It feels like the end of summer.
The sun shines, but there’s a definite nip in the air. The light fades before tea now. The evenings are longer. I find myself drawn indoors.
My sister arrived this morning. We drank tea in the garden and talked about the route for our long run. Twenty flat miles along the canal? This was the original plan, but was likely to take five hours. Lorraine was valiantly trying to pretend she didn’t have a cold, and after several canal runs, I longed for a view across the hills.
We settled on eight miles, out towards the peak district, up and up through a woodland valley.
We sneaked a look at the chickens, then set off. The weather was perfect, bright and clear, but not too warm. We were pleased with our pace. It was nearly midday, and as our path started to climb, we got warmer. Lorraine stopped for a small nap.
The marathon is two weeks away now, and we both feel woefully unprepared. I’ve done one long run of 15 miles, one of 18, and nothing at all in the last fortnight. Lorraine has run two miles in the last five weeks. (Personally, I’m impressed she’s done any running at all, with three small boys clamouring for attention)
Still, this path has been peppered with small achievements. I can run without stopping for about four miles now. With one minute walk breaks, I can keep going for nearly 20 miles (hopefully 26!) An eight mile run now feels quite a pleasant way to pass a Saturday afternoon. I’m not planning another marathon after this one, but I will keep running.
On a related note, I’m raising money for the British Thyroid Foundation. If you would like to sponsor me, here’s a link to my just giving page. I’d be ever so grateful if you did. Please, please don’t feel you have to though! xx
a cheerful living adventure 