Cycling

Looks like I may be about to buy another bike.  I blame the invention of the Cycle to Work schemes.
Since I already have a hybrid (a Giant Escape M1), I'm looking at cyclocross bikes.  Speedier commute, and still able to do rough tracks and mud.  It's a win/win.  

Update type thing

With the weather forecasts all saying that this week was going to range from mince, to utter shite, I wimped out and got a weekly pass for the train.  Turns out the only hellish day so far has been Tuesday, because of the wind, so I could have cycled/ran to work.

So today after looking and seeing "intermittent light showers", I opted for the bike.  Made sense, as after work, I'm going straight out to meet up with Karen for a curry, before we both cycle home.  Thing is, it looks as though the "intermittent" showers have chosen now to be intermittent.

Hopefully they'll clear before I have to leave.  If not, hell, that's the reason I bought waterproofs.

Postcard from the revolution

On Sunday there was a rally in George Square.  Labelled "Hope Over Fear", the aim was to have a family friendly day (fairground rides and face painting for the kids) with speakers talking about how to carry on the momentum from the YES campaign, and fight for a better deal for Scotland (ok, ideally everyone attending, still wants independence, and my own opinion is that now the "promises" are being seen to be lies, and the lies told by the Better Together campaign are being shown up for what they are, then it's not a case of IF, but WHEN).

The speeches were interspersed with bands, and the atmosphere was very upbeat.  Figures put the attendance at 6ooo in the square at any one time, with a total of about 10000 people in total, having attended.

Some quarters have made cynical comments about the fact that the whole thing was organised by Tommy Sheridan and his Solidarity party, as Tommy is pretty much persona non grata in certain political circles, but personally I don't think it's an issue.  I'm not one likely to vote for Tommy, although I do think he's a great speaker.  He know's his stuff, and doesn't rely on an autocue or script, like most of the more mainstream politicians.

The square was a sea of saltires, and YES flags.  There were the usual mix of stands, with pretty much every flavour of socialism being represented (apart from Labour, but hey, they haven't been socialist for a long time now), and CND.

The atmosphere was fantastic, and probably the highest profile speaker was Naomi Wolf

The bands were a great mix, with my personal favourite being the Trongate Rum Riots who were superb.  I need to check them out when they're playing again.

So, the genie is out the bottle and it's not going back any time soon.  As I say, it's not IF we get independence, it's a matter of WHEN.

Thoughts on the revolution

So it's been two weeks since Scotland voted to remain the in UK (55-45%), and a week since I got back from holiday.
When I woke up on the 19th and realised what the result was, my initial reaction was a mix of despair and anger.  I wanted out of the country, and fortunately I had a flight that afternoon to Crete.

While on holiday I managed to mull things over, and since I got back I've realised that what probably swung it for the NO side was the success of their campaign of fear, which actually included figures like Danny Alexander coming out with outright lies on live tv debates.  For example, he said that in the event of a YES, Lloyds bank would move their HQ from Scotland to England.  He had no response when it was pointed out to him that their HQ actually WAS based in England.  This was just one example of the many lies told.  Others included "You won't get your pension as you'll be in a foreign country".  Well, just how do ex-pats living in (for example) Spain get their pension then?

Now I'm back, I've calmed down, and I've realised, we lost the battle, not the war.  The various pro-indy groups are still fired up, and the pro-indy political parties have found their memberships swelling.

Watch this space, it's not over yet.

Travels

In case anyone has been living in a cave and totally cut off from civilisation, there's a referendum on independence taking place in Scotland next week.
To be honest I'll be glad when it's all over, and to that end, once I've voted (YES in case you're wondering), I'll be heading off to explore Crete for a week.

Taking the walking boots with me, and a timetable for the local buses, and just getting out and exploring.
Of course, there will be plenty of sampling of the local vino.  It would be rude not to.

First 10k in five years.

On Sunday, I took part in the Paisley 10k.  The first 10k race I've done in 5 years (and only the 2nd race since I started running again).  To say I was nervous was an understatement.

