Created by the father

Too fat, too long

I've been fat and lazy all winter. Wedding planning has been a convenient excuse for not running, but wasn't really ever all invasive time-wise, and is coming along well now with around nine weeks to go before our big day. Therefore my pre-wedding streak started on Monday. I have long enough to (a) shift some lard and (b) beat my previous longest effort. Two short road runs have been done and my Hope is fully charged for tonight's headtorcher. Streak on!

Love and death

Power of love

Moorland winter fell running film

Appletreewick

Last night we drove up to Appletreewick through the Bolton Abbey estate looking out for lambs and little owls. We saw a few lambs in the fields just beyond where you drop down to the Cavendish Pavilion. There'll be many more very soon

There was no little owl where we hoped to see one but I spotted one in a new area. He was amazingly well camouflaged and apparently quite happy to sit staring at us from 30 feet or so away

Appletreewick stands a little away (and above) from the dale. It is the home to a fantastic and highly popular campsite plus two of the best pubs in the county. Tonight we went to the New Inn. Drinks were taken, steaks eaten and cards played by the fire. The village is stunning with barely a brick to be seen and also the most amazingly clear skies after dark. There's very little light pollution and the night sky has to be seen to be believed; especially in winter. It really is a special place

Ken Boothe

The millworker

Alfie's doing great

Alfie has two teeth now and must only be a week or two from walking. We had a great day at Bicton yesterday and there was a real feeing of spring approaching with birds singing and daffodils flowering

The Royals

Feral

Stef is working late (again) this evening and I've been for a burrow in the cupboards, freezer and fridge

Won't you come home now

Patchy

My training is patchy at best at the moment. One week I manage three or four runs and the next I can barely be bothered to get moving. Stef is working long days and I miss her getting me going. I'm hoping I might feel more inspired as the nights draw out further

The good news is we've run round our Fells and Bells race route the last two Sundays. We were lucky too on both occasions to have some decent weather. Stef did great yesterday running all the uphill on the 'Groom's route' and she left me sauntering well and truly along behind her as we neared the top

I've got a very sore lower back at the moment. I've been prone to sciatic problems for several years and I can feel a visit to my physio coming up soon! It's not too bad running downhill and on the flat, but it's very painful after say more than 10 or 15 minutes uphill

Henry III

Larry Marshall

The JB's