Ciao Venezia

It was Linda's birthday weekend treat, a few days in Venice with friends. We flew at Friday lunch time to Marco Polo airport with Easyjet. We had some good seats, at the front and so with speedy boarding we were settled quickly. The flight was about 90 minutes. The luggage as not too long, and we had decided to get a boat to the island. This meant queuing, not my favourite hobby, and when I got to the front of the queue the man told me it did not go to that location and go to another pier, we did this but he gave us the wrong information, so we had to go back to where we started. Finally we got on a boat and it took about an hour to get to the jetty where we needed to get off.  It was dark, wet and cold so we needed to find the hotel quickly.  This took a few turns, dead ends and checking Google maps. However, due to the small alleys GPS is not too good here, and we walked past the hotel twice, as it was not sign posted very well. Having checked in we unpacked, I checked that my running gear had survived the flight and relaxed.  

We went out for dinner around 7pm and wandered around the back streets and finally found a reasonably priced restaurant. It was ok, we had pizza and it was nice. After this we went for a walk, it was slightly cold and drizzly, but not too bad, we found Rialto Bridge, St Marks Square and then back to the hotel via a few deviations. The Hotel is called the Ca Pagan. 

We had agreed to meet for breakfast about 9am, which meant there was plenty of time for a run beforehand. Disappointedly Linda had managed to forget her trainers, so I went alone. Running in Venice is not easy, tight streets, bridges, and dead ends. I managed 4 miles and had a good view of St Marks, but it was difficult to do any distance as you run out of land. I did not get lost and gained a few ideas for my walking tours. 

Breakfast was cereal, croissants and toast, with plenty of coffee. There was no fruit. We then left about 10.15 for a walking tour of Venice, and I did walk them miles and miles, with a few stops for coffee. Although the first hurdle was the water, the streets were flooded, a consistent problem mid morning, so I had to give the girls a piggy back through the stream. I ended up with very wet feet. The weather was fine, but chilly. We walked up to Rialto bridge, then to the Roma Square and back to St Mark's square. We found a supermarket to buy some fruit and nuts. After 6 hours we ended back at the hotel, our friends wanted a short break, but me and Linda went for another walk and stopped for coffee. 

In the evening we found another restaurant, which suddenly became very busy, we had pasta to start with, which is normal in Italy, and then I had a nice salad, but Linda had pizza again.  It was now raining quite hard so we had to forgo our evening walk and went back to the hotel to read.

On Sunday we had breakfast at the same time, before we went out. We had a ticket for the boat today, so we caught the number 1 and it meandered up the Grand Canal. We got off at the railway station and then walked to another stop. The next ferry took us to Murano where we looked around, Linda went to see the glass blowing at a factory, I sat and watched the boats go by. After this we caught another boat, which took us around Venice another way, and we ended up at the Arsenale. It was not raining, so we sat outside for a coffee and enjoyed the view. It was then a walk back to the hotel. 

It was now around 4pm so I decided to go for a run, whilst the others went off for a coffee. I ran about 5 miles, I was going to run to the mainland and back, but when I got to the road the pavement was all blocked off, so I then had to run through the main streets, which was difficult as they were full off people! It took ages to get anywhere, although I found the Christmas market, Christmas lights, I texted Linda to tell her the good news, I then agreed to meet her near our hotel. I then walked back the way I had run and showed her the sights, she was pleased, I even treated her to a cup of tea under the Rialto Bridge. We then wandered back to the hotel as I needed to get showered before we went out.

We had enjoyed the previous night restaurant so much, we went back there again. I had a lovely seafood risotto followed by salad, Linda had ravioli followed by mozzarella and tomato salad, although there was no salad, just the cheese and tomato's. After this we decided to go to for a walk and see the Christmas lights, Linda saw an ice cream shop and had chocolate and liquorice ice cream with chocolate on top. Once we had walked to the railway station we caught the boat back to near the hotel. 

On Monday I was up early and went for a run along the front as the sun was rising. It was beautiful, quiet, no crowds and fantastic scenery. There are a lot of bridges over the canals which means a different workout as it uses different muscles.  I stopped on the way back for an expresso and just sat there watching the sunning, I did text Linda a photo so she could see the same view from her bed, although perhaps not the same ambience...if only she had bought her trainers...

As it was her birthday I did buy her a cake on the way back. After breakfast we packed and then went for a final walk. It was a lovely sunny day, not too cold.  Around midday, we had a final cappuccino in the square, before collecting our bags and walking to the boat stop to catch our boat back to the airport. It was a bit bumpy, so Linda was not too good, especially as she couldn't sit outside, but I was fine. At the airport we sorted our bags out, checked in, arrivedirci Italy - Southend here we come.

There are some photos here.

Jetting across Europe

"Where have you have been?" Mrs W asked, "France" I replied, "but we are in Geneva" she said. France was only a few miles down the road. I had been for a run, I had checked before I left and there were no time limits, but when I got back I had been too long! I had only done just over 9 miles around Geneva up to the French border, taking about hour and a half, not very long, but too long evidently. She had stayed in her room reading her book, tea on tap so I couldn't see the problem.

I had taken my beloved to Geneva for the weekend, flying on Easyjet from Southend. We had to take one bag of luggage between us, mine consists of running gear, Linda's several change of clothing and shoes. With speedy boarding we were first on the plane, seats 1A and 1B, plenty of room. It was a pleasant flight and only took about 90 minutes. We left Southend at 1330 and were in Geneva at 1600 (1 hour difference before you check my maths). The luggage was slightly delayed, but arrived with normal Swiss efficiency. The train ride into town is free, you get the ticket in the baggage reclaim area and takes about 12 minutes. We were staying at the Hotel Suisse, which was just opposite the train station so we were able to check in and go to our room. It is warm here and no rain, so the coats were put in the wardrobe. The hotel provides you with afree travel tickets which you can use anywhere in Geneva on the bus, trams or trains, not that we will need them, walking is on my agenda. We walked south towards the River Rhone past the expensive shops, including Hackett, Cartier, Mont-Blanc I will need to take out another mortgage if Linda wants to buy anything at these shops.

