Morning all. Are you off out running today Robert? Its a nice morning here, but chilly.
FF my partner is volunteering to help with The Ayrshire Tourist Board today. It’s his second time. I do like Ayrshire. Lots of great walks.
Have a nice day all 
No Myra, not a running day today, but am hoping to bung a five mile walk in later.
Gumbud, Very good article, thank you for posting it.
As I’m constantly trying to outrun the sweeper bus of old age, I have met several runners over the years, and more recently while on holiday conversations usually drift to a life of running [much to my wifes boredom] but I seem to have uncovered something going on. There are many ex-marathon and endurance runners with pacemakers or other bits of mechanical gubbins keeping their hearts going.
People who you would think would live to a ripe old age and still be running till the end. And I hate to say it, but I’m beginning to wonder if some of my heart trouble could be attributed to some of the stresses placed on it with endurance running.
I used to use the tourist board a lot, they were handy for local info but they closed a lot of the out of the way places.
FF it was Kilmarnock for them today. With lunch at the Park Hotel, which is apparently nice. Couldn’t get a nicer day for it.
Robert, what’s the best weather for you to run in? I always wonder if it’s better if it’s cool, wet, dry? Do you have a preference?
It’s been a sure sign of Spring today,but how long will it last 
Very worrying Gumbud. I’m not at risk as I am not prone to exercise.
It’s a hit or a miss with the Park although it’s usually ok for lunches.
Had to start early today [on the road for 6:00am] I’ve promised to take friend for his hospital appointment and it’s about an hours drive. Another sub 50 minute run despite my five mile walk yesterday. Must be doing something right.
Must dash, will check in later…
Oh dear, I missed the run this morning, ah well next time LOL
Hello all. Robert you’re putting us to shame with all your running 
Well, we can all be with you in spirit and not in body ;-). Hope you’re having a well earned rest this afternoon.
It’s dulled down a bit here, but it’s still been a nice day. Long may it last.
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Delivered friend to hospital safely, and on time yesterday, had all of his tests and the results were good. A load off his mind I think.
After all of his pricking, probing and blood taking, we retreated to the garden centre just up the road, they do brilliant lunches, and I think we earned it.
Have been contemplating buying a summer house for the back garden [somewhere to send wife when she gets on me t@ts] and while we were at the garden centre we managed to spot a perfect one, so my friends visit to the hospital has cost me quite a bit.
The best weather for running in Myra?
Well to be honest, I don’t really have a favourite, but I do have some that are best avoided: Although I don’t mind fresh snow, once it has frozen overnight it can be treacherous, that’s probably the worst. Rain is not too bad as long as it’s not ‘stair rods’ in fact, a little bit of summer rain on a marathon is very refreshing and keeps you cool, provided you have Vaselined up all the moving and rubbing bits. High Humidity can be very uncomfortable; sweat does not evaporate from the surface of the skin, causing you to overheat and dehydrate. But providing you are in good nick, and don’t push too hard [just accept you will be slower] most conditions can be dealt with.
It’s my turn today for a blood test at my local surgery, doctor who did my stents wants to see how my cholesterol has dropped after taking the bigger dose of statin he prescribed. Well I haven’t been taking them, and am too much of a wuss to tell him.
But as an experiment, I haven’t eaten anything this morning, so we will see how that affects the results. Problem is, my appointment is not until 12:30 and I’m starving.
Just off to Greggs now to get a bacon and cheese sandwich so I’ll waste no time afterwards… Will let you know how I get on.
OK now I wonder how long it will be before Myra is moved on from walking to running now LOL
I’ve never had anything bad to eat in a Garden Centre yet. We have one fairly local and the food is really nice and the scones are delicious and a meal in themselves. I go for the apple and cinnamon if in a healthy eating mood and the white chocolate and raspberry for decadence. LOL
https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10411010_833082976762089_365985391455209327_n.jpg?oh=b42b4fe07722e6ad57027de37100c242&oe=558114B8Good afternoon. FF I’ll never be a runner. I’m not fit enough! I’d end up in resus ;-).
Today we cancelled our planned walk, Murrayfield to Balerno. We had an email from the leader saying that the rugby match with Scotland and Wales was in Murrayfield and that it would cause disruption with travelling. We decided to opt out and just go out on our own walk.
Gleniffer Braes aren’t far from me. I’d never done a longer walk on them. It involves a steep climb by car up towards the Robertson carpark. Then the braes are your oyster. The view means you can see my wee town and in the distance is Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps. Aeroplanes taking off from Glasgow Airport. We followed the path towards the Tannahill Trail. Patting a few friendly mutts on the way. Everyone is so friendly out walking. You can’t pass by anyone without even a hello. We went through a couple of kissing gates, where my partner insists on having a kiss at each one (old romantic that he is). We ventured on and towards a small stream where dogs were paddling, whilst their owners were patiently waiting for them. A small crowd came over the wee bridge and exchanged a hello and “it’s a lovely day”. I asked them if they were in a walking group, which they were. They were walking from Neilston to Johnstone - a fair hike. One man and six women. He would have been genderly challenged ;-). They all had a smile on their face and we enjoying the beautiful day. We then walked on and were stunned at the view. The Stanely Dam with it’s Castle. The castle apparently has an underground tunnel towards the town’s beautiful Abbey. Fascinating if that’s true. We stopped at a wooden bench and decided to have our lunch. Joined by a robin in the nearest bush, waiting for a few crumbs. Where we stopped was on a hill with a path and coming up that path were a couple of cyclists, whose thighs and calves must be so strong! Well done we told them. Impressive, we said to a runner. We then got on our way and followed the path along the edge of the brae. There were strategically placed benches, with beautiful wee plaques on them with touching words. We eventually arrived at Fairy Glen Waterfalls and took some pics. The sun shone the whole time and it was so nice that I had my jacket off by this time and had a tee shirt on. March for goodness sake! It was the sheer view the whole time that made it a great walk. Standing on the edge, high up from the town. We made our way back and made our minds up that we’ll definitely do this walk again. I might even suggest leading a walk there. I’m sorry that we didn’t do our planned walk, but then I’m not sorry that I’ll be hanging about a bus station, waiting for transport home. There will be another time for that walk.
