I Have A Plan

It’s too icy to run. I take the car. I have a plan.

L advocates a few loops around the University’s Jubilee Campus, which she says has been salted and is therefore pretty good underfoot. That is if I’m not going to join the bikini clad students at the pool. I can’t believe she’s advocating multiple loops... that’s so un-her.

Meanwhile I’m becoming her... covering all eventualities. I have my gym kit and my swimming kit with me. All options are possible. As I said I have a plan, I’m just not sure what it is yet.

A swim is currently favourite, nothing to do with bikinis obviously but when I get there I find that the swimming pool doesn't actually open until 6:15. When did that change? I know it’s been a while, a few years actually, since I've driven here straight from work but even so. It’s also not really a money spinning strategy that will catch the post-work crowd.

So I’m in the gym instead, again. Just as I’m crouching down to tie my shoe laces, a nice pair of legs decked out in very familiar Adidas three-quarter length Lycra trousers stands next to me. It's L! I'm just about to run my hand up her leg, as you do, when I realise that it may be L's trousers but L doesn't, as far as I know, own a 'Carnage 2010' t-shirt, unless there’s something she’s not been telling me. I abort.

Obviously relieved at not getting groped 'Carnage 2010' wanders over to join 'Pub Crawl 09' and 'Pub Golf' (year unknown) on the treadmills, which are all taken. Then just as I’m contemplating the baffling prospect of a weights session because there are also no bikes free, 'Beyoncé... I am... Tour’ (2009, since you ask) vacates one. I hop on.

Then I remember how horrible the bikes at this gym are. You can't strap your feet in properly and the screens are near vertical, which means they are great for watching TV but not great for getting down over the handlebars and erm... cycling. You can at least do that at the Tennis Centre gym. The bikes seem harder to pedal here too. I can’t break 165 watts where normally it’s over 200 at the TC. After quite a painful 10k I decide to go for a refreshing swim.

Now tactically I almost had this spot on. I had left most of my stuff in a locker in the ‘dry’ changing rooms and now as I had my tri-shorts on and a towel with me, all I have to do is dump the rest of my gym kit in a locker in the ‘wet’ changing rooms and I’m sorted. I get in the pool, only to realise that my goggles are in the ‘dry’ locker. Bugger. No front crawl then. I breaststroke for four lengths before my arms give out. How do people breaststroke all night? Baffled and knackered I get out. Then I dry myself enough to elope to the ‘dry’ changing rooms and head home.

Then its dog training, where Doggo is delighted to get to socialise, if not to train. MD is just delighted, about everything.

As regards the cancelled Derby v Forest game, my worst fears are realised when the club come to the same conclusion that I already had. That the next free midweek date is 13th March, when we’re away skiing. Wonderful.

(Wednesday 8th February)