tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83915132011-10-03T11:03:12.748+01:00Life is not a problem to be solved...but an adventure to be lived!Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.comBlogger3011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-57176911096834619252010-10-28T21:27:00.007+01:002010-10-28T22:11:00.336+01:00

Representing Team Scotland in the 2010 Commonwealth Games was both an honour and a privilege. I'm extremely proud to have been the first Scottish tennis player to compete at a full Commonwealth Games, and to be part of the tennis team that won a mixed doubles gold medal is a particularly special memory! Competing in such a massive multi-sport event is an incredible experience - it's inspiring to

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-53276269195278753172010-06-26T09:49:00.012+01:002010-06-27T11:30:41.693+01:00

I'm here for 2 weeks of tennis tournaments, actually playing this time not just travelling with kids! It's literally in the middle of nowhere, about 35km north-west of Lillehammer - a ski resort with a hotel, some tennis courts, a big hill and....that's pretty much it. There's a few other British girls here, so we've been practising together, supporting each other, cooking dinner, playing games

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-82921875277164425712010-05-24T10:40:00.001+01:002010-06-26T12:29:22.598+01:00

We borrowed mum & dad's mod-con campervan for the weekend and had a brilliant time on the East Coast with amazing weather! We drove down the A1 past Coldingham & St. Abbs (had a short walk over the cliffs and on the beach), then found an amazing campspot just south of Berwick, right on the coast. On Saturday we drove across the causeway to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) and had a really nice

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-49985527455426597492010-05-18T13:30:00.013+01:002010-06-26T18:51:19.013+01:00

We had a great couple of days at Kilconquhar over Easter. Gav, Jen & Lochlann were staying the whole week with mum & dad, but we just had a couple of days (work gets in the way of having fun sometimes ;) We had some really nice walks along the coast, played golf at the driving range, did the chain walk at Elie (with Lochlann on my back!) and took him for his first swim in the pool -

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-79693340642009375162010-05-02T18:53:00.002+01:002010-06-27T11:18:02.556+01:00

Richard & I had a long weekend on the west coast with fantastic weather, which was an added bonus! We climbed Ben Lomond on Friday - masses of snow still on the tops, so decided to just go up & down the main route... Took a cross-country route to try and find a good camping spot but ended up checking into a campsite at Arrochar as it was getting late and we needed some gas for cooking (I

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-45264552478964783642010-03-20T21:48:00.012Z2010-03-31T21:38:15.601+01:00

The Mighty DeerstalkerAn adventurous hill-running race with approximately 1250 competitors dressed up in varying degrees of tweed & hunting attire which begins like this – sprint up a grassy slope, leap over some hay bales, plunge into a river/mud pool and then get to the top of the 1st hill as fast as you can. The rest of the race revolves around 2 major hills and consists of running, scrambling

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-53505970195876436132010-03-16T22:07:00.003Z2010-03-30T22:18:28.735+01:00

I got my first smile the other day! I'm constantly amazed at how quickly he changes...

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-78808378030058613102010-03-12T21:47:00.000Z2010-03-30T21:48:10.173+01:00

The last few Mondays we've been doing the pub quiz at Oscars – Alan, Liana, Richard & I – its great fun although I'm not sure how much I contribute in the way of answers, just the occasional inspired 'guess'. Thanks to the others we've done pretty well most weeks, and have managed to claim victory once which presented us with a voucher to fuel the following week's performance. I started taking

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-72766960923707177452010-02-20T21:13:00.006Z2010-04-05T08:56:23.644+01:00

YORKRichard decided he'd plan a fun weekend away just before my birthday, and I had no idea where. I wasn't sure what to take (just that no bike or hiking shoes would be needed!), how we would travel, or where we were staying... even the taxi picking me up wasn't what I was expecting, so when we turned into the train station I just started laughing – I'd definitely been on the wrong tracks (

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-21688389351790594472010-01-26T21:23:00.015Z2010-02-09T14:58:46.750Z

How did it become February 2010 already?!The last couple of months have been crazy - some great fun interspersed with a run of bad luck. Here's the brief overview...Highlights: (Click on headings for more pictures)Rome Weekend Spent a long weekend with Richard being tourists in this ancient & impressive city Aviemore Weekend - biking in thick snow was brilliant fun! (but quite hard work ;)

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-684044406819828092009-11-16T23:10:00.008Z2009-11-17T00:49:50.122Z

It's been a while - which either means I've been having lots of fun, or I've been really slack keeping up with my blog... or both. The last few weekends have involved two of my favourite things - lots of exercise, and lots of socialising :) October: Had a great weekend in Braemar with Richard, Jo, Steve, Helen & Eric - we hiked up Beinn a' Bhuird on Saturday in amazing weather - a fun

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-54067311479421493412009-10-11T09:01:00.008+01:002009-10-22T15:17:27.610+01:00

What a GREAT weekend!! I went through to Kirkcaldy on Friday, and Fiona & I had a girly afternoon getting our nails done & having a giggle. We'd both had a spray tan on Thursday night so it just looked like we'd been in the Bahamas for six months or so... On Saturday morning we played tennis (yes, the bride-to-be decided at 10am that it was a priority to improve her backhand before the wedding

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-65025276920484958332009-09-14T19:50:00.006+01:002009-09-20T21:28:18.676+01:00

Victory for Scotland in the Four Nations!! Its probably my favourite tennis event to be involved in each year - I was expecting to be a non-playing captain, but was surprised (in a good way!) to be selected to play in the senior team. Keith Meisner & Jordy Gray were the senior men, Euan McGinn our captain and Claire Birnie the other female. We won our category, beating Ireland 4-2, England 4-2

