Thank You
New post at The Running Bug, ‘Thank You‘.
Just a quick additional post to say thanks to everyone who has read any or all of my 14 posts over the past 3 months approx. When the opportunity to write for The Running Bug came up, I jumped at the chance and then, after that initial post, I have to admit to worrying about what I had got myself in to! Could I write consistently informative, entertaining or even just semi good posts? Hopefully you will have enjoyed reading them and have your own opinion on whether I have managed to achieve any of these aims. My wife, who I can rely on to be (sometimes brutally!) honest, describes some posts as good and some as ‘not so good’ (a.k.a. bad???) so I hope you will stick with me into 2012 on what promises to be an amazing journey. Hopefully I will get the hang of things as the year progresses and entertain you with my efforts to join ‘The Family’ who have completed the 95 mile West Highland Way Race.
Let me know if there is anything you want me to cover specifically. There are a few people who I would consider to be experts in the field of running and, I have to say, I am about as far removed from them as I can be! I am no expert and, if there is a hard way to do something, then that’s generally the way I will do it. On the plus side, I am constantly learning, and if there’s anything that I can share that will help others along the way then that’s all good.
To finally get to the point of this additional post: I was shocked to be shortlisted for ‘Runner Bug Member of the Year’ & ‘Blogger of the Year’ in the Running Bug Awards 2011, especially given the competition. Best of luck to my fellow Running Bug members & bloggers – I certainly don’t expect to win but I am honoured to have even made the shortlist. I just want to say a huge thanks to all those who nominated me. I was on the bus home from work when I received the Awards email and, logging in to vote, just about fell off my seat when I saw my name there in the options!
Just to let you know, this post had an initial working title of ‘Thank You Running Buggers’ which, at the time (my 6 a.m. Christmas Eve run), seemed appropriate but now, back in the warmth and putting slightly more thought in to it, seems slightly less appropriate lol!
So, it’s Christmas Eve and I am writing this with red hot legs from having run out in the cold. I woke at 5 a.m. and could so easily have got back to sleep. I decided, however, to hit the trail and test out my new Hope Vision 1 Adventure head lamp with its 240 lumens of power (an early Christmas present). Anyone looking out their window this morning onto the old Formartine & Buchan railway line that I run up would be forgiven for thinking that the trains were back on! That’s a reference to the high degree of illumination of course, and not the huffing & puffing of me ‘steaming’ along! I felt a lot more confident in my surroundings thanks to the greater spread of light and the sheer intensity of the centre point and I am looking forward to getting back out there for more late night/early morning runs. Those of you who read my blog regularly will no doubt appreciate how delighted I was not to bump into my old friend ‘Mr Owl’ this morning!
I think it is time for a nice relaxing soak in the bath until my better half wakes, at which point we can start on the Christmas festivities. I will of course be sneaking out in the wee small hours again tomorrow morning so that I can fulfil my Marcothon commitments, taking me up to day 25 of the Marcothon and 55 days of consecutive running.
I have one last post for 2011 which I hope to put online before New Years Eve. I hope you will join me for this.
Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!