Survived AND had fun

Hi there. I'm writing this with a very pleased-with-myself feeling today. I have survived, completed and enjoyed my first ever race! As I mentioned here it wasn't perhaps the most sensible choice of run for the first time but who cares about being sensible?



Its so much fun to have friends to do it with...friends who are also prepared to scramble through waist-deep sludgy mud, climb down an almost vertical bank clinging to a rope, wade thigh-deep through rivers and also run up and down big, steep hills for around 9 miles (altho' admittedly it wasn't physically possible to run all bits and a few times we couldn't run, where we might have done, because the tracks were narrow and there was a lot of people).



We set off at 5.30pm so around half the route took place in the dark with headtorches to find our way. It was a beautifully clear and dry day so despite getting wet at 5 or 6 different points we were fine while running (the numbness soon wore off once we were out of the water!) but once we finished the temperature was down to freezing level and we got very cold very fast.



By the time we had eaten and had a few glasses of wine it was around midnight and we were shattered - but oh so happy - and we tottered off up to our hotel bedroom, then had a leisurely breakfast yesterday morning before heading back home to our families. Now we just need to plan the next adventure.

Now, the astute reader may have guessed that today's photos don't bear much relationship to what I've just been wittering on about. They were taken this morning when Islay, the dogs and I had a walk in the Butterdean Woods to try and find some signs of Spring. We didn't really find much it has to be said. A few slightly green (and out of focus) buds, some crocuses and that was about it. But it is definitely coming and it is definitely warmer (I'm just choosing to ignore the wind and rain on the velux window above me!).



Islay enjoyed standing on this hummock and shouting out, to the thankfully deserted woods, that she was a dirty rascal and mummy was a smelly one. My, she's so ladylike.



P.S. If I get hold of some photos from the Mighty Deerstalker I may post them in a day or two - if I'm feeling brave enough. I stupidly didn't take my camera so don't even have any before or afters of my own.

P.P.S. I am hoping to get some actual sewing done this week. Last week was a write off but I have high hopes of achieving something, not sure what, productive this week.

Bits and pieces

Well, this has been a strange old week. Not even sure why or what it just feels that way. I have quite a few bits and pieces to blether about - I'm so much enjoying writing this blog; thinking about what's been going on and then recording it seems to be quite therapeutic.



Sewing:: I have finished the tote bag I started quite some time ago and have decided to keep it for myself. Strangely enough its just the size and shape I like! I have ordered some linen samples and once I have found one I like I think I will make some linen tote bags, similar to this, to put onto Folksy.



The boys:: are both enjoying school so much just now. Finn is learning about Ancient Egypt and Angus about castles. Angus set off to school today clutching his dragon (castle related, obviously!) to show the class and as soon as we were in the school grounds sent me a glancing kiss and ran off to huddle together with his bunch of little friends. Finn comes out of school deep in conversation with one or both of his two very best friends and often, still, they will be hand-in-hand.



Running:: seems to have reached a point where I am really enjoying myself. This is somewhat of a shock. I have always loved walking and hillwalking and have often run/jogged 2 or 3 miles on a regular basis but the incentive of a race deadline to train properly seems to have really worked. I'm finding myself thinking about when I can go out for my next run and planning several days ahead so I can fit them in around everything else that needs to be done. I must make sure I keep this up once the race is finished. E and I had a lovely run yesterday morning up in the Lammermuir Hills at Hopes Reservoir. We planned a route that would take us over some rougher ground and up and down some hills. The photos were taken on my phone so aren't great and don't show some of the rougher bits where I was just concentrating on not tripping or slipping.



The cats:: both think spring is in the air and are spending so much more time outside doing whatever it is that cats do.

Kitchen window:: has been wide open this afternoon. I have had to wear a jumper to compensate but I just love getting some, warmish, fresh air blowing through the house.



