Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Taking Care Of Willow

by Russell Turner - 15:04 on 10 October 2018

I may have found my ideal run/walk combination, just in time for the 26.2 miles of t’ Yorkshire Marathon on Sunday.

Today, on the first anniversary of my first couch to 5k run (a challenging combination of one-minute runs and walks totalling 20 minutes) I ran the last training run of my taper. Having in the past tried three-mile and two-mile run/walk schemes, this time I attempted something more restful: four miles with one minute of walking included at the start of each mile (apart from the first one, obviously).

This worked well. Maybe the comfort of knowing I was never more than 10-10.5mins away from a walk break made the difference, but this felt like something I could sustain. I’ll find out for certain in four days.

Now all I have to do is decide what to wear (one forecast says light showers; another says dry; both predict only a breeze and mild temperatures) and remember to pack all the runnery bits and pieces I’ll need. From here I can coast into the weekend, fit and well (touch wood) and ready for my second marathon, all problems resolved and nothing left to mar the zen-like calm needed to prepare for a record-breaking run.

Except, we have cats.

Willow is her usual perky self, but for the past few days she’s been picky with her food and brought some of it back up. This may be the sign of a urinary tract infection, to which she’s prone, so a sample of pee was procured today (don’t ask) to hand to Dr Vet tomorrow, the day before Matchgirl and I plan to drive down to York.

A cat-owning and -loving neighbour will spare The Pride the trauma of leaving The Rural Retreat and being imprisoned in Copperfield Cattery for a week by visiting with food and cuddles (if the cuddlees will allow it) but Matchgirl is in a quandary. Can she bear to go away when one of her darlings is in uncertain health?

Watch this space…

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