Must be the best day yet….

Today has been superb, fine, sunny and warm. We’d better make the most of it though, we’re due wet and windy weather at the end of the week.

We moved back to Anderton on Friday, to collect a car from Enterprise in Northwich. Opposite where we’d moored for the previous few days there were a few sheep dotted about.
By the time we left, there’d been a population explosion!The car was needed for a visiting weekend. On Saturday up to Yorkshire to say hi and collect some heavy packages that it wasn’t sensible to forward. This included some bits for the stove, a pair of boots for me and a jacket for Mags.
Then on Sunday we went in the opposite direction, down to Leicestershire to see my folks. We spent the day with them, and Kay and partner Paul came over for a visit as well. We got back to the boat in the evening, and I was glad of my bed that night. Nearly 400 miles driving taking 7½ hours took it’s toll. Not used to those mileages these days; the best we’d normally manage would be around 20! And a lot more relaxed 20 they’d be, as well.

The weather has stayed fine, and today has been the best of the year so far. The bright sunshine shows off the colours of the boats at Anderton….
And at Barnton Basin.
We moved out into the country again today, finishing up in one of our favourite spots above the Weaver, near Bridge 210.
It’s been a bit of a stop-start trip. First was a visit to the services at Anderton, then into Uplands for diesel and solid fuel, and finally a pause at Barnton Bridge while I took a parcel up to the Post Office. (Mags’ new jacket didn’t fit…) So with about 100 gallons of water, 140 litres of diesel and 250Kg of smokeless we’re now about ¾ ton heavier than we were this time yesterday! That’s worth around an inch on the draught, more at the bow than the stern.

One of the letters we picked up in Ingleton was my entry details for the Liverpool Half Marathon, on the 28th.
For the first time in my running history I’m considering being a no-show. My injured leg does not appear to be improving, in fact I aborted a training run this morning.
I’ll be gutted if I can’t compete, but I’ve another 3 races planned for the rest of the year and if I persist I might do damage that’ll prevent me running those.
I’m going to take a week off, and see how I feel then. Unfortunately, even if I do run, I’ll not be looking for a fast time. Too much inconsistency in the most intensive period of my training schedule means I’m not as fit as I should be.

Locks 0, miles 5