Brrrr - (30/10)

Talk about a change in the weather.

Its only 3 days since it felt warm enough to go running in just shorts and t shirt, but now with this Arctic snap I have had to go out with four layers on over the last couple of days.

Not only do you feel like Michelin man whilst you are running you just don't feel like running at all.

Having said that we squeezed out a great speed session on Monday (3 x 2k in 7:30 with 400m jog recovery) - after that though the temperatures dropped and Tuesdays long run felt really arduous, frozen, face, feet and hands - the hot Vimto at Stockport Harriers soon thawed me out.

Mud, mud, glorious mud ! (25/10)

A good weeks training followed by a great cross country race at Heaton Park.

The mileage has been upped slightly and combined with a couple of good speed sessions left me looking forward to the rest day on Friday and a race on Saturday.

Heaton Park is ideal for cross country with hills, streams, mud and some great down hills as well - I haven't found the official results yet but I was happy enough and had enough left in the last mile to pick half a dozen runners off.

A bit more like it - (21/10)

A good session last night - its one that I use every 6 or 8 weeks and is a 10K loop that takes in Thornsett and then Sitch Lane which is a climb of about three quarters of a mile which is just about runnable, you then have a down hill of about the same distance into Hayfield and then back to New Mills is a really flat last 5k.

I worked hard on the first 5K then pushed on for the second half and kept all three miles sub 7min miles which is not bad seeing as it was dark and windy - so many leaves about at the moment as well, soon it will be permanently dark when the clocks go back this weekend !

Follow the plan - (20/10)

Last week was a bit of a mish mash for running - the plan was to up the mileage - which I did - and still have two key sessions - which I also did.

My problem was swapping days around, and once you do that you are playing catch up, so instead of a rest day Saturday prior to a long run on Sunday I ended up doing 8 miles at sub 8 followed by 3 miles at sub 7, which linked into 6 children sleeping on Saturday night did not bode well for good running yesterday and so it proved to be - as soon as I started I felt tired so turned it into a 6 mile with surges session instead. This awful weather isn't helping either.

The highlight of the running week was the run on Saturday round Lyme Park, up to The Cage, through the deer sanctuary, past the Hall and then back through Disley - 11 miles of good running.

The lowlight has to be yesterdays - did not finish - training session.

Into them hills - (14/10)

Well the legs are still aching and yesterdays runs were rubbish pace wise, but its all about recovery or so they say.

I've decided not to do The Great South run next Sunday as its just too far to travel for a race - I'll look for something a bit more local to stretch the legs.

Amber seems to have got the bit between her teeth training wise, but lets wait and see, she's trained 8-9 time sin the last two weeks and gradually picking up the fitness again - will she ever beat me in a race ? Not if I've anything to do with it !!

Right - off out into them hills before it starts raining again !

Windgather fell race - (12/10)

So much for targets - finished in 2hr:06min which equated to 41st position with 8 runners within 2 mins of me.

A much harder race than I had anticipated (see profile above), went off too fast as usual, but having said that I never blew up and managed to run every climb (approx 2700ft of climb).

Highly recommended race with a bit of everything - mud, steep down hills, slow climbs, steep climbs, trails, amazing scenery - definitely one for the calendar next year.

Time to race - (10/10)

Its not often that I've been in a situation where I have been itching to race, but following last weekends fun day in Newcastle at the Great North Run I now need to get out there and race. So this weekend I've hunted and searched for something local and come up with the Windgather fell race which is a 14 mile battle with the elements - I'll set myself a target of sub 2:00hrs and see where we get to.

On the run - (07/10)

What a great weekend it was in Newcastle - even the weather perked up on the Sunday for the worlds biggest half marathon.

Having decided earlier in the week that we would run as a charity trio the pressure was off to run fast and with the pressure off it was time to have fun - with celebrity sprints on the Gateshead quay side on the Saturday a fun half marathon on teh Sunday (97 mins) followed by a funny interview with Sue Barker where we compared notes on our lipstick and then on Setanta TV where I got the opportunity to flash my false breasts !

Back to the mill stone with training - speed session on Monday, tired legs Tuesday !

Great North run - (03/10)

Great North run next weekend (05/10) - it was a race I was planning to attempt a PB at, but have now decided to run it with Tony and Tom as the Bananathon trio - it should be great fun.

Now need to find another half marathon in 3-4 weeks time to try and PB at - watch this space !

Fencing - (01/10)

We've been listening to many voices over the last couple of weeks on the aspect of health and safety and in particular how the fencing will look when the site is completed.

Some of you where aghast at the thought of a high security fence around the site (as where we...), but our main concern has to be one of health and safety.

With that in mind we have agreed a two stage approach to safety and fence in and around the screw : Tomorrow morning some temporary (not pretty, but it does the job) fencing will be placed directly around the tail race of the screw which the HSE agree mitigates any immediate danger - this will be in place until we install some panelling to cover the tail race.

Secondary to that over the next few weeks we will install a boundary fence at the top of the existing slope to run from near to the existing black fence to just before the engine house - this will be dual purpose in marking the boundary between the 'access' and 'no access' areas whilst also enabling visitors to still see the screw in motion, the final piece of fencing will mitigate any risk to the public near to the screw intake.

We have always planned a fence and where working with the Town Council and planners to install this but have had to move this forward more quickly as a handful of passersby had voiced their concern to the HSE and High Peak Borough safety officers.

We believe, as do the HSE, we have reached a good compromise in keeping the site visible whilst also covering our health and safety obligations to the public.

I need a shave - (30/09)

The running is ticking along nicely at the moment, combinations of a couple of speed sessions a week (with rep times slowly coming down) and two or three longer steady runs are doing me the power of good.

What I need now is a race to focus on - it was to be the Great North Run, but instead I will be donning my blonde wig and running it for LRF as a woman instead - should be fun !

The work I was doing on the Torrs Hydro system is gradually reducing now it is in production and I am in full swing looking for my next challenge - in fact I should be in bed now as I have an interview in Leeds tomorrow... and I need a shave !