New Shoes

Finally! The ground has dried up a little. Running in the countryside no longer involves running through deep puddles, or sliding in thick mud. So, I’m retiring my old very muddy pair of shoes. I walked in that pair of shoes for years before I gave in and started doing a bit of running. And this winter they’ve witnessed hail storms, landslides, and a lot of wet dirt.

I bought my new shoes from the local running store, which was so much more fun than buying them online. I even had a go on a treadmill (how have I got to 31 and never tried one before?!) This is the first pair of shoes I have purposefully bought for running. I’m looking forward to more days running on dry tracks, through green meadows, with only the odd April shower. I might still be a newbie, but I think this running habit might be sticking…

Why Nature Rocks: March Reads

March has surprised me with some beautiful spring days. After so much rain, it’s wonderful to see some blossom. What with soaking up plenty of outdoor time, it’s been a perfect month to read Last Child in the Woods. Richard Louv presents a staggering amount of research all pointing to our human need to be part of nature, whilst considering the many factors that have drawn us indoors.

I loved the idea. Yes! We should all go outside more! We should roll in the dirt, get lost and be inspired! If anyone’s in doubt as to nature’s brilliance, or wants some new interesting facts, then this is well worth a read.

I also read the second in the Wool trilogy. My long train journey to Manchester warranted a hefty piece of pulp fiction, and this kept me occupied for the full return trip.

A note on quitting: If you read February’s post you’ll spot that I had planned to read The Tiger’s Wife this month. I read half of it. I also read half of a P.G. Wodehouse book. Both were lovely, but I just didn’t make it beyond the halfway point. There are too many great books out there to warrant soldiering on with one. If you aren’t revelling in your read, I say ditch it!

Also, a big thank you to Laura who has created such a friendly online group of readers for #theyearinbooks. It’s lovely to see the variety in what everyone is reading!

Runner’s Remorse

I’ve spent the last couple days attending a course in Salford Quays. The area is criss-crossed with lovely brick paths, humped bridges over the water, with people rowing across in skiffs. The place is pretty quiet, save for people running or feeding the geese, but the lack of cars and shops makes it all the more tempting for a run.

In the interests of travelling light, I didn’t pack any running gear for this trip. I always avoid taking anything extra and pride myself in being a light packer. But, home alone on a sunny day up north, I did doubt the wisdom in this. It strikes me that running must be one of the best ways to quickly explore a city, and an easy way of getting exercise whist away (yoga mats aren’t very portable and I don’t fancy the look of that hotel carpet!)

When we recently stayed in Belfast, with limited baggage allowance, Tom ditched his camera in favour of the running gear. When we arrived, he dashed off round the city in his trainers, while I lounged and drank red wine. Next time I think the running shoes will definitely have to travel with me, even if it does mean a bigger bag.

Travelling by Train

I set out early this morning for my seven hour journey to Manchester. The taxi driver asked why I had chosen to travel four hours by train, rather than forty minutes by plane. Quite honestly, the thought hadn’t occurred to me.

I relish a long train journey. Why would I swap a gallop through the countryside for an ear-aching descent through the sky? Give me a window seat to watch the countryside zip past, and I’ll happily drift off watching the clouds up above me. I like the slow move from familiar country to new terrain, its steady shift through rolling green farmland, old brick industries and silversharp complexes.

I had plans to knit, listen to podcasts and have a good long nap. But with a new book and renewed appreciation for my old ipod with it’s long battery life, I didn’t get round to any of it. Those new mittens and Radio 4 catchup will just have to wait for another day. Perhaps the journey back…

A Good Bake

Some cookbooks look so promising: gold covers, artsy fonts, and quirky ingredients. But then when it comes to the recipes they just don’t quite do it. They’re either too fussy, too complicated or quite simply don’t work. The pretty gold cover gathers dust and glares at you from the kitchen shelf.

Other cookbooks magically swing in to heavy rotation the moment they arrive; filled with recipes you can rely on, photos that are always tempting, and instructions that are genuinely helpful. Chococo is just such a book. It had its first outing for Alec’s birthday cake and has rarely been off the kitchen counter since.

Chococo is close to my heart since the days we started visiting their tiny sunny cafe in Swanage. I love supporting small local businesses, and it’s been fun to see how this one has thrived.

In this month of no easy sugar I’ve been baking a lot more. So far we’ve had the a double batch of chocolate cookies, the gooiest brownies and chocolate fruity flapjacks, all from this one recipe book.

And if you’re thinking this is rather a lot of chocolate for one month I will point out to you that I have had exactly no M&Ms this month, and also had banana cake and apple crumble. I know- positively healthy right?