Not another 'itis'

The thing with running is that you pick up a number of mental challenges that make running difficult. Common complaints include:
I can't be bothered 'itis'
I should have gone for a run before I ate that pizza 'itis'
I have lay in this bed long enough to convince myself that an extra hour in bed is going to help me get fitter 'itis'

Now though I have a physical 'itis' that is setting back the marathon training severely. Specifically it's that Achilles Tendonitis in my right heel. I think it's running on snow that has set it off, but gradually over the last fortnight it's started to hurt and last week it swelled up and looked like an old granny ankle all purple and disfigured. I went for my 12 miler last Sunday and it was a miserable experience that took far too long and left me cold, sore and demoralised. The advice was apply ice and raise it, so out came the left over Christmas frozen sprouts. Ibuprofen Gel does the trick but a week later after no runs and lots of gel I tried a gentle 4 miles and yet again it's flared up. More rest to follow, but this winter marathon training has barely got going for me and the plan for a PB is fading fast.

Going Green

I've been roped into being a guinea pig for sport science brainiac at the running club. I'm not sure what they are looking for, but it involves me having to drink large quantities of Lucozade before and after a run, and then comparing my pee colour. Now all the equipment needed is provided, the Lucozade powder, a bottle and a splash proof pee chart. It took a few goes to realise that the bottle was for the drink to go in, but I've got the hang of it now. The chart is a sort of litmus test with various shades of yellow to choose from. The darkest being your early morning dew, and I can't help but be tempted to try and reach that goal. The problem I have with the chart is that Emma puts that blue stuff in the loo, and so it turns green. So, I have turned my table green, and the new target is Mild Green Fairy Liquid...which apparently is good for your hands, although probably not your dishes.

Extended Christmas

The kids got a dream come true last week when the snow forced the council to shut all its schools for 2 days. There was quite a bit of snow, and that of course meant sledging. There are lots of hill around here but getting to them by car was a problem so we stuck with the safer and more communal option of the 12th hole at Winterfield Golf Course. We went on Tuesday and a growing mob of sledgers were gathering. It was all very sociable with kids exchanging sledges and other vehicles for tearing down the hill, parents stood around chatting and eventually chattering, sharing hot chocolate and biscuits. We got there at 12.20pm and left at around 4pm. Midway through the afternoon, the text message from the school came through to parents telling them school would be closed. Great cheers echoed around Belhaven Bay as the kids knew another day on the slope lay ahead. And so for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday the routine became fairly familiar of spending 4-5 hours in the bitter cold, going up and down a hill. Most remarkable was that it got isabelle out of bed before 12pm, and for the first time ever she was sat inthe car waiting for us. Each day the numbers grew, as did the confidence of people who tried out various stunts on ice. Andrew took his wheels off his skateboard and found he had good balance on his improvised snowboard. People were using rubber rings, a double airbed, and inflatable shark and most effective was a piece of laminate flooring. Of course one or two knob heads turned up and we were down by 2 sledges at the end of the week simply because some spotty faced fat teenagers nicked them off the kids. Still, I have my wheelie bin lid that I found washed up on the shore to use next time. I also had a go at making an igloo. I was curious to see if it could be done. Using a recycling box to make my bricks I got 3/4 of the way through constructing it before turning in for the night. We woke up on Sunday to see the rare sight of grass and a puddle where the igloo once stood. The snow had gone. No igloo, sledging no more and school on Monday.

Boxing Day Blues

Boxing Day rolled in and I decided to go for a quick run. The thick ice was still on the pavements as the only thing being gritted was people's teeth in frustration. I stuck with running on the road, but this is a city and taxi drivers see runners as fair game, so I decided to run around Cringle Fields. In the short distance (the width of a pavement) from getting off the road on to the field I fell over on the ice. Cringle Fields are the council football fields. They have many uses, ranging from a race track for joyriders, to a holiday camp site for travelers. I used to walk the old Labs (Harold & Frank) on there and often I would stumble across a burning car, a stolen cash register or gypsies faeces and hedge trimmings. Anyway, on Boxing Day it was covered in ice, and tell tales signs of 'doughnuts' in the ice and mud showed the tradition of joyriding stolen Rovers is as ever popular.

Later on we had planned to go and see some good local football. Man Utd were not playing at home, Altrincham's game against York was postponed so we ended up watching Stoke, who were playing local team Manchester City. To do this we first had to become members of MCFC, and were all issued with id cards that we discovered later did not work. We all went so it was a good experience wandering through parts of Manchester that have been demolished and rebuilt since I was a lad. Once at the stadium called Eastlands, we found our seats up in the gods. Actually they proved to give a good view and much better than I thought. I love the little oddities that go on at football matches. At this one they put up a picture of a blue moon, and then everyone sings it. The boys in blue had an easy game ahead of them against Stoke. We could see Teves in all his glory, but could see he is one of those 'I'll let the ball come to me rather than go and get it' players. Anyway some East European looking fella scored first and the game picked up pace. 2 minutes before half time I was sent to get the hot chocolates and avoid the queue. As anyone who has ever nipped out of match early to go for a pee or catch the bus will know, this is actually a guaranteed way of making one of the teams score....just as your back is turned. In my case I got the pleasure of seeing the goal (Teves actually made a run) on the monitor above the pie stand, whilst I waited another 10 minutes for my hot chocolates.

