We Have A Winner

Back at work and on the bike, riding still on my old pedals. The boys and I have scheduled changing to my Christmas pedals for this evening. I’m sure the Lad will be fascinated and very helpful... L gets well out of the way and goes over to visit her folks.

We have discovered that the Lad doesn’t like oranges. I suppose there had to be something. In fact in the photo that L took after she retrieved the stolen orange off him he looks petrified of them. Either that or it’s L’s telling off that’s scared him.

On Thursday, I’m on the bus and due to the light traffic I'm on time for work for once. There’s no squash this week because it’s Race Three of 5k Winter Series but also apparently not next week either as he says he went on the scales this morning and didn’t like what he saw. He should have spent all Christmas running like we did.

That Christmas running must have paid off as I’m quicker again, clocking 21:53 and that was without a dog. L is quick too, so quick in fact that she wins her age category. We don’t find this out until later though and leave before the presentation. Her friend has picked up the bottle of cheap plonk on L’s behalf. I don’t reckon we’ll be leaving the next one early.

I do even more running on Friday. I run from work to the centre of Long Eaton a distance of 14.5km and then get the bus the rest of the way. I meet L at Hillside where she’s been walking the boys round the University.

(Friday 4^th January)

Off-Road WAG

I cycle again and at lunchtime, I for another run. 5.58km in 27:58, hardly gold medal pace.

L spends the morning in McDonalds with her folks, drinking coffee. Three of them and McD don't do decaff. She says she’s got the shakes now, I’m not surprised.

This weekend we have the Cheshire Cat Cycle Sportive then beyond that I’m contemplating the Derwent Duathlon the weekend after. This consists of a 29k bike ride sandwiched between a 4.5k fell run and 6.5k road run, you can choose which run to do first. I didn't fancy the off-road run but I’m warming to it. Needs must.

 

L is horrified. OMG, how can I possibly be an off-road WAG without THOSE boots? Off-road WAG? Makes her sound like a 4x4. She best get persuading PDQ then. She’s already supposed to be tapping me up for the next Audible audiobook credit. Could be quite a night. 

(Wednesday 19^th March)

A Proposition

Earlier in the week L hit me with a proposition, park run. Park runs are free 5k runs in local parks run by volunteers. They’re also hellishly competitive.

I opt out, I’m not risking my ankle just yet and 5k is short and painfully fast for me these days. I would sprint it and my muscles would explode. Although perhaps I might do one with MD sometime. Not that that would do anything to stop my muscles exploding.

Still, I chivalrously kick L out of bed for her own good. The dogs and I come to support, considering it’s a 9am start this is quite a sacrifice of almost dog show earliness.

It’s at the Forest Rec and is the first one to be held there, so records are there to be had and some recognisable faces from local races are there clearly intent to get their names on the first leader board. I kick the ball around for the dogs in the middle of it all.

Then there's the match, where Derby lose to Ipswich in injury time. Afterwards I meet L and drag her out of Quad before she can order a second glass of wine. 

Then we get the bus over to Burton which is harder than you think. The running of the direct X38 service is now being shared by two companies, Trent Barton and Arriva but we can’t use our Mango cards on the Arriva service so either have to pay extra or wait for the Trent. We wait. It's a well confusing system.

We head to the National Brewery Centre and have a pint in their bar. Their own White Shield 5.6% is excellent. Their guest beers are disappointing though. We also eat there and over order on the bread. Then it’s our usual haunt the Coopers Tavern before searching out the Old Cottage Brewery’s pub which has some promising stuff but we don’t stop long as we have a bus to catch, which we miss and end up back in the the Coopers until the next one is due.

(Saturday 6^th April)