Month total 1682 min=28hr 2min

'Lost' almost 3 days this month so am now behind schedule by 35 minutes. No great disaster in the hottest month I suppose (though this wasn't always the reason for running less, it certainly didn't help).

Rimmer does a Runner

86 min
Start 5.00

Rimmer disappeared for, oh, all of 40 minutes early this morning. The owners had told me that he is scared of hUge dogs but what they neglected to impress on me is that this fear means he panics and bolts. If I'd known this I could have put him on the lead as soon as the 2 (adorable) Danes lolloped over the brow of the dunes. As it was he barked at them and ran about looking just fine and then in the minute or so whilst I petted the huge ones and took their photos he had flown. No response to my calling and whistling. I'd put lodgerdog 2 on the lead by this time and told her to 'Search!' and she led me out the woods the other way into a residential area I don't really know. I didn't want to do too much shouting there (the sun was barely over the horizon...) and it wasn't on our way home so I turned back and ran home the way we had come, still calling and whistling. As soon as I got in I looked at my phone (lodgerdogs always get my phonenumber attached to them during their stay with me - this is the first time it's ever actually been put into use mind) and was delighted to see that there was a message from a woman who had found him. Guess where? Yep, the other side of the dunes where Sil had led me - well done that sniffer dog! So all's well that ends well but I spent some anxious moments imagining how I'd have to tell his family he'd dissapeared without trace or been mown down in morning rush hour traffic...




















Running actually went very well, especially on the way home when I definitely upped my speed as I wanted to get back as quickly as possible to see if there was any sign of life from the runaway on my phone.





















All's well that ends well...

Dull Dawn with Dogs and Fishers

95 min
Start 5.00
When there's no spectacular pink sky to lure me outside it's even more difficult to get out so early but ach, once I'm up and have dealt with clothes and lenses it's easier to go out than not.
Running actually went quite well. Put Sil on the lead after a while as her diversions to look for hares to chase across fields are getting longer every time we go out and I get a sore throat yelling at her to come back. I know I shouldn't bother as she'll come back in her own time but I feel I should at least try to establish some sort of authority.

Early (but not dawn...) Soesterduinen

80 min
Start 6.30
Turned the alarm off when it went at 4.48... Spent some time when I woke later thinking about whether it was 'worth bothering' to get out for a run so long after first light but ach the dogs had to go out anyway so I just got my act together and ran with them out to the dunes. There were more dogs about than when I get out earlier so that's a plus point I suppose but the light is definitely less interesting once the sun has climbed that crucial first hour above the horizon.




























No idea why last photo is turned. It isn't in my picture library but blogger apparantly thinks it looks better this way...

Week Total 356

Missed a few day due to visitors/dogs/weather/general chaos so actually not bad considering. I'm actually not surprised that July is proving to be the most difficult month to keep up the hours. Too hot is always worse than too cold for me and with the sun still rising so early and setting so late it often makes planning runs at my favourite time problematic.

Eemnes Locks

97 min
Start 21.00
Out via the chain pulled bike ferry to the locks at Eemness then back to the boat.




















































Left the dogs there and went for a last extra short and faster circuit as good music had got my speed up at the end. mYpod died after a while though, the annoying announcer voice kept bludgeoning through so I turned it off and went home just before it was completely dark.

Early in Eemdijk

90 min
Start 5.00
Sil made a few detours to chase hares through fields. Sunrise wasn't as spectacular as earlier in the week but still glad I got out in time.

Car Run

88 min
Start 5.00
Had to bring a car to Baarn this morning and leave it there so drove out with the dogs in the back and then ran home along the Eem. First a warming up run round the Eng, then stopped off at home to eat a banana and get my keys. Then the 10 minute car journey. Left the car at the houseboat and went in to see what mysterious fruit thing Carin had left in the fridge before going away and which I had been instructed to eat. Something yummy with cream, so that was my second fuel stop of the morning. Set off along the Eem. Sil chased a cat straight across the main road in Eemdal. Luckily there is practically no traffic at that time in the morning but she went after it like a greyhound, paying absolutely no attention to me. Later another highspeed chase after a hare through a field - I'm beginning to think her unknown father possibly had some lurcher in him...
























































When I stopped to admire a field of horses Rimmer settled down for a snack of hoof parings which had been left at the gate. Ah well, not quite as disgusting as the rotting fish she was throwing about yesterday and I'm fairly sure that they even contain vitamins that are good for dogs. Once home I fed the dogs and then left them indoors while I went out for one last 'fast' (hmmm...) circuit of the Eng, unencumbered by drink/camera belt and dog leads. Just me and a selection of very noisy new Scottish bands. Didn't go as fast as I thought I could, but that could have been partly because the first leg of the circuit is a narrow path through the maize field, which is now higher than me and still fairly wet at that time of the morning.