Learning to walk again

Sadly one of Grandma in Cyprus' dogs has died.  Poor Penny the Jack Russell Terrier.  Not that it's unreasonable...she was ancient by any standards.  And on top of that she'd been taken from the wet, windy Suffolk countryside some years ago to live in the glorious warm/hot, sunny climate of Cyprus...that can't be a bad thing.  But she was riddled with illness, and she had reached the end of her life.  The end had been obvious for a long time, but it doesn't make it any easier...pets are life companions.  There's still Bobby, for now, but it's unlikely he will be around for much longer as he is also ancient.  So sadness is still knocking at the door.  I think it will be the first time that GinC will have been without a dog since she was a young girl.  That must be a strange and unsettling situation.  Thank heavens for the two cats she has adopted...hopefully they will provide some joy.

I have jumped off the bike a little bit to go for a run.  I may have mentioned before how much I loathe running - I feel leaden and lumpen, and move at the speed of a snail.  But, once a year, to celebrate the 2012 Olympics, there's been an run round the Park which attracts several thousand people.  First year I did it with fellow Opening Ceremony folk, last year with my friend who always wants to do new things, and this year I did it solo.  Sneakily, they increased the length from 8 to 10 km, and this in a year where I did as near as no training.  But I was determined to do it - it was the chance to run in the Stadium again; last year that hadn't been possible because it was being converted for West Ham, but this year it had been returned to an athletics track.  Anyway, I plodded round, with each stride reminding me exactly why I don't run.  I can't say it was harder than previous years, but the sun was out, so I certainly sweated.  About half way round I started to feel a slight pain in my left knee, and by the time I finished it was really sore.