Happy feet!

I have new feet! Or new orthotics. Remember the picture of my very gorgeous shoes that I didn't think I could walk in?

Well, the new orthotics are as ugly as those were beautiful, but with the added advantage that they actually help me walk better. And hopefully run better...

But not pretty although they do have a little flash of purple on the instep. Mmm, nice. The idea is that they correct my inward tipping knees and make my legs straight. And, in the words of the old song 'the toe bone's connected to the foot bone and the foot bone's connected to the ankle bone and the ankle bone's connected to the leg bone and the leg bone's connected to the knee bone and the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone and the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone' which could explain, if my feet are out, why my ankles, shins, knees and lower back all hurt when I run...

Anyway, I'm hoping that these gorgeous new orthotics will do the trick. I picked them up on Friday and I'm allowed to wear them for an extra hour each day - so one hour on Friday (picking up a takeaway and watching telly - not exactly strenuous), two hours on Saturday (a yomp across slopey hilly fields with the dogs and sliding down muddy tracks - better) and three hours today (standing around making pumpkin soup and more dog walking) before trying them in my work shoes tomorrow. And no running until the middle of NEXT week. Eeek!

But I can still plan... and I'm working on my outfit for the Christmas Pudding Race at, um, Christmas. This is Phase A:

Yes, it does need a little work... It's going to be a Christmas Pudding Woolly Hat. With brandy cream, holly leaves and berries. No, really, it is! And hopefully a slight adjustment in the brim bit so that I can see where I'm going...

So, what with new feet and a new hat, I shall at least be sorted at both ends. Just the bit in the middle to work on then...

Fit Mark (who I still like to think of as a team member even if he has dumped us) ran to work through the woods and over Caerphilly Mountain at 7am on Thursday morning in the rain and the dark with a torch strapped to his head. He's in training for the Brecon Beacons Sleepwalker - a 20 mile night-time trail race.

And you think I'm mad????