We reached the river and had a stroll along the promenade, stopping for coffee at a cafe. it was pleasant to sit outside and view the scenery drinking our cappuccino's. It is not cheap here, in fact very expensive and they use small cups. We saw the famous Jet d’Eau and David Bailey decided to take numerous photos of it from various angles. Jet d'Eau, literally meaning 'water jet', is the huge Fountain on the Geneva Lake, in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Jet d'Eau is one of the tallest fountain in the world. Originally, in 1886 they built the fountain to control and release the excess pressure of a hydraulic plant at La Coulouvrenière. Shortly it became remarkable symbol of the city and so it was amplified and relocated to the center of the Lake.
We took the boat across to the other side, it was not rough so Linda was ok, it was a 5 minute journey. We then had a walk around the Old Ville, they even had a 'C&A' there, more my price range. After that we wandered back to the hotel, stopping on route at PrimaPasta for dinner. I wouldn't recommended it, very very slow,, although once it had arrived it tasted very nice, although we were so hungry anything would have tasted nice.

We returned to the hotel, as I had been to the gym in the morning there was no need to go for a run. On Saturday I was going to go for a run at 7am, but it was still dark and Linda had said I was not to go in the dark as I have a habit of getting lost. So I turned over and went back to sleep, the Kenyan runners say that it is better to run in the afternoon, so if it good enough for them then it suits me. We eventually got up and had breakfast, which was very nice, before we went out for the day, good news its shorts and t-shirt weather.

We then went on a nice long walk, around Geneva seeing all the sights the Protestant monument (think Calvin), the various bridges, the Saint Pierre cathedral, the Flower Clock (L'horloge fleurie), the Jardin Anglais and Starbucks. The Old Town is a Gothic maze of cobblestone streets. We did stop there for a coffee, it has the most expensive coffee in town, won't be re-visiting. Suitably refreshed we walked around the rest of town, saw the red light area, more parks and churches and ended up back at the railway station. We bought a sandwich to eat in the room. After enjoying our lunch, Linda settled into her book and I decided to go for a run, a nice long one.... In the evening we went out for dinner and then had another walk to see the river in the dark. We have walked about 6 miles today.

On Sunday I was up at 0730 and went for a little run, Linda was still asleep so she will not miss me. I ran a different way, out towards the east and down towards the promenade, watching the sun rising over the mountains. It was a small gentle jog of about 3.5 miles not very far. When I got back Linda was still asleep. When she eventually stirred we had a nice breakfast before going out for the day, good news its shorts weather again.

We walked to the United National HQ building, just a couple of miles away and took some photos, there is an enormous brown chair there with a leg missing. The giant ‘Broken Chair’, a work of art in wood, symbolises the campaign against landmines.The chair which is 12 metres high, stands on only three legs. It is the work of sculptor Daniel Berset. It was made in 1997 for the NGO Handicap International. Its message is simple: remember the victims of land mines. To illustrate this the Broken Chair stands on three legs, the fourth being splintered half way up. We wandered around the park area, finding a nice cafe (cheapest coffee in Geneva) and sat outside enjoying the warm rays, savouring our coffee and reading The Times. Our plane was not leaving till 1645 so we had plenty of time to wander through the Botanical Gardens, past the river and back to the hotel. We stopped for a final coffee in the centre, probably the best cappuccino in town at Boréal Coffee. We went back to the hotel, changed our clothes, collected our bags and caught the bus to the airport. We walked about 5 miles this morning. It was quick to check in and we were soon through security. We spent our last few Swiss francs on a snack before boarding the plane. Sarfend ere we come. 

You can see some photos here

'Run Forrest Run'

Relaxing at La Manga Club, enjoying the warm sunny weather without ‘Er Indoors’, heaven. A few days break away from wet England to do some running and reading. The La Manga club is one of my favourite places to go, it's has everything I need a café, gym and running routes. The weather is a bonus. It is warm enough to sit on the balcony and do some theological studying and there is wi-fi so I can still Google for answers to questions or background information. We are working through the Jesus’ seven signs in John at present and we are on sign seven, which is the resurrection of Lazarus. Over the last couple of days I have written a mini series for the next three preaching dates based on John 11. It's is one one of my specialist subjects, dead bodies, how they look, feel and smell!  It will be a challenge linking in the third part with Christmas but I have a few ideas. 

Interesting that the Spanish word for without is ‘sin’, so if I want a cappuccino then I need to order it ‘sin chocolate’, but when you think about it from a theological viewpoint sin is some thing we can do without.  The apartment is fine, it has a bed, kitchen, bathroom and a balcony. I can sit outside and type my sermons straight onto the Ipad. 

I got up at about 0230 on Monday morning, I would like to say my beloved wife got up to see me off, but she didn’t, she and my dogs both slept through me getting up and leaving. I suppose Linda is used to me coming and going at all hours, so it's normal to sleep through it. I left just after 0300 and drove to Gatwick, it was pouring with rain and the roads were soaked, slightly flooded in places, but good news the bridge is free at that time of the morning. I had booked parking, but had to run from the car to the admin centre to book in, then back to the car, then to the bus to the airport, trying not to get too wet. I was going business so I could check in quickly and then go to the lounge to dry out. The BA lounge has gone all healthy as there were no bacon rolls, just fruit and toast. The plane was due to leave at 0640 and I got slightly wet when boarding, but  was in seat 1D all on my own. It takes about 2 hours 10 minutes to get to Alicante. There was more food on board, I had the continental option rather than the full English, how times have changed. 