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-88951700153390038072009-09-07T20:58:00.003+01:002009-09-08T23:10:15.952+01:00

Another fun weekend in Braemar for the highland games with mum & dad, Gav & Jen, Auntie Katie, and Pete & Mary Fettes. The ceilidh at Mar Lodge on Friday night was fun (the stag ballroom still impresses me every time) and the Games on Saturday is always entertaining! I ran the hill race again (up Morrone), and came 2nd lady, again :) It was fun, I think I felt a bit faster than last year but

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-11384043986605567242009-08-25T00:00:00.005+01:002009-09-08T20:58:20.131+01:00

Continuing on from the western isles cycling tour... Jo got the train back to Edinburgh, and I got off at Newtonmore, found a campground nearby & pitched the tent! I was meeting Heather in Dalwhinnie early afternoon so I biked up to Shepherd's Bush intending to climb a nearby munro (A'Chailleach), or maybe two (+ Carn Sgulain) if there was time (or maybe three if I ran (+ Carn Dearg)... so I did

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-7328381094018036792009-08-24T23:51:00.007+01:002009-09-07T01:29:30.077+01:00

A quick turnaround on Saturday, before another adventure with Jo!! We got an early train to Oban, had time to look around for a couple of hours, and then a ferry crossing to Barra (Castlebay) - the journey took up most of Sunday :) Barra is tiny so we set off on arrival (8:30pm) to use the remaining daylight - made it up to the north side near the airport and got a great campspot. Monday:

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-88194797624238232312009-08-15T22:01:00.006+01:002009-09-07T01:16:57.898+01:00

I got back from Slovenia & had a couple of days at Braemar with Richard - we cycled in passed Linn of Dee & climbed a couple of munroes, I practiced my navigation & map-reading skills! I came back to Edinburgh for a token day's work (2 x rpm plus some meetings & organising of the performance programme for next year). On Thursday we did an orienteering event near St.Andrews - part of the Scottish

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-66321961349460476752009-08-08T12:23:00.006+01:002009-08-08T14:18:55.941+01:00

I decided to book a last minute holiday in Slovenia - cheap flights from London so I just tagged it onto the end of County Week! It was full of activity, adventures, adrenaline & fun - I felt like I needed a holiday at the end of it all ;) All the pictures/videos are on my Slovenia Web Album.Day 1: I got collected from Ljubljana airport and arrived at hostel (Pod Voglom!) next to Lake Bohinj

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-72160538124873314312009-07-25T10:51:00.005+01:002009-08-08T12:23:27.193+01:00

Division 5, West Worthing, with the following team - me, Liana Park, Aileen Davis, Sarah McFadyen, Alison Reid, Sonia Vickers, Leigh Kasperek and Jo Stevenson (Wed/Thurs only). It was a fun week, despite narrowly missing out on promotion (by essentially one set on the 1st day!) 3 matches a day for 5 days is a lot of tennis, but it was nice to be on the grass (almost all week) and felt like I was

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-49948320027911642762009-07-20T00:16:00.011+01:002009-08-08T10:51:36.080+01:00

I started playing touch rugby this year & I totally love it... the team are a great laugh (Sylvia introduced me to them), and happen to be pretty good as well! Gunn Runners, sponsored by Innes & Gunn beer (!) - matches are on Wednesday nights which I've made most of this year, and practices on a Monday, which I've only made a few of due to coaching commitments but have really enjoyed. We ended

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-38879153625363950682009-07-14T00:14:00.004+01:002009-09-07T00:15:04.619+01:00

I had some vouchers for NAE LIMITS - an adventure company based in Ballinluig (near Pitlochry) - so I chose white-water rafting & canyoning, and managed to convince Richard to come with me! They were both brilliant fun, especially the canyoning in Bruar Falls...I'd definitely recommend it! We had a great day hiking near Bridge of Orchy with Jo & Steve aswell - just west of Loch Tulla, climbing

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-19161626094808416612009-06-22T23:59:00.002+01:002009-08-08T10:45:24.095+01:00

Headed up to Killin a couple of weekends ago with Heather (an outdoorsy friend of Mark's I met recently) and we hiked over to Tyndrum on Saturday via Sgiath Chuil, Meall Glas & Ben Challum. We slept in a wigwam attached to 'By the Way' hostel which was really cool (just a bit damp & slightly smelly ;) then hiked back via Creag Mhor & Beinn Heasgarnich on Sunday. Had great fun & excellent weather,

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-32390605217979180762009-04-20T23:32:00.008+01:002009-04-21T00:15:07.415+01:00

I've been looking at the munro book quite a bit recently and getting a little bit addicted to working my way through it - I don't like to climb mountains just for the sake of climbing them, but there is a certain pull towards hiking all of the highest mountains in Scotland (284 mountains over 3000 feet are listed as munros). I'm in no rush to complete them, but it's really exciting to see some

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-88526359031551396592009-04-14T23:17:00.010+01:002009-04-20T22:48:05.347+01:00

YAY - mum found my camera in the back seat of their car...must have been there for a while but definitely good to have it back! Easter was a great laugh - mum & dad, Gav & Jen, Auntie Katie, Gran, me, Emma, Colin, Isobella (7) & Brielle (2)! After the egg-painting & egg-rolling championships at Pathhead Sands, we all went to Kilconquhar for the day - had a picnic in the park area and played

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-91342691584508350632009-03-23T23:15:00.006Z2009-03-24T00:06:41.886Z

