The Kale Muffin Diet

The weather has turned very mild and its hot work on the bike this morning. Largely because I have too much kit on.

L meanwhile goes out with not enough kit and forgets her swimming goggles. So, that would have been a breaststroke laden session then. She said she did feel a bit poncy but breaststroke is actually a pretty tough workout.

It’s a rare game of squash tonight and my opponent has been preparing hard with his kale muffin diet. Apparently, this will make his constant colds a thing of the past although probably to be replaced by malnutrition.

Before the game, I jokingly ask if he has picked up this week’s injury yet. It turns out he has and has now pulled a calf muscle. He hobbles around the court but still wins. However, it looks like we’re headed for a few more weeks off.

In our first trip to the Navigation for ages, they have three dark ales on the bar as it’s the Stout and Porter Trail. Quite a mouth-watering selection.

(Thursday 9^th March)

Missing Kennels?

Back to normal, although it’s always odd going back to work on a Tuesday.

When I say normal, that doesn’t apply to Doggo. Who refused most of his breakfast, only having about three mouthfuls. He barely ate last night either, perhaps he’s missing kennels.

When I say normal, that doesn’t apply to L either. Who although she went for a swim like normal did so without her goggles. She says she had to swim 'like a girl' e.g. breaststroke with her head sticking out of the water. Those are her words, so please don’t complain to me about that potentially sexist remark.

Then again, respect is due because swimming like that is totally exhausting. I’m not sure these people realise how much easier front crawl is.

Then I go for my swim, with googles.

(Tuesday 8^th March)

Poppies

L is working in London today, so I do the dogs’ morning constitutional then take the car to work. So there’s no cycling today but the forecast is alright for the rest of the week so I should still get two more days cycling in. Perhaps I’ll do a swim tonight as I’m not scheduled to be at dog training but if I have another girlie nagging for a chat about becoming a member I might have to go down and do my duty.

L sends through a photo the poppies, the ones that are left anyway.

I make it to the pool to find that the old Wednesday lane swim has now officially become a general swim. In a way that’s better as it clarifies things. Half the pool is now being taken up by lessons and a lane swim with only three lanes doesn’t really count as lane swim.

Tonight though, for some reason, they have laned one lane in the middle of the pool with the lessons one side and a free for all the other. It was utter chaos as no one knew where to go. In the lane I join a woman swimming half-lengths underwater, another woman doing impossibly slow breaststroke and a chap backstroking half lengths before flipping around and going back, so that he doesn’t have to overtake anyone.

To cap it all the lessons were for the under-fives I think, most of which didn’t seem at all keen and spent most of the session screeching their displeasure. Somehow I make it to 34 lengths. Just six more and I’ll call it a day. I don’t get there and quit at 38 when the headache becomes too much. To cap it all the coffee machine isn’t working.

Apparently a general swim is now known as a 'Swim For All', unfortunately what I attended tonight was actually a Swim For Nobody as it suited no one. One to avoid I think.

(Wednesday 19^th November)

Tentative Harmony In The Swimming Pool

I am (seriously) contemplating the Sundowner Half Ironman in September, so I think I best do a swim this week. I take the car to work and then afterwards risk the Wednesday laned session which is always hell because they cram everyone into three lanes whilst swimming lessons take place in the other half of the pool.

It is as bad as a I remember. The non-swimmers seem to have spilled over into the first lane as all are swimming with floats. The other two lanes both have a token back-stroker along with a couple of breast-strokers who are getting held up by then.That's something in itself.

I attempt to swim a length and fail. It’s not possible to front crawl for a whole length without having to stop or overtake someone. Another chap gets in the next lane and attempts the same thing. He fails too. Then someone starts doing butterfly. That clears one of the lanes but starts an argument and almost a fight. One chaps storms out, another moves lanes. The attendants look at their feet. Eventually there is a bit of shuffling of personnel in the lanes and a tentative harmony breaks out.

Having at first feared I would struggle to get 10 lengths in I eventually manage 80 before meeting L for a mocha.

(Wednesday 16^th July)