Once we landed there was a long wait for the suitcase, about 30 minutes, although it was out first. After this I joined the next queue at Avis for the car hire, they were even slower and it took an hour to get to the front and sort the paperwork out. I then had to get the car, more queuing and finally got the vehicle, a Nissan Juke. As I have been here several times before I know the way, so was soon on the motorway towards La Manga. I stopped on route at San Javier for a coffee and found a Decathlon store which had a sale in the running department. I bought a nice top. There was a shopping centre so I managed to get some food and credit for my mobile phone so I can use Google Maps. The next stop was La Manga Club, arriving just after 1500. The room had two wardrobes which is good, one for my running gear and the other normal clothes. I then made a coffee and sat on the balcony enjoying the warm sun and the view. I did IMessage Linda the good news about the weather!

I  decided to go for a small run over to the other side, I needed to do some food shopping and there is also a nice coffee shop with good views towards the sea. I could have taken the car, but it was better to exercise. It also meant I could not buy too much as I would have to carry it back, it is only 1.5 miles there so not even a run, more a slight jog. The apartment is on top of the hill, which is good news going out, but bad news coming back. I was out for a couple of hours. In the evening I did some reading before going to the gym for an hour, to workout my abs and upper body, all necessary for runners. As I was tired I had an early night.

On Tuesday I got up and it was raining. This was not very helpful as it meant I could not go running so I went out for a drive and found another Decathlon with different items in the sale, plenty of time to wander around. There was also a Carrefour there so I was able to buy some food including salad and fruit for my dinner. After this I came back to the complex and had some dinner at the café, a nice jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise. About 3.30pm the weather looked good so I decided to go for a run, two miles into the run, the weather looked bad, the sky was black, the wind had increased and I was in the middle of the country with nowhere to run to hide. This had happened to me last Saturday but Linda had texted me to say it was stormy and so I had managed to run home quickly before the rains started (made it by about a minute). However, I did not have that option now, then the storm started, I tired to think whether it was better to be out in the open or hide behind a tree from the  lightening, although initially there was a distinct lack of trees. I was also running on dirt tracks, which when the rain started quickly became very muddy.  I decided the best option was to run back to the apartment in the rain, I did hide behind a wall for several minutes for some respite from the driving rain. I eventually made it back to the apartment, looking like a drenched rat, I was soaked. I had covered seven miles. I had a shower before sitting down to read my book ‘How Google Works’ a bit of light reading. I was so engrossed in the book, I nearly forgot to go the gym, but I made it before closing time.

The weather on Wednesday was improved – warm and sunny. They were doing some work outside the apartment which meant I had no water all day. Of course they don’t tell you this so you could fill a kettle to make a coffee. I went out for a nice long run just before lunch, I ran down to the seaside, a place called Los Neitos which was about 4.5 miles away. It was an easy run, downhill all the way. I had a walk along the promenade, but most of it was closed up. I found a coffee shop for a small cappuccino before I decided to run back a different way, this was 6 miles in distance. It was not the best weather for running in as it was slightly hot and humid. However, I made it back and there was still no water. I then had to go to the spa to use the showers and change into my clean clothes. I then went for a little drive out to the shopping centre, where I stopped for a snack to eat and did some shopping. The weather is still warm so I am wearing my shorts, the sun is out so I need my shades on.

There are a few photo's here.

Knowing me Knowing you

I was informed that I had to rest on Sunday, no running allowed. So we did not get up very early as Linda needed her beauty sleep. Breakfast was again very crowded and so we ended up sitting outside, it was reasonably warm. After eating plenty of fruit we went out for a short walk, well it would have been but I got carried away and we ended up at the Abba Museum at Djurgården, which is another Island in Stockholm, the city is built on  14 islands and has many medieval buildings. We did not actually go in the museum, but saw it from the outside, it cost money, money, money to look round and  not being a supertrooper I did not want to spend the dosh but could say thank you for the music, before walking off.

We then caught the boat back to the centre and had a wander around the old town, the cobbled streets, old fashioned archways and shops. We did stop for a coffee, it was definitely old fashioned, 19th Century coffee shop as it did not have any internet access. After this we saw some buildings, Linda took some more photo’s and I just walked. We went to the central station to see where we had to get a bus from tomorrow, sorted that out, saw the first Starbucks in Stockholm, but just used their internet to check in for our flights, we had just had a coffee and it was even more expensive here. Then we wandered back to the hotel, it is quite quick with no diversions or alternative routes.

We were going to visit a friend of ours in the evening Mario and his new wife Demaris. We hadn’t seen Mario (apart from on Facebook) since January 2005. He had stayed with us for a few months in 1999, on route to Sweden from Albania. We had to get the tube to Akalla and then he met us there. They have an apartment near the station, on the sixth floor. We shared a meal together and it was good to chat about old friends, life and the Lord. Demaris is  from Kenya so there is a connection there, it really is a small world! We stayed for about four hours, before getting the train back to the centre and walking back to the hotel. According to my watch we have walked about 8 miles today. 

On Monday morning I got up early and went for a little run, as the sun was rising, I was under instructions not to go too far, so did a few miles along a scenic route. We had breakfast before it was time to pack and go and catch the bus to the airport. We have had a good time here, lovely scenery, good pavements to run on and of course nice coffee.

Couch Potato to International Runner.

