Speedy!

This week our cow numbers were somewhat diminished as Wee Gill had gone on a jolly to Scotland and Ice Cream Sian was very busy doing Ice Cream Stuff. So it was just me, Beagle Nik and our newest cow, Ceri, out for a run. Mindful of the fact that Ceri looks like she knows which end of a trainer is which, I set off a bit smartish. Well, smartish for me anyway! After a couple of hundred metres of going 'a bit quick' I thought I'd ask the all important question - how old are you?

28!

28???? Oh. My. God. That's 24 years younger than me. I felt very old very quickly. And pushed on a bit. Beagle Nik was behind us (I was the only one who knew where we were going...) and apparently thought 'this is a bit quick' but didn't say anything. Ooooh, I wish she had...

We thundered through Machen, belted through Draethen and then we were into the Tardis. It's a long hill and it's bigger than it looks.... I suggested that the other Cows went past me, so they did. After about a nano-second Ceri was out of sight and Beagle Nik was way ahead of me. I'd obviously worn myself out with the first 4k speedy running and I struggled (ok, I whimpered) up the hill... By the time I got to the top they were both breathing normally and not purple. So I took a photo of them looking fit and relaxed. It was a good excuse to stop.

I then suggested three options - (1) straight home, (2) almost straight home, (3) wiggly, hilly, muddy, longest route, not straight at all.

They chose (3). That'll teach me...

So off we went again. On one of the flat bits when I was level with them, we passed some walkers who I swear said 'blimey, I didn't like the look of that old one' and then we went through the additional hilly muddy bits. Beagle Nik remains supremely elegant and silent (sum total: 1 squeak in all her runs) but Ceri is splendid - not only did she shriek 'OOOOOOH' nice and loudly, but she actually AIMED at the muddy bits and lost a shoe! Yay! Proper mud running! (Wee Gill take note - the rest of us get, um, dirty...)

Eventually (actually, remarkably quickly given the speed we were going) we were heading back towards the parlour so I took a photo of the view I'd seen most of the run - the disappearing back views of two quicker Cows.

Yes, you're right - they are a LONG way ahead...

We hosed off our shoes and left Quick Ceri (everybody needs a name, this one is just SO obvious) at the parlour and Beagle Nik and I staggered back to my house for coffee, gin and a lie down.

We'll have to do some serious training to get up to Quick Ceri's standard.

Or (and we like this idea) we could just drag her down to ours....