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.

Just One More

by Russell Turner - 15:00 on 26 October 2019

It’s almost a week since the Yorkshire Marathon. No running has happened in the meantime but my promise of a two-week lay-off has been delayed seven days because Matchgirl and I will take part in our final race of the year tomorrow following a last-minute decision to enter the Culloden 10k.

Whether it will be a trot or a gallop remains to be seen. I’m fully recovered from last weekend’s exertions, and subsequent near death from hypothermia, although last night’s late finish with City Limits in the Officers’ Mess at RAF Lossiemouth may have set me back a bit. A quiet evening and an extra hour gifted by the end of BST should help perk me up.

Culloden was irresistible because most of what few races there are between now and the end of February clash with gigs, are too far away to risk travelling through (or toward) foul weather, or are cross country events. Mud still holds no appeal.

My race pics weren’t worth buying so here’s a snap of my medal and T-shirt.

The race calendar resumes on March 1 (Warwick Half Marathon or Nairn 10k) or March 8 (Inverness Half), leading to the Edinburgh Marathon on May 24. Our accommodation is booked and an alert will tell me when cheap train tickets go on sale. The only thing to organise after that is travel from Musselburgh, where the race ends, back to Edinburgh. The queues can be a trial, warns Matchgirl, who ran the half there a few years ago. Not all races are as circular as York’s.

Before then I’ll investigate nutrition and hydration strategies that I’m more likely to stick to on the big day. The quest for a sub five-hour finish continues.

Wildlife Update: The Bushnell confirms that Reynard still visits despite a few days without nuts or eggs being left out. Brock has yet to appear. Maybe tonight’s the night.

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