Friday 28 January 2011

Save Our Forests - sign the petition.


The British government plan to sell off hundreds of square miles of publicly owned forests in England to landowners and companies on 150 year leases.I don't want to get into politics. I'm apolitical but this subject is close to my heart. The government is being very clever. They are using spin and a charm offensive to say only commercial woodland not ancient woodland is being sold off to private commercial concerns.

The worry is that the proposed sales would be unregulated and that the sold woods and forests would not remain open to walkers and riders or that the new owners would be able to charge for access or even turn some into housing estates. What is interesting is that the proposals only affects England, not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Funny that.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Running again - almost.

I have finally started running/jogging/shuffling/walking again after almost six months having had a minor foot injury. I still don't know what the problem was except that i had shooting pains in my foot and ankle when i ran. I could walk ok, as proved during our holiday in Cornwall where i walked miles and miles with only the odd "twinge", but the moment i tried to run ....ow!

Anyway, as i said i've started again allbeit slowly, but this time i'm determined to build up to the point where i can at least run 5K without too much trouble. My goal is 10K but that is some time off. I find it hard to motivate myself to get up and run in the mornings because it is still darkish and cold. However the reward once i'm out there is running around our local lake. Beautiful even in winter.