Brave New World

L asks if I’m basking in my Half Marathon glory. Of course not, no one is impressed with my efforts because they all think I’m nuts.

I have an extra committee meeting on Monday as we attempt to sort out a new venue for next year’s dog show and we make the decision to start a brave new world at Locko Park.

Tuesday is dogging night and then on Wednesday morning I get to do park duties. We manage to arrange our ball game around a stag that was sat right in the middle of the field. L said it was there yesterday as well, so perhaps its stuffed. It is a busy day for the dogs because later they go off with L and Daughter for a running foursome while I'm at the match.

The Government announces that they will introduce legislation so that all couples will be able to choose to have a civil partnership. Yay. So L and I will be able to officially choose to not get married. You do still have to pay for this though but £50 doesn’t seem too unreasonable.

We just need to wait until the Government get around to finalising the legislation of course, which probably won’t be until they have Brexit sorted. So not in our lifetime then.

L does her tennis on Thursday but my squash is off again as my opponent's car has exploded and needs a new engine. This is the thing with old cars, you have to pre-empt the big bang. There’s had only done 190,000 miles, ours has done 220,000.

This allows me to attempt to get Glastonbury coach tickets, which I don’t get. This can be filed (once again) alongside the Later With Jools tickets we never get and the London Marathon which also seems to be continuing to blank me. 

(Friday 5^th October)

Cycle Derby Sportive

Today the inaugural Cycle Derby Sportive from outside the brand new Pride Park Velodrome, which isn’t open yet. Which I’m sure must have been the original intention. So it's a rather large publicity own goal as the Velodrome isn't due to open until January, I’m not sure a January sportive would have been that much fun. 

Both L and I have opted for the 50 mile route and as it’s a mass start, we start effectively hand in hand. We are waved off by the compère who does Ironmans, Derby County’s Rammie who showed up late and my father who has come to document the event.

There are over a thousand cyclists and it’s turned out to be a really sunny day to take on the Derbyshire countryside.

It’s an interesting course and they take us through Derby on coned off roads. It isn’t quite the city centre route that was promised on the map but it’s not bad. The first challenge is a lap around Carsington Water and the climb up to Middleton, albeit from the gentle side.

I reach the first checkpoint just past Middleton, 21 miles done, in 1:20. The feed has the usual energy stuff but no cake, only haribos and bananas. L texts to say she’s lonely and quite possibly the Flame Rouge. I attempt to raise flagging spirits.

There is cake at the second stop at Coxbench, yay, 36 miles down in 2:22. The cake is appreciated as there’s been some interesting climbs around Crich and Heage which made Middleton Top look like a molehill. It’s also a nice touch to have Derby College students filling your drinks bottles for you. Apparently James Corden did the short route (the wimp) but didn’t stop at the feed station much to the students’ dismay.

L texts... shoot me now. I’m sure she’s enjoying it really.

After Coxbench, I finally get down on the aeros and blitz the last bit. Job done, 52 miles in 3:14.

Overall I thought it was a good route and well organised. The only criticism really was that the direction arrows were plentiful but a bit small. Quite a few folk took wrong turns and had to yelled back onto route by the rest of us.

L texts... go home I’ll be hours. Hmmm, bit of chivvying required. I pedal back to Locko Park which is on the route and only 3 miles as the crow flies from the finish. Then I ride the route with L, another 10 miles in all.

A very good day, although it does take several pints of Directors in the Admiral Rodney later to get over. We take the dogs for an evening there and had planned to eat there but the menu is so uninspiring that L proposes a curry from the Park Tandoori. Who am I to refuse?

(Sunday 21^st September)