gardening

by

Aliveandrunning January 13 2015 Janathon Day 13

Greenminds Block Plan 2 - for blog

Out with Cambridge and Coleridge running club tonight. 6 x 3 minutes at threshold pace with 3 minute recoveries. With warm up jogs and running to the site, probably about 3.5 – 4 miles in all. Not the longest of distances but good fast running. Quite a big crowd of us, charging  along the pavements but it seemed to work. Perhaps I’ll run 7-8 miles tomorrow, perhaps I won’t. I do need to run longer distances now and not leave it until the end of Janathon. Nearly half way through! I don’t feel tired and I’m getting good sleep. So longer distances beckon.

My friend John drew up some plans to submit to the planning authority regarding the setting up of my therapeutic gardening project. Unfortunately I need planning permission to site two polytunnels and a shed in a general amenity field even though they are temporary structures that don’t require foundations or electricity or plumbing. This means a lot of extra effort and planning fees yet to be determined. Hopefully, I’m in credit with accrued karma ( I’ve tried to think more benevolently about tabloid readers. I failed but I did try) and they will pass the plans enthusiastically. The universe gives you what you want, so I’ve been told.

 

by

Aliveandrunning January 11 2015 Janathon Day 11

Picture 3

 

What’s happening with the therapeutic gardening project? Well, it’s slowly moving forward. My chum Guy who works for a large seed company is fairly certain I will be able to have this polytunnel, and possibly a new covering, and additionally there is a much larger version which he owns and could donate directly. I am required to apply for planning permission for these tunnels plus a 15 x 10 foot shed which will need funding. I’m currently finishing the application on line. I’ll finish the charity’s constitution this week and approach the Co-op bank to open an account.

The polytunnels are no longer used and have fallen into disrepair but with a good clean, a new site on a field and a new skin of polythene, everything will be A1 at Lloyds.There may be an issue with the larger tunnel. If there is an objection because of the size, the small one will do initially while the project establishes itself.

I don’t seem to be able to run during daylight at the moment. Yet again it was relegated to after I had eaten a large meal and as a result the first mile was not very comfortable. Running on a relatively full stomach is daft. Running in the dark is enjoyable particularly when its cold enough to wear my new hi viz cycling jacket. I don’t feel chilled as soon as I leave the house and I don’t overheat in it.

 

by

Aliveandrunning November 16 2014

WP_20141116_007

I should have been running the St.Neots half marathon today but my lingering, three week old cold and no training scuppered it. I did do Cambridge parkrun yesterday, and last week, plus I ran a 10k race two weeks ago but these were more than manageable given my level of running fitness. I haven’t been out with the club for three weeks and there have been no training runs. So a bit of running but not much. Before my heart attack five years ago, I definitely would have run the half marathon today despite the cold and insufficient raining. In fact, I wouldn’t have given it much thought. Now, I give it a lot of thought. It’s great to be running at the same level as before the heart attack (despite the baleful effects the bloody cardiac medication has on my running). I describe it as baleful only in the sense that it restricts my speed and effort. I have to accept that overall it probably has a positive effect on my heart health (see how I have to qualify the (possible) benefit I am receiving?. Am I not incorrigible in this respect? Do I not have a shipping container stuffed full of caveats?) Recent research suggests that placebos have a very good health benefit (among many others, see Mind Over Medicine:Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself by Lissa Rankin). I’m rehearsing a conversation with my GP.

Me:Pretty please, Doc, take me off my heart medication and prescribe placebos instead!

GP: I fail to see the rationale behind this idiotic request.

Me: The current prescription is slowing down my running which won’t be the case with placebos.

GP: You want me to take you off meds which strengthen and regulate your heart so you can run faster?

Me: You’ve got it Doc! Current research points to a measurable benefit in a given condition even if the person is fully aware that they are taking an inert placebo. I believe a placebo would be very good for my heart health. You gotta believe as well, Doc. Together we can do it. I’ll keep you fully informed of my parkrun times.

GP: Request denied with knobs on. Next patient, please!

Note to family : only joking!

I’ll go for a leisurely, longer run this afternoon. It’s chilly but not cold, will probably be raining, will definitely be dank, dark and overcast but I’ll just take it on the chin.

I wore trail shoes for yesterday’s parkrun. Unlike last week when a number of people fell and injuries included a broken ankle, I didn’t hear of anyone coming to grief. I wasn’t far off my old times so I mustn’t complain. I was thinking about placebos as I went around. See how beneficial they can be!

