Home Thoughts Weekly

The Birthday Girl and her daughters Friday 14 March We’re back in the south east for another whirlwind weekend. First stop: one precious laughter-filled hour with my ace gang, the amazing Thursday Girls. Four out of five of us anyway, which is pretty good considering how far-flung we are these days. Next stop: accompanying Ma to her post-op consultant appointment. The news couldn’t be better; nothing sinister to report and no further treatment required. Ma even manages to get a big hug from the consultant before she goes! Saturday 15 March Romantic Novelists’ Association Committee meeting. At the station I discover all trains to Waterloo are cancelled which makes me a bit wobbly as I’m rubbish at finding my way round London. Fortunately I soon learn that trains to Victoria work just as well too. Who’d have thought it, eh? Sunday 16 March Tom and I do a few chores for Ma while we’re here which keep me busy enough not to accidently blurt out the secret we’ve been keeping. Ma knows th...

The final push... It’s just before 9am on a cold, grey, drizzly Sunday morning and I’m queuing up outside Llanelli’s Parc y Scarlets with some 1400 or so other runners waiting to start my fifth half marathon. ‘Enjoy it,’ says Tom and strangely, I’m very happy to be here, especially after eye problems which ruled me out of running for a couple of years and then the dreaded piriformis syndrome which nearly got the better of me this time. The course is lovely – out and back along the beautiful coastline. Tom’s right to tell me the views will be great… except, of course, most of the time I’m too busy concentrating on the rhythm of my running to be aware of very much beyond that! The only changes I notice are turning and running back into the increasing wind and then, at about mile eight, getting absolutely drenched in a massive shower. I’m soaked through and rivulets of water are pouring in my eyes and down my face – and I feel ridiculously, stupidly happy. Towards the fin...