The racing season is firmly upon us now and after missing most of it last year through injury I’ve already been busy with two races under my belt and another couple fast approaching! My plan for the year is to concentrate on the half marathon so in May I ran what intend to be my only 10k of the year – the City of Aberdeen Baker Hughes 10k. If I could get under 50 minutes I’d have a new PB and can put the 10k to bed for the year. Then in June it was over to Skye for the first of a handful of half marathons on what I was assured was a very hilly course. Progress, not PBs was the aim here. A good run was all I wanted. Continue reading “Two races, two PBs”
Author: minceandskirlie
Writer, poet, musician, and sometime IT professional in the North East of Scotland.
A few days in Copenhagen
While the country (and Europe) were busy having a political fit and lurching to the polling station for a collective game of “who can elect the most racists to Europe?” we headed off to Copenhagen for a few days of rest and relaxation.
Now I realise that a bit of sunshine can hide a multitude of ills but Copenhagen is amazing. Just an utterly brilliant city. Beautiful buildings and parks full of friendly, welcoming residents who are more than happy to speak excellent English and not put up with visitor’s terrible Danish (didn’t help that despite being assured I could, I wasn’t able to roam onto 3 Denmark’s network so was without phone signal and unable to refer to the Danish phrases site I’d bookmarked on my phone). We spent a great 4 days walking through the city centre, enjoying wonderful food from Smørrebrød, a Danish open sandwich typically served with herring or other local fish, contemporary Italian food from the restaurant under our apartment, sushi, all the way to high-end Danish cuisine from Radio – a restaurant opened by some Noma alumni. Oh and a few Danish pastries as well! Continue reading “A few days in Copenhagen”
Chicken and Leek Pie
Now we’re almost done with spring and hurtling headlong towards summer it’s time to get the lighter recipes on the go. Out with winter casseroles and comfort food, in with salads and spring greens. One veg that’s abundant in spring is the humble leek. There are loads of great uses for this relative of the onion but I really love it in a simple chicken and leek pie. Continue reading “Chicken and Leek Pie”
Scolty
I’ve been making the most of the awesome spring weather over the last days and retrieved my road bike from the shed where it’s been hibernating for the last few months. I got home from work tonight and the car was still claiming a temperature of around 15 degrees in the sunshine so I jumped on the bike for a 14 mile loop round the back roads of Deeside. Normally if I take a picture of Banchory’s Scolty hill it’s from the top but cycling round the back roads gives you a great view from the west of the hill, especially when the sun’s shining in the early evening haze like it was tonight.
Running 2014
I’ve not posted anything about my running for a long time. To be fair, I’ve not posted much at all for a long time! Forgive me. One of the reasons for that is that I’ve been pretty busy with my day job and I’ve not found much time or inclination to come up with blog posts. Sad times.
Anyway, last year’s running season was greatly hampered by a chronic knee injury (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome) which hugely limited my mileage in the first half of the year and it wasn’t until the end of summer that I was anywhere close to normal again. I only entered one proper race all year, a 10k near Forres which although it got me a new PB it fell short of getting me under the 50 minute mark for the first time. Continue reading “Running 2014”
Mince and Skirlie 