Post game we had the thrill of more queues to get out of the car park. With the fuel gauge flashing empty, it was a nervous 40 minutes wait in heavy traffic until we found a petrol station. So that was our trip to Eastlands. When we returned home to Dunbar our members certificates and goodie bag were waiting for us. Who knows if we are down that way again we might pay them a visit if the Stockport County game is off.

Photos: Eastlands FC ground, that Teves goal at the pie shop and the boys in blue take on the mighty Stoke City.

That was Christmas

Well slightly belated but I hope you all had a great Christmas. We headed down to Manchester for a week of food, drink, shopping and a bit more. Our great plan of leaving early on the 23rd December were shelved when we woke up to the most snow I have ever seen in Dunbar. The traffic news reported that the A1 near Dunbar was closed and on the bypass near Edinburgh, there were 2 hour delays. So we decided to stay put. Obviously the kids were out in the snow, and before long so was half the street. The neighbours were calling for me to come out and join them in a big snow ball fight, and so I obliged. There was no order to it, just hit anything with a pulse. Stuart got one smack in the face from his PE teacher, but I managed to get revenge and landed one on her head. We also built a snowman. Here is ours in the back garden (below)

By 11.30am the roads were open again so we headed south. It took a while driving from East to West, but I hate driving in snow and for once i didn't mind being stuck behind that driver who only goes 40mph. Once in Burnage we discovered that the council had not gritted the roads. Arterial roads were like farm tracks covered in ice which caused a few problems for the buses.

The bulk of the holidays were spent meeting people, eating and drinking. Christmas Day itself was a bit like going back in time, as for the first time in a long time for me I was sat at the Christmas table with Uncle Frank & Aunty Dorothy, plus 16 others. Before all that we opened a few presents and headed down to St Margaret's Church for the service. Fog had joined the snow and ice, making for a pretty Christmas scene. Not quite Spott Parish Church but it was good to see people I have not seen in ages. Back to the food, it was yet another extravagant feast for all. My mum and dad stock up well for Christmas including the box of dates. Who eats them? Nobody seems to..perhaps its the same box used each year. Photos: St Margaret's and Burnage in the snow.

The rest of the day was spent on the X-Box and watching the Royle Family, Dr Who and a few other things. It was soon all over, but with a few more days ahead of us in manchester the holiday was just begining. Photo: A few other Christmas photo's

Merry New Year!

Photo's: The Loony Dook and Stuart having a ball. I'm not sure how the picture of the girl got in there!

Ah the end of another year. Where did it all go? Well we spent hogmany driving back up from Manchester in record time, despite some snow on the Biggar road. We got ourselves along for a drink at the Masons Arms where the running club were hosting the Black Bun Run. Whilst it was only 1 and bit miles, I had been stuck in a car for the last 4 hours and not really in the mood for a sprint, so I enjoyed one or two pints before I commit to marathon training where such things will be a luxury. After that we went home and decided to expose our kids to the joys of the high street Hogmany party. They had the pleasure of seeing a large percentage of the alcohol thirsty teenage population bumping into each other, making incoherent noises and fighting. It was slightly hostile but nevertheless entertaining in the same way rubber necking is at motorway pileups. As usual midnight passed and it was an excuse for more of the same, so we slipped away and went home. There Emma decided she would put the famous Scottish hospitality of first footing to the test. Our neighbours had invited us on a number of occasions to call in for a drink. I really wasn't sure 12.30a.m. was what they had in mind, but we tried it out anyway. Either they were very polite and put on a brave face, or they were extremely good neighbours and welcomed us in for a dram or two. A 2.40a.m. we turned in as it was an early start of 11am the next...sorry same day.

New Years Day holds another great Scottish tradition, the Loony Dook. Make of it what you will, but basically people like to jump into the cold sea. Is it the sense of camaraderie, a penance for over indulging in the weeks before, or just stupidity. I don't know, but Stuart decided he wanted to join other fools at North Berwick. In fact it is a great event, lots of laughs and worth going to even if you don't 'dook'. Stuart was straight in, fell over so jumped out again. Once over the shock he made a promt return and enjoyed it all. Here's some pictures to prove it. Note the snow in the background over at Fife. Yes it really was that cold.




Photo: The joys of Dunbar High Street at Hogmany.

Hoppy New Year

I hope you all have a great year ahead. Here's a seasonal message from Dunbar Lights Committee who could either do with changing a few light bulbs or checking out the dictionary. We know what they meant though. Have a good one.