Character Building

On Friday they make a decision about Stamford and with Yellow Weather Warnings of winds forecast to be over 40mph they postpone the race to next week which rules us out. We have an 18th Birthday Party to attend, my brother’s lad, and we’ve also entered the Prestwold Half which is much nearer and an earlier start which means we can easily make the party.

We very briefly consider turning up on the day at the Naseby 1645, that I did last year, which they promise will be on but will be ‘character building’ in the forecasted strong winds and driving rain. Of course, we might turn up at Naseby and they cancel at the last minute.

L says she’d prefer to do her own thing on Saturday, as she did last week, and then have a

night on the lash, as we did last week.Which is fine by me, then we both spend Valentine’s Night in the gym but not the same one...

On Saturday we do the Wollaton Hall Parkrun which having dodged Ciara last week also seems Dennis proof and attracts 461 runners. Daughter joins us and runs with MD meaning we don’t have to cope with the conundrum of what to do with him. It is only five minutes’ walk from home but we can’t leave him home alone because he’ll howl in distress, so we’d have to drive over and pay to park the car just to keep him happy.

L does her 'own thing' by running an extra lap and then keeps running while Daughter and I check out the cafe. It’s good to see that the cafe is tuned into the potential to make money and opens at 9am rather than its usual 10am. It also now does breakfast baguettes before noon (don’t ask, I have no idea...).

Then I head off to the match. After which Radio Derby summariser Craig Ramage is sacked for singling out two of Derby’s black players for criticism.

L completes 14k, does Pilates, then head off for part two of her run, completing 16 miles in total. Very impressive. I am feeling totally upstaged by the two girls, L and her sister, who are all doing bigger distances than me in preparation for the Brighton Marathon.

So on Sunday I do my own training run and I run 15 miles with the Lad. Who I think gets more than he bargained for. We WhatsApp a few photos as we go, including one in front of the Robin Hood statue by the Castle where the Lad’s cuteness leaves not a dry eye among the assembled tourists who are waiting to take their own selfie in front of the statue. 

(Sunday 16^th February)