Its two weeks since I updated my blog – feels like a confession !

Whilst this included 8 days in Scotland on holiday I did manage a couple of stunning scenic runs up there, as well as walks around a Loch Morelich and along a sugar sand blustery Lossiemouth beach.

Scottish Spinning was familiar but oh so different to my normal Tuesday class at home. This was an all over body workout with me clinging onto the bike a couple of time so as not to tip it over or actually fall off my stationary bike. We were dipping like big bird, swooping figures of eights like starlings, press ups like Laura Croft and legs pumping whilst sprinting for the line like Mark Cavendish !! An awesome workout and I felt big DOMS after but in a nice way.

I was made very welcome and shown how these different bikes worked. The instructor Lynn was a pocket rocket 4foot 9inches of powerhouse, at least she didn’t have too high a saddle to fall off when moving around her bike using it like a kid on a climbing frame.

We saw some stunning scenery – lochs, mountains, highland moors, sandy beaches, cragged cliffs, cities and villages as well as trip around Glenfiddich distillery.

Whilst we had a week of Scottish sunshine the wind got up and the beautiful beach became the centre of a sand storm. Then driving back it was a dust storm complete with mini dirt tornados racing across the ploughed fields. There has been no rain in these areas for over a month so the ground is so dry, amazing any soil left. I also got a dust shower when running through a plume created by a ploughing tractor !

Friday night was an Indian meal with the girls to celebrate my birthday & Emmas. We were no where near the quietest table that night with a dozen of us chatting, all at once!
I also got a chance to have a 24 hour catch up with Di who was over from Chicago, which was great having not seen her for 4 years – thank goodness for Skype, email, Facebook etc. Forty plus years of friendship and still plenty to talk about. Everyone enjoyed themselves and got on really well as it was a mixed group of friends from all corners.

The last run the week was the easiest but for the best cause – Sports Relief 2012. Claire and I ran in Marlborough as it had most amount of coffee shops post race ! We ran and chatted amongst 400 other runners in the sunshine. Then headed for the high street with a credit card and hungry belly. Run done, shopping done, coffee & cake done, lunch done (lovely sausage sandwich) then finally got home at 3pm to have a couple of hours in the deckchair in the garden – nice !

So thats it now, easy weeks are over, only 10 training weeks available for me before my first half Ironman distance race in June. First to loose the extra few pounds gained in Scotland through great local food and drink in excess ( back to the confessions).