Day Of The Dead

Today Daughter is at some rehearsals for her upcoming police interview. These are being held locally by ex-coppers, who are hopefully not exs for the wrong reasons. She says it goes well but comes back with loads to practice.

As Daughter isn’t parkrunning, we don’t either and indulge in a rare Saturday lie in.

L is then at Pilates, ‘mostly’ pain free apparently, then she’s off on one of her non-shopping trips in town while I take the boys on a long walk on the park. Well, it’s long for Doggo.

Derby win at Norwich in what is turning in to, what is known locally as, a Billy Davies season. Billy Davies famously secured promotion to the Premier League for an exceedingly average Derby County side in 2007 by grinding out results week in week out in front of a largely somnolent crowd. I’m really not sure I can go through all that again particularly considering what happened the following season.

In the evening we are out with some friends at El Capo on Broad Street. El Capo specialises in Mexican and Latin American dishes in a trendy atmosphere and with subdued lighting. Which means non of us old folk can read the menu. It is also supposed to be fancy dress, as it is their Day of the Dead evening, but we don’t participate. The food is good but nothing revolutionary.

We have drinks before and after in the Lord Roberts.

(Saturday 28^th October)

Feeling More Human

It’s been a while but the boys and I are at a dog show today. Our performance is a bit of a mixed bag. First we have an elimination, then on the next course we were clear right up until we had the last jump down, then we do get a clear round where we came 3^rd and finally we clock up ten faults for two poles down on run four. That was just the morning. Our only run in the afternoon was simply a disaster. So just the one rosette today.

Meanwhile L sneakily skips Pilates and goes for a gym session. After which she says she’s now feels far more human but she doesn’t say if that’s an injured or an uninjured human. Then, with Daughter, she heads off for a free curry provided by Robin Hood Energy and John Carroll Leisure Centre. I enjoy my flask of lukewarm soup.

We stay in tonight, for sort of obvious reasons.

(Saturday 14^th October)

A Juggling Convention

I swim this morning while L opts for Pilates. I could barely get in the car park at Harvey Hadden though, even at 6.30am, as they had a Juggling Convention going on in the sports hall and they were all obviously early birds. Afterwards it was a really easy trip to work due to the Easter holidays.

L has resorted to one of those couch to 5k programmes in an attempt to get herself back in to running, gently. 5k is her distance of choice at the moment although I’m sure she longs for something longer even if it came with a dayglow t-shirt and a crap goodie bag.

She also asks if I mind if she has a quick blast at the gym... I think I would mind more if she didn’t go to the gym. You shouldn’t shirk on a workout.

Outdoor dogging tonight, in the sun.

(Monday 10^th April)

Curled Up Asleep

Daughter joins in the park session this morning means L’s tired us all out this morning. They’ll all be curled up asleep at home while L heads off to Pilates and I have another speedy drive in to work. It’s still far too cold and icy to cycle.

By mid-afternoon, not only is it cold but it’s also really foggy. Definitely not a bike day. Instead I do an impressive 25k on the Watt Bike at the gym.

L goes off to an Aqua Fit class at Harvey Hadden with Daughter followed by a sauna. She really will wear that girl out.

(Thursday 29^th December)

Not Quite On The Money

This morning we both do Markeaton Parkrun and MD isn’t quite on the money but a time of

23:00 isn’t bad but 13 seconds off his PB which I felt could have been lowered today.

After a quick breakfast there, following by dropping L off at Pilates, I head to the match early for an informal meeting with the team who are building Derby County's  new website. They have thankfully decided to ditch the generic site that so many club’s use and to produce their own. I am one of the many who have signed up to help them test it and give feedback.

Today it’s just an introduction to their plans and to warn us they’ll be sending us lots of stuff to look at in the New Year. The new website itself launches in June. There were lots of complimentary coffee and biscuits as well as free tickets available for today’s match for those who wanted them.

The game itself sees Derby continue their improved recent form with a 1-0 win over Norwich. Derby’s ex-Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson scores the goal.

We stay in tonight, it’s the EMA 10k tomorrow.

(Saturday 26^th November)

Tail Run

We head to Forest Rec for breakfast or more specifically for the park run where L tail runs and I just chuck balls.

After L does her usually Pilates, I drop L at her parents place from where sadly her brother has been rushed back into hospital. I then visit my Mum whose birthday it was on Thursday before returning to collect L.

We have an AF night with pasta as we prepare for tomorrow’s Salford 10k.

(Saturday 3^rd September)

No Prizes For Style

L runs Forest Rec parkrun and we of course tag along for a Bacon buttie. They have made some course amendments but what they are basically saying is that the course has been 20m short for years.

Afterwards I drop L at Pilates and then head off for the first football match of the new season. So far the Derby fans are less than impressed with new boss Nigel Pearson’s reshaped team. To be fair they’ve won every game in pre-season bar a defeat to Benfica but they aren’t winning any prizes for style. They play out a 0-0 draw with a decent Brighton side. Whether that is a good point or a bad one, only time will tell.

In the evening we pub crawl Canning Circus. Two in a Room With A Brew, one in the Borlase and one in the Blue Monkey 

(Saturday 6^th August)