I picked up the above books in the Emmaus (homeless charity) store which, conveniently, is less than a mile from me. The Rare Words book is good to dip in to, if you like words. It means you are a logophile (not a lover of wood fires). Not much, if anything, on etymology, though. Of course, If you are a Sun, Star or Mirror reader I don’t think you need a vocabulary greater than 500 words so don’t bother (gratuitous insult of the day).

Grumpiness! Very much under rated, very much maligned. Far better to call it discernment or sagaciousness. It should be recognised as an art form and as an academic subject. Should this be offered, one might be able to do a Phd in Grumpiness. It would certainly appeal to people over a certain age.

WP_20141115_001  This ailing walnut tree continues to fascinate me. Despite its appearance, it soldiers on and had a good canopy of leaves this year.

I listened to the excellent The Life Scientific  (BBC Radio 4 this week , available as a podcast on iTunes) and heard Professor Dave Goulson talk about preserving bumble bees in the UK. He set up the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and has done a lot of work on the reasons for the decline in bee populations. Very interesting and positive. I think one of the focuses of my therapeutic gardening project will be on creating a bee, butterfly and bird friendly environment. Must pull my finger out!

by

Alive and Running November 3 2014

WP_20141103_001

My supper this evening featuring Brussels sprouts. I haven’t mentioned Brussels for some time but, rest assured, I eat them most days when available fresh in the shops. I’m not sure what “fresh” really means in terms of vegetables bought from Tesco. I suspect a lot of their veg is bought cheap and kept in cold storage for extended periods of time. So much of their produce looks tired. Anyway, these tasted just fine.

I ran for the first time in a week on Saturday (Cambridge parkrun) and did the Bonfire Burn 10k yesterday. I’m not fully over my cold and I wasn’t able to run as fast as I usually do. The 10k was a bit of a struggle towards the end and I was nearly 3 minutes slower than last year. It didn’t help that it was pouring with rain for the first half and I was wearing too much kit to prevent feeling cold. When the rain stopped I was very warm and felt hindered by my clothing. I spoke to the race director after I came in and tried to get the race declared null and void. My suggestion that he rearrange it for the following weekend when I expected to be fully recovered from my sneaky cold and an improvement in the weather, fell on deaf ears. Despite being nearly 50 years my junior, he said “Go home and sleep it off, son. Try again next year!”  Clearly I’ll have to seek legal redress.

My therapeutic  gardening project is  progressing slowly. I met on site with a Planning Officer last week. He will decide whether or not my proposal  requires planning permission. I don’t think it will but if it does they will assist with my application. Two good friends have declined to become  trustees of the charity I will be creating (for understandable reasons) but have pledged a donation of £500 plus some room in their greenhouse, plants and some gardening tools. They are a generous couple who give more than 10% of their income to charity, as a matter of course, without a fanfare. How many of us would do that?

by

Aliveandrunning October 20 2014

WP_20141017_008

 

A Porter cake made with Guinness and a banana cake with dates and nuts. I baked these for my 200th parkrun on Saturday at Cambridge. I’m the first Cambridge person to get to 200 and fellow runners finally had incontrovertible evidence that they had a senior running god among their number When my milestone was announced at the address by the run director, a huge cheer went up, men avoided direct eye contact out of deference and women fainted with excitement. The crowd appeared dazed and unfocussed. Luckily for them I kept my head and led them, stunned, to the start line. As soon as the air horn started the race they snapped out of it. Outrageously, 135 people reached the finish line before me thus creating a huge disrespect issue. Consequently, none of my cake passed their lips! All the more for runners who were able to persuade me they came in after position 137.

The  woodland path course was muddy in places and the going was soft. It was also surprisingly warm for October. All these factors ensured I didn’t dip below 24 minutes as I did last week. I also suspect that my forward progress was impeded by the celestial breath of a mischievous Greek god but it’s notoriously difficult to prove. Still, the cake went down well and people said kind things. Onwards and upwards to parkrun 250 when I will receive a hoodie and tee shirt and further adulation.

In the afternoon I went for a walk, with friends and others, on the National Trust Wimpole Hall Estate. Very enjoyable and it gave me an opportunity to rescue a few books languishing in the Courtyard second hand bookshop. I don’t take this level of responsibility lightly. Someone has to step up to the plate. These books were heavily traumatised and are currently undergoing debriefing. It’ll be sometime before they can sit on my bookshelf, feeling at home and relaxed.

