Cat getting hairier

It was quite a while ago that my beautiful little cat was starting to show bald patches. I suspected over-grooming. She kept doing it for a long time, and it got a lot worse than in that first picture. The vet’s best guess was that it had something to do with her feud with Nemesis, the neighbour’s cat (not her real name). Earlier this year, the neighbour moved house, cat and all. But the bald patches stayed. For a while, at least.

Recently I noticed it seem to be improving. And by now she is almost fully hairy! I could imagine it was the influence of Nemesis after all, but that there was just a bit of a delay in the system. Maybe it took a while for my cat to acknowledge that the other cat was gone. And then, of course, the hair has to slowly grow back. So maybe that problem is solved now!

Her left side

Her right side

The neighbour’s house has now been sold, by the way. I suspect I will fairly soon find out who is moving in. Will they have a pet? And if so, what kind of? I really hope this street remains bully-cat free when all the houses are occupied again! I am really happy she seems to have ditched the stress grooming. It stressed me too…

Chairing a viva

When I was in the Netherlands, I attended lots of PhD thesis defences, aka vivas. They are public there, and ceremonies with lots of pomp and ritual. Since moving to Britain I hadn’t attended any. Here they take place behing closed doors, and you need to be directly involved to be in them. If you’re not the candidate, you have to be either the internal examiner, external examiner, or the chair. And I just never was. But here in Bangor, I was roped in as either the internal or the chair for several PhD projects. And then, one reached completion. I was the chair. And for logistic reasons, this viva would be online. 

This project was special; this was a PhD by publications. Most PhD projects concern a person who does a dedicated piece of research with the explicit aim of getting a PhD. And then they are likely to publish at least part of their thesis in peer-reviewed journals. But you can also do it sort of backwards; you just work in a particular field, publish your stuff, and then see if you can get that work recognised as a PhD thesis afterwards. You need to bundle your publications, and write some additional text to tie it all together. 

This viva was of a man who had worked for quite some years as a biologist on the SAASC project in Kuwait; this is a new city, built where some sabkhas were dug out and festooned with serrated channels. Then houses were built on the artificial shore. And this man was involved in monitoring and managing the marine life that established itself in the channels. And had published loads of papers about it. 

Sabah al-Ahmad Sea City (SAASC); pic by SAASCKuwait

As I had never attended, let alone chaired, a British viva before, I asked the candidate’s supervisor to beforehand talk me through the process. He kindly obliged. Then I felt ready.

That day I made sure to have a smart shirt in my bag. I wanted to look sharp by my standards. Above the waist, that is. Below the waist I was wearing pink shorts. 

On the day of the viva I had a brief pre-meeting with the examiners. Obviously I knew the internal, and I knew the external from my time in York. It was good to see him again. 

When we were all happy we were prepared, we ended the meeting, and saw each other again in the real meeting, which also included the candidate and his supervisor. The supervisor bowed out and left us to it. So I welcomed the candidate, established he was ready, and then invited the external to kick things off. 

It took him and the internal only an hour to run out of questions! That was a very quick viva. I asked the candidate to leave the meeting while the examiners agreed on whether they would grant him minor corrections, or publish as is. And then we called both the candidate and the supervisor back in.

The candidate was really happy he had passed! And so were we. I suppose I couldn't have dreamed of a more pleasant first British viva! 

Hill training and Hoka trying

My first outing with the club was an unusually sedate session, as there was a very heavy race coming up, and many of the runners didn't want to exert themselves too much in the run-up to it. And they had announced the second one was going to be special; it coincided with a promotion event by Hoka, so we would go to local outdoor shop, each borrow a pair of Hoka’s (predominantly Speedgoat 6, as this was all about promoting this newly released shoe), go for a run with them, and then give them back. I suspected this wouldn’t be a strenuous run. 

We gathered at the usual parking lot, and after a while we went up to the shop. The lady in front of me ended up with the last pair of Speedgoat 6s size 5. I ended up with a pair of Mafates. A model with a slightly wider, bouncier sole. Good for staying comfortable during long trail races. And a bit more expensive than the Speedgoat. 

When we were all booted up we ran off. The bloke leading the pack suggested 5 miles, and everyone thought that was fine. Ad he lead us up some beautiful little paths I didn't even know about. It lead into the fields. The views were amazing! But of course, after a while we ended up on tracks I knew from the Tuesday night series and suchlike. Still beautiful scenery! Then we went west, to the toe of Moel Eilio. After a strange loop and a gratuitous hilltop we turned back. All in all we had done 10k. With plenty of vertical! A lot more than I had imagined. And it had been so much more beautiful than I had expected. 

And the shoes? They were lovely! Almost a pity I had only just taken a new pair of trail shoes into use; a pair of second-hand, but very comfy, Sauconies. They had finally replaced my first pair of trail shoes I had had since 2011. And they had had their first proper outing during my previous race. But I might need new road shoes. Hoka do these too…

When we got back to the shop we did some stretches. And a beer! They had provided that too, in both traditional and alcohol-free varieties. I chose the latter. And changed back into my own shoes. 

I will keep the shop and the shoes in mind! I have a road half marathon coming up; that may be a reason to upgrade my road shoes…

Bystander training

The University provides a fair amount of training to its staff. Quite a lot of it is compulsory. And they recently had been developing bystander training. It focuses on how to react if you see any sexual assault or harassment take place. Unfortunately, university campuses are hotbeds for such behaviour, and it is important that as many people as possible know how to deal with it. 

