Broken

Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Limping is more accurate. I have a sore left knee which I am attributing to my over tight quads.  Last week was quite focussed on rest with beer featuring highly. I headed out on Saturday for a brisk hour to clear my head and the knee was fine.  Wandering round town on Saturday afternoon it got very sore, and I was limping around on Sunday.

I woke up this morning, knee much better and promptly ran to work. Not bright. I got a medevac home (I called Ali and asked for a lift). Is now pretty tender. I have had knee twinges before from the result of my quads getting too tight (generally when doing a lot of cycling). I suspect the hill running and squats have tightened them up considerably - I tried the traditional quad stretch.  My heel gets nowhere near my arse.  I need to remember to stretch all muscle groups a bit more - I had tight hamstrings and focussed on that, then calf muscles so did calf stretches. Ho hum. Lesson learned, at least until the next time.

Aside from unfocussed shopping and drinking, the main activity of the weekend was Cool Boarding. Getting quite handy now.  I can now do squats, peel and eat a tangerine and erm stand at one end on the ball with the board out in front of me.

Ok not youtube-able but a start. It is a great piece of kit.

Rest & the ski show

Post the Mud Runner I actually felt quite sprightly last week.  Having decided to do more speed work to get a bit quicker I headed out on Wednesday lunchtime for a flat, fast run. 6 miles in 40 mins, with a bit of time lost stopping to read the route map was a pleasant enough way to spend a lunchtime, with plenty of room to get a bit quicker.

The rest of the week was just running to and from work (a total of seven miles each way). Thursday night a trail run with a head torch was ditched in favour of the pub. Saturday I did one of our regular hill routes along the Cotswold Way, and then we headed back to London for the rest of the weekend. A party on a boat on Saturday night ensured Sunday would be a lazy one.

And indeed it was. We went to the Ski show.  The ski show always makes it seem like the ski season is nearly here, and this year was no exception. All the new kit, and the resorts advertising on their stands (the Chamonix Pavilion was a favourite) make the fresh snow that will soon be coating the Alps almost tangible.  I resisted an expensive jacket this year, but did get a Cool Board. It is fun, and a lot tougher to master than the wobble ball I had.  I look forward to mastering it, though the suggested squats while balancing are a way off yet!  The other highlight of the ski show was the *cough* fashion show.  It was better than it sounds! A very professional, exceptionally well choreographed, dance show.  It was very entertaining.  They didn't get on Cool Boards though.