 

WP_20141020_001

Started half marathon training yesterday. I ran for 1 hour 2 minutes in the afternoon when I thought my big bowl of porridge was sufficiently digested but my stomach still felt a bit queasy at times. St. Neots half in 4 weeks and a 10k Bonfire Burn in 2 weeks.

I’ve just sent off a request for pre-application advice for planning permission concerning my proposed therapeutic gardening project. This should result in an allocation of a named person to guide me through the process and determine whether or not I will will require planning permission. I’m arranging to visit a horticultural project in Saffron Walden (not too far from the excellent Oxfam bookshop) and I’m wading through the requirements to set up a charity. This means I will have to up my level of focus and concentration.

Could rant about the latest human rights violations perpetrated by the Catholic Church (recent small payments for abused boys attending a seminary decades ago and the cardinals watering down a more accepting text on recognising and welcoming gay people into the church). But I won’t at the moment. I’ll save it

 

 

by

Aliveandrunning August 7 2014

WP_20140710_005

The big wheel on Brighton sea front. No reason it’s in this blog other than I like it and I don’t have any other suitable pics at the moment.

OMG! What have I done ? I completely forgot to compete in a club race tonight. It would have meant a 40 minute drive to get there and the club would have gained a point. I had committed myself to do it  and had offered someone a lift (not taken up). I’ll chastise myself seriously for this oversight. I’ll buy and read the Daily Mail or make myself say something positive about the Tory government. That’ll teach me not to forget.

My next half marathon is September 14 which is not far away. I’ve got another one in October and a third half in November. Note to self – start running longer distances and get half marathon fit. I have a plan but it’s formulated in seconds. I run for an hour and then about I hour 20 minutes and then run a training 13.1 miles and that’s it. In between half marathons I’ll do one or two 10 mile runs plus parkruns and club training. This regime is good enough to get me round but not good enough to get a good time (for me) or a PB. But I don’t care. I’m beyond all that competitive stuff. PB worries are so last century. I might even run backwards. I might evolve into an anti runner who, confusingly, runs. I might just implode.

Yesterday, I visited the Forest Farm Peace Garden in Hainault, Essex.   http://bit.ly/X51WKT  It’s a community garden specialising in eco therapy, food growing, community volunteering, education, outreach and special events and permaculture gardening. Several acres in size, there are both communal and individual plots, a pond, a polytunnel, portacabin loos and various sheds. On Wednesdays, the main focus is on providing gardening as a therapy and rehabilitation for people with mental health problems. Everyone was friendly and working industriously. It was a lovely, relaxing environment that  many people had contributed to creating. Ben, the stand in head gardener showed us around and answered the many questions I threw at him. They had a very inclusive policy and while we there, we saw a mum and toddler group taking place among the flowers and foliage. My 87 year old  mother accompanied me on this little field trip and really enjoyed the visit.

I’m considering creating some kind of gardening project in the field to the rear of our cottage and the Peace Garden seemed to provide an excellent model. I’ve contacted Cambridge MIND and they’ve shown some interest. I’ve also been in touch with a local councillor to explore what permissions need to be sought. The idea is to set up a charity and attract some funding although I don’t think a huge amount of money is needed. So, watch this space.

by

Aliveandrunning June 29 2014 Juneathon Day 29

10368872_848061585222960_2431709949713094713_o

I really had no idea that Rupert was an avid Brazil fan. Or was capable of hiding behind his paws during the penalty shootout yesterday. Or drank lager. Clearly he’s very much into World Cup football. He even ordered a hot dog to eat at half time! I heard him whisper to Isobelle  that Suarez’s bite is worse than his bark.Normally he has no interest in TV (apart from watching a certain Disney film) and as for supporting Andy Murray at Wimbledon, forget it.

I have only ever taken Rupert running on two occasions and today was the third. Running with Rupert is a mixed blessing. He is a highly skilled wee and poo merchant. He can’t trot more than  100 metres without stopping either to pee half a pint or leave a marker. He’s also a three poo a day dog. I suppose I have to count myself lucky I only had to pick up one. He’s got no road sense, randomly changes from left to right side and vice versa and is constantly on the lookout for something discarded to eat. Nevertheless, I enjoyed running with him. We ran around 9.5k which was enough for us both.

Today was the trial run for Cambridge junior parkrun and it went off with flying colours. Unless you are actively involved in the nuts and bolts of parkrun, it’s difficult to appreciate the time, effort and worry that goes into making it happen safely and successfully. 52 children participated, along with many parents and 25 volunteers. The inaugural run will take place in a fortnight and at least 100 children are expected to take part.

