Weather

Not cold-bound for some time now, just busy writing my thesis. I update only to note my continued existence, and comment briefly on the weather. A few lovely clear but cold days recently seem to mark the change of the seasons.

I have only one thing planned for the rest of the year: running the Aviemore half marathon (again). I'm looking forward to it, but I wonder if nice weather now means it will more likely get wet in two weeks? Not that it matters, I'm sure I'll enjoy it anyway. Looking to get under 1:25 this time.

I'm afraid I must be terribly British and talk about the weather again. Not to moan about bad weather, more to frame a couple of excellent days last weekend. Perhaps typically for this time of year, the weather is dominated by low-pressure systems coming in off the atlantic in a conveyer-belt effect. About 3 or 4 days out of 5 there will be some rain, and some days are quite wild, with strong wind (including gales) and big dark skies. This really serves to emphasise the other days; when it is clear, it is very very clear, in that way reserved for crisp wintry days, and it is inspiring by contrast. On some days it requires willpower to go out; others it would to stay in.

Last Friday I went out for a run before visiting the gym. The intention was to run for about 10km, which takes less than an hour, but the night was so clear that rather than returning home just after sunset, I kept going "just a little bit further", until I had run around town for about 2 hours (a nice tour of some of our hills) and still found it hard to make myself stop.

On Saturday it seemed nice again, although there was now a little wind, and I went off for a bike ride. I've not been out much recently—since I cycled back from Auchterarder, the longest ride was to and from the Pentlands for a run. Anyway, on Saturday I cycled out through Musselburgh to Prestonpans, and back via Portobello and Leith, maybe 30 miles. An excellent day out along the coast, the views over the water back to Edinburgh were excellent, as well as across to Fife.

Now I must pop out and get a run in.

'twas a dark and stormy night, the last of November, 2006, when I realised that if I didn't get writing, I would have posted no entries this month at all.

I've not been up to anything sufficiently exciting that I've felt compelled to run home and write about it, and yet I've not been bored doing nothing either. Since Aviemore I've been away from home for the weekend twice; once to a Halloween party in Bolton, and once visiting my mother for the weekend. Both enjoyable visits.

Most of the rest of the time has been spent on, or should have been spent on, my research, which is coming along nicely. I can't really get into details, but new ideas are occurring and the thing is generally building up nicely.

The weather is currently making itself known, rattling the windows and whistling through the trees. I wasn't fibbing before. The nights now start mid-afternoon (sunset is currently 3.45pm), and sun comes up after 8. We've had one cold snap, and although it is much warmer now I'm still glad the heating was repaired this week before the next one. Mostly the last few weeks it's been dull, wet and windy, or threatening to be so, maybe half the time...

So, I am still managing to motivate myself to go out running, but only just... Of the past 5 weekends, I've had three good long runs in the hills, one down the length of the Water of Leith walkway, and I missed last weekend's. The w.o.l. run was a logical outing I've been meaning to do for a while, but let down a little by the effort of getting to/from the ends, since I live close to the middle, too much concrete surfacing, and various less than inspiring bits; those I have walked past before, at least running they go by quicker.

The hill runs were fun, and that's something I hope to do a bit of next year, as there are plenty of local hill races. In Bolton I ran up Winter Hill and along the area behind it, which holds the record of my wettest run (although it was not raining). I think I'd rather run through miles of wet bog in light fell shoes than walk in any pair of boots; once your feet are wet they're wet, but light shoes let water out as easily as they let it in, and it is easier to grin and ignore discomfort running along in shorts, mud splashing up your legs, than it is to plod along getting wet and muddy with no view to see and remain so cheery.

Otherwise I cycled to/from the Pentlands for a 2-hour run (knackering hills), and from my mum's went out for a 3.5 hour jaunt in the Ochils (too tired to even jog up much of the ups at all, and easily my longest run to date). Shall probably leave the hills for a bit, but my calves feel bigger already...

I've not been out hill-walking at all recently, and I suppose the hill runs have satisfied that urge in any case, but now winter's coming I should probably make an effort to get out to the mountains particularly if I run on the flat, maybe once a month or so. Snow!

I might do a reading (etc.) round up in the next couple of months, otherwise I shall write again the next time I do something interesting—which is pretty much guaranteed next month, at least. So long.