I'll just squeak instead.
squeak. 
There. I squeaked.
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Ok I say something.
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But then I deleted what I say.
]]>I do this often. If it isn't trains, it's cars or some other marker of a bygone era. It isn't that i'm an anorak. The specifications of the machinery and engines are not what i'm looking for.. but rather the emotional content of travel, of places, of the past. And yes it is accompanied by sadness and melancholy.
All the time I look back. Never have I looked forward. Given the chance, I would look forward, and I would look away from here, away from this country. But that has never been am option. Yet I would like it to be.
]]>I'll just squeak instead.
squeak.
There. I squeaked.
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Ok I say something.
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But then I deleted what I say.
]]>so i'm watching things like this. Great vid. Bristol again funnily. But the 80's music doesn't suit the cars. The music would fit better for mid 80's Yuppie Porsche Carrera, or 944, M25 rat run.
still don't get zebra
panda
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It's all becoming clear. 
and the rest..
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Anyway, got a new pair of running shoes the other day. The old ones had worn out, but they had served me well. I estimate I ran well over 2000 miles or around 4000km on the previous pair of shoes.
This new pair of New Balance WR859 running shoes are essentially just an updated version of the old W857's that have come to the end of their life.
This model is designed as a high-mileage heavy-duty shoe - I guess the closest that road shoes come before becoming Trail shoes.
Had my second run with them tonight, and another personal best; 42:34. That's 10 seconds off the previous PB.
Tonight was the first time I was able to run without the jacket. It was around 9c, but a bit cooler in mist patches, 5c. But hardly any wind. Today it reached 13c. Warmest day of the year so far here. But over the weekend there was snow and a lot of rain and high winds all last week. Just a mess really day after day, and it does get me down a bit.. However my pale celtic skin cant handle even the slightest bit of warmth either. Much over 60f and I can't stay outside too long.
As it was night-time, I still had to wear all my lights, (pictured below. I wear two ankle flexi lights on each ankle (4 in total). Panda Bean. A rear cycle light on my back. A headtorch around my waist lol. and a brighter headtorch on my head. So that's a total of 7 indivdual items of lighting. So maybe i'm lit like a Christmas tree lol.
When I go out in the daylight soon and hopefully won't need to wear so much clothing, i'm sure I will be able to beat the latest PB of 42:34... It would be to nice to achieve another PB wearing my 2008 red and white Nike tank 
(That's tank is in tank top... not as in military vehicle... lol) 
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After breaking my PB in the storm the other day, I timed myself today; 42:44.
I dunno what's going on exactly, considering I feel I have trained about half as much this winter as last. But i'm pleased. If this continues then it will be a good summer.
Now that icy roads should become A less frequent occurence, I hope to get back on the bicycle. However there is often a snowy period of weather in March, so I wouldn't be surprised if today is just a blip like one day we had last February.. a lot of snow soon followed during March.
The grass is still mushy and short, but I hit with the tennis racquet today for half an hour before I went running.
]]>The weather yesterday was pretty unpleasant with very strong wind and sharp showers of rain, 6c. So why did I clock a PB?
At the turn, just before halway, I was shocked to see I was under twenty minutes, not only cos of the weather, but because since last July I haven't did as much training.
My previous best was 44:14
Yesterday I did 44:05
It makes me wonder what I will do when the weather improves a bit in April May.
]]>Something wasn't right this morning. I had to pull up for a rest after about a mile. Was able to complete the remaining four miles okay, but a pretty downtempo affair.
Waz gwam? Dunno, possibly dust allergens. I disturbed some fine dust yesterday and maybe inhaled it. Dust mites and all that malarky, they make my nose run and give me difficulty in breathing sometimes, I often wrap a scarf over my face like a bandit when it's time to sweep the floor.
Sweep is a funny word for me, because it means sweep. Which to you means sleep. But since there are no you's ever here in this blog it doesn't matter
Another scenic pic I took while out running the Saturday before last.
