Intervening weeks

Had a christening last weekend for my Nephew which was pretty cool. But with a long drive over and a busy week the opportunity i had for a long run was squandered by having an afternoon nap instead.. We did had a mooch round Hay on wye at the bookshops and bought a few books*.

During last week there was a spot of lunchtime running again, yoga and a gym session first for a fair few weeks! This was dammed good, but i certainly felt that i'd done the workout afterwards. Wifey was at a henna/Mendi night hence having the evening free. Which then lead into the weekends acitivty of an indian wedding.

We'd never been to one before so it was a bit of an eye opener. However, it was really good to see our friend get married and celebrate with her. We had our friends Stig and Tara stay after this and after they'd had the worst journey down involving a broken spring on the motorway and much transportation issues after this. We had a fairly lazy sunday with lunch out, dropped them off at the station for their train home and then had a Bond-Skyfall cinema excusion on sunday night. Fantastic film, i'll not reveal anything but it was bloody great and certainly the best he's starred in.

This week hopefully more of the same, then a few long runs next if all goes to plan.

*wifey bought some more..

3 weeks...

since my last confession, erm post.

Sorry about that all i've been rather busy!

Since the 19th i've had a ton of rehearsals, had the contest in Cheltenham (13/24 which was respectable). We're now technically a 3rd section band!

After this some recovery was had and there was a rare weekend at home. We did try to get away for a B&B, but in the end decided to save the cash (and our fav place was booked up!). I didn't get out for any exercise as i've been suffering from a cold so rested.

Last week was a short one as we had friday off to go to Norfolk and help with a friends wedding set up in a local viallge hall. Also stayed with the In-laws for the weekend so it was nice to finally see them, since i've not been up there for a while. During this i washed my car.. and discovered a crack in the windscreen and slightly out of kilter wheels.

So this week is getting the tracking sorted (relatively cheap) and the windscreen replaced (massively expensive). Plus suit dry cleaned, band rehearsal, yoga and then off at the weekend for Nephew's Christening in Clyro, plus seeing the family.

Exercise has still been lacking as i'm struggling with tiredness and apathy..

I always knew Oct would be a busy one, but this is just mad.

Busy banding

Got national finals coming up, so had a weekend at home rehearsing, doing chores and squeezing a bike ride in whilst wifey was visiting family up in Norfolk. I've found a better finish which avoids nettle alley, but does involve a BIG push uphill and then has an annoying finish. So i'm just hopeful that someone will deal with the nettles instead!


it looked a bit like this*


Much rehearsals and mini-concert this week before off to the finals in Cheltenham with the Amersham Brass Band on Saturday. Would hope for a nice Sunday for a bit of chiltern based fun, or cake, or even both!

*it looked very similar to this, but both camera and phone are currently suffering from drinking too much water.. yikes!

Stag!

Or should I say beaver... It was one of my best mates stag do's at the weekend and spot of canoeing was had on the river wye. About 13 miles on the Saturday and 12 miles on the Sunday.

I helped friday to collect canoes from one the attendees (who works at an outdoor centre) then arrived to much beer driknking and merriment. Had a wonderful bivy out on the friday night. It's been agees since i've had a bivy, but it was really good - if not quite the dewy/foggy morning that we woke to.

Much faffage with cars, canoes and people transport ensued. We were eventually on the water by 1pm starting at Whitney toll bridge. After a slow start the guys realised some paddling was required, but with some faffage for stories and water based fun we got back to our campsite eventually (bycross farm again). BBQ and fire breathing, plus more beer before passing out under a clear sky. It was my first try at fire breathing and i'm sure it didn't look impressive, but it was good fun to give it a try nonetheless.

Sunday dawned to blue, blue skies, and midly foggy heads. We were a bit more organised today so were on the water by 10:30 and had a lovely day getting wet again going down to Hereford rowing club. They were having some sort of event on, so it was a bit of a hectic arrival. However, it did mean some of lads grabbed tea and cake. I was involved with car shuffling and helped tidy up back at the campsite, before getting back on the road and delivering a canoe back to the outdoor centre before heading home for food, shower and sleep.

All in all a cracking weekend! Cannie wait for the blessing really.*


*he's getting married in Canada first - hence the beaver reference!