Previously, before a race, I was a bag of nerves, and probably a real pain in the arse to be round.  This time was no different.  Prior to lining up, I was in the square with Karen, stomach a knot of nerves, asking her to remind me why I was doing this.  Her reply - "Because you love it once you get started."
She's right.  Once the race actually starts and I'm under way, the nerves give way, and I really enjoy myself.

For part of the race, I had caught up with a friend Rhona, who runs for Westies, and it was good to run along with someone I knew, until I dropped back a bit, going along the cycle path, back towards the town.  She warned me about a 1/2 mile incline prior to getting back onto the main street, and the finish in the square, so I wanted to make sure I didn't burn out and end up walking part of the route.  I had to prove to myself that I could race 10k again after my long lay-off.
I was happy to find that I did manage to run the whole way, and had enough left in the tank for a pretty decent sprint finish, that brought me in with a time of 52:52.  almost 13 minutes slower than my pb, but there has been a 5 year gap, so I've totally cuffed with my time, and it gives me a benchmark to work from and improve on.

If everything goes right, I'm planning to re-join my old club Bellahouston Road Runners, once I get some more regular longer runs under my belt.

Paisley sunsets

Took another walk up Glennifer Braes last night.  Really love it up there, easy to get to and miles of walking/running/biking potential.

Anyway, on the way back to the car, the sun was going down, and the sun setting over the trees was, well, stunning.

More running

Ran to work again yesterday.
I didn't do the lap of the campus, as (a) the gym was open when I arrived and (b) it only adds a couple of minutes and not a lot of distance to the route.
Regardless, I was really happy with the time (45:45).  I felt like I had been struggling a bit on the way in, and had put that down to the bottle of wine I drank on Sunday night - which to be honest, probably didn't help - but it seems that it felt harder because I was running faster and pushing myself.  So, *happy dance* it is then.

Only going to do a wee run in the park between now and the 10k in Paisley on Sunday.

Back to running

So the foot stopped giving me gip, and I decided that instead of cycling to work I was going to run in.  According to Map My Run, door to door was just over 9.5k.  So, the plan was that when I got to work, I'd do a lap of the campus to take me up to (and just over) the 10k I was looking to do.

Well, I set off early, given that I didn't know how long it would take (it's been 5 years since I ran that far), and I wasn't sure if the foot would decide to play up, so I wanted to give myself time in case I had to walk/hobble in.  Turns out I gave myself way too much time, and got in before the gym opened, and had to stand around for 10 minutes before I could go in and get a shower and change into the clothes I'd left in my locker the day before.

I was happy with my time considering (a) the length of time it's been since I last ran 10k, and (b) I'm crap at pacing myself if I'm running alone.  I managed 52 mins, and since I had told myself that for a first, anything under an hour would be acceptable, that was a pleasant surprise.
What also surprised me (and also slightly disappointed me) was that according to MMR, adding in a lap of the campus only upped the distance from 9.5k to 9.85k.  Now I know for a fact that a lap of the campus is not only 350m, so I'm not sure what the hell happened there, so I'm claiming the full 10k.

Regardless of that, it's looking positive for my first 10k race since at the end of the month.  At least I'm confident I'll get round, and pretty sure it'll be an acceptable time that I can then work on improving.

Running update

I only managed out for one run in the last week, as I'd done something to the muscles in my foot, and it was a wee bit achey, so I decided to listen to my body and rest it till it was ok.

In the meantime, I plotted the route I cycle to work, on Map My Run, and it's 9.5k.  Since my longest run so far has been 8.5k, and I've a 10k in two weeks, and need to up the mileage, tomorrow, instead of cycling to work, I'll be running.
In preparation, I've dropped off a bag with a change of clothes, in my locker in the gym, so all I have to do is run in, get showered and changed, and that's me set for the day.  At night, depending on the weather, I can either get the tube to Ibrox and walk through Bella park, or if the weather isn't too good, I'll just jump a train.

Either way, I'll have upped the milage, and that's all to the good.

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games have (and at the time of writing, still are) taking place in Glasgow.  The atmosphere in the city has been amazing.  There has been a massive influx of visitors, and there's a really happy vibe about the place.