Linda jumped at the chance of a weekend away, Stockholm was the suggestion, she was very keen, so I booked it. It was only afterwards that I mentioned that I was going to run the half marathon on the Saturday afternoon. Look on the positive side I said it gives you two hours to wander around looking at the sights and taking all those photos, the architecture there is good. So just as I signed up to the race, she signed up to the weekend. I did forget to mention she had to carry my clothes round whilst I was running, a small point. The flight was from City airport, with BA. We went up on the Thursday and stayed at a Travelodge, as this meant we could go into London and look at the sights, the sports shops and have dinner together. We visited Nike, Covent Garden, a romantic walk along the Thames before catching the DLR back to the hotel. There was just time for Linda to watch the Great British Bake Off on the Iplayer before we went to bed. I was told off for making too much noise doing exercises during it, evidently she couldn’t concentrate whilst I was doing crab press ups.  The flight was at 0920 so we had a leisurely walk to the airport, checked in and then waited for boarding. The airport was very busy, nowhere really to sit. The flight was about 2 hours 10 minutes and they give you a breakfast on board, not really needed, but maybe it is for the business people. We had the cereal option which was nice. 

We landed just before 12 in Stockholm Arlanda, collected our bags and then caught the express train into the city.  I  needed to check the map for the hotel, or Google maps, so we found the Swedish equivalent of Starbucks called Espresso House and had a coffee. It is warm so we sat outside, there was internet so I could find the route to the hotel. We took a slightly longer route than anticipated, so we saw some sights of the city before arriving at our hotel, the Hotel Stureplan. It is a nice old fashioned hotel, the rooms are big, it has a lift running up the middle of the  spiral staircase and our room was on the second floor. We left our bags there and then went out to explore the city. The first stop was to collect my half marathon envelope with my bib number, timing chip and clothes bag. Linda managed to get a free bag as well, just by joining the queue. We then wandered around the various stalls, I managed to identify a piece of equipment I didn’t have (although I do have it now) and then we had a coffee in the Royal Gardens. After this we had a wander around town, I saw a sports shop with a sale, so managed to acquire a couple of shirts but nothing else.  Linda was tired by now so we had to stop for a coffee, before making our way back to the hotel. We decided to go out for dinner and went to a local restaurant, I had the steak sandwich, building up on my carbs for the running and Linda had a burger. It was very nice but filled us up. We went for a small walk afterwards, before going back to the hotel to sleep. According to Kenyan athletes sleep is a very important part of training, the elite athletes sleep at night, get up early go for a training run, then go back to sleep, run again in the afternoon and then back to sleep with a few meal breaks as well. I just managed overnight sleep.

On race day we had a lie in before going to have breakfast. This is included in the hotel rate, it was very busy and we had difficulty finding a seat. Breakfast was good scrambled eggs (protein), bread (carbs) and fruit (energy). Plenty of coffee as studies have shown the right input of caffeine before a race can improve performance. The key is not to have it too near the start time otherwise you may need the loo half way round! After this we went for a walk around the town, looking for the race  start place, I am in category F. It is just outside the Royal Palace. Linda had her camera out and was taking numerous photo’s of the event preparations, buildings and scenery. After, a last coffee we walked back to the hotel so I could get ready.

My previous best for an organised half marathon was around 2 hours 15 in November 2013, although I had managed 1 hour 59 around Norfolk a couple of times.  The target was under 2 hours. I had a wrist band which showed the timings I needed to be at the various stages to beat this. I had my running watch to tell me my pace time, and my other watch recorded the number of steps I would take.  We were at the start early and Linda took some photo’s and then I focused on my preparations for the race, I thought I was doing it for fun, but Linda said I take it very seriously and am committed to getting a good time, focused I call it. The first block was off at 1530 and then we slowly moved forward and at 15.55 the gun went off, we started. The people were in my way, so I had to bob and weave around a few so I could get into my natural stride. The course is mapped out in km but my watch works in miles and I have been training in miles. The first mile I completed in 8.03 which is a bit slow, as I tend to be around the 7.30 mark on a good day, but this is a 13.1  mile race so you should not run too fast initially. At the 5k (3 mile mark) I was at just over 24 minutes (under 5 minute  kilometre if you’re interested!) and then at 10k (about 6 miles) I was at just over 50 minutes. I slowed down slightly between 10 and 15k, but picked up my speed for the final 5k. Mile 10 was the slowest mile, 9.03 minutes, the only time I went over 9 minutes. Some of it was where I took water from the stops or a banana that was being handed out, perhaps next time I will just run, as it probably cost me a few minutes with people getting in the way!

About a mile from the finish I saw Linda at the side, she nearly missed me as I was so fast! Then it was the last few steps and I finished in 1:51:28 coming in at place number 4382. There was meant to be 18000 running, although I am sure a few didn’t turn up. I collected my medal. I just need to knock 51 mins 28 seconds off and I will be as fast as Mo Farah :) I finally met up with Linda and then we wandered around the marathon village before coming back to the hotel. Evidently I needed a shower! In the evening we went to the local coffee shop, had a sandwich and drink, before returning to the hotel to rest.

You can see some photo’s here.

Running with Dinosaurs

The Psalmist says 'I lift up my eyes to the hills---where does my help come from?' We are in the Zion National Park, about three hours from Vegas. It is beautiful, everywhere you look there are mountains. We have been staying here for a couple of nights, in a lovely hotel. We have a room on the second floor overlooking the pool with the mountains in the background. It is very peaceful here, but still hot. We stopped to get some supplies at Hurricane and it was 113, but slightly cooler in the mountains, just over 100! We arrived Monday afternoon and settled in, it was still warm so Linda went for a swim, I decided to go for a run, it's the best place to see somewhere new and get your bearings. I ran into the national park and a little jog around, found out some details of the routes at the visitors centre, then ran back to the hotel. Linda was enjoying herself in the pool, we have a balcony so I sat on there, till it got too hot for the IPad and then came inside.

We had  salad and fruit to eat in the evening, we have a fridge in our room which means we get cold water, plus Linda can have milk in her tea. We had an early night, all the driving was tiring. On Tuesday we had porridge for breakfast and then walked to the shuttle stop. There is a shuttle from Springdale to the park, the you get on have free shuttle within the park. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the last shuttle stop, Temple of Sinawava. There is then a nice walk which is around 2 miles and goes into the canyon along the river. It was very pleasant, David Bailey was in her element with the camera, clicking all the way. It was hot today, but fortunately cooler the further in the canyon you went, I don't want to get sun burnt! 

