Stories old and new

Today was another run, my GPS differs from Sharon's by about ten percent (hers said 8.5 miles mine said 7.5 miles) -so I reckon we ran about eight miles at around 9.30 minute miles. It has got to be said we are really pleased with this and although a few aches and pains we are ok and enjoying it.Because of the way it works we have to be quite careful when we run, the idea is that you do several 'short' runs a week 3-5 miles and gradually increase your long run, ideally running a 20 miler about three weeks before the marathon so that you can 'taper off' and let your body recover. It is made more complicated by the fact that you shouldn't increase your long run every week, so you 'hop alternate' your long run. We are both in for the Great West run on 6th May so the last long run will be the week before - so I think we will aim to do an 13 miler on 20th April and and a 11 miler on 27th - For me that is running just over 2 hours.

Today we ran to the airport and back, over the new bridge across the motorway, it was perfect weather and a real pleasure to be in such amazing countryside, some people have asked to see a map of where we run so I hope that this works.

 http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/48566858

I would be grateful if someone could post to let me know either way.

As I run past houses, usually in the city I often get this huge sense of the size of the world we live in, each region, area, town, street and house is inhabited by people with things going on, decisions to make, lives to live. Not only that but many of these places have been inhabited by earlier residents all with their stories to tell of love and loss, good times and bad; it was on these streets that people shared the news of war starting, or celebrating it ending. Here babies have been pushed in prams and coffins carried, here balls have been kicked and pavements etched in chalk, here postmen and women have delivered millions of letters each with their story.

So as I run I feel a connection, not only to those people who inhabit those places currently but also to the past and the host of narratives remembered and forgotten. Today we ran down country lanes so not so many houses and at the end of the run, by the airport, we came across a big yellow sign and much digging and earth turning for we hit the edge of a brand new town 'Cranbrook' soon to be populated but many thousands of people. We stopped at the edge, no more pavement, but here is to be a blank canvas, a new community without stories, at least for a while. Also full of possibilities.

Tomorrow I start at the gym, I am also doing some more work on MBTI as I undertake 2 assessments later in the week, things are exciting as I ponder the 'rest' of my sabbatical. One more piece of news I hope to be able to share quite soon is which charity Sharon and I hope to run for, and that is proving to be very pleasing too.