Lapsed Cyclists

Our first walk back home was so slow. The Lad had to sniff every blade of grass that he hadn’t been able to sniff for the last week. Even MD would have found it slow. 

Meanwhile in the garden the birds have clearly been tapping their beaks in frustration waiting for us to come home and feed them. Almost as soon as I’ve filled up their seeds and balls they are half way down the supply.

I go to my first bike session at the arena since I fell off there sometime around the middle of last year. I was also a lot fitter then so the session I’ve chosen to booked is one known as a ‘beginner’ session. Which is a bit of a lie really because you need track accreditation to ride it, so it’s not open to true beginners but is more aimed at lapsed cyclists like me.

These ‘beginner’ sessions are a relatively new thing and it is surprisingly busy, packed even. Who knew they’d be so many beginners (lapsed cyclists). It’s also quite evil but somehow I survived it.

All this means Tuesday’s morning walk is a bit of a slow hobble, as well as a slow sniff, but we survive. I skip the gym but will hopefully go on Wednesday. There is a home match in the evening.

Two momentous things happen on Wednesday. Nicola Sturgeon resigns and the Lad forsakes a tunnel at dog training because the trainer has a kilo of dried garlic sausage in her hand. This feels like is a life changing moment for those who witnessed it. I get home, go online and buy up as much garlic sausage as I can lay my hands on.

On Thursday I meet my now retired ex-work colleague for lunch in Derby for the first time since the office closed, so I have to drive over. He feels that my news (garlic sausage) is not as momentous as his news. He’s taken up crown green bowls.

Saturday is the second of this week’s home matches and L parkruns at Clifton which is a bit of a comedown after Faskally.

On Sunday, Daughter has a paid marshalling job on the Embankment for Fix Events who are running a 5k, 10k and, new for this year and for those who love laps, a half marathon. I ran the 10k last year as part of my training for Brighton and it tipped it down with rain. L heads over to accompany Daughter but gets there before her when she oversleeps. The Lad I head down later for a bark.

(Sunday 19^th February)