An email came around that advertised sessions; most were online, but I figured it would be best to do that in person. There was one session for that, and I registered for it.

I got into the room and there was one bloke sitting there. He was another participant; he was from Nuclear Futures, and we just had a bit of a chat. It was already a few minutes after the intended starting time when a third person appeared. She was the instructor. She had had parking problems due to the resurfacing of one of the main roads on campus.

View from the building where it took place

We got through the training fairly quickly. There was an introduction on sexual assault; overlapped with our ‘responding to a disclosure of sexual assault’ online training. And there was something about general bystander effect; the strange group psychology you get when something clearly needs responding to, but everyone is too self-conscious to do it. We were shown some videos with actors pretending to be very ill on the street, and two out of the three actors were there for a long time before anyone bothered to see to them.

After that there were some suggestions of who could intervene, how you could intervene, and how the circumstances matter. And we were given some scenarios and asked how we would respond to it.

At the end we had a little discussion. I said that this training was clearly aimed at students. Was there a chance that a specific version for staff would be developed? And the instructor said she absolutely would love that, but she was working with limited support on a limited budget. She was not paid for by the university but by the Higher Education Funding Council Wales (HEFCW). And we were living proof of the fact that there isn't an awful lot of interest from the staff. Only two people coming to the only in-person session! She said most online sessions only had three or four participants. I found that painful. So many people think this is not worth their time!

She said interest among students was bigger. I could imagine so. Sexual misbehaviour is often closely linked to alcohol use, and we the staff don't see the students in an alcoholic configuration. They do see each other in situations like that. (I know it also happens in lecture rooms and student accommodation and the field and all kinds of places like that, but I suspect there is just more of it in social situations where alcohol is involved.) So maybe this training might as well stay as it is for the time being. It is reaching it target audience. But I do not think it is a good look on either University management, or the academic staff, that they have so little interest in this…

Sociable in the garden without tea

Earlier this year, I had visited my colleague Martyn in his current house. That had been really nice! And I hoped they would come in visit mine as well. And we had found a lovely sunny afternoon for that.

I had gone into work that morning, and just biked back a bit earlier. I could catch up on work in the evening. And while I was biking, my phone pinged. At some convenient point I checked what the messages were. One was Martyn saying they were about to head off. The other one was from the local water company saying there was a burst pipe in my area, and they apologised for reduced or no water pressure. Oops! Bad timing.

 

Area without water

I got home, and there indeed was no water. Oh dear! Martyn had said they would come over for a cup of tea in the garden. I could not serve tea. But I didn't think I needed to call the meeting off; I had fizzy drinks and squash and milk and alcoholfree beer. I could flush the loo with water from the water butt. And I had hand sanitiser. And there also is a stream I would happily drink from only a kilometre away. And for people who don't like that; there is a shop just down the road that sells bottled water. I figured we would manage.

Martyn, Malen and Dylan arrived. And I was glad to find out they agreed we’d manage. I showed them the house, and then we retired to the garden. They had brought bara brith, and we decided that goes well with red Schloer. So that’s what we had!

It was nice to relax by the river for a bit. And the dippers showed up too! But after a while Dylan, the 6-year-old, got bored and a bit cranky. That was the cue to break the meeting up. I hadn’t even taken a picture. But it had been good! And I hope we’ll keep this going. 

And just after they left the water came back on! 

Saved from bike emergency

My bike saddle had been a bit loose for quite a while. I probably should have done something about that! But I never did. It didn't seem to affect anything, really. But it later turned out to be a portent for worse.

I was just biking home and not got very far when I took a low curb. I heard a bit of a sound and I felt something happen, and within a few meters I realised what it was. There was something with the saddle! It was still fixed to my bike, but it could freely rotate, in several directions. And that means you couldn't sit on it. If you put your weight on it, it would just pivot and you would slide off. A bike you can’t sit on is not a very good bike!

I quickly consider my options. Did I have any way of fixing that saddle myself? No. Was there anyone around who could? Yes! There is a Halfords in Bangor, and I'm sure they can fix saddles to bicycles. And they would be open until 8 pm. It wasn't particularly nearby, but I figured I could get there. Most of the way it's quite steep anyway, and then it isn't particularly onerous to have to stand on the pedals. So that's what I did. It was about 3 km.

I took the bike in, waited my turn, and I explained the problem. The man dealing with my query said that the whole bolt had sheared off, and it would either need drilling out, or I needed a new seat post. Well, new seat post, please! 

In Halfords

That was easily sorted. And while we were waiting for the computer to deal with its side of the transaction we made some small talk. Where did I need to go? What route would I take? The man turned out to be quite an avid cyclist, but he was entirely unfamiliar with the route between Halfords and Bethesda. Maybe he'll one day bike it! It's quite pretty.

With a bit of a delay and a bit of a detour I was on my way. It felt good to have a functioning bicycle underneath my bum again! And this has taught me to pay attention to anything being not entirely as it should be with my bike. Things can get uncomfortable quite quickly! And this time I got away with it, but I could imagine situations in which I would have to leave the bike altogether, be it at location or at Halfords, and find myself a bus somewhere!