Since getting back from Australia/New Zealand, I've figured out a better work/life balance - work a litle, live a lot :) I'm fully self-employed, and have several different working opportunities all based around tennis & fitness, so I can enjoy a variety of jobs without feeling I 'have' to do any of them! Coaching tennis squads & individuals, fitness sessions in the gym & on court, running a few

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-53928066606307243612009-01-26T21:00:00.015Z2009-02-01T21:02:57.746Z

Going back to Christchurch was really special for me - I only had 6 days but I did as much as I could and caught up with loads of people... SO SO good! As far as exploring old haunts I went biking in the Port Hills + Bottle Lake, running in Hagley Park & the Botanic Gardens, orienteering in Spencer Park, walking along the River Avon, and of course had a few drinks in The Bog, Dux de Lux, Holy

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-82711312976200577182009-01-25T09:49:00.013Z2009-02-01T21:18:56.092Z

Another seriously long journey - again, totally worth it! - out to Melbourne for the Australian Open Tennis. Fiona Robertson picked me up and we spent the next day biking along the coast to Black Rock (lesson #1, remember to reapply sunscreen in the Aussie summer). It was beautiful weather, a nice breeze, and great views along the coast. Thursday, Friday & Saturday I was at the Grand Slam

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-27267233593014721272009-01-05T09:43:00.006Z2009-02-01T21:44:14.769Z

What a great start to 2009!! Mark, Jo, Steve, Helen, Silke & I had a fantastic ski holiday in Tignes - snow conditions, weather, friends, the UCPA house (accommodation with all meals & evening entertainment for groups of young people from all over the world), Hogmanay itself - everything was brilliant and I would definitely recommend a UCPA holiday to anyone whether you've skied before or not.

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-83875246013181824152008-12-20T23:12:00.017Z2008-12-21T01:28:19.785Z

yes, i've been slacking on the blog updates but in reality, my life has been pretty boring this year...time to change things in 2009 :) At the end of September (after 4 nations tennis, and Leon & Laura's wedding) I played the Scottish Open racketlon tournament - table tennis, badminton, squash & tennis. Each match consists of all four sports played up to 21 points against one opponent - every

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-22623261607528690942008-09-22T22:16:00.002+01:002008-09-23T23:14:36.904+01:00

My 3rd wedding this year, and another really enjoyable celebration! Knowing both the bride & groom, as well as their families made it even more fun - it was so nice to catch up with everybody! It was held at the George Hotel in the centre of Edinburgh - great venue, flowers were beautiful, just a great day. A few of us went dancing afterwards at Shanghai club - turned into a late night :) I

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-89248659571142325372008-09-15T23:03:00.000+01:002008-09-24T23:28:42.788+01:00

Its always my favourite event, whether playing or captaining - the atmosphere is great and its really nice to have all the age groups compteting together. I was playing in the senior event this year, and spent the last couple of weeks practicing quite a lot so I could do myself justice, or at least not feel quite so frustrated as I did last year. Physically I feel really fit just now, and the

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-90157571218988176822008-09-09T23:15:00.005+01:002008-09-09T23:21:37.683+01:00

It's been manic at Craiglockhart/Tennis Scotland the last couple of days with Andy doing so well in the US Open - great for publicity and atmosphere around the courts, but makes for some seriously long days! TV crews, newspaper journalists, radio interviewers etc etc, all wanting to know how his success affects the kids we coach, the popularity of the sport, our jobs etc. So we all went to watch

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-30482823471601792572008-09-08T23:05:00.003+01:002008-09-23T09:20:18.681+01:00

Headed up to Braemar on Thursday night with Ben and had a nice meal with mum & dad. Went up Morrone in the morning - testing out the route for the hill race on Saturday! Charlie & I had made a joke last year that we'd run it, and of course neither of us wanted to back out so we entered this year! Played golf in the afternoon with mum & dad - extremely erratic but great fun, when I connect its

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-6112612640179387582008-08-30T23:03:00.021+01:002008-08-31T22:37:49.533+01:00

A couple of days in Edinburgh for the start of the tennis programme at Craiglockhart and then off for another wee adventure...So with this new bike I got the train to pitlochry - really nice bike ride via tummel bridge to Glen Foss, and a quick climb up Schiehallion - an easy climb with clear path most of the way, then rocky for the last 20 mins. Beautiful weather in the valley but its a very

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-24629874518553309362008-08-25T12:26:00.020+01:002008-08-30T23:02:54.943+01:00

That would be boring!! The days I had pencilled in for holiday didn't coincide with any of my friends this year, so I just decided to go on my own wee adventure - to be honest I thought I'd be bored of my own company within a couple of days at most, but I had good music and great banter... On Tuesday morning I got the train up to Ardgay (north of Inverness), and set off with my bicycle &

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-18071755788583336562008-08-03T13:59:00.001+01:002008-08-09T14:35:11.927+01:00

The great weather continued 10 minutes down the road at the Bournemouth Open straight after county week. It was a successful week, with all the kids reaching some sort of final... except Euan, who unfortunately went over his ankle during his 1st round match, damaged his ligaments, and had to pull out. We all stayed in the house, and it was a much more enjoyable week than it has been the last

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-68433935059368222832008-07-26T13:38:00.004+01:002008-08-09T13:59:21.195+01:00

A quick turnaround after the wedding ready to fly down to Southampton for the ladies county cup in Poole. We're on a mission to get into a higher division with decent tennis over the next couple of years, and after a week of 3 doubles matches a day vs various diferent counties we took a step in the right direction - up! Winning group 6 isn't something to get too excited about, but it was still a

