I’m writing this a little earlier than I would normally because we have Auntie Debbie arriving this evening. Jude and Debbie are heading up to Edinburgh tomorrow for some wool festival. I have my fingers crossed that they will return with lots of tasty single malt, although I doubt that they will be too worried about satisfying my desires for tasty whisky.

I was out early today. I wanted to get a run in before taking the heart monitor back to the hospital, and arguably I should have done it yesterday.

It was cold and raining outside, so I put on my very tightest running top (my “only gay in the village” top) to hold the monitor in place. Then a normal running shirt, then my running raincoat and then a hi-viz top. I had four layers on top, and a pair of shorts for my legs. I was a bit top-heavy.

The training schedule had me down for an 8km run and so I took a route to Coronation Park, then up past Ruff Lane and the University, then right past the water tower and back along St Helens Road into town and straight down Burscough Street/Road to the house. It’s basically uphill for four km and then downhill for four km, although it didn’t feel like it at the time. It didn’t help that the uphill part was surrounded by houses and trees and was therefore protected from the wind. While the first half of the route home was open and windy and cold.

However, despite being out at 6:30am and running in the dark cold, wind and rain, I was only a few seconds slower per km than the other day in Aylesbury. Although it felt like a lot more work.

So I was back and working by 7:20. Another 90 minutes of monitor wearing and I could then remove it and get a shower (which, by this point, was desperately needed).

The rest of the day has been mostly coding and following up support style questions. In other words, I got about 30% of my planned work done and the rest of the day was fielding questions. By the end of the day I was knackered and was starting to think that things would be much better if only I had a new Windows tablet. At this point I should have taken myself off for a snooze, but instead I jumped in the car to PC World.

The only tablets that did what I wanted were the Microsoft Surface 3s, which were perhaps a little steep at £700, when really all I wanted was a reasonably precise stylus. They *are* lovely machines though, and the stylus is amazing!

I was also drawn to the MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros. I could do with getting a slightly smaller machine for when I’m travelling and Jude could do with a new mac laptop as that’s what she uses at work and in the back room. However, I ummed and erred for a bit too long, unable to decide between a 13″ retina MBP or the equivalent non-retina MBA. In the end I walked out of PC World without buying anything. Probably best all round! We’ll get one, but if Jude’s going to use it, then it’s probably best if she chooses and not me!

I’ll be walking in a few minutes. Probably up to check out how the Booths development is progressing; and then perhaps a quiet evening. Those early starts are no good. Just at the moment, I could sleep for Britain…