Visit by an old friend

Somewhere in the mid-nineties I moved to shared student accommodation. One of the people there was Frank, a geology graduate with a passion for palaeontology. We got along well. But student accommodation has high turnover, and we both moved on from there. But we connected on Facebook so we were still in each other’s perimeter. 

This January suddenly I got a message from him. He and his wife would go on holiday to Wales in july! Would I be around? Could we meet up? And I thought it would be a great idea! And he turned out to have rented a cottage in nearby Tregarth. The day after he arrived I biked up.

It was so good to see him! Except for the grey hair he had changed a bit. And he said the same held for me. We estimated we hadn't seen each other for 20 years, but we couldn't really remember at what occasion we had last met. And it was lovely to meet his wife. And we didn't waste much time; soon we were sitting in the garden with beer and wine and snacks. And we talked through what they were going to do the coming days. Their first day had been spent wisely at South Stack.

View from Frank and Ilja’s cottage’s garden 

They had plenty of plans, and the thought was that one day I would team up with them, and that would be a Dinorwic trip. So that was decided! But we had plenty more to discuss. I left when it got dark, as I realised I had left my bicycle light at home. That tends to happen in late summer! I'm not used to needing them.

Our Dinorwic trip would take place on Sunday. Late morning they came to pick me up. So we got in the car, and I suggested we drive the touristic route to Llanberis. I directed them to the side entrance of the quarry, above the bus stop. I knew we didn't really want start exploring the quarry from there, but it is such a beautiful route to get there! And the views are amazing. Frank and Ilja agreed. 

From there we drove to the slate museum. We decided to first to do the quarry and then the museum. So we started walking up the zigzags. Frank really wanted to see the Anglesey Barracks, and that could be arranged.

Triple quarry selfie

From there we took the incline up to the viewpoint, and then we aimed for the hidden waterfall. But it was a day in the weekend in summer and the weather was fine, so plenty of people wanting the same thing. Quite different from the previous time I had been there! Then we had to place to ourselves.

View over the quarry

The famous waterfall

Ilja didn't fancy the route to there, so she waited for us. Frank thought it had been well worth going to have a look with the two of us. And it is really a beautiful place!

When we had done that we headed back to the museum. I directed them to the quarryman’s cottages, and after that we did the workshops. There was even a live blacksmith there! And then it was time to head to my place and drink beer in the garden.

I first showed them my house and my cat, of course. They liked both! And they understood why I'm so happy with my garden. Ilja is really into birds, and she was impressed that as soon as we walked into the garden, the dippers gave acte de présence. And a bit later there was commotion on the river; two female mergansers of some description (either common or red-breasted; I think the red breasts are a male thing) were zipping around. I had only seen them once before, but I had had no clue what they were!

Frank admiring simulated metal casting

When they left we decided we shouldn't leave it decades to see each other again. Frank was really keen on a house swap from time to time. But if I am in the Netherlands, it makes a lot more sense to be based at my mother’s. But I'll keep it in mind! And I can also just visit. And maybe they will come back here as well. They were having a whale of a time in Wales! So hopefully we will sort of pick up from where we had left off, in the 90s…

Supplementary Assessment Week(s)

If students have either not been able to do an assessment during the academic year, or they haven't passed enough modules to proceed to the next year or graduate (but not by too much), they get a chance in July remediate that. Students that have missed an assessment for unavoidable reasons like health issues just get another chance, and get the full mark for their work. Students who have failed a module in such a way they can’t progress get offered an alternative assessment; this replaces all the assessments of the module, but the mark is capped. So in summer we were expected to get all these first sits and supplementary assessments ready on our module websites. There were so many this year!

Really close to the time, the university also decided that this year it shouldn't be a supplementary assessment week, but the period of two weeks. So we changed our assessments accordingly.

That period has now ended. So what is the teaching burden? Well! It is quite a mixed bag. The good and the bad news is that not all students who were eligible to do assessments did it. I had more students who hadn't than students who had. And students not taking this opportunity doesn't have to be a bad thing; some may get the chance to do an assessment in several modules, and might just choose strategically which module they tackle. And that might not be mine. But there are undoubtedly students among them who didn't submit who now won't be able to progress, and that is sad.

There was also a bit more confusion then I had anticipated! I had several assessments by students who weren't eligible to do them in the first place. All these folders on our module websites specifically state that only those who have been personally contacted to say they are eligible to do them should do them. But not everybody paid attention to that, obviously. And there were some assessments to that were in the wrong folder. And there were students who were eligible but whom we hadn't been told about.

One thing that affects me is that there were several students eligible to submit their dissertation as a first sit. And then the idea is that I don't have to mark them; all dissertations have a dedicated first and second marker. The problem is, though, that we only get a week to mark this work, and a lot of people are on holiday in this time of year. So now I have been running around looking for people who might be willing to step in. I myself will do a fair few. But given that they are all double marked, I can't, by definition, do all this work!

On my module website

There is even a sort of supplementary supplementary assessment week, for students who don't come through this. That is in August. And the academic staff is getting cranky, because that sort of implies that we can't go on holiday during SAW and SAW2 (in case there are questions) nor in the weeks afterwards, as that is when we have to mark this work. Clearly, not everyone is sticking to this. But it is a concern. We need to be able to switch off a little bit in summer. And this steadily growing burden of additional assessing is not helping with that!

