A Week Off Work

I'm having a great time this week, spending lots of time with the dog and visiting lots of beautiful places. I've also not had a drop of alcohol, although I'm loathe to boast as it's only been 4 days and that makes me sound like a lush! It has to be said though that generally during a holiday I'd have a glass of wine or two with dinner, and certainly a beer or two in the pub. I feel better for avoiding it though and I don't feel like I'm missing out either. I've also not had any junk food, not even on the drive from Aberdeen to Glasgow which is usually a boring 3-hours punctuated by various chocolate bars and bottles of sugary juice.



Yesterday I ran around Mugdock reservoir and managed a 30 minute run. I would have gone for longer except it was a sweltering hot day and I had too thick a hoody on, the combination making me feel quite unwell. But as a location for running, I loved it. It's all flat with stunning views of rolling countryside in one direction, and the bright lights of Glasgow in the other. The dog loved it too. It never ceases to amaze me that even when I am charging along like an elephant, the dog's legs never seem to go any faster than a light trot, and he's still ahead of me. Maybe I'm slower than I think... I'm going to head back there in an hour or so for another run.



But I've not just been sticking to the flat - I climbed Conic Hill the other day with some friends and their wee Jack Russel, Milo. The dogs scampered up the hillside while I had to take several rests as it was really hurting my calf muscles. I'm hoping this is going to help improve my hill running too, as I find hills a real killer. We waked to the top then I foolishly said we could climb down the other side. In reality the other side was more of a scramble and when we got to the bottom and looked up, it looked more like a cliff face for abseiling down. The dogs had a great time anyway and went home mucky and tired.



Conic Hill is about an hour up and an hour down, with breathtaking views over Loch Lomond and all its islands. It's so quiet and still at the top and on a sunny day, it's just serene. It reminded me of all the times I went there as a school pupil, with Mrs Thompson. She was my French teacher and directed the school shows, and later her own drama company. All the kids in the show used to climb Conic Hill in the months leading up to opening night. At the top we'd all have packed lunches and her and Mrs Montgomery would crack open the Babycham. She was very much a mentor to me throughout my adolesence and treated us as much more than just her pupils. We'd spend time rehearsing songs in her living room - and she organised theatre trips to London for us, and later Paris. I'll never forget the day she called me to her classroom to give me a row for not performing as well in my Higher results as she felt I should have. She was more like an aunt than a teacher.



Mrs T died a couple of years ago from bowel cancer. Scores of us, now scattered across Scotland, returned to Glasgow for the funeral and we all sang for her one last time. I still can't believe she's gone - it doesn't feel real to me until I return to a place like Conic Hill, which I will associate with her forever. It's for Mrs T and all the others like her that I'm working hard to raise this money. She is just one of millions affected by cancer and my efforts in this training are dedicated to her and the others like her.