Aug Bank hol

Oops, didn’t get round to writing that one up! Had a good, if wet, weekend in the lakes with wifey, Chris and Claire. We had a nav-tastic day on Rosthwaite fell with very low cloud and minimal visibility making route choice somewhat hard. However, it was good fun and even better to walk into the café at the end and have a completely random meet with Don & Carol (on his last guiding weekend)! Queue much hugs and chatting before a very quick plan was made to join him and his group for dinner.. Which considering the weather we witnessed outside was pretty good and the drying room that we made full use of!

Sunday dawned a bit better, with an improving weather forecast. So a bigger day was had going up Green Gable and Great Gable then back down to Styhead Tarn. Unfortunately we missed the clear summits promised for the afternoon being a bit too early. But had a lounge round the tarn and then mooched back to the campsite via a quick tea stop at seathwaite. Dinner with dessert followed (treacle syrup cake and custard) then beers in Keswick. Monday was a complete wet washout so a bit of a gear faff in town, new boots for me and approach shoes for Wifey – both much needed! All in all an good weekend, but the 13hrs travel involved there/back seemed excessive…

Yoga and a quick run in the week (avg 7:10mile so 22:15 5k which is a current PB!) and suddenly a new weekend arrives. This had Wifey joining a Hen party in Oxford, I was keeping Mark and baby Henry company round town as proximity was required for the occasional feed! Otherwise coffee, tea, ice cream and cake for us… after a long luckily sunny day I headed back home for a very quick MTB ride. A slight oversight on timings meant I hit dark, dark woods without a light. Hmmm luckily I vaguely knew the route, but still almost impaled myself (and tyre/spokes) on a few fallen logs, nearly got sucked into a bog and would like to forget nettle alley. However, much wildlife was seen, badgers, rabbits, bats and a owl. Sunday was some chores and cooking lemon drizzle cake and Sunday roast for Wifey on her return (muchos tired) from hen-ing.

Phew, more of the same please?

Weekday fun,

I don’t often get chance to write up a week anymore. But needless to say I generally get up to some fun. Most weeks there’s a 1:30 yoga session. Which is good for stretching out the hamstrings and working on the core. It’s also a good way of chilling out as it’s very slow, flowing and breathing focused. I would blame the wife for taking me to this, but after 10 or so months I think I can say I’d go by myself now. Plus it helps for the band practice that I get to most weeks, they’re prepping for the annual trip to Bensheim (twinned with Amersham). Shortly after that there’s the National Brass Band Finals over in Cheltenham which we’re off too (finishing first in our section at the areas). Since we’re being promoted to 3^rd section I’d say we’re hoping for great things. Then there’s normally a Thursday run at lunctime and a gym or swim session if we both have the time.. Plus then a weekend of frivolities.

However, this week has seen a minor shift.. Since I had to drop wifey off at the tube I was at work early today. Because I’d had some forethought I’d packed my running kit… there was only one thing for it, a quick blast was required. Well it wasn’t quick-quick, but it was good nonetheless. Plus since I’ve got lunch free I’d say a second one should be required! Ahhh I love it when a plan comes together ;-)

Smokin’

Blimey that was a hot one. Went trog-on reunion camping near the white horse on the ridgeway nr uffington. It was a good catch up with all old uni mates from the outdoor club. If anything it was a bit too hot.. We had a mini trog-olympics with 4 teams in 10 events. With a pause for oranges and lunch! Cracking good fun, just hot work. Further fun was had by a bike ride on the ridgeway with Ant. It was going quite well (apart from the really steep push up onto the actual path) until a flint hacked into his rear tyre*. It put a nice gash on the inner tube and meant change was in order. Unfortunately his spare was too big, so much faff proceeded whilst we tried to repair the original. Patching on a load of ribs, with a large gash just wasn’t happening, so we gave up and put the bigger tube in. Luckily it worked really well and meant we could carry on with the intended route.

ridgeway loop 

Had a bit of a low energy surge about ¾ of the way round, but pressed on as BBQ was in (slow) motion. Both of us completely crashed after this, perhaps the combination of heat and exercise wasn’t a good idea? I just laid low in shade, drank lots and ate a bit too much, since BBQ followed shortly after this (created and cooked by wifey). However, about 2 hrs later picked up again, and became normal.

Sunday consisted of a lazy breakfast (with warmed up sausages – brilliant idea wifey!) and much chatting. However, it soon became too hot again so after de-pitching the tent we vamoosed to air conned car and home for washing, snoozing and an ice cream in the park.

Much fun, thanks to trogs, sprogs and Em for organising!

*please note, there were NO punctures on my bike!