We then got the shuttle back to Big Bend and Linda got off to take more photos, just in case she had missed a view. It is very scenic here. Our next stop was Zion Lodge, where we stopped for lunch, a sarnie and coffee -no Starbucks out here! No phone signal either. After Lunch we got the shuttle back to Zion History Museum and then walked back along the river to the Visitors centre, it was a pleasant walk on paved paths. It was  now over a 100 so you need to drink plenty of water. At the visitors centre we had a look round before getting the shuttle back into Springdale. We went to the supermarket to buy some food for our evening meal, salad and fruit again, we do enjoy this healthy living (well I do). We stopped for a coffee and the USA/Belgium game was on, so I watched it for a few minutes, before going outside to enjoy my coffee.

We walked back to the hotel and decided to go for a swim and relax by the  pool. I did some swimming and then read the paper. Linda spent more time in the pool than me. After dinner, I treated Linda to a 2 mile run around town to show her the sights, she really appreciated it!

The plan on Wednesday was to leave at 8am and have a drive around the park, before heading back to Vegas. I packed the night before so I would be ready. I got up at 5.45 as I had planned a run around the park first, so I left at 6am, had a nice 10k run around the park, I went to Canyon junction and took some pictures, before running back again. I then sorted a few things out, Linda was still asleep, so I went out and bought a cappuccino and sat by the pool reading the paper, I then came back to the room still asleep, I had a shower and she still did not wake. I guess we are not leaving at 8!

We finally left at 0930 and drove back into the park. We were going to drive through the The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel? Construction of the 1.1 mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel began in the late 1920's and was completed in 1930. At the time that the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of its type in the United States. We then enjoyed a scenic route around the park, the mountains looked different on the east side. We stopped at Kanab for a coffee, as I had been driving for a while, then we followed the road towards St George, which was 90 minutes away. The road was lonely, I was the only car on it! It was straight, so I just set the cruise control and sat back and enjoyed the drive, steering occasionally, we went through Indian territory, but I did not see any, although according to the notices there is  a pow-wow in August.

In St George we did some last minute shopping in Walmart, Linda bought some jeans. We stopped  at a Outback Steakhouse for dinner, I had a nice steak, Linda had chicken followed by cheesecake. After that it was a two hour drive back to Vegas arriving out. The Trump International Hotel just before 5. The parking is valet only, which is nice. We have a room on  the 23rd floor, which is rather big, it has a bedroom, sitting area and kitchenette, so Linda is very happy, as it is a posh hotel. We settled down before Linda went swimming in the pool and I decided to try out the gym. The hottest it got today was a 116 degrees, and it was even hot in the car at this temperature as the air conditioning did not make much difference!

We had an evening packing the bags, and then watching a video. Thursday, I was up at 6 and out for a last run, 7 miles I ran to downtown Las Vegas and back. It is quite derelict in the old town. The temperature at 6am was in the late 80's, so sweaty work running. Linda did get up and went for a swim in the pool, just after 7 when it opened.  We met our friends for breakfast before packing the final few things and heading for the airport. England here we come. 

There are some photos here

Viva Las Vegas

Vegas, a cosmopolitan, busy, hot town, but enjoyable. It has been a busy few days, plenty to do and good to enjoy it with our friends. It is very hot, in fact I have been unable to use the Ipad as it gets to hot to operate, around 108 most days, its even been too hot for Linda to sit by the pool. However, it has not been too hot to run or go to the gym, although you have to get up at 6am to do the running, before the crowds and the temperature rise.  I have been running every day, up and  down the Strip, and even round the back roads. 

It is challenging as you have to keep running up and down the stairs to the bridges to cross the road. Linda has been a couple of times, yes she was up at 6am in her running kit! At the weekend we decided to  do some trail running in Red Rock Canyon, this entailed getting up at 5am so we could be there for 6. In preparation I even bought Linda a new top and trail running shoes, I can't believe how good I am to my wife!  The problem I have now is that everything fits, so I have a wide choice and can visit the upmarket ones for my clothes, like Nike, Quicksilver, Hurley or Calvin Klein. In fact I have lost a few more inches from my waist since our trip last November, so trying on even smaller sizes - Linda is not amused. 

Our day entailed an early morning run, sometimes with our friends, then meeting them for breakfast. The meals here are huge! However, Linda did manage to eat her big apple cinnamon pancake on a couple of days, it filled her up all day. When they were busy we had porridge pots in our room, with fruit. After, breakfast I liked to go for a walk, I promised Linda she could look round the shops, so we would then walk for a couple of hours, before stopping for coffee, most days we averaged between 6-7 miles. We would return to the hotel in the afternoon, Linda would have time for a quick cup of tea, before we headed out for a session in the fitness centre. The cycling machine has a tv on it, so Linda would sit there cycling and watching tv. I would do some cycling and weights. I usually covered about 10 miles on the bike, Linda did improve from initially being on 5 miles to a 9 mile stint by Monday. In the evening we would sometimes meet the others for dinner, or eat a sandwich in our room and then early to bed. if we went our for dinner, then we would go for a walk to enjoy the Strip at night. 

Linda went to see Celine Dion in concert with a couple of our friends, I went out with another friend to Red Rock Canyon for a little 4 mile run across the trails. It was not so hot in the evening - only mid 90's.... Some of our group got burnt, no chance of me getting burnt, I don't sit still long enough! 

We stayed at Caesar's Palace and had a nice big room, but no view. The hotel is so big, it takes ages to get anywhere, so we have to leave plenty of time if we want to go anywhere. There are shops, casino's, poker tables etc. it does have four or five swimming pools, we did pay a visit for an hour one day, but it was too crowded and hot.