Prior to the opening ceremony, I had posted online regarding the uniforms the Scottish athletes would wear for the opening ceremony, and how (to me) they resembled a dodgy flashback to some acid casualties take on Brigadoon (or words to that effect).
Later when I won tickets to the boxing, I got called a hypocrite and two faced.  What, because I didn't like what they were wearing for the opening ceremony?  If fact, it would be fair to say I got pelters.
I stand by what I said.  The tartan is bad (or at least a bit garish), but I have seen worse.  But the shirts and the dresses........ seriously, they were, and still are, horrible.  That material/pattern is seriously bad.

Anyway, people seemed to think I was anti-games, which I was certainly not.  In fact, the boxing was amazing live, and I went down to Pollok Park to watch the marathon, and yesterday I went to the Trongate to see the time trials.  Add watching the swimming, gymnastics, and loving the athletics, and it's fair to say that I have really enjoyed the games, possibly more so than the Olympics, but that's probably down to them taking place where I live, and the fact that I've been able to enjoy not just the events on tv, but the whole atmosphere and the brilliant vibe that is engulfing Glasgow at the moment.

Finally, a quote from a lassie working in the merchandise tent on George Square - "The town is going to seem really weird and quite once this is all over".  And you know, she's right.

Funny how your opinions change

Back when I first took up running, and was in Bellahouston Road Runners, I didn't like running on my own, in fact I hated it.  It bored me to to the point that I couldn't push myself, and if there was a little twinge - a stitch, legs feeling tired, whatever - I used it as an excuse to stop and walk for a bit.  Something I never did when running in a group, so it's not like I couldn't continue, it just seems (looking back) that I didn't want to.
I never found that zen state that a lot of people went on about.

Now though, things seem to have changed.  The girl I go for lunchtime runs with, hasn't been able to run lately due to injury, and I've been heading out on my own.  This time round, I "get" it.  I'm enjoying running for it's own sake.  It's not a case of slogging away and having a hellish time, all for the endorphin rush when I finish (although that's nice to get), I'm not enjoying my own headspace while I run, and it's good to be aware of how I'm feeling while I'm running, something that running with a partner distracts me from.

I'm not saying I prefer running on my own, I enjoy sharing the experience, and having a chat on the way, but for some reason, now, I can enjoy my own company while I run, something I never could before, and that is a huge milestone for me mentally.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but.....

....I always thought that sports men/women were.....well, sporting.  Sure there's competitiveness, let's face it, without it, sporting events would be as exciting as a tea party, but there's also violence, vindictiveness, and well, it's just not.....sporting.

All over the news is the story of Luis Suarez and his less than sporting tactics of biting his opponents.  This isn't his first time trying to take a chunk out his opponents, and while football isn't classed as a contact sport, there is a certain amount of contact and barging expected.  But BITING!!  Come on, that's just not on.

Fortunately there are other athletes who are not overpaid and have still got that sportsmanship in them.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ivan Fernandez Anaya who could have won a race when his opponent slowed down thinking he'd crossed the finish line.  Instead of charging past and winning, Ivan pointed out the finish line and ran behind coming in second.  Now THAT is sportsmanship.

Maybe runners ARE a different breed from those that are attracted to football.  I'd like to think so.

Life is good

Currently I'm feeling pretty contented.

I've managed to stop spending money on crap I like but don't need.
The ongoing clearout is still ongoing, but it's getting there.
I've really loving running again, have done my first race in 7 years (MHFS 5k) and am going to enter the paisley 10k.  I've also noticed entries are open for a 5k I used to love - The Great Winter Run. 5k up and round Arthurs Seat in Edinburgh.

So yeah, things are pretty good right now.

NT properties, GPS problems, and a heavy head cold. Weekend fun

At the weekend, we had decided to go and check out Falkland Palace.  Saturday morning, and into the car we got, and attempted to put the post code into the gps, which decided it wasn't going to turn on!  Fair do's we've had it for about 7 or 8 years, and it's an obsolete RAC branded device that we can't update any longer, so off a quick detour to Halfords to replace it was in order.  Once there, they didn't have the one we wanted, but the Bishopbriggs branch did.  Now I'd have needed a GPS to FIND Bishopbriggs, so it was Google maps on the phone to the rescue.