First club run: around the lake

After Having been accepted in a running club, the Eryri Harriers, it took a few days for that to have a practical implication. The first Thursday training was the very day after I became a member, and not only wasn’t I mentally prepared; it also seemed a bit much between the race on Wednesday and my imminent race on Sunday. That Monday there was a training, but I was at the book launch. So it was the Thursday after that I felt I could make my debut. 

On Thursdays, the Eryri Harriers do hill training. My favourite! Uphill, anyway. So I was keen. Although the Facebook page said, the day beforehand, that this week it would only be a loop around Llyn Padarn (where I had had my post-finish dip the Sunday before). But one of my colleagues, who lives in that neck of the woods, reassured me they would probably not skirt the shoreline, but come up the fairly steep road towards Deiniolen, which I had never run before, but had biked several times (here and here). I know it gives you a workout!

I changed in my office and drove to Llanberis. I parked in the parking lot that had been given in the announcement. There was no one else there! But maybe I was just a bit early. I quickly walked to the other parking lot there, but didn't see anything obvious, so I went back. And then I noticed a man in running gear approaching me. He gestured at me: are you here for running? So I gesture back that I was, and I joined him to go indeed back to the other parking lot. Why don't they just give the name of that parking lot in the announcement? But at least I now was where I should have been. And the man had been the one who had sent out the announcement.

I chatted a bit to the other runners there. And then my colleague Chris appeared. He's the only one that I know! Although I recognised a few faces from races.

Chris confirmed that if they tell you to gather it 18:15, the run probably won't start until 18:30. Good to know! And in the end, we finally set off. We went clockwise around the lake, so first on the path to the parking lot used by lots of swimmers, and then over the bicycle path to the end of the lake, and then up the infamously steep road. Now and then the front runners stopped to wait for the stragglers. And I had a bit of a chat with whoever happened to be nearby.

On the bicycle path

A lot of people were talking about a big race that coming Saturday. Everyone asked if I was registered on it. I wasn't! It was mountain running and that’s not my thing. 

I also noticed some people speaking Dutch. There turned out to be two Dutch sisters in the group. One lived here in Wales, and the other one was visiting. It was nice to meet them!

Until the highest point in this run, we had been on asphalt, but then there was a bit of distance on small paths, pretty much all the way back to the quarry hospital. And from there it was only a small distance back. In total we had done 8.6 km. It has been good!

I joined some runners in their stretches, but lamented the fact that stretching makes you stationary, and that gives biting insects a chance. So I was glad when we were done. And then I got back to the car, got home, and got a shower. My first club outing! I hope many will follow!Having been accepted in a running club, the Having been accepted in a running club, the

Next small step in making the house sustainable

Two years ago, I had solar panels put on the roof, and a few infrared panels put in some rooms. Solar panels were a no-brainer. Infrared panels seemed a good idea too, but I wanted to try it out first before I would deck out the entire house with them. If I would have still have had money left after that exercise, I would have bought myself a battery to go with it. But I didn't.

It is now two years later, and my finances have recovered. I figured it might be time to have the rest of the rooms also festooned with infrared panels. So I phoned the company that had done the previous work. And a man came over to talk about it.

We went from room to room to see what the requirements were, and whether there would be any challenges in installing. In the living room and landing, I am quite specific about the looks of the room. I don't want them to look too modern. In the kitchen it doesn't matter too much that there are big modern panels on the ceiling, and that there is cabling associated with them. But in the living room I want it to be discreet! And one thing I really wanted was panels that fit between the Victorian ceiling beams. Neil, the representative of the company, said that that wouldn't be a problem.

Living room ceiling beams already compromised by modern technology 

We also discussed batteries. He said that the Tesla Powerwall 3 was about to come out. He just said that that was unquestionably the best thing out there. Hopefully, they would become available in autumn. And we discussed where it would go.

Neil said he’d price up the lot for me and send the information through. And he did. And then I realised that altogether, this was a bit more expensive than I could afford in one go. And even though my initial thought was to have the infrared panels installed, and the battery had been an afterthought, it would actually make sense to do the battery first. If you do that, you can use a lot more of the energy you generate for yourself, and that brings down your energy costs. That then makes you recover financially a bit quicker, which means you can get the infrared panels sooner than otherwise. So I phoned him.

Long story short: I have now told Neil to put my name down for a Tesla Powerwall 3. I haven't yet sorted out the paperwork or the deposit, but that should not be that much work, and then I can wait for this next step in trying to make my house more sustainable. And the infrared panels can wait for a bit. My trusted old boiler is still functioning. I know it is burning fossil fuels, but well, one can’t magic money to solve all that sort of problems in one go…

Second book launch

Only two years ago, I attended my first book launch. Peredur, the linguist who I have been practicing Welsh with, has his second book out. Of course I wanted to be there when it was launched!

The timing was a bit unfortunate; that day, it would initially be dry, but in the late afternoon it would start raining. There was an actual weather warning for rain out, so it was probably going to be unpleasant. If it were not for the book launch, I would have gone home fairly early to avoid that.

They came, and I biked to Main Arts in the rain. I quickly went inside. There already were drinks there, and some people. I had a wine and a chat. And when the opportunity arose, I bought the book, and asked Peredur to sign it. 

At some point it started. We were in a huge room! I sat down third row. Nice balance between elbowing myself front row, and showing disinterest by sitting in the rear. 