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-91215469433391998292008-07-20T22:23:00.009+01:002008-08-31T20:19:19.730+01:00

It was an amazing day! I won't be able to find enough good words to describe the wedding - everything about it was so special, and I am so happy to have been a part of it! All the family and close friends (on both sides!) were involved in the preparations and much of the ceremony which made it even more memorable. It was fantastic to meet Emma, Colin, Isobella & Brielle (Jen's sister &

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-79600886458707245282008-07-07T16:05:00.011+01:002008-08-09T13:38:24.160+01:00

It was advertised as a dirty weekend, and that’s exactly what it was! Steve & I had entered the 2-day standard race, starting at Traquair House, near Innerleithen in the Borders. We set up our tent on arrival and got registered, ready for the fun to begin. Unfortunately the weather was miserable and rain forecast for both days – a long weekend ahead! An 8-hour race on the Saturday turned into

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-15464185078521528422008-06-23T16:03:00.000+01:002008-07-13T16:05:15.527+01:00

I’ve been playing for Dunfermline tennis team this year, so have had quite a few league matches (all doubles) for the past couple of months… its been fun to play a bit although there’s a big mix of standards throughout the clubs, and some of the matches can be slightly frustrating! The Scottish Cup moved into the final stages and we played Newlands in the final at Craiglockhart. We won fairly

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-18448365135549701082008-06-15T16:27:00.010+01:002008-08-07T23:00:28.958+01:00

Hilarious fun! We met at Ratho (Indoor Climbing Arena just outside Edinburgh) to do the Aerial Assault Course - you get harnessed in and then have to step off a ledge 100 feet above the ground to begin!! Of course Jen was first, and she did really well because its a bit scary at first, and I had the advantage of having done it before :) Everyone either enjoyed it, or was at least happy/proud of

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-55005721075211796992008-06-02T16:03:00.007+01:002008-07-13T16:26:37.259+01:00

We went down to Newcastle on Friday night - Gav, Jen, Martin Flett & I all stayed with Fiona so it was really nice to catch up with them properly! On Saturday we had a pretty relaxed morning and a light lunch at Gran’s with mum & dad. The wedding ceremony was in the old church in Stamfordham mid-afternoon - the weather was amazing and it was a fantastic day!! The dinner & reception were in a

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-26863929265017171732008-05-26T16:00:00.000+01:002008-07-13T16:02:08.921+01:00

Alex, Alan, Neil & I (all from Craiglockhart) were running in the Edinburgh marathon relay, raising money for ClicSargent children’s fund. It was split into 2 long legs and 2 short legs, so I started us off running 8.2 miles, Alan ran 5.3 miles, Neil ran 7.9 miles, and Alex had the “Glory Leg” of 4.7 miles. It was really good fun, and our official time at the finish was 3hrs 32 mins, so pretty

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-40110691726145671522008-05-25T15:59:00.000+01:002008-07-13T16:00:54.444+01:00

Had a short trip down south for a strength & conditioning workshop at Roehampton, followed by a tournament in Nottingham with Emma & Euan. Coaches get to sit on court during the player plus event, a bit like the Davis Cup or Fed Cup at a junior level. I could only do the first 2 days because I was running the Edinburgh Marathon relay on Sunday, so Ellinore sat on court with the kids on Sunday.

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-38060042742719747862008-05-11T15:56:00.001+01:002008-07-13T16:02:33.897+01:00

The Scottish Open (international senior event) was on at Craiglockhart all week, and traditionally all the staff go out at the end of the week for dinner and drinks (quite a few drinks). Not much to say other than Friday night was a lot of fun, and working all day Saturday was not :)

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-9763641131269730742008-05-08T23:18:00.002+01:002008-08-09T13:38:35.433+01:00

After a manic week at work, I got the train down to Lancaster on Friday night and had a really nice chilled out holiday weekend staying with the Wolfendales! The house is amazing - used to be a mill - with a lovely garden and lake, how cool is that?! I never see Ali much anymore (she lives in London now), but whenever we do catch up we can just start chatting wherever we left off last time!

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-36831415055887711612008-04-21T23:14:00.004+01:002008-05-10T23:33:40.683+01:00

Had a fantastic week’s skiing in Wengen (Swtizerland) - the first family holiday in ages, this time with an additional member (soon to be official too!). Jen was actually a bit of a legend… she seemed totally fearless, and picked it up unbelievably quickly having never skied before! The snow conditions were brilliant, and we had 3 days of blue skies/sunshine - the other 3 days it snowed so

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1763264687969609192008-04-20T23:11:00.001+01:002008-05-10T23:33:23.172+01:00

I took a Tennis Scotland squad of 5 kids to Portugal for a training camp in Lisbon, followed by a European U/14 event in Maia. The training week went well - we got lots of practice on the clay courts and plenty of fitness done as well. Unfortunately the weather was bad during the tournament week, it rained nearly every day, and the organisation was really poor so overall I didn’t think it was a

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-43999676050045033742008-03-16T22:39:00.008Z2008-03-16T22:59:32.880Z

Dad's retiral was last weekend at Balbirnie House Hotel - a mere 180 people were at the dinner/ceilidh and it was a really special evening. Ivan Brenkel and Arthur Espley (good friends of dad's from way back!) made very nice speeches and there was an amusing slideshow of pictures to match a few stories. Without going into detail, dad has obviously been extremely influential to numerous people in

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-73234991285711393062008-02-25T15:03:00.006Z2008-05-10T23:33:23.172+01:00

