Christmas Round Up

I work almost all day on the Friday, finally finishing a little early at 3.30pm. L is off all day and we arrange to meet up at the Derby Arena for a joint festive gym session. Then, because I’m in the car, I can drive us both home.

She is a little late, or I’m a little early, and I do face the prospect of doing anything up to 100k killing time on the Watt Bike while I wait for her. After which I’d probably need mouth to mouth resuscitation but it doesn’t come to that. I'm a little disappointed.

On the Saturday we parkrun at Long Eaton but without Daughter, who has been told to rest more and only run once a week due to the injury she’s currently got. Something to do with her gluteal muscles apparently which sounds like a proper athletes injury.

Sunday, which is Christmas Eve, we meet up with L’s folks for a late breakfast at the Cosy Club. This was once the Royal gig venue and it’s odd sitting there with the ghost of Glasvegas, and other bands we saw there, loitering behind us. Son and his gf come over from Leamington for the occasion, armed with presents. The meal is decent, if not spectacular but a definite upgrade on rowdy old Spoons where we went last year and what had become the tradition.

Then it’s Christmas Day and I get my new cog for my track bike as well as a bike computer to see how slow I’m going. Along with loads of beer, wine, whiskey and chocolate. Not a bad haul all be told.

L and Daughter seem equally thrilled and appalled with their dual gifts of a 10k race entry and a taster session at the Velodrome. Along with the usual boots and trainers for L of course. Daughter seems pleased with her new GPS watch, so that she too will be able to see how fast she is going.

Christmas Day drinkies are at the Horse and Jockey again and then we go for our curry at the Haveli in Chilwell. It’s great to do something different even if the menu is a little basic and the price a little steep. I think the 10% service charge was a bit naughty on top of what we thought was an all in price. I'd certainly do it again though, it not there then somewhere else.

On Boxing Day we do the traditional run at the Furnace but this time ending up afterwards at the Nag's Head in Mickleover for post-run drinks as we drop Daughter near her Father’s. Then we head back home where we have my parents around for roast lamb.

Then, that’s it, Christmas over.

(Tuesday 26^th December)

Too Good To Turn Down

I’m on the bus as its cold and icy again. In fact the pavements are so icy it could be hard work for Doggo on his walk. L is off work today and she delays their trip out to give things time to thaw out.

After work L comes over to join me in Derby Arena’s gym.

It’s the World Cup draw tonight and England find out that they will face Belgium, Panama and Tunisia. That’s us out then, although it couldn’t really be any easier. Not that it matters, it’s in Russia so you know who’s going to win.

One of FIFA's greatest critics, Gary Lineker, is in Moscow helping with the draw. Presumably the money was just too good to turn down. Come to think of it, why is anyone in the land of state sponsored doping working for an organisation that is on trial in New York on corruption charges. As yes, the money was just too good to turn down. 

(Friday 1^st December)

Whatever Next

Derby Arena email me to say that

“summer is almost over which means a lifestyle de-clutter and change of routine, especially the fitness transition from getting in shape for the beach to keeping fit for hibernation season”.

I have no idea what they're on about.

I bike to work and then it’s tennis or it’s supposed to be tennis but it starts raining just as I’m leaving work. So I go back up into my office, put the computer back on and change the booking from an outdoor court to the indoor dome. It’s got to worth an extra £11 to not have to play in the rain again.

L is stunned.  

"Oooh posh. First class rail, then the dome, whatever next." 

Whatever next indeed.

Next is actually a pint in the Crown and a chance for a drunken tactics talk with L ahead of Sunday’s GNR.

(Thursday 7^th September)

No Wonder Sundays Are Tough

I run the Forest Fields parkrun this morning with MD while L rests her injured back and marshals. She shows remarkable restraint and doesn’t heckle us or try to trip us up. We don’t have a great run as I’m carry around last night’s fiery hot curry while MD must be carrying the entire contents of his water bowl as he stops five times to lighten his load.

Afterwards we go for breakfast in the park's café and then L pops into the one on Gregory Boulevard where she met Daughter the other day. Daughter’s interview folder has gone missing but they say it’s not been left there. Oh dear.

L is then at Pilates while, after taking the dogs home and trying to get Doggo to eat, I head off to National Omnium Championships which are being held at Derby Velodrome. Olympic medallists Katie Archibald and Eleanor Barker are among the entries. Shockingly probably half of the bunch I cycle with on a Sunday night have also entered and are mixing it with them. One of them comes 5^th in the Elimination Race, no wonder I find Sundays tough. 

In the evening we are at Broadway with a pint of Supreme in hand for Loving. Which is based on the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving who travelled to Washington, DC from their home in Virginia to get married in 1958. The reason they travelled so far was because Richard (Joel Edgerton), a bricklayer who build their home and seemingly practically everyone else's, was a white man while Mildred (Ruth Negga) was a black woman. Unfortunately their home state was one of the remaining states that still banned marriages between whites and non-whites.

Not that getting married in another state made much difference because the local Sheriff (Martin Csokas) and his deputies soon raided their house in the early hours to enforce 'God's Law'. Presumably they were hoping to catch them having sex, which was also illegal between whites and non-whites, but had to settle for them simply sleeping side by side. When they pointed out their marriage certificate on the wall they were told that the certificate had no significance in Virginia.

The Lovings were charged with 'cohabiting as man and wife' and pleaded guilty. They were sentenced to a year in prison with the sentence suspended on condition that they left the state for 25 years. So they upped sticks and moved to Columbia.

Richard was a quiet, private man of few words who just wanted to be left in peace to live his life but his wife was more feisty and she agrees to two lawyers, Bernie Cohen (Nick Kroll) and Phil Hirschkop (Jon Bass), fighting their case. 

In the meantime, feeling frustrated by being unable to visit their families, they quietly moved back to Virginia where they live on the outskirts, trying to stay below the radar but clearly not too far below the radar as their situation gets featured in Life magazine which gives their case valuable publicity.

When the local courts find against them their lawyers take the case to the federal Supreme Court where the court decides that prohibiting interracial marriage is in fact unconstitutional.

Loving is an informative and pleasant film but a bit on the slow side, it inches along at times, but at least it’s not the overtly sentimental melodrama it could have been. Some more back story would have been nice, perhaps about how they met, and although the Lovings didn’t want to attend the court case I certainly would have liked to have done. Instead, in keeping with the rest of the film, the court’s verdict is delivered in a rather low key phone call to Mildred.

Afterwards we head to the Scribblers but it’s too full to get a seat so we have a couple in the Hand and Heart instead. The H&H used to be the place that was always full but everyone seems to have moved over the road to the Scribblers now. Then we finish up in the Blue Monkey. 

(Saturday 4^th February)

Intense

With nothing else planned this weekend I get a space on this evenings SQT at Derby Velodrome. Clearly everyone is either on their summer holidays or just out riding in the sunshine (if they can find some) as it’s only about half full. 

This makes for a very intense session with little or no recovery time between the exercises. It also means there aren’t enough people to split the races by ability. So for someone who hasn’t done a SQT for seven weeks it’s going to be tough... it is. 

I also nearly come off when I pull one of my feet out of the clip-in pedals and have to pedal on one leg for several laps until I can slow down enough to stop.

I was certainly ready for my pint of Dark Drake in the Exeter Arms afterwards.

(Sunday 7^th August)