A baptism of fire – well snow actually

It was my idea to rekindle the spirit of the “£1 challenge” which three or four years ago saw Crispin and me (and a few pals) attempt to run every day for a year. It didn’t quite happen, but in the attempt, we all separately managed to squeeze out a lot more runs in the first six months than family commitments and apathy would have normally allowed.  After a quick bowel-loosening shufty at the task we’ve set ourselves in entering the 3 Peaks, I thought that something similar was essential. I now rather wish I’d kept my stupid idea under my hat. The eastern Borders where I live is currently under an 18″ thick blanket of snow, which is increasing by the hour. The first two days of the year have seen me toiling along the road that runs along the valley, and which is cut off to all but tractors and stud-sporting idiots. The snow is far to deep to attempt any of my usual routes in the surrounding hills. Today’s 40 minutes of purgatory had the added bonus of a strong stinging easterly laden with nasty little hard pellets of snow, and – the icing on the cake – a small pine cone which the wind dislodged and blew into my face, drawing blood from my cheek and leaving what should be a nice manly Action-Man type scar.

Pictures of our snowy paradise here and some pictures of the hills in which I frollick, before the snows came can be seen here.