Friday was Sheila's surprise 50th birthday party, and although I arrived a bit late to see the initial surprise and waterworks, there was a secondary surprise when I showed up as well! Sheila's been coaching there nearly 25 years, so there was a great mix of players from all the teams she's coached over the years... just like one big family :) Saturday we met and hiked up Squaw Peak, then headed

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-25242646590672342082008-02-21T14:55:00.000Z2008-05-10T23:33:23.172+01:00

Last week we had Dr.Ann Quinn visiting our set-up of tennis in Scotland. Ann is Head of Sports Science at the LTA (and therefore my boss as strength & conditioning is within the sports science department!). The main aim of the visit was for her to get an idea of the overall structure, geographical positioning of facilities and players, and see some of the logistical difficulties we face in terms

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-60370158235960283662008-02-15T14:08:00.021Z2008-05-10T23:33:40.683+01:00

Bet you can’t pronounce that correctly :) Basically, these are the two mountain passes that connect Braemar to Aviemore in the Cairngorms. Having done masses of hill-walking and scrambling all around that area, I’ve always wanted to ‘connect the dots’ and complete these two walks which are both 22-25 miles in length. I started at Linn of Dee - just me, my mp3 player, boots & backpack! I had 2

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-59625340895467586342008-01-27T14:00:00.001Z2008-05-10T23:33:23.173+01:00

I spent a week in Bolton (near Manchester) with the GB U/14 girls team, assisting their training programme (tennis conditioning, injury prevention & recovery) during Teen Tennis – a warm-up tournament for the prestigious unofficial U/14 world-championships in Tarbes, France. Next I went out to Tarbes for a few days to watch the best juniors in the world competing. Past winners/finalists include

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-23671409530887228812008-01-02T23:32:00.000Z2008-01-05T00:01:49.866Z

I had a flat party last Friday, which a bunch of tennis girls who I haven't seen for ages came to - it was a great laugh. After several drinks we headed into town (the grassmarket) and danced the night away... I have to admit I didn't really achieve a lot on Saturday :) On Sunday I went hiking in the Borders, and was totally outnumbered by Kiwis (7:1). Jo, Steve, Mark, Sylvia, Ed, Abby and Bonnie

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-87296721538605647822007-12-30T17:41:00.000Z2008-01-05T00:02:35.899Z

Braemar at Christmas is always relaxing, beautiful and cold! Fun times with family - eating (and drinking) far too much, having a laugh opening presents (especially the stockings!) and just enjoying being all together. Cammy (Gav & Jen's new cat) had a lot to prove entering a family of non-cat lovers (dad, AK & I all being slightly allergic) but his cute, playful and mischevious manner won us

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-76296375225800944082007-12-14T17:17:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:34:20.798Z

Had a good trip to South Africa with a group of British girls for some U/18 ITF tournaments. They were a great group of kids who worked hard, and were good fun to take away on tour. I flew from Edinburgh and met everyone else at Heathrow - got a buzz about travelling again when I transferred through to International Departures! We flew to Johannesburg, then on to East London, where we were

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-68144985592651928492007-11-18T09:17:00.000Z2007-11-18T21:07:39.779Z

Well, the last 4 weeks or so have gone by pretty fast...without anything too exciting to report except work. I've been in London a couple of times, through in Stirling a lot, doing fitness tests, programmes, feedback and reports, and coaching at Craiglockhart in my spare time :) This weekend I managed to spend some time doing stuff I wanted to do, which was really nice. I went Orienteering

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-52427044265901672582007-10-14T22:27:00.001+01:002008-01-01T17:36:28.195Z

The last month or so has been 'slightly' busy to say the least, as I'm essentially working 2 jobs until I manage to handover the business/administration part of Craiglockhart to someone else! Actually the thing that takes an incredible amount of time is just parents :) phone calls, e-mails, questions, etc etc... anyway, I've been working in Stirling twice a week, have had 3 training camps at the

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-63454023214163306492007-10-11T20:58:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.441Z

ok, i'm way behind on the blog updates but i'll do a few now to make up for it! Mid-September I went to Belfast as U/12 captain for the 4 nations international, but ended up both captaining and playing for the Senior Team! It was great fun, but unfortunately wet artifical grass courts with heavy tennis balls doesn't exactly suit my gamestyle...or my shoulder. So I struggled a bit in singles, but

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-58199639586704725822007-09-02T23:35:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:36:28.195Z

Headed up north for the Braemar Highland Games at the weekend...we had a full house with mum, dad, Gav, Jen, Auntie Katie, Mark, Sylvia, the Wolfendales (David, Sheila & Hils) and me!! The ceilidh at Mar Lodge on Friday night was great fun - held in the ballroom which has 3000 stag heads on the ceiling - true fact, not me just exaggerating to tell a good story :) Next morning I went up Morrone,

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-73372193018605485652007-08-30T20:46:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.441Z

So I just got a new job, working for the LTA, as Strength & Conditioning Manager for the top tennis players in Scotland! Totally out of the blue, but exactly the area I'd like to be more involved with so I'm really excited about it! I'll still be based in Scotland, but most likely in Stirling a couple of days a week, and travelling to other centres on a fairly frequent basis. I've taken it on

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-39814141790888296872007-08-28T22:52:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.441Z

On Friday I was wondering if playing in the Scottish Grand Prix Masters was such a good idea, but by Sunday evening I was pretty sure :) It was on the clay at Craiglockhart, and the first match (vs Katie Gater) I felt like I was coaching instead of actually trying to win, but I managed to get through it in nearly 3 hours, 6/4 2/6 6/4 - not pretty tennis but Brad Gilbert might have been proud, it

