Louise O'Hara has died

Very sad news to announce - at the weekend when playing golf with Wayne and Julio they said that Lou was in Helen House and it was just a matter of time. Tash and I messaged Marko with our love and feelings and then Wayne told me on Sunday when he was at football that she'd died.

Marko then posted on Facebook yesterday and as you could imagine for such a popular couple the messages have been flooding in.

Lou was around when we played football for Thame and was obviously friends with all the girlfriends at the time there. She was lovely and bubbly person that coped with terrible kids at school in Blackbird Leys but it didn't phase her. 

She's been very ill for a long, long time - over 5 years with this cancer and it's been expected that she would die almost any time but she kept fighting and hanging on, but the lads said at the weekend that she'd had enough and just wanted to go - sadly her wish came true

A very sad and sobering moment for us all

Bless her - we really liked her.

Longest run in my life!

Busy day with work meant that I couldn't get out in the morning or lunchtime so in the evening I packed up on time and after delaying tactics I had no option other than to go out for my evening run. I had a route in my head planned and wanted to match everyone else for running 16 miles at the weekend which I obviously didn't do.

It was quite a jump up from my usual run and Tash was suggesting that I only did 13 miles as per the half marathon. 

Anyway, off I went through Wytham and town etc and for whatever reason I felt okay and did it at a decent pace. Not sure if it was food, drink, getting fitter, decent music or change of scenery but I was happily pounding along and getting through the miles. 

As I came up the Marston Ferry Road I had a decision to make but in my head I just felt I had to do the full 16 miles - last two miles I was very slow and was hurting but I did it! Took me 3hr and 40mins which is a bloody long time but I didn't stop even once so I was delighted about that.

Got home and felt sick and tired. Laid in the bath for 30 mins and then bed - I knew I'd likely not sleep well and that was correct - shit night's sleep. Could hear my body not happy with me but I survived without cramp or anything and could walk okay in the morning - starting to stiffen up about midday though truth be told!

So that's the longest (time and distance) that I've ever run. On top of that there's another 10 miles so that's about 2hrs 15mins - goodness. Only about 5 weeks away so I need to get more of these runs in - same again Saturday! 

Travel up to Lewis and Emily's new home

Not a great night's sleep but it was okay, and I took Bess for a walk in the morning after having quite a nice relaxing coffee and toast in the sun on the patio - going to be a lovely day today.

Checked in with Sue and was able to drop Bess off early and then set out from her house around 9.45am with x2 Belgian buns from Coop and it was a two hour drive - very uneventful but enjoyable at the same time.

Their town is right on the junction so only 1.5 miles off the M6 so that was handy.

Took them some goodies that Tash had sorted and had a tour of the house and listened to their ideas - all very exciting and it's great that they have savings and profit so will be able to do a lot of the things that they have in their mind. Going to be a lot of work but they have decent rates from builders and designers up there so that makes one hell of a difference.

We did some moving of heavy items out to the garage - they've got so much space and the guy before them was very clearly a competent carpenter that's for sure. Lewis and I then went back to his old house and collected a load of plants that couldn't fit in the van on Friday and we popped into the large Go Outdoors up there and I tried on some zip off trousers but they weren't what I wanted.

Showed them how to use the wall-paper stripper and then we went to the local pub and I treated them to lunch and drinks. Back to theirs and then at 5.00pm I set off to come home. Took a bit longer as there was a lot of traffic but got to Sue's in 2 hours had a chat with her and then came home.

Went out for a walk to get my steps up and then watched a it of TV and had an early night - a long but enjoyable day. Really pleased for them.