running total

 

29th June

Mary encouraged us both out the door to do some running! She is just getting to the point of recovery where she can tolerate someone else along as a distraction. For the longest time anyone else was too intrusive and she couldn't listen to the quiet chat of her injuries and aches and run accordingly. I have ongoing sciatica issues and have been using that as an excuse not to bother much with running. But realise if I let things go I'll lose all remaining fitness and being able to get out a chair without making a noise. Also I'll be the size of a house in no time. A fat house. Which gets me out the door. Even though it is 100% socially acceptable to be a fat monster these days. Although you can't actually say fat monster these days. But you can totally be one. Isn't it great how society has changed to accommodate the fat monsters without hurting their feelings?

we walk the first half mile to warm up

a rare spot of sunshine in the park

As you'll have noticed I may be out a run but am still carrying a camera. Just a small compact; but useful in case we come across anything of value worth a photo. It is actually warm enough to run in a vest although it might not be warm enough if just stood about in the chilly wind.

view to NB Law

We drop down to Haggis Knowe where we come across a couple of male common blues and this female. The males were up and off but this female hung about for some photos. 

small heath

We ran and walked along Hunter's Bog then raced up the steep hill at the South end. Memories of sessions with PRC and Gordon the coach shouting out 3-2-1-go! And puffing up that awful hill! We gave it full gas and were looking a bit weary by the top. Luckily there was nobody taking my photo (as I was of Mary!) I miss getting my heart rate up to dangerously high for no good reason. It feels great when you stop.

This positioned us nicely for a quick inspection of McIntosh ridge, where Mairi noticed a year or 2 ago, a small gang of graylings that hang out there when it isn't too windy. There were two or three but it wasn't easy to get close for a picture. They are masters of camouflage against rocky ground.

grayling

McIntosh ridge

Ken who we saw eating pies

We bumped into Ken round the front who pointed us towards (old) NBA corner. New NBA corner has been absent of butterflies so far this year, but he saw a couple of NBAs at old NBA corner and one was still there as we went past. It is great to know that the park rangers pulling down rock to make the place safer, haven't wiped out the entire argus population - just the ones round the top road. We saw our first NBA of the year which posed very obligingly although it would have been nice to have a little sunshine to bring out the colours. 

Mary using a TZ 70 at macro range
(ie right up and in its face!)

who needs a proper camera?

peacock caterpillar

slug enjoying the summer weather

Mary was feeling stoked by the running. I was pleased to see the NBA and hoped to find more to take photos of. So Mary ran laps of the fig8 below Salisbury Hill while I rooted about in the bushes trying not to collect nettle rash. Mary saw 2 common blues near the above photo but I couldn't find anything there until we were just about to leave and there was the ghost of a painted lady. It was flying super fast but was quite a faded specimen. I got a distant record photo. I also did some laps as I was jealous of how much Mary was enjoying herself.

ringlet

faded painted lady - rare this year

can hardly keep up!

champ!

tescos and home - job done

I also joined strava recently. An online fitness boast thing, sorry a performance tracking facility, I had previously avoided it because I feared it would use my competitve nature against me. Now I think it might be the only hope, or rather an inducement to get me out the door and training, instead of looking at the weather and thinking I can't be bothered today, again. If I haven't followed or kudossed you, or am doing it wrongly, it is because it is like using an android phone when you normally use IOS. Mary showed me how to use it and I keep forgetting that I am even on strava. Except when I plug in my suunto to charge, it posts whatever lame jog/walk/butterfly hunt I have been doing. I am so slow these days I am not even embarrassed about how slow I am. I might start training when summer arrives.

8+miles, 3+hrs