Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Getting Ready For York
by Russell Turner - 15:37 on 28 July 2025
The run up to this weekend’s York 10k could have been better. The weather’s been mostly fine (although too hot for Matchgirl’s liking) but it didn’t stop me from catching a cold which peaked just at the time I should have been in Glasgow to see The Last Laugh, then in Durham the evening after for the 10k there. Instead I stayed home and counted all the wasted money; at least I was able to move a Premier Inn booking to later in the year.
The worst symptoms lasted only a couple of days and I was running again within a week. Less good was that, despite hiding upstairs in a medical mask, Matchgirl caught my lurgi – inevitable in such a small house; I’d probably already passed it on before I became aware of any malady.
Even less good was the depth of Matchgirl’s debilitation, which led her to take a covid test. This proved positive, so either she caught it independently of me (she scorned the very idea) or my resistance to covid symptoms is strong (or I’m due a huge relapse any day now). She’s almost forgiven me.
My own recovery left two weeks to prepare for York. Random running at random pace was the result; whether it’s enough for me to repeat my sub-60min Leeds 10k triumph remains to be seen. If not, there are several other opportunities in August – by when I’ll be 67 – having also booked 10ks relatively close to home in Banff, Killin and Kinloss (in place of the Dales HM). There are more in September: Stirling (gigs permitting) and River Ness in Inverness (even if there’s a gig the night before). I’m still uncommitted to the Lincoln HM in October, but the closer it gets the more likely I am to go for it: surely no bride is going to arrange her big day at such short notice?
October could be busy too. After Lincoln – or the Great Scottish Run/Glasgow 10k if I stay closer to home – there’s a very tempting Loch Rannoch 10k or HM (the scenery will be spectacular), then back to York for the Yorkshire 10 Mile. I could even finish the month with a 10k or HM in Jedburgh.
So many races, so little time.
Garden Update: To prove that life is more than running and the band, the Bushnell has been redeployed overnight after a very long hibernation. The results have not been dramatic, consisting mostly of cats and crows, but a few blurry hedgehogs have been snapped (they’re still too fast) and one badger, which was good to see. I’m hoping for more badgers and some foxes. Martens are now just a dream.
With luck I’ll be inspired enough to blow the dust and cobwebs off the Pentax, assuming it’s not seized up from disuse.
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