On Monday we left Vegas for a few days in the Zion Canyon. It is about a three hour drive from Las Vegas, on a very straight road, but it did have some roadworks to slow us down. We stopped at St George on route for a coffee, and I managed to get some jeans at Levi 501 shop. The canyon has some breathtaking views, Linda has her camera out constantly. Our hotel room has a mini kitchen and a balcony we can sit on, its lovely to be outdoors with a view. Linda went swimming at the pool, but I went for a run, no better way to see the scenery!

Fitness first

I think Linda preferred it when I was a couch potato, as our holiday now consists of exercise, running, swimming, gym and watching what we eat. It used to be waddling around the sights, eating large dinners, cake with coffee and chocolates in front of the TV!

We are staying at the La Manga club in southern Spain not far from Murcia, we have a nice large apartment facing south. When Linda saw the pictures she thought that looks like a nice place, can we stay there. I didn't mention it was a sporting location, Tottenham, Andy Murray and people like that use it. It has a Olympic size swimming pool, first class gym, several sports pitches, golf courses  and plenty of running routes. Linda was amazed at the size of it.

With a kitchen in the apartment it means we do not have to eat out, no fried breakfast, I can have my normal banana followed by porridge, good carbs and protein to set me up for the day. I can also have salad in the evening, saves eating out. 

We left Southend on Sunday afternoon just after dinner and drove the scenic route to Gatwick, stopping off a Royal Tunbridge Wells for a look round the town and a coffee. We had an early flight on the Monday so were staying in a Travelodge overnight, we bought some food to eat in the room as we watched Top Gear and Dragons Den and then to sleep. The alarm went off at 0315 and we had to get up, shower and then leave for the car park. We parked the car,  Linda was still half asleep, and we arrived at the airport about 0430. We deposited our luggage, we have to take a suitcase each, although mine is full of my running gear! We then passed through security and found Starbucks for breakfast. It is not a good choice in relation to calories, but it will do. Linda had woken up by now, so wandered off to look round the shops. About 0545 we meander to the gate and the plane is starting to board, it is a 0620 departure, well should have been, but there is a problem with a gauge, so the engineer has to go back to base to get a spare one and fit it, so we leave about 30 mins late.

There was a strong tail wind so the flight was just over 2 hours and was only about 15 minutes late into Alicante, of course no-one had told the baggage handlers that, as we had to wait ages for the luggage. We then picked the hire car up and drove to the local shopping centre, I knew where a Carrefour was for us to do some food shopping, rather than trying to find a supermarket at our destination. It was now about midday so we decided to have lunch before we left Alicante, I had burger with jacket potato and Linda had a goats cheese salad. It was very nice, I then drove to La Manga, it was about 90 minutes from Alicante, along the motorway, which turned into a toll road and then a dual  carriageway for the last bit, it was a scenic drive and very few cars on the road, so into cruse control and drive.

We found the La Manga Club, we were staying at the Los Lomas apartments which is on the north side of the resort. It has a spa which contains an olympic size swimming pool and a fitness centre, as well as normal spa treatments. Its a posh swimming pool as you have to wear a hat to use it as Linda found out. Evidently it has to be a swimming cap, a baseball one will not suffice. The apartment consists of a bed, a living area, a bathroom and a kitchen. We are on the third floor with views over the estate. The locals thinks its cold as the heating was on, we think its hot and so turned it off.

Having arrived, although tired we went for a walk around the estate, checking out the swimming pool and fitness centre and finally having a cappuccino in the deli. I then decided to go for a run and Linda was too tired, so she was going to rest. It seemed a good idea and I had a map, I was only going to do a few miles, but unfortunately I got lost, mainly because it was light when I started, then after I watched the sun set over the Med, it turned dark and the roads all looked the same. Eventually I found my way back and completed 7 miles. It's is very hilly here, our centre is at the top of a hill, so its is challenging running up it at the end. Linda was not worried at all, she is used to it by now.

We had our tea, bread and meat followed by some local fruit. As we had been up since 3am we had an early night and went to sleep. On Tuesday we had a lie in, Linda needed to catch up on her beauty sleep, I am beyond help in that department. 

We then had a banana and porridge for breakfast, before going out for the day. Linda wanted to go to the beach and so I suggested we could run to there, its only a couple of miles (although I did not mention the hills!), so she agreed. We both had backpacks to carry water etc, I have a special running one, which my Ipad fits in as well. We started off well for the first mile, then it got hard work in the warm sun. However, we found a coffee shop, so sat in the sun enjoying our coffee and chatting. We then ran to the La Cala where the beach is, unfortunately the resort is at the top of the hill, and the beach at the bottom, so we had to run down, and of course if you go down, you have to come up, it was very steep 1/2 mile track. We had a walk on the beach, and then I decided to run up while Linda took the walking option. I was soon at the top, drinking water and reading The Times on the Ipad air, waiting for my wife, nothing new there. She eventually made it, then we had to get back to the centre, which was a couple of miles, not good news. She did another mile, before we reached the hotel where there was a bus to the other side. Having completed 5 miles, she decided to get the bus back, I of course was going to run, in fact I ran to the supermarket, did some shopping, ran back to the apartment, all before Linda arrived back. 

We then had some lunch, before Linda rested. In the evening I went to the gym for a workout and Linda went swimming, with her new cap I had to buy her. She did 25 lengths of the pool.  We stayed in the evening and finished up our fruit and bread. On Wednesday I was up just after 8am, decided to go for a run before breakfast and ran an easy 5 miles through the estate, didn't get lost this time! 