The interviewer this time was a fellow author: Bethan Gwanas. I must admit I haven't read anything by her yet. And she had a completely different style from Aled Hughes, a radio presenter, who did it last time. To be honest, I preferred Bethan! She was very unfiltered. And she was a bit of a fan girl. That must have been good for Peredur’s ego. 

Bethan Gwanas and Peredur

She asked things such as how he has got the idea for his books. And he told her it had all started with a short story he had written for an online Eisteddfod during lockdown. And then it had snowballed from there.

She also asked about the two books hang together, and it seems that they are related but that you can read them entirely independently. I will find out myself!

He had different chapters with different protagonists in the first book, and now he did again. Some of them even the same ones. And he spoke of difficulties with these different voices. One of them, for instance, is from South Wales, so he had to mimic a South Welsh way of speaking. That sort of thing can go wrong! She also asked him to read a fragment from that, so we could find out how good his South Walian pronunciation really is.

There is also one chapter that is written in the second person, rather than the rest of both books, which is in third person. And they discussed a bit what the significance thereof was. And why the protagonist of this chapter has such a name. Peredur confessed he had just wanted to avoid that anyone with the same name, even if it was entirely by coincidence, would have an issue with that.

This chapter also seems to be in the most formal Welsh. After all the colloquial speech of the other protagonist (he read out another fragment; yes one of them is indeed very colloquial) that stands out. And Peredur confessed to have been a bit self-conscious; he wanted a chapter in which he proved he could really also write "proper " Welsh.

In the end, Peredur thanked everyone in the room, because he said he couldn't have done this without the support from the publisher, his friends, family, and colleagues. So he dedicated the book to us. But he reminded us that we still would have to pay for our own copy.

With that it was coming close to an end. He invited us to stay a bit longer, as we hadn't finished the Prosecco yet. And I walked out of the room, back to the drinks area. And when I saw daylight again, I realised it wasn't raining. And that made me decide to just go. I had already had two glasses of wine before the event; drinking any more would probably be a bad idea anyway. And I had already chatted to the people there. So I skedaddled!

I'll start this book as soon as I have finished my current one. Stay tuned for a review!

The swift saga continues

I left the story with the microphone pack Velcro’d to the swift box precariously leaning over. Did it fall? Was it rescued?

It was rescued! I got an email from one of the swift researcher that she had come and retrieved the box. It had been just in time, she said. And the problem had been that the box was sliding out of its Velcro. The Velcro itself was holding up well! But if it is not glued to whatever it is holding up properly, that's not much solace. So they were going to use some better glue in the future.

Something that was less positive that that same day, I had spotted a chick that had fallen out of the nest. Or being pushed out. No idea! But either way; it had given up the ghost. That was sad.

Rest in peace little swift

A week or two later the researchers were back, again with their long bamboo poles. They said they this time had a smaller battery pack, and better glue. So they had again the difficult task of somehow sticking it to the Velcro on a different nest box. They managed! So the research will now continue.

They also told me that it is not unusual for swift chicks to end up out of the nest. If the parents are a bit optimistic and have three chicks, but there aren't enough bugs around to feed all of them, the runt of the litter just gets sacrificed. This summer hadn't felt particularly low on bugs to me, but it might have been different for the swifts. 

Spot the tiny battery pack

With the new battery pack in position, I am back on monitoring duties. I do think I can keep reporting back that everything is okay a bit longer this time. I'm sure they have good glue this time, and that pack looked very light. Let's hope they get some good research data in!

Snowdonia trail 10k: silver!

When I realised I had come 4th last year, in spite of biking to the start, and stopping along the way for pictures, I was keen to register again and improve on my performance. And the first part was easily sorted. Would the second work out as well? Especially since my knee issues in May? I had faith. After my visit to the physiotherapist I had run the distance several times without issues. 

This time I drove to Llanberis. I parked on the outskirts of town, where the swimmers go. I fancied a dip after the race! 

I already had my race number, so after a last convenience break I was ready for the start. And it was sunny! I had made sure I had my sunglasses on me. What a difference with the race only four days ago. 

I ambitiously started at the front. That way you can see how many women there are in front of you. Before we were out of town, the tally had gone up to 1. A very fast-looking woman came storming past. I didn’t think I would see her again! Except from quite a distance, from the back. 

I happily trudged up the road to the youth hostel (where the last Tuesday Evening race had been held), and beyond. The field wasn't shifting much. I could see the first woman vanished in the distance, and not much else was happening. And I made sure to keep my speed up when I reached the gravel road that goes gently downhill.

On the gravel road

At the turn where the route goes onto a grassy path I was careful, but it had been a dry day. I could still keep up some good speed, as slippery levels were modest. Then on the other side there is some uphill work that was tiring, but it is my strength.

On the grassy path, with the same red-shirted man behind me 

The path gets you back on the asphalt road that leads you back into town. That is very steep downhill in places! Inevitably, some people overtook me. But crucially, no women. And I was still feeling strong when I passed between the lakes and headed for the zigzags. I know that is my territory!

The field was quite spread out, so I had them for myself. Later on I overtook some blokes on a later uphill bit. One of them remarked it I had quite some engine on me. I told him he would come thundering past me on the way down.

Inevitably, the downhill arrived, and indeed, that very bloke came thundering past. And a few more. But, crucially, still no women! This was looking good. I had faith I could actually bag myself a silver medal this time.

