Sunset without puffballs

10.21k
Start 18.50
(photos later, blogger isn't uploading as it should)
All puffballs kicked to bits.  Ignorant wee gits.  Apart from this annoyance good sunset run.  

City Run

10.37k
Start 18.05

 

The red light areas in Utrecht have recently been closed due to evidence of exploitation so now there's a long row of empty houseboats on the Zandpad.  Seems such a waste to have all those empty rooms when there's such a shortage of (student) accomodation in the city.

The Golden Calf is the Dutch equivalent of an Oscar and as the Dutch Film Festival is currently taking place here this one has take up temporary residence in front of the theater, where they'd also laid out a red carpet (not for me).

Easy run, sped up a wee bit towards the end.

Puffball harvest

10.30k
Start 7.20
 

Was a bit annoyed to see that someone had destroyed a good few of the growing puffballs.  So on the way home took one with me - I was going to leave them to see how big they would get and so that other folk could enjoy seeing them too, but if they're going to be kicked to bits I think it's better that I at least get the pleasure of eating them.  They're one of the few wild mushrooms that I definitely know are good to eat.  Impossible to mis-identify them so always safe.  Fried big slices of them this evening - like a cross between steak and an omelette - absolutely delicious.

Run went ok - good tempo 5k in the middle of it.  Must remember to take gloves on my next run though as my fingers were suffering.  

Bronze frogs, hills (!) and a funfair

13.95k
Start 7.15

 

 

 

New route, discovered a side path leading off from the Bloemendaalseweg(?) which led to a park with hilly bits(!). The Kikkerpad, complete with big bronze frogs.  Took a detour through the centre on the way home to see the fair that has settled there for a few days.   

Dull Dawn

11.20k
Start 7.00

Very grey windless start to the day.  Odd for it to be so totally still in September.  Reasonable run, just getting in the kilometers really.  Is it possible to see any growth of the puffballs in the 36 hours between photos?

Yes I think these ones are definitely more of a handful.  Should take a measuring tape along on my next couple of runs out that way.  

Puffballs and Arty Stuff

12.07k
Start 18.15

 
 

 

Finally got out for a run this evening.  Found that there's an anarchistic looking art gallery camped in the old Hessing car showroom on the road to De Bilt.  And came across a huge mushroom ring under some trees with an outer cropping of some of the best puffballs I've seen in years.  Photos/exact distance later when I get around to uploading stuff.

For Fokko

12.23k
Start 16.15

Started the run with a detour into town to post a small parcel. Out to Haasdrecht via the road, back via the river.

Took another meandering route through the town on the way home and came across a seat with a poem on the ground in front of it which I've never noticed before, despite having passed this place several times.  A monument to a young girl who died in 2001. This morning heard that Fokko's funeral will be tomorrow.

Thunderclouds

9.63k
Start 18.55

 

Louring black clouds behind me, fluffy white ones in front.  Put Thunderstruck on mYpod just in case they caught me up but didn't get much more than a brief soaking. Garmin site doesn't seem to be working properly so don't know my exact distance but it was a little short of 10k as far as I remember.

Broken Bottle Run

14.89k
Start 6.50

 

 Good steady run out to Reeuwijk via the road and back via the lakes. Was overtaken by a small group of male runners on the way back and tried to keep up with them for most of the way home as they were going at a slightly faster pace than mine.  Saw a broken beer bottle on the road just along from the ark when almost home so got a dustpan and brush and swept it up.  So singlehandedly saved a lot of folk from having punctures today.

Gouda Singelloop

10.50k
Start 16.15

Well I thoroughly enjoyed the best race I've never run this evening. The local prestigious city run was on and part of the route went up and down our street. Bit of an odd course, 3.5k loops. Which meant that in the 10k the fastest runners were doing their 3rd lap when the slower ones were still on their second. But anyway it did ensure an almost constant stream of runners of all shapes and sizes. And styles. Fascinating to see all the different ways of running. How some seem to run so easily but are not so fast while others who seem more awkward are ahead of them. 

There was a kids 2k run to start with - I am about the least sentimental person in the world where children are concerned (give me a puppy over a baby any day...) but there's something about a horde of the little dears all running their very bestest that fair brings a tear to the eye. 

I sat outside on the street for the duration with tea and rather good meusli cookies from Lidl, various neighbours joined me at different times. Applauded everyone who passed (11th commandment for runners, Clap as you would be clapped for yourself). My hands have had as much of a pounding as my feet today... Danced on the closed-off street to the live band at the end. 

Oh, and I had my own 10+ k run earlier in the day. Actually (here comes Elma's tip for today) I could most likely have procured a starting number for the race today after all. I looked on the site to find out the starting times (about half an hour before I thought they should be starting) and saw on a forum that various people were offering their own start numbers due to injury or some other reason why they couldn't run themselves. If I'd thought of it earlier I could have made contact and got hold of one. So if anyone else finds themselves too late to enter a popular race they could think of looking online to see what folk are offering. It'll probably mean not running under your own name, so no good for official PBs or anything but still, if it's just for the joy of taking part, maybe worth a try in the future.

Speedy Sunset

9.99k
Start 7.40

 
Out to De Bilt and back - got dark a lot quicker than I'd thought it would.  On the open spaces it was still light enough in the west but under trees it was really too dark for running without reflective stuff to be quitesafe.  Luckily the road wasn't busy and I was able to jump into the verge if I saw a car coming.  

Wet and Windy

7.28k
Start 19.50

 Didn't take my camera with me as it was so wet.  Photos are before and after the run.  View from the back door.  My lovely new DRY slippers which I was so pleased to remember I had when I came home soaked through. 

Sandwijck by Dusk

11.25k
Start 19.15

 

 

Good run with a fast 5k in the middle.

New Path

6.87k
Start 20.20

Took a new cycle path under the railway just before dark.

Beach Run with skint knees

4.53k
Start 20.15

 
Fell over my own feet on the zebra crossing.  Luckily my Garmin wasn't damaged other than a wee scrape on the casing.  My knee will heal itself, something computers have yet to learn to do.

The one with the elephant

12.27k
Start 6.10

 
 

 
Took a new path out north through the town then east through Reeuwijk-Dorp to Reeuwijk-Brug.  How annoying of Blogger that they've rotated my first sighting of an elephant during a run.