All Bases Covered

L recommends the Fractured Marathon at Calke Abbey, that I’ve not heard of before. It sounds interesting and thankfully it’s not ‘fractured’ as in ankle although it is all off road . It’s called fractured because each of the 10 x 2.6 mile laps start on the half hour. So it’s not a continuous marathon, assuming you can do a lap in less than half an hour. It also starts at 7pm, which means the last lap starts at midnight.

Another race that is in the diary is the Peterborough Marathon, which I had considered doing as a warmup race for the Brighton Marathon but it appears there were only 170 in it last year. Which isn’t quite what I was looking for but then if everyone thinks that they’ll never get the numbers up.

On Monday we all head over to L’s folks to shift some things downstairs for them which means the boys get a walk around Mickleover. It’s already dropping colder and by the next morning it’s very icy underfoot. I fall over twice while walking the dogs, who barely notice. I do manage to make it to the bus and therefore to work without any further falls but that’s probably helped by not having a dog in each hand.

Later L fails to talk herself out of run club while I fail to persuade the Lad out of wanting to go Dog Training.

On Wednesday I am summoned to the Yard for pizza by my now retired ex-colleague. The only probably is that I am down to run 10 miles tonight and now I’m full of pizza. Somehow I get through it.

Thursday see L heading over to her running club again where they have introduced a longer 6 mile run but she is having what she calls ‘massive nerve attacks’ about it, what I call ‘adrenaline’. This is because it's only fast fellas that have posted on Facebook to say they are going. 

I’m sure she’ll be fine. I pop both a 0% Leffe and a 9% Leffe in the fridge, so that all bases are covered for when she returns.

(Thursday 23rd January)

Still Under The Weather

We go to the Forest Rec parkrun, where a still under the weather L does another under the weather time and I chuck balls. 

After coffee in their cafe, I take the boys home and head off to yet another lunch time kick off where Derby County are trying to resurrect their faltering season at home to Brentford. The Rams salvage a 1-1 draw with a very late undeserved equaliser. As resurrections go, it's hardly majestic.

In the evening, we stay in to rest our dubious health before the Derby bike ride tomorrow. Beer stocks are that low at home so I have to resort to L’s Leffe, which she eyes suspiciously as that is one of the things she blames for her illness.

(Saturday 11^th April)

The Usual

Another bike ride achieved, no rain and no learner drivers.

The usual Friday night in tonight, L is resting up for a race tomorrow when I'll be doing my favourite thing. Supporting. Whether that means she’ll be hydrating with wine or Leffe flavoured sport’s drink I’m not sure.

(Friday 17^th October)

Tax Dodging

There is a young boy in our bathroom this morning who is being paid £50 in used bank notes. So he’s tax dodging obviously but he’s bringing our flushing mechanism into the 21st Century, so it should be worth it.

L is impressed anyway, ‘the loo is beautiful’ she proclaims in a huge overstatement. We are now the proud owners of a flush with no overflow, which are old hat (apparently). Unfortunately it’s not to be used by ham fisted children or men. So neither Daughter nor I are allowed to use it.

After work I visit the pool, it was about time, and do 70 lengths.

Friday night in, of course, but with no World Cup football as it’s a rest day. So just wafting fields of wheat, bottles of Leffe and perhaps Top of The Pops. The dogs will be expecting a takeaway but they’ll be disappointed as I’m cooking. They’ll bark the delivery man off anyway, even if he doesn’t exist.

(Friday 27^th June)

You Can't Rely On Italy

You just can’t rely on the Italians. They lose to Costa Rica and England are out of the World Cup. It just won’t be the same not seeing them scrape through in the last game.

Daughter continues her UK interview tour, visiting Manchester today which is relevant because it is where she hopes to do her Masters degree.

I get home with instructions to shove L out the door to do a run before doing anything to tempt her not to. As if I would. I duly give the required shove before opening the bottles of Leffe in readiness for her return.

(Friday 20^th June)

Anything With Fairies

I cycle to and from work today and then take in session in the swimming pool on the way home.

L is at the theatre tonight, taking in a bit of Shakespeare with her brother. I do like a bit of Shakespeare myself but preferably not the comedies or anything with fairies in it. Hence not, as is the case tonight, Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Instead I dog sit and then meet them both in the bar at Cast, adjacent to the theatre, afterwards. This was once the legendary Limelight bar, probably the best and certainly my favourite real ale bar in Nottingham. Unfortunately it got bought out due to its location and success. It was then turned into a café bar / restaurant / deli combo e.g. it went downhill rapidly. It still did stock the occasional decent ale and also draught Leffe but once they found out we were still visiting the place, they took those off as well. Finally we got the message and went elsewhere.

So we haven’t been in for ages and it’s pleasantly surprising to find two decent local ales from Magpie on the bar. Perhaps they want us to come back?

(Wednesday 27^th February)