I have runners' feet...

...I'm just waiting for the legs to be delivered! Honestly, my feet are horrible, covered in patches of hard skin, the remains of blisters, I have one toe nail that has gone grey (no idea what's going on there) and I have to resort to really bright nail varnish, if I want to wear open toe shoes, to make sure that people don't look at the sorry state of the rest of my feet. My legs, on the other hand, remain resolutely un-lovely! I have been running for weeks in shorts in the hope of getting a glimmer of a tan, I have been running for years in the hope of getting a pair of gorgeously toned legs, but they have yet to make an appearance. Maybe, by the time I hit 70, something will kick in and I'll have slender legs, in the meantime I should apologise to all those who have been exposed to my white, flabby legs this week. It is far too sunny to wear anything other than a mini skirt!

Ran this evening with my husband and, you know, it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be! The last few times I've regarded it as a sacrifice of my precious 'me' time, so resented every step! Tonight it was different. I'm not entirely sure why. It was hot, about 28c when we set out, and very sunny. The plan was to run one of my favourite short routes (know as the Christmas Day run as I first ran it on Christmas Day 2008). On that occasion it took me 45 minutes to cover the 4.33miles. Today we ran and talked, talked and ran, and then stopped for a bit of a walk (Stephen is just starting running again after a long break with back problems and the heat, distance etc. were too much for him) ran again, with me yabbering away 13 to the dozen, until Stephen announced he would walk the rest of the way. I ran on alone, MP3-less, for the last mile. It was good to have a short time without any music/talking. I don't take my MP3 to races, because I like the buzz and the random, snatched conversations with other runners, but I think I'd get bored running alone, for long distances without noise!

Arriving back at the start point I was amazed to find that I'd only taken 38 minutes! It didn't seem as though we'd been running that fast. I sat on the bridge, having done a few stretches that got me some funny looks from passing motorists and a wolf whistle from some passing cyclists, and waited for Stephen. It was gone 7pm and still the sun was blazing - just gorgeous weather for sitting around and avoiding the midges!

In other news, it is my youngest child's 4th birthday tomorrow. Not quite sure where the last four years have gone, but madam is excited! I am being a bad parent (tm) and going to the Chelsea Flower Show first thing tomorrow morning, so I won't see her until the evening. I am such a bad parent that I nearly forgot to wrap her presents this evening - whoops! They are all wrapped now, a mass of pink paper to be ripped to shreds tomorrow after school. I have made cupcakes for all her friends at school. They had to be 'pink cakes with white icing and sprinkles on top' and here they are: