Heavy work month is over as of yesterday and so Geth and I emerged blinking onto the Moor this morning with the aim of ‘giving it a go’ and seeing where we are ahead of next week’s race. I did give it a go (as evidenced by my aching lungs this afternoon, standard in an asthmatic following a bit of a send* at parkrun), and ‘where I am’ is… well, it’s not where I want to be, but that can’t really be helped after five weeks of work and travel getting in the way of running.

General running reflection/update: the main thing I want to focus on after next week’s half is just getting the miles back into my legs. I’ve been on 12-hour workdays for the last few weeks (the joys of freelancing!) and haven’t been able to make time during the workweek for more than a streak saver mile, so other than that it’s just been easy parkruns and a ten-mile TMBR social most Sundays. In normal times (non-injured, normal workload) I do five or six ‘proper’ runs and one or two streak savers per week, as well as strength training and cross-training on the stationary bike. None of that has been happening recently, so I’ve felt a bit miserable and out of routine, and of course the training plan for next week’s half has gone out the window completely (and as such it’s no longer a goal race for me, just a day out). I long for six-plus-mile plods along sunny summer paths. Getting back to a more manageable work-life balance will allow that, and from experience, I know the speed will come back with the miles.

Volunteering next week pre-race!

*For the non-runners: ‘sending it’ means running as fast as you can. I wouldn’t quite describe today as a ‘full send’ (which will generally have you lying on your back afterwards like an elite on TV after a track race) but it was definitely a strong effort.

Here’s the last of the phone boxes that Mum and Dad found on their recent visit to the Lakes.

(Coordinates 54°41’87.1″N, 3°43’81.2″W.)

Gosforth seems to be a relatively touristy place and so this box has become an information box. It’s nicely located too, beside the village car park.

I’m very nearly done with my current heavy work projects and so it looks like I will actually be able to get that book review together next week! Fingers crossed.

Life has been pretty hectic the last few weeks, so it was nice to have another easy parkrunday this morning. A hot one so we took it easy (to be honest everything is easy pace at the moment as running is having to take a bit of a back seat – but we keep going!).

Almost certainly local again next week (though hopefully a few degrees cooler).

Actually managing to log a phone box this week! This is another one that Mum and Dad found in Cumbria.

(Coordinates 54°33’98.3″N, 3°36’46.5″W.)

The Google cars haven’t visited this road since 2009! A forgotten-about place. Glad the phone box is still standing.

I really will try and get that book review together for next week! Alternatively it might be one more Cumbria box. We’ll see.

A couple of years ago, I took part in a very early coach trip in order to attend Cowfest (an annual parkrun tourist meetup) in Troon, western Scotland. It was a lot of fun but the long coach hours didn’t agree with me so I haven’t done anything similar since. However, this year it was announced there was going to be a Cowfest much closer to home for me – at Ushaw Historic House, west of Durham – and I hadn’t done that one yet, so I made plans to go along!

I chose to go by public transport in case the mass influx of tourists made parking difficult. This probably wasn’t necessary by the look of things, but it’s a nice train journey down and the bus out from Durham (only recently incepted) was really convenient, though it does require working to a particular timescale. I do want to go again and visit the house properly with Geth so maybe I’ll drive down on a ‘normal’ week sometime.

The parkrun itself was great and so much fun! Glorious morning and I was able to chat to people I knew and people I didn’t. Cowfest is always a great atmosphere and I hope I’ll be able to swing it again next year.

Most definitely more local again next week!

Just logging last week’s parkrunday before a new one dawns tomorrow!

Geth and I were pretty tired after a late flight back from Paris on Friday evening (Disneyland blog coming soon, possibly). As such, it was the usual easy plod round Jesmond Dene. Nice morning for it.

Slightly further afield tomorrow. There may be cows…

No proper post again this week 😫 I am in the middle of a very very busy period at work (12-hour shifts most days) and so time is not on my side and won’t be again until July. Phone box posts are just one thing on a long list of routine things that I don’t have time to do right now!

Really hoping that I can get my ducks in a row at the weekend and get one prepped to post next Thursday… but no promises.