Is it maybe starting to almost feel like autumn? We’ve finally had a bit of rain, I’ve worn jeans instead of shorts a few times, and there was even one night when I closed my bedroom windows, although that soon proved premature and the indoor temperature even with them open again hasn’t really dropped below 20°C. Ninja cat has occasionally deigned to come and purr on my lap a couple of times, but is still spending 99% of his time hiding in the garden.
Much like rural buses, having had the first race for ages on Sunday, another one turned up a day later. This was the Bury St Edmunds leg of the A14 track challenge, which is where a few local clubs get together for 5000m on the track, with three races through the evening for people running different times. Once again I’d entered the middle (20–23 minute) one, so after cheering on some or our faster runners in the first one (Ryan came third, in about 16 minutes, having won the previous day’s 10k) I slogged my way round. I ended up only being 19s slower than last year, but more importantly after being out-sprinted for the line by Robin last year I turned the tables this time! A few of us had taken the train there, with our bikes, in order to facilitate an evening in the rather fancy Bury Spoons.
What with tired legs and the aforementioned weather changes I drove to Felixstowe instead of cycling for Tuesday’s training session for the first time in a while, although Neil put us to shame by cycling on his own. I also didn’t run very fast. We did cycle to Alton Water parkrun on Saturday though, to join Mark for his 500th parkrun (still another year and a bit before I get there).
I took Friday off work, and intended to hack down the overgrown bit of hedge at the side of the house. I made a start, but filled both brown bins with stuff I had to cut down just to reach the hedge. Oh well, they’re being collected on Wednesday, so I’ll do a bit more after that. Actually, now I think of it, that might have been Saturday, in which case I can’t remember how I frittered away my day off.
I went for a long (well, not that long) slow run on my own on Sunday, and a bee flew into my eye. It stung my eyelid, but I must have scraped it off quickly enough because it didn’t come up in a lump and stopped hurting quite quickly. Then later we had another of those Sunday “who fancies going to the Cricketers for some food and a couple of pints?” evenings that ends up with us leaving at about midnight.