10477566_10152189342892742_1942595244102210532_o

10498266_10152189339637742_3686353892342580718_o (1)

10454215_10152189364117742_3545322469329987432_o

This young girl smiled and giggled her way around the 2k course. Not surprising, really, since she is a veteran of the adult parkrun. Her father has whizzed her along in an off road buggy since she was a baby! She was accompanied by her dad and pictured here with  tail runner Julie.

10498141_10152189365317742_3606063713654771540_o

Finally, the first girl to the line and the first and second boy. A very enjoyable and uplifting morning. The weather just held until everything was packed away and everyone went home. The weather has been pants, as they say, for the last 2 days. But hold on while I place my gardening hat on my cranium. Wow, I just love this weather. I can hear the garden squeaking with delight at the amount of rain that’s fallen, helta skelta, out of a leaden sky. Thank you, rain gods.

 

 

by

Aliveandrunning June 28 2014 Juneathon Day 28

WP_20140628_020 

Wimpole Estate parkrun this morning. I felt tired initially but I finished  only 13 seconds off my personal best. I decided to walk up the short, steep hill rather than jog up and feel all in at the top. After a flat 400 metres, there’s a lovely rough grass downhill stretch towards the  lake. It’s a great course and, as an added bonus, cows with remarkably pointy horns are strewn liberally around the running line to keep us alert.

We had coffee with friends and then I was compelled by my personal genetic imperative to visit Wimpole’s excellent second hand bookshop where I bought the above treasures (of course they didn’t provide me with a large bowl of steaming porridge. I added that for creative interest). Will I read them in their entirety? Probably not. But I will read them in part and that’s good enough. It’s wonderful to turn to pages at random and become immediately absorbed in the content. You can easily do that with non fiction. I still can’t get my head around the concept of abandoning books,( particularly non fiction), to a “shop” or online, where they wait to be loved again. Anyway, their loss is my gain. I’ve reassured them they are safe with me and can (figuratively) put down roots.

And talking about roots, I bought this substantially discounted Solanum laxum “Album” at their plant shop.

WP_20140628_024

Various people congratulated me on my shrewd book and plant purchasing decisions and even though Lorna didn’t verbally heap praise upon me, I could see the glint in her eyes revealed full approval and a sneaking pride. I think I detected a challenge along the lines “just see if you can repeat your success next time we visit Wimpole.” Yes, mam!

Tomorrow is Cambridge junior parkrun trial run. The inaugural run is in a fortnight.

by

Aliveandrunning June 21 2014 Juneathon Day 21

WP_20140621_003

A lovely, leafy, sun dappled long straight path in Milton Country Park, the venue for Cambridge parkrun. On the immediate left (out of shot) is a large lake, so useful for nudging arch rivals into. We have around 400 doing Cambridge parkrun now but by the time this point is reached, we’re reasonably spaced out. I had a good run today and finished only 23 seconds outside my personal best. I think getting below 23 minutes is possible after Juneathon, after I’ve had a few days rest, if  it’s not too hot, if I start nearer to the front, if I do some distance training, if I can fortify myself with lashings of Brussels sprouts, if any of the Greek goddesses are smiling at me from above, and if I’m feeling invincible. So, if all this criteria is satisfied, I’m suited and booted. If only!

We have two timers at Cambridge and Lorna was one of them today. It’s always a slightly anxiety producing job because of the sheer number of runners coming through in bunches, overtaking on the line (and funnel), being joined by children who may or may not have run, pressing buttons hard enough to register as a result and being distracted by the crowds around you. I collected the signage around the course after the run which allows me to take part in the race and volunteer. I came back to the cafe just in time to have a delicious coffee with friends in the sunshine. No matter what time you do, parkrun is such a feel-good experience. Tomorrow is the Hatfield Forest 10k. There should be plenty of shade, at least at intervals. It starts at 10. I’ll have to make a decision about when and how much porridge to eat in the morning. Probably a large bowl around 7 am.

DSC_0537

Here is a fine bed of nettles I’ve cultivated over several years. The key to such an impressive display is to leave them to set seed annually and also to cut them down but leave the roots. They thrive on the challenge to recover their strength.

I can usually pull the young ones up successfully. The older, much more experienced nettles that have been around the block and attended the school of hard knocks are a different matter. They find novel and ingenious ways to sting me, I try to grasp them with gloves and they duck out of the way so I clutch thin air, they hiss and murmur insults. This time , it’s personal. I’m going to apply a lot of time , effort and cunning to make you history, a small footnote in my illustrious gardening career. Anyone for nettle soup?