Achtung: Es ist in Sheffield im Februar kalt

Bloody freezing, I tell you. A quick running update: I went running today (I'll tallk about yesterday in a second) and I don't think I have ever been so cold. It was a horrible run, the cold was biting and I broke my golden running rule. I ran in a big circle. Sounds fine doesn't it. Oh No. It's bad, the reason being, that when you run in a circle unless you've done that route before (or researched it and I can't do that!) you don't really know how far you've gone and as such you are always wondering how far you have to go, that's not good. It means you are constantly thinking about running and miles and time. Your mind isn't wandering and you're looking at your watch all the time. It makes any distance seems much further. What was worse today, was that I miscalculated and when I got home I was still two miles from my target. That means running past your house (in the freezing cold. And I actually think it was zero or below) for a mile out and a mile back. The mile out was tough but the mile back wasn't, this is because I followed my golden rule. Always run half as far as you have to and then run home. The home leg is mentally a doddle and makes you ignore your legs until you get home.

Now to yesterday's running. That may have been worse than today but not for the same reasons. I only had to run about 4 miles, and it was much warmer (and I had the better half of my kit on). However, yesterday was a speed/hill run, now living in Sheffield I am used to hills, but I had to run up and down a hill 9 times in this session. If you know me and you know Sheffield (Studenty Sheffield that is), you know there is only one hill I would choose. Yes, that's right, the mother, Conduit Road. I ran up the bugger as fast as I could 9 times, with a slow jog down in between. I was nearly sick on run 7 and was actually shouting out aloud to myself on 9. Urg, that was horrid but the schedule said do it and I have secretly always had a desire to beat Conduit Road, killer of fat students, slippiest of ice hills. Ha. I did it. I won, the mile jog home was almost easy after the effort of, I repeat, running up and down Conduit Road nine times!

You may be intersted to know that, all my moaning and aching has not, as as you would expect put Kay off running. She has infact decided that she wants to get back into it (she tells me she wasn't a bad sprinter as a kid. Ask her about the time she found out she had asthma!) It seems that we are well suited as we both seem to enjoy treating our bodies with the utmost derespect out in the cold.

One more thing, that I am actually very very shocked about is our eBay selling. As we speak people have offered a grand (but running, the auctions don't finish til 1am ish) total of £***.** for our unwanted stuff. This isn't stuff we bought with the intention of re-selling, this is our junk that was gonna go to charity shop/bin. Kay says I can't tell you the final price until the auctions have all finished so you'll have to wait. Suffice to say, I had to make myself a drink. My new drink of choice is a Whiskey Sour: 2 measures whiskey, 1 Lemon juice and 1/2 Gomme Syrup (sugar and water heated up) shaken with ice and then served on the rocks in a tumbler. I love it, Kay prefers a Brazen Hussy.

Photo's. I said I would so here goes. From top to bottom: Kay stupendous food layout with a superb cake, great biscuits and also so Gucamole made by me and approved by two real live Mexicans. Unfortunatley they had left their Tequila, Sombreros and ponchos at home. The tree/X-files shaped blob is a red wine stain on out seagrass rug, care of the lovely Cat (we flipped the rug - magic). The last one is our friend Disco Stu, who looks in this photo like the politician everybody knows he should be.