I'm here, stop moaning

Honestly, I stop blogging for a few days and people start whingeing (including one or two who aren't so prolific themselves... name no names).

So, what's been going on? Well, I've done three 'weeks' at my new job now. I'm getting into it but do have a feeling that the boss, lovely as he is, is not the best managery type. I've got handover notes from the incumbent and have taken those as my guide. I'm getting to grips with a couple of areas in particular. I'll be in an external meeting for the first time in my new role this week. A few BT people will be very delighted, I'm sure. Best thing about this job is that, bizarrely, pay day is on the 10th of the month and apparently they pay you for all that month! So some pay in advance. As I've been there since mid-April, then there's a chance, a small chance I know given my history with these things, that I might get about 6-7 weeks pay. If you hear a huge cheer on Thursday you'll know it's happened.

Oh. Did a marathon. Stayed with the lovely Hippo on the night before and was fed and watered most admirably. What a wonderful hostess. On the day, after travelling on a club bus (again), we delighted in the cooler climes of Stratford-upon-Avon. I finally met up with my pacing victim literally in the starting line-up. Her report is far more detailed than mine is going to be. So go here if you want the gory detail. Firstly, let me say I've never been quite so daft before as to run two marathons a week apart. The Himalayas thing was a different sort of madness. So it was going to be a new experience.

Started off too fast. Garmin refused to find the satellites again (perhaps they don't work that far north?) so I switched it off. My judgement of 'too fast' was based on my perceived heart rate/effort. I've never seen someone look at their watch as often as Ms Pacee, gleefully saying "Oh we'll have 7 minutes cushion in the last x miles". She didn't seem to realise that if you're going that fast you won't keep going so that you've still got the 7 minutes...... I continued at my plod, with her in view. Eventually, she says "I'm f**ked". I waggled my finger. So then we get into me ahead, sort of hoping she'll keep going if I do. I was starting to feel better than at the beginning for some reason. The miles go by and we're running together again. But then, near disaster. Those famous words fall from my mouth... "I think I might need to find a bush". "For a wee?" she asks. "No." My last few miles were an exercise in control, so that I didn't have to go and find that bush. Ms Pacee gets ahead a little, while still in sight. I concentrate on handing out grapes to the needy, making new friends along the way. (No phone numbers though). So the finish line finally makes its appearance. Ms Pacee racks up a storming PB and I knock 15 minutes off my time from FLM! I don't look too bad in the photos either (click on Shakespeare marathon and race number 1088)!

So, the testing of anti-training continues for the second year! This year's training:

January 51 miles

February 45 miles

March 57 miles

April 38 miles (excluding marathons)

A grand total of 191 miles/11.94 miles per week. Obviously, the extra 11 miles over last year meant I was able to do the second marathon. The gin the night before Shakespeare was quite nice too!

I've been for a couple of runettes since the marathons and I'm planning to start cycling to work this week. It'll save £72 a month, so worth doing. I must remember to avoid mopeds though.

I've been having odd nature moments recently! On a walk home from the station, I came across a chap taking several long-haired collie-dog things for a walk (I've seen him around lots of times) with two goats on leads as well! Then yesterday, I think I saw him again, chatting on a corner while holding a kid (of the four-legged variety). On the same run, I saw a kingfisher - wow - brilliant blue flying along the little local river. Closer to home, a strange clutch of tiny 'things', coloured yellow and black on the side of the garden table was 'identified' as baby spiders simultaneously by myself and Megawomble, much to the horror of Mini. And, indeed they were! The goldfish seem all still to be thriving although we're a little concerned that Jaws (the biggest) has a patch on his head. The worms continue to wriggle and munch, and I've moved them out into the garden for the summer; in time for the first proper rain in ages. There's been three sorts of butterfly in the garden too. The goldfinches are doing lots of tweeting and hanging about. I'd love to know if they're nesting nearby. Oh. I finally investigated the source of scuttling noises that have come from the roof recently. Evidence suggests that a rodent has been scampering around up there, although doesn't seem to have stayed or chewed anything. I'll have to keep a check on that.

Crumbs, it's exciting in suburbia.