Technique and another birthday...

Last week when I was actually doing some running with the Happy Cows, Gill pointed out that I run oddly.  That's oddly as in 'unevenly' more than oddly as in 'you look weird'.  I think.  Anyway, she pointed out from being behind me that my right foot stuck out more than my left foot, so I straightened it up and - no knee pain!  Yay!   And I can take her advice because she's actually Dr Gill.  OK, so her PhD is in biotechsomething, but she's still a Doctor.  There is, however, a snag - it's actually quite hard to concentrate on putting your foot down different every time (well, it is when you're trying to natter at the same time) so I tried different things.  And found that if I simply raise my knees a bit higher on each step, my foot goes down straighter.  Hooray!  So now I run with my knees going higher, which has the added benefit of my foot strike (the way my foot hits the ground) being softer and 'whole foot' as opposed to 'heel lead'.  Which then, in turn, makes your calves ache...  I'm so sorry, have you nodded off?

So, another BIRTHDAY!  This time it was Quick Ceri, and it was the very devil to try and sort out all of us running at the same time and especially without Quick Ceri smelling a rat...  I think we were all set for 5pm Saturday but then on Friday night I had my hair done and rather stupidly allowed my hairdresser to 'just go for it' on the colour.  BIG mistake.  Strawberry blonde may be very nice on Nicole Kidman, and I have many beautiful auburn friends, but on me it's just plain ginger.  So I'm afraid I had to back out of 5pm Saturday and we ended up running at 8am instead, but minus Beagle Nic...  sigh.  One day we'll all be together.  Ooooh, that'll be in two weeks at Oblivion's Dirty Weekend!  Anyway, we met up and I showed them my hair.  Their responses were hilarious....

Quick Ceri (unconvincingly): "It's nice..."

Ice Cream Sian (quizzically): "What colour was it meant to be?"

Wee Gill (directly):  "Oh dear God, that SO has to go..."

They were right - it was hideous.

I was on my bike because I'd run the day before and I'm not running on consecutive days yet (still nursing my knees) and Ice Cream Sian was also on a bike because she's been proper poorly and it's easier on a bike so it made sense for her to take it easy too.  And off we set.  I had a birthday card, chocolate brownies and prosecco in my backpack but I'd forgotten the cups...  The rest of them set off on the trail and I did a quick detour to Ice Cream Richard who happily provided suitable cups.  He must be used to ginger women turning up on his doorstep in bike helmets saying 'I need cups' because he handled it really well...

When I met up with the girls again they were running/cycling side by side with Wee Gill in the middle. As both Ice Cream Sian and Quick Ceri were wearing fluorescent yellow jackets, it looked like Wee Gill had a police escort.  Well, she is a Doctor....

And, yes, that's Mini Moo following behind.  The photo is slightly fuzzy because it's what we photographers call An Action Shot.  This means that I actually took a photo whilst pedalling on my bike.  Without falling off!  I know - how impressive is that???

We did a bit of road stuff (easy pedalling for Ice Cream Sian and me) and then ended up in the hills of Ruperra Castle.  My plan with the birthday card, brownies and prosecco was to somehow get ahead and set up the birthday party at the Iron Age Hill Fort.  Ice Cream Sian and Wee Gill had been primed to cause a suitable diversion when needed and when I gave them the nod, Ice Cream Sian feigned sicklyness and suitably delayed Quick Ceri.  I'd gone on ahead so didn't see what was apparently an Oscar winning performance - wish I had!

I was aiming for the fort but on the way passed a viewpoint/picnic area/seating arrangement and thought 'that'll do' so I laid my jacket as a tablecloth and arranged the goodies.  When Quick Ceri came up the track she suddenly realised there was a whole party laid on - yay!  We do like a good birthday!

You'll note that my bike is tidily stood up to the left of the wooden thing whereas Ice Cream Sian has just abandoned hers in a 'where's the plonk' sort of position...  And Mini Moo is keeping lookout...

We had such a lovely time - and then the rain started.  Big sporadic drops at first, then lots of big drops.  Being brave and hardy souls used to running in mud it didn't bother us one bit.

Yes it did.  We legged it for home...