It’s quite disgusting how little blogging I’ve done – my only defence is that I’ve been too busy. The trip to the UK was fantastic – time in London catching up with friends, eating, shopping then up to Yorkshire to spend a fabulous week with family. So good to see everyone again. My nephews, Alfie and Harry have changed the most – it has been a whole year since I had seen them last. Alfie has done his first year at secondary school and Harry transfers this September. Great to run with Helen, wander round Harlow Carr chatting and eat at Betty’s. (If you don’t know Betty’s tearooms then you are missing a treat, albeit an expensive one!). We all went to the pub one night – yes, I do look a bit drunk don’t I?

Michael and I had two weeks in Scotland, fortunately the midges didn’t seem to realise we were there. The first week we walked – bits of the Great Glen Way and the West Highland Way, round Kerrera Island (off Oban) and up Stob Ghabhar. This last turned out to be an epic walk from the Bridge of Orchy. We set out quite late, stopping early on for a coffee. Ended up doing 18 miles and just getting back to the B of O in time for dinner at 8! The last week was the Scottish 6 Days orienteering – based in Grantown beyond Aviemore. Grantown is a beautiful town, we camped in the grounds of Castle Grant. The orienteering was fantastic – my altitude training meant I was fitter than normal. It was still exhausting tho – three days followed by a rest day then another three days! We had one last day in London which was the usual mad rush to do all the last minute things and try to pack everything away. Highlight of that day was the most fantastic spinach lasagne that Sue cooked, full of mushrooms and peppers.

It was great to catch up with Camden people too – all the old maths team, Helen, Ange and Teresa. So nice to be able to have normal conversations with people, to eat such a variety of food, drink good wine, have a seat to myself on the bus etc. Great to feel healthy and well for five weeks too and not have to worry about amoeba.

Anyway, we’ve been back just over a week now and we have both found it quite hard coming back – mainly I guess, because the trip to the UK was so good. Still, we were pleased to be able to run our normal route only three days after returning to altitude and we’ve been a couple more times since then. The Great Ethiopian Run takes place soon but it is in Addis and we can’t really afford to go. Besides, I think I would prefer to do an off-road race when I get home. I enjoyed running in Yorkshire when I was there.

I have the final project to do for my OU course in the next couple of weeks. I’ve had difficulty getting students to interview this week but hopefully it will happen next week then I will just have the stress of writing it.