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-90240782135571071802007-08-17T16:37:00.001+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.441Z

County Week was a bit of a let-down as we got flooded out after day 1 in Cheltenham...we did win the 1st day vs Channel Islands 7-2, so if the results are based on that day alone we will go up to division 5 - wahey :) Had some good laughs with the rest of the team though, and hope to keep moving in the same direction over the next few years.Straight back for 3 days in module 2 of the CCA (my

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-26374310034712296212007-07-18T15:30:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:36:28.195Z

Finally, I've got round to posting some pics and an overview of my holiday in the states - I had a great time, and really enjoyed seeing everyone again from my ASU days! These are links to the picture albums online:Seattle/YakimaOlymnpic PeninsulaMt.AdamsVancouverand below are some overview pics I've put together! Flew into Seattle on Monday 2nd, and went straight to the pub with Ian, Derek,

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-7626197327167201502007-06-30T22:09:00.000+01:002007-06-30T22:18:05.263+01:00

The girls did really well this week in Denmark - one winner in singles, two winners in doubles!! Have had a bit of a nightmare trying to change flights though and ended up on a flight early tomorrow morning - via Norway to Aberdeen, then getting a lift down to Edinburgh, probably back around 3pm. Will be a quick turn-around to get stuff washed/packed and ready for being at the airport again at

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-84465776375411014152007-06-26T20:41:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.441Z

In Denmark for another ETA tennis event...despite some things being fairly expensive I'm finding it an extremely user-friendly country. FREE wireless internet connections at any hotspots, FREE bicycles to get around Copenhagen, which even have smiley faces on the wheels (£2 deposit which you get back), automated taxi services which send a taxi within 5 minutes to where you placed the call from,

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-34526617871307484102007-06-17T19:59:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.441Z

Just back from Norway & Poland with some kids for European U/14 tournaments...had some interesting challenges with travel, acommodation & money, but overall everything went pretty well. We ended up staying with the tournament director's ex-wife in Sczcecin, who insisted on refilling my wine glass after every 2nd sip...I felt it would be rude to refuse her kind hospitality, so just politely kept

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-49969689957348014902007-05-24T17:59:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:36:28.196Z

Last Friday we had another county practice followed by BBQ at CTC... hadn't planned on going out after but got my arm twisted (okay, it didn't take much twisting) and ended up having a really fun night in town. Sunday I took Mark & Sylvia to the great Kingdom (of Fife) and we met up with Fiona & Bernard to do the chain walk at Elie. Was a good laugh although next time we need to do it when the

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-48766876463792690272007-05-14T23:37:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:36:28.196Z

Honka House; Balmoral Castle; Posing on the Peugeot Had a nice relaxing weekend up in Braemar...despite pretty dodgy weather it was still really nice to show off the area to some more visitors! We went for a good walk on Saturday, then a bike ride on Sunday up to Garbh Alt Falls/Honka House, and on to Balmoral Castle. Riding dad's 18-year old mountain bike with non-existent back brakes, very

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-69132251192564551002007-05-14T23:25:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.442Z

Decided to play in the $10K at Craiglockhart last week, which was a good laugh although it's frustrating cuz I feel a split second too slow reacting to shots now...lack of match practice. Won my 1st round of singles in 3 sets (knackered!) then lost to Jade Curtis, although I didn't feel like I was wiped off the court so that's a good thing. Played dubs with Sophie (who I've been coaching last 6

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-14958778321228284292007-05-05T18:12:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.442Z

So what is it I do for a living?! Basically, I run a performance tennis programme at Craiglockhart, which is one of 6 national performance clubs in Scotland. Our aim is to identify talented young players and provide them with a pathway which allows them to fulfill their potential - quality coaching on a performance surface year-round, on and off-court training programmes, and access to sports

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-5983784806400851182007-04-23T14:04:00.000+01:002007-05-05T05:47:41.306+01:00

Mark & Sylvia moved into the flat a couple of weeks ago - met them in NZ but haven't seen them since I left the South Island, around Christmas 2004. On Saturday night we went to Jo & Steve's for a meal which was really nice...I felt a bit outnumbered but at least we had haggis :)Last weekend we tried a local orienteering event, something I've always wanted to get a bit better at but haven't

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-73984755942522045542007-04-15T13:18:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:36:28.196Z

I did the Wan Dae Adventure Race in Drumlanrig on Saturday, and just like last year (see here) it was another Total Strangers team that turned out to do pretty well! I met Davie on Saturday morning at Glasgow Queen Street, a challenge in itself (more details below) - the race organiser had put us in touch because we were both looking for someone to race with.It was a brilliant day with great

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-9527988821107536152007-04-09T11:42:00.000+01:002007-04-10T13:04:19.013+01:00

Kirsty (really good friend from high school) and Richard got married on Saturday. The wedding was at Barony Castle, just outside Peebles - beautiful weather, lovely setting, a fantastic day! Our group of friends from school were all there, Gemma was a bridesmaid along with Laura & Clare (Kirsty & Richard's sisters). She's now become Kirsty Smith as opposed to Kirsty Brown, but she'll always be "

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-41114280646807968942007-04-06T20:12:00.000+01:002007-04-09T20:45:23.146+01:00

