All about me....

This post should have been written yesterday, but life has been busy, and I'm only rushing to post it now as there is a competition to get mine posted before my brothers! He (Tim, or Dim as Cass calls him!!) has been down for the day with his girlfriend SJ (SarahJane), and we were discussing who had the best blog, and who wrote the best posts...not that we are competitive by any means.....

....this then led on to who did the best races...who was the fittest etc, etc.....and I think I won that one.
As you know, from previous posts, I definately think, and have proved, that running is easier than power-walking...well Dim has made it one step easier.....he cycles!! Call that exercise?? For a start, you are sitting down...and you get to free wheel down all the hills, even the titchy ones!!
Ok,Ok, so he has cycled Lands End to John O'Groats, and London to Geneva...but if you read his blog....he cycles (sitting down or free-wheeling) from one breakfast stop to the next, honestly, his blog reads like a menu.....if you don't believe me, have a look;
www.challengemenance.blogspot.com/

This then led on to Chris and SJ asking Dim and myself why we actually wrote blogs..........
Thinking about it, I'm sure I could come up with something that sounded good like.....if I know that I have to write down what I've done, it makes me get up and do it....but basically I like the sound of my own voice, and it's all about me!
(Plus, I can waffle on without Chris interrupting - result!)

Anways, anyways.....onto the actual training diary!
Met SS, usual spot at the top of the road, beautiful, beautiful day, with a lovely frost. We headed to the common, to be honest, we can now do this with our eyes shut!, and did our usual circiut slightly quicker than normal as it was colder than normal! The common was very quiet, we only saw a couple of other runners out there, I guess this was due to the fact that it was the Reading Marathon Sunday and most people were resting and 'carb loading'. We went past Mali's pond, and to further embarassment we saw that it had been further cordoned off with red posts, don't people know their zones??!!

After the first circuit it was time for breakfast at Costas, chocolate twist and a yummy cappuccino for me....but for poor SS it was a skinny muffin and a soya milk cappuccino as she has the dreaded cholesterol...and me being a cardiovascular nurse..well....

We then headed back to the common, but by way of a change we decided to go right, once through the gates, and head into the woods for a change. This was a great walk, much  quieter, no cattle and it brought us out at the back of Bunkers farm, which then led us onto the A339 by the Swan Pub. We headed up to St Gabriels school, and crossed the A339 onto the public footpath which leads up behind the rugby club and Park House school, eventually bringing us out onto Andover Road. SS and I got chatting, and although SS has been in Newbury nearly 13 years, she has never been to The Chase...so that was going to be our destination....

We walked along Andover Road, turning into Wash Water, past the Woodpecker Pub, and headed up past Andover Drove, under the A34 flyover, and to The Chase car park, to find that it was all blocked off by metal gates...SS did wonder if word had got out, and whether I was banned from there too, couldn't see any wanted posters....but there was no way we could get in...so we had to retrace our steps and head back to Enbourne Road and home....I guess if SS has been there for 14 years, a bit longer won't hurt!
So....along Enbourne Road, and up to Wash Common, and back to SS's house, where we got Jim to make us a nice cup of tea..well, we had done 16.5 miles!

NB Apparently The Chase was shut due to sewage problems, and is now shut for regeneration and conservation..???reopening dates.