Library:: came up trumps this week. While Islay and my niece were occupied with storytime I had a wander around and consequently came home with a very heavy stack of books. The cookery books will hopefully provide a few new ideas. I seem to be in a bit of a rut just now and need some fresh inspiration.



The Patrick O'Brien book is the one he was writing when he died and would have formed part of the Jack Aubrey series (the film Master and Commander, with Russell Crowe as Jack, is based on these books) had he been able to finish it. I'm very excited to find it, I didn't know it existed and I love his other books, but need to beware it may be a bit frustrating as it's incomplete. But there's no way I'm not going to read it!



Crocheted Throws and Wraps by Melody Griffiths was just picked up to glance through until I spotted the roses and daisies throw. I think its just stunning and would dearly love to be able to make it some day. Given that I spent an hour on Tuesday trying to cast on 48 stitches (for the front of Islay's top) and then rib 5 rows, and had to give up back at square one, it may be a while before I can think about learning to crochet as well as knit! I have now managed to get up to rib number five successfully - I was casting on incorrectly - duh.

Struggling with oven gloves

Life seems to have gone all hectic. I think its mostly just because three of the five of us have been unwell. I had a free afternoon in Edinburgh yesterday, which happens only 2 or 3 times a year, but I blew it. I ended up sitting on the floor in John Lewis to avoid fainting. After that somewhat embarrassing experience shopping lost its appeal and I came home!



I've been working on some ideas and I'm generally pretty happy with the results but I just can't get oven gloves to work. My plan was to start with a little range, in four or five designs, of tea cosies, pot stands/mats and oven gloves. I've got far too many ideas swirling around my chaotic mind but I thought these would be a good starting point.

I decided to go with gauntlet style oven gloves because I think they look better - well, other people's do but mine certainly don't. I'll need to have another go and tweak the shape as they seemed to end up huge around the hand and narrow around the arm despite looking the opposite before being sewn up. But.. its got me wondering whether they were a good idea in the first place? I wonder what kind of gloves other people use? I quite like using double ended ones but I'd love some thoughts on your preferences. I also don't like mine to be too stiff/well padded but is this just a peculiarity specific to me?



Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things next week and we'll all be well again. Angus is on antibiotics for a chest infection and, thankfully, is improving rapidly. I really need to clear this horrible cold so I can do some more training for the Mighty Deerstalker - otherwise it'll be a Mighty Disaster!

Oh help, oh no its......

.....the Mighty Deerstalker. I have already mentioned my terrible tendency to think before I speak. Well, I've really landed myself in it this time.

As I was standing innocently at the school gates this afternoon V, L and Sh pounced on me.

Them:: You'll do it won't you Julie?

Me:: What?

Them:: The Mighty Deerstalker. Its a 10km run in March. We'll do it as a team. Su is up for it too. It'll be so much fun.

Me:: Oh, yeah that sounds great (as I'm distractedly trying to track down three very lively children amongst the 300 or so pouring out of school). A team event would be fun. Where can I find more info?

Them:: Just search for the Mighty Deerstalker online.

Thankfully, I can be quick thinking. I quickly cornered A into joining us too. She's fitter than me but much less mad about fitness than the others. Best to take someone else down with me too.

And so I came home and checked it out. Oh, help, oh no what have I agreed to? Under normal circumstances I can manage 10km. I'm reasonably fit and reasonably tough but this...its just mad. To quote::

'you will just keep going, with your own head torch, and tear off into the dwindling twilight. You'll do a second loop of another 5km (and a bit) and this one will be tougher than the first - rock and scree, sharper ascents and the added element of the dark to contend with...!'

'The Deerstalker is a turbo-charged roller coaster of a run. It's fun, it's fast, it's action-packed and it's as tough as you can bear. This is Fun Run meets Fell Race meets Hellrunner meets Tough Guy.'

Still it does actually sound like fun. Perhaps just not in the normal sense. And I don't like to back down so I''l just have to get training.