Fast Forward

Has someone pressed the fast-forward button? Only a short while ago it was July and we were preparing the garden for the barbecues we didn't get around to having. We were waiting for the glorious summer that must have been over in a flash. Did I miss something? All of a sudden it is almost November... Christmas is coming and the goose is starting to gain a little weight.

Well, our series of races for Carers UK has finally come to an end. Sorry we didn't quite make the £3000 target but our fund-raising page is open until the 30th November so I still live in hope of raising another £300.

Trevor and I ran in the Great North Run in September which was an amazing experience. After this event, Trevor decided to hang up his running shoes. The impact from all the running has aggravated an old knee injury. However my knees were well enough to participate in the Northampton 10K run in September and the Coventry Half-marathon yesterday.

There are no more races planned for this year so I shall be putting my energy into a more dramatic project (a stage play). In the meantime, will someone please stop fiddling with that perishing fast-forward button?

The Great North Run finished in South Shields
20th September

Trevor, tired but glad it's all over

'The Run 09' at Sixfields Stadium, Northampton (10K)
4th October

Coventry Half-Marathon
25th October
Nearly there!

Just a few more yards!

All over!

Owl's About That Then?

It's nearly 3 months since the London Marathon and we're back in training, this time for the Great North Run on 20th September.

Will it seem a doddle running a mere 13 miles instead of 26? Well, it'll certainly be less strain on the joints but I don't think anything over about 10 miles is easy. During the marathon training I had a couple of falls, landing on my knees. The joints are still painful but oh well, such is life. We'd never do anything if we let a little thing like intense pain get in the way. Thank Heaven for knee support bandages, freeze gel and Ibuprofen.

We ran the 'Stratford Summer Six' on 4th July which was a 6-mile run starting and finishing at Mary Arden's House (home of Shakespeare's mother) in Stratford-upon-Avon. It was organised by the Stratford Athletics Club and whilst the other runners were all supportive and friendly, we felt out of our depth because they were so much fitter than us! When we saw them, we chose to run from the very back so that no-one could overtake us. As it happened, we overtook 4 runners which surprised (and pleased) us!

Six days earlier on 28th June, we took part in the Coventry Fun Run which was, in truth, 'nearly' fun because it was too hot to be fun. Mercifully, it was only 4 miles and I don't suppose it would sound right calling it the 'Coventry Nearly Fun Run'.

Stratford Summer Six - 4th July

Before the run. Oh look, an owl is nibbling at Trevor's ear....
(Also will you please note the Eric Cantona t-shirt)

That blessed owl has nested in my hair. Harry Potter.......?

...he's moved, what a hoot...

Trev looks nonchalent but he was actually thinking, "cripes, this lot look like serious runners - help"

The other runners, from different athletic clubs, do look fit, especially him in the floral shirt...

This was taken approximately halfway round the course.... smiling but trying to catch up with those ahead of us - all 207 of them...

Coventry Fun Run - 28 June

We bumped into our postman, before the race and he took this pic

I took this pic at arm's length and didn't expect this to turn out, especially as I wasn't even looking at the camera!

After the race, all hot and sweaty!

At the time of writing, we are still just over £300 short of our fund-raising target for Carers UK so we'll keep on running until we have raised £3000.