Easter record

I can't believe its not even two weeks yet since the Virgin London Marathon. So much seems to have happened since then.

The only personal best I set in the week that followed was filing my online tax return by 20 April. Its the sort of thing that, if I don't attend to straight away it just gets pushed aside by  the demands of the websites and yet it doesn't take any more time to do in April than on 4 October.

I challenge anyone to have seen more of the Isle of Man than I did over the Easter weekend.

On Good Friday I started with 12 miles running around Baldwin with the roads to myself.

After breakfast I headed south with Marie for a walk at the Sound. We ended up parking at Cregneash and heading for the Chasms. I have said this a few times but I am amazed when visitors to the Isle of Man tell us that they have seen everything in a week. I am ashamed to say that I had never been to the Chasms before and it is a wonderful place.

After lunch we were out in the car with Robbie and my mother-in-law round the back roads to Peel and through Little London and the mountains back to Douglas.

Then in the evening I was out again with Robbie to the Easter Festival Road Race.

The rest of the evening was taken with the website and editing video.

Saturday morning started with a short run around Douglas after a quick update on the website.

Then it was off to North Barrule to take photos of the Manx Mountain Marathon. I had forgotten how steep the climb was (and I wasn't running 30 miles) but it was misty and I was soon cold at the top. As soon as the leaders were through I started my descent but after a  tumble I was not enjoying the MMM as much as some years when I have managed some good shots from North Barrule.

So I turned the car into a hothouse between Barrule and Injebreck as I tried to warm up and dry out.

I took up my usual spot by the river crossing but this time I had to help one of the runners out of the stream after he slipped down the waterfall.

Next it was a dash home to upload photos, dash into the shower to warm up, change my clothes, start the video editing and thank Marie for some wonderful home made soup.

I've never managed to get to the start of the Half Manx Mountain Marathon so I thought I would do that for a change before going to the Peel Hill Race. The problem was that I didn't check the start time and when I arrived at 1.25, thinking I was in perfect time for a 1.30 start, the runners were already 25 minutes into the race. So on I went to the Round Table to get some more photos of the fell runners.

I then got engrossed in a conversation with Tony Varley and realised that for the second time in an hour I was going to miss the start of a race. I stopped at the Raggett and ran up the back of Peel Hill in time to see Lloyd Taggart heading the field and grabbed some more photos. I had to pretend that I had always planned to go to a slightly different spot.

 I had a bit more time to compose myself (I was finally warm) before the women's race.

It was obviously an easier run back down to the car but I wanted to get back home as quickly as possible so that I could upload photos, edit video, take a break to watch some football and then spend the rest of the evening doing video.

Up early on Sunday morning to go on a 12 mile run around the Marine Drive and the promenades, Summer Hill etc (sorry I didn't take any photos) before heading taking Robbie to the promenade for the relays.

But first it was filming of the women's 5km.

There was the usual buzz on the prom for the relays.

Marie wasn't well and had developed a stinking cold which meant that we couldn't go out in the afternoon - but it meant more time for website and videos for the rest of the day.

Monday began with my first run up Richmond Hill for many a year. Just under 10 miles by the time I went around the Oatlands Road, and the Old Castletown Road.

Later in the morning it was a drive around the south of the Island with my mother in law and after lunch I had a walk with Robbie from East Baldwin to the top of Creg-y-Cowin.

Finally I had a chance to go for a walk with Marie late on Monday afternoon and we headed to her favourite spring time venue at Ballaglass,

We moved onto Ramsey for a cuppa and a walk in the park and a drive via the Curraghs and Tholy-Y-Will back to Douglas.

The next few days were spent trying to sort out the chaos on my computer with files everywhere and trying to share some of the best bits on the website. And then another long bank holiday weekend. Thankfully I am not attending any events this weekend and I have not travelled quite as far.