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"Ran" (maybe better to say that I finished it) a trail 50k yesterday, organisers ran out of water which was less than ideal in 35 degrees, 90% humidity. My only consolation was that I didn't think I got any blisters on my feet - turns out I was wrong, I have (or had) them on my soles and heels... past tense because my cat just attacked my feet and now I don't have as many blisters.

If anyone would like a cat, please let me know.

I had something similar with my big toe a couple of years ago, I can't remember exactly what the eventual diagnosis was but I do remember having an ultrasound on my foot and saying "doc, is my foot pregnant??" and the doctor being extremely unimpressed.
I'll try to dig through old emails and stuff to find out what it was.

I did a vertical marathon (stupid name - basically running up 62 flights of stairs) the other day. I thought it was only 31 flights until about half an hour before, which was a nice surprise. My only goals were a) beat my friend and b) don't trip up the steps. Managed both, ate an ice cream at the top of the building and somehow I was the 10th fastest woman (I guess not a very competitive field, but 10 out of a couple of hundred is ok).

Anyway, lesson learnt to check how long any race is!! And never agree to run up stairs again.

Yep, I lived in china so have worn a bunch of chinese stuff - I quite like li-ning shoes! I also love some of their garish tracksuits.

This is cool as fuck!!!!

Ha - I hadn't thought about it rattling loose and falling out. Now I will think about that a lot.

Bit late sorry - I also had a mid-life crisis moment (on new year's eve lol) and got the top of my ear pierced. Haven't noticed anything unusual about running, except that I've nearly caught it when wrestling myself out of sweaty clothes afterwards.

I hadn't seen Aram in a few years (him being in Cornwall and me being in Asia) but I know it would have been like no time had passed if (I thought it was when!!) we next saw each other. Part of my London family, Aram was kind, funny and grumpy and the best pony of the west. Sending so much love to Jenne and Eladio xxx

The one on my inside thigh is sort of sideways on, but more right for me than for anyone looking at it. The one on my shin is the other way round.

And you didn't have to contend with any snakes!! (thanks, St Patrick!)
Well done!!

Ran my first 50k (trail race) yesterday, would not recommend doing so on fuck all training (longest run in months was 11k) and with minimal running outdoors/in daylight hours (to get used to the heat). The heat was pretty gruesome: 34 degrees, 80% humidity at first (though it got less humid later on). It's hot every day in Singapore but yesterday had a fun extra level of heat.

The route was gorgeous in places (lovely trail), hard in others (a long stretch climbing over a reservoir in the baking sun) and horrendous in others (a very hilly concrete path along the highway, lots of cars, construction work nearby, no fucking shade). The aid stations were banned from handing out anything other than water but one had some 100plus (isotonic drink - photo is me looking VERY VERY HAPPY to have some 100plus). I drank about 5 litres of water (and the aforementioned 100plus) and didn't do a wee until several hours after the race.

Injury count: sunburnt neck and arms; friction burn all the way around my middle from my shorts; blisters/former-blisters-now-holes on the soles of my feet.
Pluses: finished! didn't get chased by any of the monkeys on trail! didn't get bitten by any insects!
Minuses: my feet fucking hurt! saw a snake!

I have made this mistake toooooo many times. I'm very sweaty in general and I live in the tropics. It's a look.

Ok, so a few french concession suggestions (bear in mind that I left nearly a year ago so it may be a little out of date - also I'm not sure of the english names of anything (if it helps I can write out the chinese names for you)):

• Hunan food! My fave type of chinese food! Either Hunan Country Kitchen (on Wulumuqi Road) or Di Shui Dong (on Maoming Road kinda near Changle Road)
  
• Xinjiang food! There's a place that does amazing Xinjiang bbq on the corner of Yuyuan Branch Road and Wulumuqi Road (slightly out of the french concession but not far at all).
  
• Best baozi in Shanghai: on the corner of Yongjia Road and Jiashan Road, next to the supermarket on the Jiashan Road corner. The baozi are super fluffy and delicious and cost RMB 2 or something absurd.
  
• Best jianbing (this is hard as jianbing is not a Shanghai food and is never amazing in Shanghai - but this is one of the best ones for a delicious breakfast savoury pancake): a hole in the wall right on the corner of Xiangyang Road and Yongkang Road (next to cafe de volcan).
  
• Best dumplings (fried style but they also have boiled): Fuxing Middle Road near to the corner with Xiangyang Road.
  
• Extremely fancy dimsun: Sense8 (Taicang Road in Xintiandi)
  
• Best pizza (if you get sick of chinese food): Alimentari (the one on Donghu Road is the largest) or if you want slices then Joes (next to Co Cheese on the corner of Nanchang Road and Shaanxi South Road)
  
  

I have no recommendations for Shanghainese food as I hate it (very sweet/oily).

Don't go to Starbucks or Luckin, Manner is hands down the best coffee and super affordable.

I lived in the french concession and miss it a lot even though I'm still a little traumatised after being locked in my apartment during the zero covid lockdown madness.

What kind of food do you like? I can send you a bunch of links when I'm on my laptop on Monday.
Bars - Post No Bills is really great (not french concession but not far), it's run by a friend of mine. Barbarian is another nice bar, they have a few locations now. Can't remember the name of the place atm but there's a spritz bar on yongkang road that I liked a lot. If you want dive bars then Specters is probably your best bet (run by another friend). Co Cheese (for Caesars and pickle shots).

Yes!! (thank fuck!) I moved to Singapore in November last year.

Though I did something sensible today - parkrun for the first time in 8 years or so! It's at 7.30am here, which is a bit hateful, but I think I'll try to go again without leaving it another 8 years (just need to get over the crippling anxiety about showing up alone - I've actually tried to go a few times since moving here and have chickened out and cycled past... lame I know).

Oh yeah that was fun! I want to do another thing like that - I can't find motivation to run sensibly but if there's a stupid challenge then I'm balls to the wall into it.

These are great - saved for when I'm next in that part of the world!

I love this! Planning to get a skeleton soon too!

Oh right - I lived in China for years where the air was basically poison at all times so my bar for "is it dangerous/toxic/lethal" is probably a little skewed.

Yeah this is true. I hate hate hate the controls on mine.

No, how so?

Gas or GTFO

Induction hobs.

They're doing so well! Celeste (the fluffy one) was a bit skittish for a day or so and was off her food but she's back to following me around the house and trying to climb all the things. Méabh is a little more vocal than normal and I think she's still a little jet lagged, but other than that she didn't seem fussed at all.