I made sure go quite fast on the asphalt bit in the vicinity of the quarry hospital. If any women would be approaching me, they would have done it on the downhill part just before that. I couldn't see or hear any, but sometimes people can seem to come out of nowhere. But when I had the finish in sight I looked over my shoulder. Nobody! So I knew I would be silver. I was really proud!

Getting to the finish, knowing I have silver

Post-finish-selfie

I was taking a finish selfie when I heard the announcer say the third woman had now crossed the finish. She must have been quite close behind me! So I waited for her and gave her a hug. And then the fourth woman came in. More hugs! Quite sweaty ones.

Together we went to where you could pick up your mug, your coaster, and some food stuff. I was quite attracted to the bananas and chocolate they had there! I stayed clear of the drink, because I knew I had a litre of water in my bag, and a big sachet of isotonic drink. I would head for that. I verified that the medal ceremony would be at 12:30 (I had finished close to 10:30), and then biked back to my car. It was time for a dip in the lake!

Right next to me, a couple was trying to convince their rather cute dog to go for a swim. And there were some swans making an appearance. I didn't stay long; the only thing I wanted to do was freshen up. That is quite quickly done! Then I dried off, changed, had my isotonic drink (this was a bit old, so some of it had turned into a chewy sweet), had coffee and a sandwich, and then went into town. My sandals were at the end of their lifespan, and I knew there were outdoor sport venues in town. Maybe one of them could sell me a new pair? And the second shop indeed could. Success! And with my new acquisition in the bag I went back to the event terrain, as the medal ceremony was not that far away.

Elegant residents

And a less elegant one. I had just taken off my socks, shoes and top and had decided I was ready

When I was there I spotted familiar face: my colleague Chris, whom I had failed to give a redundant registration I had been alerted to at the end of the previous race. We couldn't change the details this close to the event, and he obviously couldn't race with a chip belonging to a female, even if he would have been happy to race under someone else's name. He is an Eryri Harrier, and was there to cheer on one of our PhD students, who is as well. But she was doing the marathon. She was not expected any time soon! So I found Chris willing to attend the medal ceremony for the 10k and half marathon. I had a supporter! That was nice. I often have Marjan, but she was travelling that day, and couldn't be there.

I won a slate plaque, a sun hat, and some socks. The socks were a bit on the big side, but they might just about to be small enough for me. And otherwise I can give them to Kate.

Pic by Chris

After the ceremony, Chris decided to go into town for a bit, and I went back to my car. Time to go home and bask in my victory there. 

There I found out that the winning lady, who hadn't attended the ceremony, had come about five minutes before me. She really was very fast! And I was impressed to see the bronze lady was in her 60s. Of the top 10 women, half were over 40! That's not bad. Among the top 10 men, only one was. But the fastest man had been 6:20 faster than the fastest woman!

The rest of the day I was quite tired. Not surprising! And well worth it. Onwards to the next race! 

Another book: Memorial

After having read a lot of books that I had borrowed or received as a present, and re-reading Un Nos Ola Leuad, I was going to read a novel I had bought for myself for the first time in a long while. I had bought it quite a while ago, after I had read the review in the newspaper. It sounded interesting! I had never heard of the writer, but I decided to take a chance.

What attracted me in this book was that it dealt with a relationship, but seen from the separate perspectives of the two people in it. And I was interested to see their different perspectives on similar events. People can sometimes have such a different view on the same thing! I had already enjoyed that to a modest extent in Blasu, where two children of the protagonist have a completely different view on her..

So how was it? I must admit I was a bit disappointed! For two reasons. The first one was that there was less reflecting on the same things from the two people in the relationship. They do a lot of reflecting on things that concern only them and not their partner, such as family relationships. So you don't get the two contrasting perspectives.

A bigger reason was that it was all about a relationship, but I really struggled to spot any affection. I was wondering a bit if it really wasn't there, or whether how it is expressed is cultural to such an extent I just didn't recognise it. I'm convinced that at least some of it was the former. The two men involved are not very inclined to communicate with each other, they both cheat, they consider breaking up, and the words they use about their interactions are cold and carnal. That was not what I had been hoping for.

There was one additional thing: the suspension of disbelief. The story is that a young Black American has moved in with a young Japanese American. The Japanese guy's parents both moved to America as adults, and have also since moved back. Independently of each other; they are not together anymore. And then at some point the mother lets the son, Mike, know that the father has cancer and doesn't have long to live. Mike then tells his mum she should come over to stay with him, as she might want to not think about the situation. However; pretty much while she is in the air on her way to him, he decides that he wants to go and visit his dad, with whom he has lost contact. That seems implausible. Maybe I just don't know what strange contradictory urges the imminent death of a parent can bring out people, but I thought it was weird. Would you really go to Japan if your mother has just travelled halfway around the world on your invitation? But if you really feel like this is the last chance you have to reconcile with your dad, maybe you do.

In the book, anyway, Mike totally does go to Japan. Pretty much as soon as his mother arrives. And that leaves his mother staying with his boyfriend Ben. They have never met before. And Mike ends up working in the grotty-sounding diner his father runs in Osaka.

You do get a lot of interaction in the book between Mike and his mum, and Ben and Mike’s mum. That was quite interesting.

In the end, Mike decides that, after having come back to the US after his dad’s death, he has to go back to Osaka to run the diner for a while. Ben decides to stay in the US. The men seem to have decided that means breaking up, but Mike's mother thinks otherwise. You don't find out what the final decision is. I think that is an elegant ending.

