New Shoeses!

A breathless messenger arrived at about eleven thirty this morning with my new running shoes. They are New Balance 782s, which are actually a trail shoe rather than a road shoe but that will come in handy for running on the beach and in some of the more rugged countryside, which I hope to graduate to before long.

To celebrate I went out for a run, on a more extended route to take in part of the Walney seafront. The new shoes really make a difference, it's like running on a cushion of air. I did 30 minutes straight for the first time in ages and that then opens the door to some more adventurous training. The extended route left me with a good long walk home aftrewards, and it's surely encouraging that after a while I felt like doing some strides to finish off.

Bowls diary

Today's run wasn't quite enough then.

Tonight was the return match against Glaxo. In the home tie back at the beginning of June, on a parched green in bright sunshine but a chilly wind (was that really only June?), we whitewashed Glaxo and I gained my first win in only my second appearance.

Tonight was a different proposition. We were on their well-kept but tiny green for starters, and although it was a fine evening the ground was heavy from almost incessant rain. It could have done with a cut too. And I was faced with an opponent who knew how to play! It was a good game which could have gone either way right up to the last end, but I went down 21-18 with my dignity intact. The games were tied 6-6 at the end and the match was decided on aggregate. That 18, which was the highest losing score on either side, might have settled the match but it was not to be and we went down 6-7.

On to the next match then.