Kirsty's getting married on Saturday...so we had a girls night out in Kirkcaldy on Thursday to 'pre-celebrate' :) I met Gemma for a drink first, then headed to Nicola's - it was so nice to see everyone again and catch up. We headed to Smithy's after - everybody looked under 15, nothing's really changed! On Friday dad took Auntie Katie & I through to Gav's new house for an Easter lunch. Mum

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-3134062607835393052007-03-28T23:13:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:35:24.442Z

I managed to survive 8 days in La Manga with a group of kids on a Tennis Scotland training camp. We joined with Leeds Academy, and between us had 24 kids (4 coaches) aged 10-15. Ellinore (national coach) & I shared an apartment with the two youngest girls who are both 10, and never stop talking. It was... interesting :) The kids worked hard, we had 6 days of really nice weather and then it

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-17464953444852347412007-03-17T23:46:00.000Z2007-03-29T21:57:48.183+01:00

Last weekend Ross & I got all dressed up for the Tennis Scotland Awards Dinner... I was driving him & James through to Stirling for it, but we never quite made it. My car cut out somewhere on the M9 and although I got Karen Paterson & her parents to pick James up on the way by (he was getting an award so needed to be there!), Ross & I ended up getting towed back to Edinburgh. We joined the crew

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-76965158232150421152007-03-04T16:51:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:35:24.442Z

Apart from barely being able to walk now, I'm pretty pleased with my result from the weekend. Played in my first singles tournament since NCAA's in May 2003, and I managed to remember the crafty and determined style of play that used to win me matches. I won the tournament fairly comfortably in the end, although my legs were totally gone by the final. I couldn't push up on my serve, and moving

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-38712959592906040102007-02-18T01:23:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:36:28.196Z

My holiday started in Frankfurt and ended in Strasbourg...I did a lot of hiking (and got a couple of nasty blisters), explored small towns in the Black Forest Area, and had a really fun birthday weekend in Strasbourg with friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends.In Germany I explored Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Baden-Baden, then hiked through the Black Forest region via Lake

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-41653274087509034342007-02-09T22:25:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:36:28.196Z

I just decided I haven't put up enough pictures of Scotland, especially of my trip in the summer - I was flicking through them and made some collages of the best shots. Most of the pics are taken by Marcel, as my camera died last year, but I got a new one for Christmas so no excuses anymore! I'm looking forward to a week away from the world of tennis - flying to Frankfurt tomorrow, then

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-10108320392176955592007-02-04T19:23:00.000Z2007-02-04T19:32:52.214Z

Working one Saturday in every 3 or 4 is really not a bad deal... I can train in the morning with spin/gym, then take the matchplay squads in the afternoon, go out in the evening, and recover on Sunday! I put one kid into the 'Sin Bin' for 10 minutes for throwing his racket, then allowed him back only to see him do it again 5 minutes later...that was the end of his session.Met up with Gav, Jen

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1170288313327311482007-01-28T23:59:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:37:06.789Z

Headed back up to Braemar with Jo, Steve & Helen for the weekend. We tried to go up Lochnagar from the Loch Muick side on Saturday, but the weather was so wild we had to abort on the saddle. We went up Meikle Pap, kicking steps in the snow and battling to stay upright, but realised it would be pretty stupid to attempt the summit as we were being blown all over the place by crazy weather. My

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1169762630747012122007-01-21T22:03:00.000Z2007-02-01T09:12:45.113Z

Had a Burns Supper at my flat - a typically Scottish affair, there were 3 Australians, 3 South Africans, 2 New Zealanders and 2 Scots. It was a brilliant evening (even if I do say so myself) - Steve & Jo brought homemade cock-a-leekie soup for starters which was delicious, followed by Haggis, Neeps & Tatties (addressed by Gavin) and then some Scottish oatcakes and cheese. We cleared the floor,

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1169762349977238642007-01-14T21:48:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:37:06.789Z

A delayed start to the journey - hadn't used my car in a while but left a light on inside so the battery was totally flat. whoops. Still, once we got up to Braemar (Rod, Kristy, Steve & I...Jo was on a yoga course) mum & dad had cooked us a legendary meal and we had a nice relaxed evening. Steve & I went on a mission the next day, hoping to climb Bhein a Bhuird, but the weather was pretty

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1169681971616086562007-01-06T23:37:00.000Z2007-04-10T12:55:47.152+01:00

 Had a fun time at Auntie Katie's birthday bash on the 6th... especially the piano playing and musical whistles that went on, it was a really good laugh! Thanks AK!

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1168529406395927372007-01-04T14:53:00.000Z2007-01-24T23:36:20.543Z

Well, the festive period began on a reasonable note when I got back from Braemar - had a fun night out with Gav, Jen, Ross, and various others before they left for Ireland...of course it had to be Finnegans. Great night - danced till my feet were hurting :) Sadly, it went downhill from there. Hogmanay was a real disappointment, as the Edinburgh street party was even cancelled due to bad weather

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1168526900194033232006-12-28T14:20:00.000Z2007-01-11T14:52:46.280Z

Another family Christmas up in Braemar - always really nice to be all together, and feel totally relaxed up north! No snow this year, just a bit of frost, although certainly cold enough... -12C one day, but totally clear skies and beautiful views. I had a couple of runs up Morrone, and we all had some nice walks over the viewpoint and across the golf course. I seemed to sleep an unbelievable

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1167481468574937832006-12-18T12:18:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:38:08.820Z

I've spent the last 3 weekends working...and I'm definitely ready for Christmas! I was in Wales as U/12 Captain for the Scottish team in the Tri-Nations, an event I've always loved (although it used to be Four Nations, England have pulled out). Maybe I'll start training and try to get in the Senior team again! (I think it's probably unlikely but still...) Then Euan McIntosh, one of the kids I