In the end I am glad I read it, although I wish there had been more relationship in the book, but obviously, you only know what's in a book when you read it. And my next book is already on the go: I am going back to non-fiction. Stay tuned!

Pentir fun run

When I visited the Eryri Harriers Facebook page, why I called the advertisement for a race. It was really soon, and not very far away! I decided to register for it. It was a short 4.5 kilometre race on the Wednesday night in Pentir. That is not very far from my commute. So after thinking logistics a bit, I decided I would indeed just bike to work with my running kit in an extra pannier bag, and on the way back just ride to registration, run the race, get back onto my bike, and get home. Sounded like a good day!

I changed in my office, and decided to just write in in my running kit with a running jacket. I had a rain jacket with me as well, but I figured that would be too hot. It was raining, though, but I was quite resigned to that.

Biking to Pentir went well, and because I was on bike I could park right at registration. I got my race number and my chip (in this race, these were two different things), had last sip of water (even though it came for free out of the sky), and then ditched the jacket and went to the start. This was several hundred meters away.

There was the usual faffing by the start, but in the end the organiser got everyone's attention. He told us about that the road wasn't closed, and that on a wet day like this, the off-road parts of the route would be slippery. And he told us that someone had parked their car in front of the finish, so they would move it a little bit, and we would have to run around the nose of the car. And I asked the runner next to me that it was clear where the finish was, but where was the start? And that was when the organiser said ‘on your marks, get, set, go!’ That told me that wherever it was we were standing then, was actually the start. Oh well. We were off!

We started on the road, but after not which time we turned off into a field. That was quite grassy and quite firm. Into a bottleneck: There was a kissing gate that couldn't deal with the influx of runners. But it helps spread out the field. And this was the only kissing that heads queue for awhile. With the others, there were never more than two people in front of you, and they all were quite quick getting through.

Near the start

I recognised the area from when it was lockdown! Then I had extensively explored all the public footpaths in the area, so I had done all of these as well. It was a beautiful route. And some of it indeed was muddy and slippery. I was careful on those bits!

The way back had some paths that were too narrow to overtake people, so then I had a bit of a breather. But then we came back into the grassy field, and I overtook the lady in front of me. And when I got back on the road I saw one man in front of me I wanted to overtake as well. I did! And then I finished. I had no idea how much time it had taken me, but I was happy with my performance. I had given it some welly.

Almost back at the road

At the finish that was water and cake. I didn't need any encouragement! I picked a lovely piece and ate that, while chatting to other finishers.

Post-finish cake! 

One lady approached me to ask if maybe I wanted to do the trail 10k on Sunday. I told her I was already registered. That was a bit of a pity, as one of her friends was registered, but couldn't run, and was hoping to find someone to transfer her registration to. I wasn't it! But I said I could ask around. But then we needed to be able to get in touch with each other for that to work. My hands and my phone were too wet to exchange details that way, but I asked if a policeman who was keeping an eye on things if he happened to have a pen on him, and he did. I had the lady write her name and phone number on my race number, and said I would be in touch.

Then I decided had lingered enough. I went back to registration. The organiser had said that there would be no prize ceremony for reasons of the weather, so he said that there would be a monitor with results at registration, and if you saw you had won a prize you could just pick it up. So I had a look! And I saw I had come first in my category. That was good enough for a prize. And they just randomly allocated the prizes. I was happy to see mine was a box of jelly babies. Firstly, these are good running food; secondly, there were also several bottles on the table, and I didn't fancy having to bike these home. So this was a good result! I got back into my wet jacket and was off.

I had to bike back on a relatively large road, as there were no alternatives that wouldn’t add significantly to my travel time, but I still only was on that road for a few minutes before I could turn off onto a smaller road. When I got home I was quite drenched! I was glad to peel off my soaking kit and have a shower. And it had to be a rigourous one; it took some force to remove all the mud from my legs.

The weather hadn't been ideal, but it had been really nice to just do a little race in the middle of my commute! And get an ego boost and jelly babies to top that off. And it was a nice preparation for the upcoming race that Sunday! I hope that will be even better…

New vet

My cat really hates going to the vet! And that's the only place I take her. I think she just really really hates being transported anywhere in her travelling basket. She does sometimes try to slink away from the vet, but what she really really doesn't like is being put in the basket, and then the journey there.

I had just kept her registered at the vets she already had been registered at when she was with Guy and Kate. But that is in Caernarfon, 11 miles away, and there is a vet a lot closer by: only 2.5 miles. I had decided a while ago I should transfer her, but I hadn't gotten around to it. But now I decided I should get my act together and do it.

When I was at it anyway, I also completed the transfer of her chip to my details. I hadn't quite managed that the previous time! And I also made sure her chip details agreed with her insurance details.

The vet said that they wanted to see her for a general health check. She was also due her worm medication. So they booked her in.

She wasn't suspecting anything, so it was fairly easy to put her in the basket. And then the usual heartbreaking scenes developed! She was meowing pitifully in the back of the car, but this time, she only had to be in it for a very short time!

Her least favourite location 

When we got there there was a complication; it turned out that the person I had phoned had accidentally booked her into a different branch of the same veterinary practice. And the location was just what I had come for! But they were flexible about it, and said that they would sort of squeeze me in. And I only had to wait 20 minutes for that. And given that the travel basket wasn’t moving anymore, the cat was quite happy. She didn't care there occasionally were big dogs in the waiting room; she just settled in her basket and was even purring quietly.