After breakfast we decided to go out for the day, Linda wanted to take the car, rather than run, so we went to Cartagena, about 30 miles away. We had a drive round, stopped for coffee and then left, we didn't find much to do, maybe because all the signposts were in Spanish. Fortunately I spotted a shopping centre on the way back and it had a Decathlon sports store, so we stopped there. I needed a new pair of running shorts, mine do not fit me anymore (although they do Linda so I have generously donated them to her). We spent about an hour with me trying on different styles and finally choosing a couple of pairs I like. It was now dinner time and Linda was hungry, as I had chosen the sports shop, she got to chose the restaurant and decided on Italian. She had pasta with walnuts and gorgonzola cheese, I had a small calzone pizza. We then got a few bits in Carrefour for our tea, before leaving. We did have a look around C & A but could find nothing we liked to buy. 

We then drove to La Manga town, which is at the end of the mainland and sort of built on a causeway, obviously no flooding problems here. It is similar to Key West in America, but not as long or scenic. However, Linda wanted to go there, so we did.  It was a strange place, deserted, everything was shut up but we had a look around, stopped for a coffee, which was expensive, and then left. I am sure in the spring and summer it is very busy. Linda did take some photos. We came back to our apartment and of course I now need to try out my new clothes, to ensure they are ok to run in, Linda was persuaded to come to. We ran over to the south side of the complex where there is a nice coffee shop, had a coffee before running back. I ran straight to the gym and did a workout, Linda came home and read her book.

Thursday morning we got up early, well around 0830 and Linda went for a swim whilst I went running, my last run around the complex. Linda completed another 25 lengths of the Olympic pool with her new cap on. Our next chore was to unfortunately pack and check out. We just made the 1100 deadline. We then went over to the other side of the complex and had brunch at a little cafe we had found, it was a nice sunny day so we could sit outside. I had a combination of protein and carbs, otherwise known as scrambled eggs, Linda just had a sausage in a roll. We sat outside and enjoyed the warm weather, reading the daily paper on our Ipad's. It is easy now, no hunting for newspaper shops, paying extortionate prices for the English tabloids or broadsheets, just download  The Times where ever I am in the world.

However, it was soon time to leave and drive the 90 minutes back to Alicante. The road was mainly deserted so we were at our hotel, Holiday Inn Express, by just after 2pm. We managed to check in, leave our gear and head to downtown Alicante. We had a pleasant walk along the promenade, passing the marina with all the posh boats (or yachts) and then the beach. It was still warm and pleasant. We stopped for a coffee to enjoy the ambience of the promenade. It was nice just to sit there and relax.

We decided to do one last visit to Carrefour and Linda spotted a running top and shorts she liked, it is contagious this running so I treated her. When we got back to hotel I did offer to take her for a run to try our the new gear, but she declined so I had to go on my own. I could only do about 1.5 miles as the pavement ran out and it was dark, so I had to turn round and come back. The hotel is near the airport, so we should be there prompt for our 1020 flight in the morning, that is if the flight is not delayed!
  

The Rock

I am currently preaching through the book of Joshua and this week is chapter 4, where Joshua takes the 12 stones and stacks them at Gilgal, so the Israelite nation will remember how the River Jordan was parted. It therefore made sense to visit the Rock to get some background and thoughts for my sermon, that's my excuse anyway! If you want to know more then come along on Sunday evening. 

I left a wet and windy England on Thursday morning from Heathrow Terminal  3 and it took just under 3 hours to get to Gibraltar. The airport is a sea level and divides the Rock from Spain, you have to cross the runway to get into town, not recommended when a plane is landing of course. It is one of the few places where the Captain must land the plane, the first officer is not allowed. The approach is from the sea and then you hit the runway, not literally of course, but if you miss you will be landing in the sea. We landed ok and I was first off the plane, first through passport control, but my bag was one of the last out, typical. I then had to walk across the runway towards town, my hotel is over a mile away on the south of the Island, The Caleta. It takes about 30 minutes  to walk there with my luggage. I have a double room with a balcony and a nice view out to sea. I unpack my clothes, most of it is running gear. I forgot to mention that Linda is not here, I am alone, as she has to work this week - what a pity. 

After I had unpacked it was time to visit the town, I could have gone by bus or even a taxi, but I didn't I ran. The weather is warm, but not too hot, quite pleasant for a run. The main problem was people kept getting in the way or not looking where they were going. I did stop for a cappuccino in the Main Street, before running back to the hotel, a total distance of 6 miles. I then decided to try out the gym and spent half an hour working out, I definitely needed a shower after that. As the hotel is not near the main part of the Island  and it is the closed season none of the local restaurants are open, I decided to have dinner at the hotel. I had bought some fruit in town at a local supermarket. It appears that the Spanish locals come over, buy some cigarettes empty them out of the cartons, put them in black bags and go back over the border. One presumes they sell them, either that or they smoke a lot. Dinner was tuna and prawn kebab with couscous and jacket potato, I was hungry so I enjoyed it. I then went back to my room, used Facetime to speak to Linda, it does confuse the dog, as she can hear my voice, but can't work out where I am.

On Friday I was up early, had breakfast to build up my carbs and protein, then changed and out for my run. I initially ran round the coast, to the airport, then across into Spain. I did stop to show my passport. I had a run along the promenade and ended up running out of town, but as I did not have a map I sensibly turned round. I found a Carrefour so stopped for a coffee and a look around the shops. I am using my Garmin watch to record my distance and time, so I pause it when I am shopping. However, as I have to carry any purchase  back and around with me, I don't buy anything. I have a running backpack to carry my Ipad and it has some space in there, but not a lot.

I then run through the town, nearly got run over, if everyone drove on the same side of the road it would be easier. I managed to make it back across the border, into Gibraltar and then no further. I had to stop at the runway as a plane was about to take off, so I stopped the watch and waited. It was an Easyjet plane and once it had gone, I was back running. I then had a run around Gibraltar, down to the marina, past the navel base and back towards the rock. By now I had done just under 10 miles, so decided to stop for some lunch and re-charge my batteries. I found a nice restaurant where I could sit outside, I am not sure anyone wanted to sit near me anyway, and had octopus salad, it was very nice and healthy of course. The plan for the afternoon was to run to the top of the rock, this had seemed a good plan in the morning, but after 10 miles not so good, perhaps I should have done it first. Anyway I started off, It was very steep, however I ran most of the way, I did have to walk some of it. 