]]>Last Saturday I did a 10 mile run, and during the week I had two or three 5 mile runs.
I am aiming to get back into running six days a week at least, just like I did for most of the first six months of last year. But it's going well. I just need to continue to step things up.
People still burn open fires and stoves up here, so the air is smokey wherever there are houses. If I go out running really early, like 5 am or something, then I can avoid the smoke. Carbon emissions..? lol.
It's really unpleasant, especially as it's hilly here, you breathe deeply. I try control my breathing until i'm past the offending houses. Teddybear. There are not many roads, so the smoke can't really be avoided.
Midsummer isn't quite so bad, but even in July and August people still burn fires, because summer isn't warm here, just less cold.
Ok, i'm away to fetch the garlic bread from the oven.
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]]>I like that.
Did it today in the truth rain.
]]>Between summer 2007 and summer 2008 I did a lot of running. On average I was out six days a week. My usual run 5.0 miles. But In the spring and early summer frequently I was running 6 and 7 miles several times a week.
With the exception of April 2008 when I was off for a month after a fall on an icy road. It was at this time that I switched to cycling for a while instead. In the early summer I was typically cycling 25 miles and running 6 miles all in one day.
Actually if you live in a kind climate it is quite plausible lots of exercise, but in the horrid Scottish weather it is very difficult. At this time of year people see me out running and must think i'm crazy. But anyway's i've had this narcissistic conversation on this blog before.
The past 6 months I haven/t did a lot by comparison. Some tennis here or there, some cycling, some running, and some gaps of doing nothing.
I'm trying to be more disciplined now and have been out in the most appalling conditions four nights in a row. Only doing about four miles a night, but with some big hill climbs. The temptation is to go further, but I just need to watch the dodgy knee. After a couple of weeks of this I can push up the distance if I wish. Normally at this time of year it would be the 5 mile circuit.
My goal is just to have a better summer than I did this year. But dont misunderstand, I was pretty pleased by the level I attained in May and June of this year. Really, not bad at all for a 35 year old bird. It's pretty cool when you pass three male road cyclists on a 2 mile hill climb. I do believe their eyes nearly popped out their head (and their testosterone probably drained away instantly lol.. sorry i'm sounding like an egomaniac.
My bike is just an old steel mountain bike frame that i've converted with road wheels, clipless pedals, and road shoes. I hadnt used since August 2000, when I did a 144 mile ride.
Perhaps I cant attain the level I had in my heyday in the early and late 90's, But I enjoy and treasure those rare c=sunny days when they happen again. To be honest if you'd asked me two years ago if I'd have thought i'd be back doing the stuff that I have these past 18 months, then I'd have been surprised. But I lost a lot of weight and got myself back in shape. Now I just wont to get back into the rhythm so that I am able to possibly exceed in summer 2009 what I did in summer 2008.
I enjoy it, I'd like to do more parkour, but you need to be really conditioned for that, and the risk of injury is too high. I mean it's no use for me to acquire an injury jumping off a wall, that puts me out for weeks... that would just obliterate cardiovascular fitness.
But I've got tennis, that's fun, and the risk of is lower. The only problem is that at this time of year I cant do any tennis at all. So when April comes, I'm gonna have to gently reintroduce myself to those tennis-specific movements and twists and turns.
I got a Christmas card from the local kids. I dont think they even know my name. So they just addressed it to 'You' lol from x and x. I guess they just got used to the sight of an adult sharing the same plot of grass as they did. Me playing tennis, while they were just playing and running about. Have to be careful not to hit them with the ball. Sheesh.
Ok, that's everything I suppose.
]]>hmmm..
]]>Mirrorball - Everything but the Girl
Happy St. Andrews Day
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I took these this afternoon after my run. I also played solo-tennIs for a bit.
The ground was hard with the sub zero temperatures. This made the ball bounce very high.
]]>I used to quite like this stuff. Seems so cheesy and weak now.
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