should ever get to see, but thats for further down the page.

Sun, See and Weesh, Weesh I hadn't seen
So its out the door into the big wide world which is blessed with sun, sun and more sun. In days like this it is great to run it makes the training much more fun. I start at a gentle pace and head on up the road, I opt to stay on the side of the raod that is in the shade knowing fine well that the route I intend to take will be kissed with the sun for a fair part of it with no where to go but into its light. Barely half a mile into the run and it's the first of the seen and weeshed I hadn't moments. dressed up with, or maybe dressed down, wearing a 'boob tube' if I remember my fashion lingo and a mini skirt, both of which would appear to be several sizes too small for the person inside them. Clearly they felt they were gifted to the earth for the man of the world but the way they were talking to each other. I would say they were gifted to nowt, smelling like suntan cooking oil, browner than beef gravy and the the resulting outcome of the tight clothing made them look more a kin to sausages hanging up in a butchers shop and the middle pages of a 'Food Hamper' catalogue than the centre pages of Playboy magazine.
Heading on past the eye sore I am grateful of the shade, even here the heat is hotter than we have seen for a long time. There coming down the other side of the road as i go up is Graeme heading down the way, he is fair moving, glad I aint in that side of the street going in the same direction.

Beetroot and Sheep Waves
Pushing through the blistering heat I leave the sanctuary of the shade and appraoch a busy roundabout which only adds to the heat due to the congrigation of tin cgaes sitting waiting to escape the gravitational pull of the roundabout.. Sfaely navigated I sped off, well I went faster than a walk, into the yonder only to hear the 'toot toot, ta toot too' of a car blasting its horn, as i look round i see a face and a hand dancing at the side window of a car, in my general direction; I assume they must be waving at me, after all there is no one else around. I later find out who this car driving waver is. I turn off the main road and into the country roads, where peace from traffic is a great releif and adds to the joy of the run. I am plodding along when from out of no where a beetroot on a bike hurtles towards me; I can only assume it wasa beetroot as the thing was the darkest shade of purple you could ever imagine and didnt seem to be breathing either. Dodging quickly to the side I avoid becoming part of a tossed meat and beatroot salad. Still in one piece I take the steps and footbridge option to cross the river rather than the old ford, although having been tempted to take on several occations have never done so; one does not know the state of the ford way under the water. The fields are full of sheep and I am; well not sure if welcomed or otherwise; acknowledged with what I can only describe as a 'Mexican Baa', starting at one end the sheep Baa in succession in a continual wave along just in front of me.

Different in the sun
It is strange how things look so much different when the weather is nice and sunn as apposed to raining and ovr cast. The last time I ran this road it was just that, raining and over cast, however today the sky was clear and the view out over the fields and country side was further than I could run and much further than I would care to try to at the moment.
Looking back to the road in front of me it is an uphill slope, which in tonights light was actually looking good as apposed to looking hard in the dark, dankness of the rain and wind etc. It is at this moment I come across the second of the 'seen and weeshed' moments, there crossing the crest of the hill is a silouette of what I truly am not sure, as it approaches I see it is a cyclist; well to be honest I initially thought it was 2 cyclists cycling one behind the other but just to the side, transpires it was only one cyclist, slightly larger than the bike, it appeared they did not have a saddle upon which to rest. dooning the crest of the hill I make my decent; again in the light tonight it looks welcoming to the eye; easing down the hill I am moving ever closer to leaving the beautiful sights and the 'Mexican Baa' of the country behind, I cross the bridge over the dualcarrage way; which with the amount of traffic sounds more like a raging river then a free flowing road; I re-join civilasation. I press on with no further mis-haps or eye straining moments to arrive back at my start point having completed 4.81 miles.

This run tonight brings week 2 miles to 4.81 miles and Moggie's Miles to 35.15 miles in Total.