All posts in May 2020

On this first day of our tenth week of isolation, temperature 13°, high pollen count, everything went smoothly, but my time came in at 9:18. I’m not griping, and it may well be that the pollen made the difference, but it is a drop-off from the last few days. Morning Office, did the grocery shopping,…

If you’re reading this as life happens, at the same time (-ish) that I’m blogging, there’s no need to say how odd this interval of undifferentiated days can be. Today was in many respects just like every other day. In other ways, though, it was a pretty good day. My morning run, though not the…

Chilly morning 7°, muscles okay, clear weather, 9:07. Morning Office, fruit breakast, Legends and some reading, then National Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. I spent the afternoon alternately reading and transcribing, with a cheeky wee bit of writing mixed in, then the Dominic Cummings news conference. Margaret made a fascinating vegetable-and-mince…

The temperature had cooled to 11° this morning, and although I felt all right while warming up, I decided early on to take this mile slow and easy. I finished in 9:52, which would have been a marvellous time five or so weeks ago, but is quite a drop-off today; still, it was a deliberate…

This morning turns up the warmest of the year — 16° at daybreak running time — though breezy and oddly cool to the skin, medium pollen. My legs felt heavy, but the mile passed in 9:07, much to my surprise. One of these days I’ll run my mile in a time of less than nine…

The morning was grey and overcast, the temperature supposedly 16° (though I’d never have believed it), breezy, with occasional light drizzle. I pushed hard early, and my thighs suggested that I might be asking too much of them, but at the end of the mile, my timer said 9:05. I can’t suggest an experiential confirmation…

This morning’s weather seemed so promising that I ran sans hoodie for the first time this summer. The temperature was 11°, the skies held light clouds, low pollen, and my limbs signalled cooperation and comfort (as much as one can expect when running a mile). I noticed heavy breathing again, but the mile took a…

Yet another lovely morning, 10°, though the Home Office reports a medium pollen count. That squared with my experience: I struggled with my breathing most of the way. My legs kept strong, though, and I arrived home with a surprising 9:10 mile. Groceries at Sainsbury’s, hot breakfast, Morning Office, some marking and emailing and conversation…

One might think that 11° would make for a very warm morning run indeed, but a moderate breeze kept things cool. My breathing felt heavier (but low pollen, so…), but legs and general comfort sustained me through a 9:21 mile. Fruit breakfast, Morning Office, and a restless, unproductive day. Not altogether unproductive — I made…

The sky was a bit cloudy, but the temperature was 9°, with no prospect of rain. On the other hand, every physical system involved in running rebelled against me this morning — achy joints, stiff muscles, laboured breathing (I wish I could blame pollen, but that wasn’t the culprit). Still came in at 9:37, but…

Sixty days is a long time to spend at home. The morning weather was pleasantly cool and clear, my knees felt fine, low pollen, and a gratifying 9:19 mile. Morning Office and hot breakfast. I poked in to Legends for a few minutes, then Sunday Mass at Most Holy Trinity Ettingshall with Fr Damian. After…

7°, rusty painful knees at the start of my 9:42 mile, lightning early grocery trip, Morning Office, hot breakfast, Legends of the Jews, Sam Ward laboured more than two hours to clear about eight square metres of our back meadow garden, a giant smoothie by from my sweetheart for me, more Legends, Rosary with SMMS,…