So, this session was a 30-minuter with loadsa prescribed hills. And I was going to complain not only about my ongoing hatred of hills, but also about this lovely new cold front that's swept in so you can see your breath and it hurts to breathe normally, let alone gasp like a fatty doing exercise.

But I'm not going to. This is the first session in quite a while where I've covered more distance in the time/covered the distance more quickly than the last time I did the same session. And I have to say, it did feel easier - looser, more bouncy and fluid than I've felt in a while. 3.13 miles despite the properly steep inclines. Just by the by, running downhill is no easier than running uphill, it just hurts in different places.

But however distasteful I may be finding our weather right now, my parents, who moved to Spain to be closer to the family (they were previously in Phoenix, Arizona, which, by the way, is my idea of heaven) but have decent weather, have it worse right now. There was apparently a downpour of biblical proportions yesterday, which has washed away all the tracks in and out of the little commune they live in (which is 2 miles offroad, on untarmacced roads). Not only that, EVERY house (there are just 9) has been at least partially flooded, those at the bottom of hills have lost their back gardens to new and interesting lakes (and almost the various menageries - including pot-bellied pigs and the like - they've all adopted, to drowning) and those, like my parents', that are on the side of hills are half-buried beneath the bit of the hill that used to be above the house but is now half burying it. It all sounds extremely frightening, there's not a single resident under 55 in the whole place, so walking the 5 miles to the nearest shop, let alone walking back with all the shopping is a total no-no and I don't think I'd be half as good-humoured as they all seem to be managing to be. So, UK, be thankful it's raining but not snowing, and let's get on with it, shall we?

Almost done, just one last thing. I got my vest number (4975) and timing chip jobbie for the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, in the post today. It's all real! Is anyone else having a bit of a wobble, or is it just me? I know I said I was confident about it the other day, but OMG, etc.