When it was our turn the vet weighed her, and even though she looks slim, I found out she is practically 5 kg at the moment! That's quite a lot. But otherwise the vet decided she was healthy. And she (the cat, that is) was also quite cooperative.

At the desk I picked up her wormer, and then we were good to go. Only 2.5 miles to get home! This really was an improvement! And if I ever need to pick up medication for her, I can just do it on bicycle. It's not that far off my route to work. Another advantage. I think this was a good move!

Joining a running club

I'm not quite sure when the idea was planted in my brain. I love running! I have been doing it for well over 10 years. And there are other people who love it too. Is it perhaps a good idea to join a club?

I do know that I was considering it when I was doing the Tuesday evening series. There were always Eryri Harriers, and they were always very kind and welcoming. They organise these events, as well. And that would be the club I would join. I live in their territory, and they seem a good bunch. They also do any type of running, which is nice.

One day I decided to go for it, and I contacted their membership secretary. A short while later I had a response, and I paid my fees. I was a member! I also joined their Facebook groups.

I didn't immediately do anything with that membership. The next thing I did with running was run a race, but I had registered as an unaffiliated runner, and I didn't have club kit yet, so there wasn't anything different yet. I did chat to some other Harriers. Thursday Hill training came up! And I really liked the sound of that. But that race was on the Wednesday, the day after cave rescue training, and I wanted to have a normal evening for a change. So that week I didn't go. I also know about Monday training, but I think that's on the athletic track, and that attracts me less. I might show up anyway! To get a bit of club spirit.

This might be a big change in my running career! I am curious to see how it pans out…

This should be my racing outfit soon! 

Search practice, with technology

Immediately after the graduation ceremony, there was a cave rescue training. That was quite the transition! I drove home, went to the loo, fed the cat, changed out of my dress and into quick-dry trousers, and left again. I would eat dinner at the car park. I had packed sandwiches. 

We would do a surface search training this time. Our mapping expert had made a map with pretty much all (potential) underground venues on it, and the idea was that we would practice using that. He had instructed us to all upload GaiaGPS on our phones, and had sent us a file with all venues in one part of the woods where we would meet. 

When we got there, Ed the mapping expert first talk a bit through the software. Then he subdivided us into three teams, and gave each team a piece of paper with coordinates on, and a radio. And with the help of GaiaGPS we were expected to go to the coordinates, and report back via radio.

We did that, and from these coordinates he sent us to the first mine entrance he wanted us to check. It was very easy to navigate to it! We reported on its details, which I suspect he has by now added to the map. And then he sent us to a few more locations.

I imagine he must have kept a very cool head! All three teams were really frequently reporting back to him. He must have somehow made notes of what we all told him, kept track of where everyone was on the map, and had ideas of where else to send us. And we also sometimes told him we had spotted potential entrances that were not on the map, or if we thought a feature on the map had been misidentified.

Working with the map software went fine, radio communications went fine, it wasn't raining, and the midges were annoying but not too bad. So I think it went really well! And at some point we were all sent back to the parking lot.

In the debrief we discussed things such as what you can and cannot do when you don't have internet signal, the pros and cons of having all the information on our phones, how to combine the software with paper maps if needs be, how long a mobile phone battery last while running the mapping software, and things like that. Very useful if you ask me!

Then people started dispersing. I took the opportunity of giving my helmet with light to Miles, as there was an issue with the cabling or connectors. This had happened during the previous exercise. The light itself was still working, but that is not much use if it struggles to connect to the battery! And Miles is a champion electrician.

The last thing I did was discuss with Ed details of one feature we were convinced had been misidentified. And then it was time for me to head home as well. Time to wash the combine sweat of an academic gown in a glamorous hall, and of a cave rescue jacket in a slightly muggy woodland off me. I'm glad we had this practice, as I do sometimes veer in the direction of troglodytism…

Several of the venues we checked out

Summer graduation 2024

It was time for digging out a smart outfit! Graduation was imminent. I decided on a dress and black boots. The gown providers had a black gown with gold lapels (if that’s what you call them in a gown) for me. And I went to the council chamber to await lining up in the cortège. It was busy there! 

When we got to the podium I was wondering if we would even have enough seats. I ended up on fourth row, and half of the row was unusable as the chairs were touching the chairs in front! No space for legs. But we all fit. I didn’t have a very good view, though. 

My view during the ceremony 

About half the students in the ceremony were from our School. I knew so many! It was good to see them all robed up, being congratulated by the VC. 

When we were done there was the obligatory group picture in the courtyard. (Sometimes I don’t get to see that picture. You would think it’s little effort to plonk it on Facebook!) And then we could pick out individuals and congratulate them. Students you have supervised in their final project, or personal tutees, tend to be the ones you want to see most. 

Happy picture with Dei, new BSc Lewis, new MSc Finley, and me

Staff pic

After a while we all went to the other courtyard, where all the parents and other associates were. It was nice to meet parents, and be able to congratulate them with their offspring. And there were some pics taken. But after a while I figured it was time to hand the robe back and head for the reception. So I did! 

There were more people to congratulate there. I also expected Finley, my master student, to show up with entourage. But that didn’t happen! And I had to go. Different duties were calling. So that was it for this summer! I hope we’ll see some of our graduates again!