A couple of pics.https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10599408_833081830095537_3363811788896040683_n.jpg?oh=adc63228e38c3cac2042797afe30ce1d&oe=558062F0&gda=1438273690_0b6e7f3b06918dfaf8149055f6422101
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Not quite sunny, but bright and dry, with a cool breeze keeping the temperature down. I made some early adjustments to the pace and jogged through the village. The traffic had once again been diverted on to my stretch of country road for the first couple of miles, I would have to keep focused and watch out for any budding Lewis Hamiltons. Not a sign of human life along the canal bank this morning, but lots of birds in the tall hawthorne hedges seemed to be getting excited for some reason, and making some noise: Perhaps it was the mass of green shoots that were beginning to obscure the sad looking twigs that had laid dormant throughout the winter. It was as I joined the road and pushed up the small climb to cross the river bridge that I noticed my legs weren’t getting tired, it felt good to stretch out a bit and feel the tarmac push back as I increased the pace. I arrived at the farm where I had the previous encounters with the three dogs; they were not on the lane yet as I passed by, I would out sprint them this morning, and I lifted the pace yet further. They did not appear, but I carried on with the faster pace anyway. I rejoined the diversion and only got honked at once as I squeezed through a small gap on a narrow bend, I had plenty of verge to hop on to if necessary. I arrived home and was surprised at the time 1 hour 31 mins and 3 seconds. Another best time. You would need to look back to last April just before the Heart Attack to find a better time.
I have run the course five times since then, 1:34:38 – 1:35:47 – 1:32:27 – 1:34:25 and today’s 1:31:03 making it the fastest this year, but it’s not the speed that matters; It’s how you feel doing it, this morning I felt relaxed and comfortable, plenty left in the tank, and that’s the true indicator of progress.
Brilliant photo Myra, glad you enjoyed the walk, looks like the weather was kind…
Well done yet again Robert. It must be nice after your run to sit and relax and know that youve done yourself and your heart the power of good. We felt great after our walk yesterday and it sets you up for the rest of the day
Well done robert, you must feel chuffed to bits
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Here comes Monday again, it used to be the worst day of the week, and now it’s the best. Kid’s have gone back to school, most people are back at work, and you can once again get served in Macdonalds. We are off to Monks Cross just outside York this morning on a shopping expedition; there’s a cruise coming up and I’ve nothing to wear…Don’t want to let Mrs Fox down.
Hope you got sorted at Monk’s Cross OGF. If not McArthur Glen Designer Centre would be a good place to try. Its a while since we went on a cruise but I like the chance to dress up once in a while.
Good advice Val, we called in at MacArther Glen and had a very nice lunch at ‘Pret-a-Manger’ Managed to purchase a nice jacket and pullover from M&S and some shorts from Debenhams. John Lewis had a nice jacket but at over £300 I gave it a swerve [I’ve bought cars for less] Today’s run out will take us to Meadowhall, but it’s the cinema were going to, It’s a shoot em up with Sean Penn called the ‘Gunman’ makes a change.
This morning’s run was a beast, at 50:03 it was a struggle all the way round, such a nice sunny morning as well. Might get some sleep in the cinema if the films crap.
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March is speeding along [largely un-noticed] and will soon be gone, where the hell did it go?
I’ve arrived at a Wednesday, the end of a long line of similar Wednesdays, and hopefully, the start of another series of Wednesdays. No running today, but after a five minute session of teeth clenching, eyball bulging, muscle slapping rides to destruction on the exercise bike, I dismounted; gasping for breath, and unable to support my own weight for a few minutes, staggered my way to the shower.
Wife looked on in disgust…
Trying to find something exciting to adorn my porridge instead of sugar, I attacked one of my wifes Bananas with a fork and turned it into mush…it could catch on, but maybe something electrical might be more apropriate for the ‘Mushing’ and I could try different fruits…how healthy would that be?
Wednesday has been assigned ‘Tesco Day’ It is the day when my missus goes and cleans for her Dad, thus giving me some much earned space, so I can ‘blog’ and go and shop at Tesco by myself, or just do nothing…well, that’s not really an option if I don’t want to incur the wrath of Sue…“You won’t like me when I’m angry” her words, not mine…
Yesterday’s trip to the cinema at Meadowhall turned out to be a grand day out, the film ‘Gunman’ with Sean Penn was very entertaining, but a word of caution if you fancy it, there are copious amounts of swearing and violence, but it seems to be normal these days.
So Jeremy Clarkson has got the sack from the BBC, it’s a wonder they didn’t pin some historical sexual abuse accusations on him, that’s what the BBC usually does when it wants to get rid of somebody they want to bury, just to make sure no other station might cultivate ideas of hiring him.
Right, suns out, that little blonde lass on the Tesco checkout will have finished her break, so it’s time to disappear…Laters…