Fitness

Just out of the shower after my morning run. The weather is so different from yesterday, colder, grey and starting to rain where yesterday was overwhelmingly sunny, not a cloud in the sky uplifting morning. Whatever, I feel good today too, positive effect of switching to running in the morning. The downside is that it feels a bit harder, particularly the morning after a gym night (mind you the gym is harder after a morning run than an immediately preceding one too). Could be something to do with stepping up to 3 gym visits a week, with a 5000m row; I never was any good at rowing, but I seem to be getting the hang of it, mostly.

The reason for the morning running (other than a couple of nice sunny mornings) is that I'm stepping up work on my thesis. Saves time and gets the day off to a well. Still lots to do, going well at the moment but currently looking like I will finish in December. So if you don't hear from me, that's why...

Back to the running, we're now 3 weeks into the 2nd half of the year, and my logs tell me in the first half I ran 944km (586 miles) in an inconsistent fashion (some longer weeks and off weeks). Minimal goal for the rest of the year is 1000km, or better to hit 2000 for the year, with a gradual build-up and more consistency. Anything else is a bonus.

I started writing something and then lost it. About a week ago.

Further to the last post, I'm holding off running for a couple of weeks to get rid of shin splints, which I could probably feel coming on when I posted that... This is the second week off, and I've been cycling instead. Mostly around town, I went out along the Union Canal past Ratho last week, which was nice. I shall have to go right along to Falkirk at some point. Also, have the idea of cycling to Auchterarder some time, it's not that far.

Had a nice wander in the Pentlands on Sunday, along the ridge. Lovely day. And see the ickle lambykins!

I should learn to post less more often, as I used to. Now back to work, lots to do...

Okay, so more than a week. Making a commitment is scary. Doing so here means I'm serious about it; I don't want to change my mind or break my word. I shall be specific, as that is more useful, easier to motivate and stick to.

I shall run three times per week. At a minimum two of these will be 4km (as I often do on the way to the gym), and one shall be ~6km; ideally the shorter two would be about that, and longer run of over 10km.

Now the excuses. Doing something active at the weekend is not a get-out. A day's hillwalking should not interfere, but two or more days or a mammoth outing can. In that case a couple of runs (even on a treadmill) should suffice. On the other hand, I don't want to injure myself... sore or tired muscles can just suffer, but knees, ankles and shins cannot.

I've kept it up for the last few weeks, so we'll see how it goes. I ran 11k rather quicker than I expected last week, so it will be interesting to see how I go with longer distances once I'm used to running regularly. I have a disturbing ambition to run a marathon one day... It's probably not that crazy an idea (other than the inherent craziness)—if I run regularly and do some shorter events, and trained for it, that is. Okay, crazy.

Okay, some other commitments and crazy goals lest I forget other things I enjoy.

• A proper hillwalk at least once a month this year. A couple of the big hill days I have in mind (Bridge of Orchy hills, the Mamores, some 2-day insanity around Ben Starav, to name but three).
• Get to the climbing wall regularly.
• Actually get out climbing locally, be solidly leading easy stuff by the end of the summer
• Get out on the bike, to the Pentlands and so forth. Go somewhere on the train at some point.
• Finish PhD!

Incidentally, Spring is here. Pleasently sunny, t-shirt weather again today.

Wow, we're a week into December already.

I gave myself a bit of a shock this morning. I actually got up in the morning and went for a run before breakfast. Very glad I did. It must have been a cold, clear night, but even in shorts and t-shirt I soon warmed up once I got going. The frost on car roofs made pretty swirly patterns; the frosted pavement sparkled as I moved; the pre-dawn glow of the sky illuminated Blackford Hill as I ran past, and lit Arthur's Seat through a muddy haze. The city was waking up: a dog walker nearing the Hermitage of Braid; a figure here and there with big coat and gloves; innumerable cars sitting warming up, vast clouds of noxious fumes puffing up in the crisp clear air. Breathe in gently, you'll regret holding your breath in a minute. Stepping past frozen puddles. Icy. Slippy. Slowing down for corners. Careful on the driveways. It's getting busier—the cars are ready now, off on their way (off to work already?). And then around the corner, down the hill. Past the Supermarket. And back home.

A wash, and breakfast. Feeling so awake, for once.

I would point out various animatronic holiday wonders to her (my fake enthusiasm can be added to the list of "dumb things the holidays have made me do"), and her only pertinent question was "Why is this happening, Mommy?" There were no good answers.

mimi smartypants

A well-written, whimiscal diary, mimi smartypants entertains me.

It pours. It is, in fact, pouring down outside right now.

And of course having posted earlier today my first entry for an age, I shall now post another, now that there is no pressure to actually have something to say. We just jogged home from the gym in the wet; raining heavily, rivers running down and across pavements, the odd lake... Very pleasent, I could get addicted to this.

Seems like something to do through the winter anyway.

Ow. Went to the gym for the second half of the induction yesterday, but the guy was off sick. So that became an actual work-out. My muscles are not used to this.

These pavement drawings are seriously cool. Amazing 3D impression. Can't help finding aviation humour funny.

And zombie dogs! And on the merely somnolent, apparently people now go in for extreme sleepwalking. To the top of a crane! Sleepwalking murder! Sleep sex!

To continue a spate of frequent entries in contrast with the usual fortnightly trickle.

In another deviation from character, I went to the gym today, as dearg reports. Just an induction today, the second part of which will be on Saturday, so I'm not feeling overly exercised. But I'm looking forward to going regularly; perhaps I will not be regularly looking forward to going, once I get started. Time will tell.

Apparently George Bush has fallen off his bike. No, really. I did wonder whether a bicycle was perhaps a little... enviromentical. Perhaps Bush lost a bet, or is this perhaps some form of alternative to signing Kyoto? In fact it seems that he cycles regularly (at least that's my interpretation of "seriously"). It must be a bit of a bugger when the whole world finds out every time you fall off your bike, trip up or choke on a food item.

I suppose I've got to mention that London got the 2012 Olympics, the main news story today. In G8 news, they eventually did march in the general vicinity of Gleneagles, and unsurprisingly there was trouble throughout the day (BBC story). Excitement of riot police in a Chinook. I got a phone call earlier from my mum who could see mounted police out of the bedroom windows. It's strange seeing Auchterarder on the news.

For all the violence we see on TV, I think the policing for this summit has probably been handled more sensibly than it would have been in other locations. Hopefully the rest of the week will go smoothly and we'll actually get some not overly weasly commitments from the G8.