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1164884688170004172006-11-30T10:57:00.000Z2008-01-01T17:38:08.820Z

RESULT: SCOTLAND 6.5 -- england 1. Great weekend up at the Aberdeen Cup - Andy & Jamie Murray, Elena Baltacha, James McKie & Caitlin Steel (juniors) played singles, doubles & mixed to retain the title Scotland won last year. It was a fun event, and a great experience for the juniors -although their matches were pretty short (just 4 games) it was still an amazing atmosphere for them to be a part

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1162848695160435562006-11-06T21:29:00.000Z2006-11-21T09:10:00.710Z

Into my new flat...loving it :) I've got two flatmates already from Newcastle, Australia - Kristy & Rodney. They're great, only embarassing thing is they keep calling me "boss"!! Best thing about the flat is there's a pole, right in the middle of the living room area (it's an old converted mill) - I'm thinking a flat-warming party with a pole theme could bring some interesting characters -

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1160162864267528292006-10-06T20:20:00.000+01:002006-10-06T20:27:44.280+01:00

SO excited to be moving into my very own home on the 16th...I made my first furniture purchase last night, buying a wardrobe from somebody which I found on "gumtree" - quite a handy website with lots of stuff being sold, bought, swapped and sometimes even given away! I've no flatmates and no furniture as yet (except a 3-door wardrobe) but hopefully next week I'll find a bit of time to do some

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1159912110090346012006-10-03T22:44:00.000+01:002006-10-03T22:58:25.453+01:00

Sometimes it's a bad day at the office...(if only I actually had an office)Every day last week I was at CTC from before 7am till after 9pm at night. It's funny though, because as long as I get in a spin class, a gym trip, a run or a really good tennis hit for a couple of hours exercise, I don't mind the long days that much...up to a point. But when it's 6:45am-9:15pm and I don't even step outside

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1159035963234947502006-09-24T19:18:00.000+01:002006-09-25T22:59:14.503+01:00

What's that? It's been a while, but it was much needed, and this weekend I did very little other than tidy my room, read through some boring but necessary flat documents and SLEEP IN!! It was so nice to just 'chill out' a little, and do a bit of thinking.On Friday night I had to use my 1st aid skills to help the duty manager at CTC as this guy had an epileptic fit during the RPM (spin) class...it

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1158521387443126902006-09-16T20:24:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:37:06.790Z

Drumlanrig Castle - event centre for the 3rd and final race of the 2006 Wan Dae Adventure Racing Series....Bob, Ed & I raced together (Pete still struggling with a calf injury), having changed our team name from Total Strangers to Stranger Still :) It was a good day, but team #13 proved to be slightly unlucky for us as we struggled to find various checkpoints, particularly on the biking section.

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1157672705343861102006-09-08T00:36:00.000+01:002006-09-08T22:51:18.786+01:00

For the first time in several years I'm somewhat committing to being in one place for a little while. With much appreciated help from my parents, and the joyful anticipation of many long, hard working days ahead, I'm about to buy a flat in Edinburgh. I'm very excited, and slightly apprehensive, as this may in fact signal I'm staying here for, I don't know, maybe a couple of years? - a long time

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1157229309809090112006-09-02T21:23:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:37:06.790Z

The second adventure race of the 'Wan Dae' Series - at Loch Carron Valley near Falkirk. Was supposed to be Bob, Pete, Ed & I racing but Pete & Ed both had injuries - they'd rather recover for the next one (in 2 weeks!) so it ended up being just Bob & I. A fun day with lots of biking, running, a bit of kayaking, a couple of puzzles and a short swim section. The weather wasn't too great this time

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1156973115857825932006-08-30T22:10:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:37:06.790Z

Marcel flew over for the Scottish equivalent of our adventurous holiday in NZ (North Island) a year and a half ago...plenty of classic challenges (suggested by both of us), that always seem too tempting to refuse :)Day 1 - 20th AugWe had half a day walking round Edinburgh, and climbed Arthur's Seat for views over the city. Heading west, we stopped for a short walk at Loch Lomond (never knew how

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1155335452925921172006-08-11T23:12:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:38:08.820Z

Just back from 3 weeks away for tennis - just like old times...except this time I was only playing for one week, so it got a bit boring. Bournemouth was quite good...Ross (Murdoch) and I were coaches/babysitters/cooks/taxi-drivers for 8 days. I lived in a house with 6 kids aged 10-12 (3 boys, 3 girls) and Ross stayed in a B&B with 3 other boys aged 12-14 just down the road. One of the kids I

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1153940404706810782006-07-26T19:54:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:38:08.821Z

East of Scotland ladies team playing in Beckenham, division 7 (shocker). However...we won the group so move up next year!! Forgotten what fun it is to play 3 matches a day in sweltering heat :) Really enjoyed it though - my competitive spirit's still there, and I was playing reasonably well, especially considering a lack of match practice in the last 3 years (since NCAA's, May 2003!) It's all

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391513.post-1153255835578891312006-07-17T21:46:00.000+01:002008-01-01T17:37:06.790Z

The Edinburgh Urban Adventure known as the RAT RACE was really great fun, despite a pretty disastrous start to day 2 when my bike chain snapped within the first 10 mins of the race - not good. Firstly, I didn't have any chain tools or spare parts with me, and secondly, even if I had them I didn't have a clue how to use them. I do now :)Saturday was spent registering, doing gear checks and

Mhairihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497990432421209174noreply@blogger.com0