Thursday 13 May 2010

there's more to life..

i am really grateful for the life i have. its full and its rounded and i can't ask for more than that. running fits in where the gaps, at home and at work, allow.
i'm never one to take anything or anyone for granted.
this is a sight i see every morning, though not always sunny it is inspiring in any weather.

there's been birthdays recently too. hollie going into her teens (help!) and will hitting the big 11. i wouldn't swap them for the world..though they do have their moments!

the yard is now a happier place. two new irish boys, elmo and mcguire, fill two of the stables. there's a new sense of hope and excitement that karen might just have the boys she needs to really start enjoying it all once more and to start to think competitively again. fingers crossed. so long as it doesn't intrude too much on our running ;-)

the swifts are back residing in the stable next door. every year we wait for them to arrive and settle to bring up their chicks. this year they were a little late i think arriving about two weeks ago. how they get back to the exact same spot every year all the way from africa is nothing short of a miracle. no volcano ash clouds will put them off their stride. no gps to guide them. the ultimate ultras surely!

which brings me back neatly to running. an easy week after hitting 84ish last week. we have only about 4 weeks to go before we set out on the coast to coast. next week im aiming to hit 100+ then it'll be a gradual taper down. we need to get the maps out, plot the route and absorb it. a bit like the swifts, if i really apply my mind to it i control a good sense of direction and position.
but this weekend for us belongs to chelsea again, playing for the double..come on you blues!

11 comments:

Julie said...

Hi Ultra Collie,
Welcome back! It sure sounds like you have so much to be thankful for:) I love that you don't take things for granted...more people should be like you. Your kids are both beautiful and dashing:) Thanks for throwing one of Charlie in the mix too!

I can't believe that you have another Ultra coming up...Holy cow! Do you ever rest? Something tells me no...right?

Good to have you back to Blogland! Take care!

Andrew said...

Nice pics of the children, horses and charlie.Your sounding on top form.

ultra collie said...

thanks julie - my dashing kids..they take after their dad ;-)

cheers andrew - maybe its just delusion! hope things are picking up for you guys

RunnerinLV said...

I feel for you with a teenage daughter. That's a few years away for me thank goodness.
Keep up the goodwork and training.

kate said...

what a lovely slice of family life-apart from the whole football bit ;)

Carolyn Trafford Art said...

My poor Collie is too old to run now.

You might appreciate this.

http://snowdrop-greenshoots.blogspot.com/2010/05/three-dog-bakery.html

ultra collie said...

thanks kate..but whats wrong with fottie!

snowdrop..hi, i'll take look

PART TIME RUNNER said...

Nice Pics CD - But those 'Swifts' look a lot like Swallows to me!

ultra collie said...

ptr - not being a twitcher i thought they were swifts..thats what they tell us every year when they make the booking

kate said...

nothing actually wrong with footie. i just hate the fact it gets so much more coverage than any other sport, particularly on tv. i'm already getting prepared to be annoyed by the world cup and the fact that le tour won't be on 'normal' telly. oh, and the fact that the women's england team are so much more successful than the men's but get much less support. ....this was not meant to turn into a rant, sorry. all sport is in fact good ;)

ultra collie said...

kate - bet you'd rather watch darts and snooker eh ;-)