What I've been up to lately....

Well what exactly have I been up to lately, mmmm.  Okay perhaps not a great deal of actual running, but I am glad to report that I have now recovered from whatever it was that was affecting my legs.  The pins and needles have gone and so has the constant ache when attempting to run.  Not sure if thas anything to do with my new liking for lemon and ginger tea. ginger is apparantly meant to be good for your circulation.  I am also back on the vitamins and cod liver oil.

Kona and I have been out adventuring with map and compass, basically exploring the area where we live in greater detail than ever we've done before.  Kona is becoming an excellent map reader LOL.

Here are a selection of photos from our days out.  Terrain training, mainly off road and up and over hills.

I love Drumlanrig Woods, for some reason I always feel that I am in some sort of fairy tale while there. I was half expecting the big bad wolf and the woodsman to appear along this track.







I have this wee problem that means for some reason I can never just
stick to the path, I've got to go see what's round the next bend, or
I'll see a path meandering off the main path and I've just got to
check it out.  Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't but it nearly
always  results in me getting wet,muddy and attacked by the
undergrowth in some way.  On this day it was brambles and
even now weeks later my legs can still testify to the awesome
destructiveness of the mighty bramble bush.






My next day off saw Kona and I heading for a little village called Tynron,  I missed the turn off I originally meant to take onto the hill because believe it or not I was concentrating on running, yes running up a hilly trail and missed the little arrow on a post.  This proved lucky as this route took me onto the hill past a lovely house with a beautiful garden which I would never have seen otherwise and I'm nothing if not nosy.

 Kona managed to bag another trig point for her Album,

This deer was completely oblivious to our presence, unfortunately her companion in the bushes was not and soon alerted her.  They both bounded away within seconds and were gone from sight, but I did manage to get a quick snap.  I was really pleased to have been able just to watch them for a few moments.
I rather think that may have been summer though, the weather changed next day and has not been as nice since.

Not quite so much  "The Mountains are calling me and I must Go"  more of time to get some hills in the legs again and these are the closest and most easily accessible.  Plus I rather love them.

 Had rather a good afternoon out exploring what should be a fairly straightforward route up through the Glen to the tops and over, but hey this is me and I never seem to end up taking the easy way.

My chosen route was very overgrown,

and after attempting a scramble up some wet rocks, 

I opted for the safer option of going straight upwards instead.

Black Hill's trig point shrouded in cloud.  Kona "bagged" that one last year.  

So I'm not really sure If I've done enough for Lakeland, time will tell.  It's been a funny year, somethings have not gone according to plan, but on the whole I've done a lot of terrain, and I feel strong in myself, my legs have improved and my ability to go uphill is getting better.  It still takes a while but I'm not quite so knackered at the end of it, and once up I'm raring to go.

Here's one or two pictures taken on one of my favourite days of the week "Dog Walk Sunday"

Powillimont

Mabie Forest

Swan Family at Dalwsinton

I am making plans for next year and the year after, there are several things I need to and want to do which although are goals themselves will all hopefully prepare me for what I now feel may be my end goal.  Not completely sure yet, will make up my mind later on in this year, and once my mind is made up I will commit myself body and soul.