What a difference the sun makes

I've been a bit light on the running front this week, but I've not been idle. The gorgeous sunny weather over the last few days saw Mrs HF and I walking up Castle Crag in Borrowdale. This is a small, prominent crag which Alfred Wainwright, no less, described as 'the loveliest square mile in Lakeland'. For relatively little effort you get magnificent views of the Borrowdale valley. Needless to say, I forgot to take my camera, so you'll have to take my word for it, but it was beautiful!
Earlier in the week I got the opportunity to take my friend Peter's dog for a run up and around Potter Fell. She's called Jess and, like all collies, she goes potty at the thought of playing with any toy...

... and of investigating any body of water....

She's a great dog, even returning to me on command - probably the reduced fat chicken and beef doggie treats in my bum bag had something to do with it! Despite never having taken her before, she learnt that the swishing sound my bum bag made as I brought it to the front to fish things out of it meant treats - either nibbles or the tennis ball. As soon as she heard it she looked back at me expectantly then legged it towards me. We had a great time.
Also on the dog front, I've blogged before about a Search and Rescue collie called Bute that I've helped train (by lying down on the fells and letting her find me, basically). Well, she's passed all 10 of her assessments and is now a fully accredited Lakeland Search and Rescue dog. You can see her on the Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs Facebook page. Apart from that, my only other exercise has been to move two tonnes of compost from one compost bin into another at the gardens I volunteer at. So you can imagine that the frosty sunshine outside is rather calling to me now...

Smileyrating for the 'Jess' run: 10/10

Crikey! I might have a plan...

Happy New Year everyone!
And of course, being New Year, it's time for a New Plan. And, in my usual uncoordinated way, I appear to have stumbled upon mine. I'm going to try and keep going the momentum I've developed during the latter part of December by making January my Slow and Steady month; just gradually building up the mileage to increase stamina. Then, from February onwards, I'll introduce hills, reps and (weather -permitting) much more off-road stuff. All this is with the aim of enjoying those cool, sunny, Spring/ Summer days running around the gorgeous Lake District fells.

It's grey and raining out. Again. So the cool, sunny Spring/Summer days etc. seem a long way off!

Still, I got out this morning, in a lull beteween the rain, and did another 4.5 miles on the lanes - and it felt really good, especially when I sploshed happily through a flood that had spread right across the lane. The wet feet were worth it just for the look on the faces of the two walkers who were tiptoeing around the edge of it.

Smileyrating 8/10