Now: 20 - 26 January 2025

The weather got a little warmer, then a little cold again, and then very windy.

I’ve started properly training for my marathon in April, a sort of comeback after my semi-spectacular bonk at Loch Ness last year. I think I’d forgotten quite how much running marathon training entails. Whereas I spent most of January and February last year nursing sore knees in the leadup to the Fellsman, and whereas I did most of my running in the dark after work, this year I think I’ve finally developed a habit of waking up for a run before work. Getting out of a warm bed is a high hurdle to clear, but on the flip side I do get to see the sunrise most days.

Storm Éowyn blew in towards the end of the week. Sam had planned a solo trip to the bothy in Northumberland and by god she was going, weather or no. She had a cozy evening but woke up to find that a number of trees in Kielder had fallen across the road out of the forest, so she wandered down to the nearest farm and took shelter while another farmer fought his way into the forest with a chainsaw. Everyone made it out in the end (except for the trees).

Down our end, the storm raised a righteous clatter but was otherwise pretty toothless. I did find a wayward shed in the middle of the back lane on Saturday morning, but someone had cleared it away by the time I got back. And on Sunday I found some downed power lines on what I thought was a pretty busy section of footpath—though when I reported it to Northern Powergrid a couple of hours later it sounded like it was the first they’d heard of it.

After my Sunday run I went downstairs to fettle the underfloor heating once and for all, and found that there is a leak to earth somewhere on the circuit! I’m holding out a meagre hope that this is simply due to a carpeting staple somewhere on the stairs, because if the leak is under the tile floor somewhere, we’re basically SOL. I sulked about it for little while on Sunday afternoon and then went to bed at 19:30 and slept for ten and a half hours.

now Running

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Now: 27 January - 2 February 2025

Watching TV, listening to podcasts, working on cars, going for runs. Yes indeed it's me.

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Now: 13-19 January 2025

Quiet week. Ride my bike to work (well, to the train), lose my charger, go to Leeds (twice!).