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.

Keeping Up The Festive Traditions

by Russell Turner - 16:34 on 26 December 2018

Christmas Day followed tradition in The Rural Retreat: cream cheese bagels for breakfast after the unveiling of modest presents (we save big ones for birthdays), snacks for lunch and festive veggie lasagne for dinner while watching the Strictly and Call the Midwife specials. We know how to live.

Matchgirl bought me a Race Bling rack on which to hang both my running medals. She must have great confidence in me, because there’s room for at least a dozen, so at the current rate it will be filled around the end of 2025, assuming my IT bands haven’t snapped by then. I had a bit of a worry last weekend when after an eight-mile run the day after a four-mile one (the planned eight miles cut short because of ice) I felt a twinge in my left leg – not the right one that let me down in Yorkshire.

All seems well now thanks to rest and a very cautious 5k run on Christmas Eve: today I completed my #WinterRunderland runs and have my fingers crossed I’ll win back my entry fee for next year’s Yorkshire Marathon. There’s time for another run or two in December, then London Marathon training begins (after another dates rejig) on January 1st. That might appear ambitious, because City Limits plays Boat of Garten on Hogmanay, but as the first run is only 40 minutes I should be ready for action by the afternoon.

Receiving the prize in 2016 – the whisky was good too.

I had an early Christmas present when I was informed that Chatterbox has made it on to the Highlands and Islands Community Newspaper of the Year shortlist, alongside two contenders from Lewis. The Press Ball, where the winners are revealed, is on February 1st, the night before Matchgirl and I head to Glasgow for Strictly Live, so it could be a good weekend. We must be due another win: Chatterbox took the title in 2016, were runners-up in 2017, but didn’t even get on the shortlist in 2018. I think they were just giving someone else a chance.

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