I’d asked Kath to buy me The Paulo Coelho collection for Christmas after being so impressed with The Alchemist , unfortunately I can’t say this lived up to the same standard. At times I felt I was reading it for the sake of reading it, rather than enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, I feel it was a very well written book, but I just didn’t feel it spoke to me or had anything I could draw from it. Perhaps if I was a more religious person this would be different and I hope it doesn’t put me off the rest of the series.

After the mid week exercise, I was worried about how well I’d do in today’s race, but apart from sore stomach muscles, I didn’t ache as much as I was expecting, just felt slightly sluggish. Now I’ve worked out where the km markers are (yes I know it’s only taken me over 10 weeks), I’m finding it easier to keep track of how I’m doing throughout the race and wearing the watch I got with Runner’s World to time the race, definitely gave me the last push I needed to break my pb this week. Finger’s crossed for another improvement next week, when i’m hoping to run without the tired legs, it’s just finding the balance between exercising mid week and resting enough to not impact on the weekly run.

I’m not sure about the new look race results, i miss my star for beating pbs But on the plus point I can link to my personal results page, which is always motivation when I see I’ve improved since my first Parkrun

A few months ago the Facebook group for Bramhall Parkrun sent a message around about BMF saying it might be something we’d be intereted in, I had a look thought it looked interesting and then promptly forgot all about it.

Then last week, Amy, who I’ve not seen since leaving school over a decade ago, posted on FB that she was thinking of signing up, so I took another look. As the first class is free, I agreed to go to the one tonight and promptly talked Gra into joining us!

Usually I have at least 6 months from signing up to something to realising it isn’t a great idea, but this gave me just over a week, so today was spent nervously anticipating what may happen this evening. It didn’t help that when we got in the car, I realised it was pitch black outside and that Bruntwood Park isn’t floodlit, and then when I stepped out of the car it was straight into a puddle which made me scream like a girl!

There were about 12 new starters including us tonight and whilst you are worked hard, afterwards I did get a real sense of achievement and I will look into signing up properly once I have a bit more money to spare each month. This plan’s subject to change if I can’t move in the morning!

To find your nearest lesson, click on the BMF banner above

Sherlock Holmes has made his reputation finding the truth at the heart of the most complex mysteries. With the aid of Dr. John Watson, his trusted ally, the renowned “consulting detective” is unequaled in his pursuit of criminals of every stripe, whether relying on his singular powers of observation, his remarkable deductive skills, or the blunt force of his fists. But now a storm is gathering over London, a threat unlike anything that Holmes has ever confronted…and just the challenge he’s looking for. After a string of brutal, ritualistic murders, Holmes and Watson arrive just in time to save the latest victim and uncover the killer: the unrepentant Lord Blackwood. As he approaches his scheduled hanging, Blackwood — who has terrorized inmates and jailers alike with his seeming connection to dark and powerful forces — warns Holmes that death has no power over him and, in fact, his execution plays right into Blackwood’s plans. And when, by all indications, Blackwood makes good on his promise, his apparent resurrection panics London and confounds Scotland Yard. But to Holmes, the game is afoot. Racing to stop Blackwood’s deadly plot, Holmes and Watson plunge into a world of the dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic is sometimes the best crime-fighting weapon…but where a good right hook will often do the job.

Anna found parts of this film to be a bit slow, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and not just because it features Robert Downey Jr fighting topless and handcuffed to a bed naked!

This is 2 museums in the one building, found in the Market Place in Stockport. i have to confess I’ve probably walked past here lots of times, but have never taken much notice of what’s inside.

The first on theleft is Stockport Story and entry is free. As the name suggests it tells the story of Stockport from over 10,000 years ago to the present day. At staircase house, there is an entry fee of £3.95 for adults, but for this you get your own audio guide. This simply works by pressing a button upon entry into each of the rooms and the guide gives you an explanation of the setting followed by an acted out sketch between people believes to have lived in the house at the time each room is set, with optional extras along the way.

Whilst Stockport Story mainly has it exhibitions behind glass, Staircase house is very much hands on, with only one room behind ropes and yu are encouraged to explore each room as much as you wants touching and smelling the items contained in them.

In the Counting Room, you get to try your hand at writing with a quill, I’m sure this is something that every school kid in stockport has tried through visits from Bramhall hall and tatton park, but Anna never had before today, so i think this is very good for her first attempt

The tourims Office is also found here, with lots of leaflets available for other attractions in stockport, Manchester and further afield, needless to say we took many of them home!

Link to Staircase House

link to Stockport Story

After 5 week’s absence due to the Xmas swap and appalling weather we’ve been having, the Parkrun finally restarted at Bramhall this weekend. I wasn’t really concerned that the break may have a impact on my fitness, as I did Edinburgh a few weeks ago, have walked to work and back and been playing on the Wii Fit during the time off, so I was really suprised to find my legs were really sluggush and the run felt a lot more difficult than normal. The only other time it had fel this way was after walking to work and back the Thursday before one of the races, which got me to thinking, maybe the 20- 25 minutes of playing on the Wii fit each night after work this week was actually making me more tired than I’d realised! Still at least I didn’t get a pw, but I do think I’ll leave the will alone this week coming, especially as I’ve got the BMF fitness assessment on Wednesday! Gra was a marshall this week, so no time or pics for him.

This shows how cold it still is, whilst the actual snow and ice have gone from most of the park, the lake is still frozen!

For Christmas, me and Anna bought a Wii for us and as today was the first day I’d seen Anna since she got back from London, we decided to try it out. We started off with Trivial Pursuit, the questions are now beginning to sound less American to me (we really need to get the English version!), but some you wouldn’t have a clue about unless you lived in the states!

Then we moved on to Mario kart. As one of the controllers is playing up, we just did one race at a time with Anna mastering the controls mch better than I did!

Wii fit probably made us laugh most out of all of the games, before playing, I thought I was reasonably well balanced and whilst not the fittest person alive, certainly not the most unfit, but the computer tells me different! Sarah’s always coming in work complaining about how she aches from using it and now I understand why! You are so busiy concentrating on what the screen is telling you to do, you don’t realise just how much of a work out you’re getting.

Today I also learnt that I should still not be allowed to play golf, whether real or not, and am much better at pitching than hitting when it comes to baseball!

I have a feeling I’m going to be sore in the morning, but must bea Anna’s hulahoop score!

Lyra lies sleeping in a cave near a rainbow, drugged into unconsciousness by her mother,Mrs Coulter, whose love for her daughter closely rivals her own ruthless ambition. Now, the latter threatens to overcome the former, as she strives to prevent the events which are dependent on the decisions Lyra is fated to make. Meanwhile, Will-scarred and traumatised after his last, fatal meeting with his father-seeks blindly for her, with only two of Lord Asriel’s angels as companions on his dangerous search. The two are fated to meet once more, however, and begin their most treacherous journey. For Lyra owes a great debt, and she must repay it-she must rescue her friend from the Land of the Dead. Neither are prepard for the terrible sacrifice they must endure, or for the universal consequences of their actions. Lyra and Will must play their part in the war between the worlds and Heaven…

This, the final of the Dark Materials trilogy, is still as packed with excitement and twists in the tale as the previous 2 books. However, I did feel this meant the story almost lurched from one character in one chapter to another in the next making it difficult to keep up with all of the different sub plots, and seemed a bit overcomplicated for a child’s book. If you have already started the triliogy, it’s essential you read this one to find out how the indivudal parts are interwined and tied up at the end. But even once I’d finished reading the book and each part explained, I still had a feeling that something had been missed, so for me this does not stand to the same standard as the first two.