New GPS in place, and off we headed.  about 40 minutes later, "BATTERY LOW!" on the GPS followed by it dying on us, and then the realisation that it wasn't either GPS that was gubbed, it was the lighter socket that they were being plugged into. So basically that was a GPS we didn't have to buy.  Except we probably did (see the previous comment about not being able to update the old one).

So, back to Google maps, and eventually we got to the rather stunning Falkland Palace, where there was a Mary Queen of Scots day taking place, with people playing Mary and Lord Darnley, walking the grounds, and the chance to try falconry and archery taking place as well.

After Falkland Palace, we headed to Hill of Tervit, a stunning property in the middle of nowhere.  The guy who owned the house had been a collector, and the house had been designed and built to house his collection (furniture, tapestries etc). Rather than buying a house and filling it with a collection, he had his collection and built the house to suit.  A nice touch was that he insisted all the bedrooms looked different, as "This is a house, not a hotel".

As we headed to the car to go home, the heavens opened.  It had been a really nice day and was dry and sunny up to that point.  The whole way home was torrential rain.

Great day out though.

On Sunday we'd headed to the pub in the afternoon, but had to come home early, as I got floored with a really bad cold.  Had to take a couple of days off work, and it's not completely cleared yet.

So, a good weekend (except for having to cut short the pub!)

Lunchtime solo run

So today, my lunchtime running buddy had a day off and wasn't at work, so, off I went on my own.
The route I took was one we've run before, and according to Map My Run, is 4.3k.
I set off at a fair-ish pace, but soon found my calf muscles were feeling a bit tight. (Possibly due to a combination of karate and badminton at the weekend)

Not so good.

I tried reigning in the pace a bit, and they soon loosened off.  The rest of the run was just the lazy side of pushing it, and was pretty uneventful.  No stitch, no trouble with the breathing, and no more muscle aches.

Back at the uni, and I made sure to do a decent stretch and not just a token one.

I've never been a fan of running on my own, as I always found it hard to push myself, but I kind of enjoyed today's solo outing.

Just when it was all going so well.....

My new lunchtime running is in a bit of a crisis.  The girl that I've been running with has been having half problems, which only flare up when she runs on concrete.  Off road is no problem, so she's having to stick to trails, which leaves me on my lonesome.

Now the problems are that I find running on my own a bit hard as I'm crap at pacing myself, BUT, she has said that she'll lend me her Garmin, so I should be able to stick to a pace.  The good thing about this is that it'll give me a chance to "try before I buy", as I'm seriously thinking about getting a Garmin this year.

The is another work colleague that wants to come running, but I know for a fact that the pace will have to drop as he's been out of it longer that I have, and as I've entered a race for next month, and I'm looking to UP my pace, this isn't ideal.  I think for the moment, that running solo is probably my best bet.

So, swings and roundabouts.

Who'd have thought

So now I seem to be into an established routine as far as running goes (Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes and Saturday mornings).  I also have karate on a Thursday night.  Last night was the best sleep I've have in a couple of years.  I slept right through to the alarm, which is something I haven't done in a long time.

So, really enjoying the running, getting fitter, keeping the weight off, AND sleeping better.  What's not to like.

Another mini clear out

The ongoing (and glacially slow) downsizing of "stuff" continues.  Today I traded in 5 dvds for a Van Halen cd (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge) and a £5 credit note.  There were more than 5 dvd's, but that's all the 2nd hand record shop was interested in, so the rest ended up in a charity shop.

So, slightly less clutter and some stuff donated to charity.  That's an ok result for a lunchtime wander.

First step taken

So, following on from the previous post, I went for a run at lunchtime today with a colleague.
2.64km in about 15 mins.  Not a long run in terms of either distance or time, and it was a nice easy pace, BUT the point it, it was a start.  It's the first run in about 5 years, and I've rediscovered that I did love running.

Next run is Thursday lunchtime.  Bring it on.