I reached the top, past St Michael's cave, the Douglas lookout and then used the cliff path to get to the cable car cafe. A quick cappuccino, not very good as it was made by a machine before I ran down. It was a lot easier running down and I was soon back in the main square. I had a look around the shops, most of them are the same as England M & S, BHS etc. However, there is no Costa or Starbucks here so I ended up at Jury's next to the Supreme Court. After that it was time to run back to the hotel, via Morrison's to get some fruit and water. I was back around five, checking my watch I found I had run 17.04 miles in total and had actually been running for 3:13:52.  I then had a rest before visiting gym to do some light weights.  In the evening I finished my second book and had dinner at the hotel. It was rather noisy as there were some musicians playing, something to do with it being Valentines day I believe, so I had my dinner and left.

I have an afternoon flight back on Saturday, hopefully it won't be delayed due to the bad weather in England, its fine here.

There are some photos here 

Warm weather training in Alicante

I decided to go away for a few days to Alicante, Spain for some warmer weather. LInda had to work so I was on my own. Easyjet fly from Southend to Alicante so this was ideal. I had to pay extra for hold luggage as I needed to take my running clothes for pounding the streets. The flight was at 1300, so we able to leave home at 10.50 and be at the airport at 1100 to drop my bag off. We then had time to visit Sports Direct and a coffee at the Holiday Inn. You do get a good view of the airport from the top floor. Linda then walked back  with me to the airport and I went through. There was no queue at security and so straight through. The aircraft boarded on time and we were off.

The flight was just under 3 hours to Alicante, we arrived early and straight through passport control, the official was not really looking at the passports. There was a short wait for the bags, before I collected the hire car. I then left the airport to go to the hotel. This is when the plan went slightly astray. I normally use the sat nav on my phone, however, that is not an option here as I have not got a local SIM card (yet!). I try to follow the Google instructions I have printed out and get to the main area. I then drive around the block several times before locating it. It was a Best Western and situated on the sea front with some nice views. 

I checked in and then decided to go for a run, nothing better that looking around on a gentle jog, reduces the carbon footprint. I started out through the town in the light, found a Carrefour so I could buy some fruit and water, not too much as I had to carry it back. It was after this that it started going wrong, it was now dark and all the roads looked the same, I knew had to get to the sea, but which road to take? I ran around past all the tourist areas and eventually found the beach. I then saw a Macdonalds, a Big Mac was needed? No it has free wi-fi so I would be able to establish where I was and the way back to the hotel. I discovered I was about 3 miles from the hotel, not too bad I would be back in under  30 minutes.

The next day I was going up the coast, so I had an early morning run, then breakfast before driving the 30 miles on the toll road to Altea. I had a SIM card by now, but it didn't really help as Google Maps kept sending me to the wrong hotel. I eventually found the one I was staying at, it was in the Hills. This is ideal for improving  my running and stamina. I checked in and I have been given an apartment, it has a bathroom, separate bedroom and a living area plus a balcony. The weather is warm with occasional showers. I unpack my clothes and then go for a run. I decided to run down to the Port area, it was downhill all the way and then found a restaurant for a cappuccino. I ran along the beach, which became a problem when I ran out of sand and only water, so I had to run through a small pool to get to the sand on the other side. My shoes are going to smell.  I have a new running backpack so I can take my Ipad with me to read. The restaurant was a bit posh, so I think me in my running shorts and sweaty clothes lowered the tone, not quite the clientele they wanted to attract. It was a nice coffee and I sat there watching the boats in the marina and reading my book. 

I then had to run back to the hotel and it was all up hill and these were hills like you find in Wales! However, it was challenging but I made it to the top. I stopped at the supermarket to buy some salad, meat and fruit for my tea and then ran the rest of the way. In the evening I relaxed, I was going to use the gym but it was closed. There is a cycling team staying here, so they have taken over everything.

Friday was a sunny day, temperature in the late teens and the sun was out. I had some bread and fruit for breakfast, before leaving for a run. I decided to run up into the hills, seemed a good idea at first, but not so good halfway round, but I made it to the top, you have some good scenic views over the mountains and valleys. Running down was not as easy as its seems, the roads were quite steep so you had to be careful not to run too fast otherwise you were going to fall over and I had to remember which side of the road to run on. Altea town was the target and I got there quite comfortably, it was only about 6 miles according to my Garmin watch. I then found a cafe on the front, enjoyed a cappuccino in the sunshine, just sitting there reading my book. I then had to run back, uphill again, it was only 4 miles, so not too bad. 

I was back by mid afternoon so I cooked some scrambled eggs and sat on the balcony to rest. In the evening I visited the gym to do some weights and cross training. There is wi-fi at the hotel so I can Facetime Linda, however it confuses the puppy, as she can hear my voice but not work out where I am!

Today (Saturday) I had an easy morning, cooked some scrambled eggs and read the paper whilst drinking  coffee. I left before midday and then drove the scenic route back to Alicante, avoiding the toll road. I stopped in Benidorm for a coffee, it was a bit of a dive and full of old people, so a quick coffee and then left again. On arrival in Alicante I went to the shopping centre, I needed a salad and some fruit for my evening meal, but I had lunch there as well, a nice steak and jacket potato.  I arrived at my hotel early afternoon. I decided to go for a run along the promenade, a gentle one today as a bit stiff after all those hills, it was going well, covered about four miles, only a couple back to the hotel, and the heavens opened and it rained, I got drenched.  It is a 11am flight back tomorrow so will need to be up early to get to the airport for  around 9am.