The Dreaded Health Check

L has been called in for the dreaded health check by her GP, like the one I had at Christmas and got a rollicking for. It does appear though that the nurse didn’t shout at her and L probably remembered to put her rucksack down when they weighed her. Actually, L points out that she changed into a nice light summer dress especially. Not an option that was open to me. I just hope she’s left it on.

She’s off work again today, which upset the boys routine. MD soon got over his shock, had a good stretch and then skipped off for his ball. They also met me off the bus later and helped me hobble home.

Tonight’s special is Baked Elastic (Alaska) that L has cooked. That, wine and the summer dress should make for a very good night. 

(Friday 6^th June)

Someone Somewhere Is Trying To Tell Me Something

Ok. I’ve got to get fit this week, so it’s into the bike. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although it was tough. It must be about a month since I last cycled to work.

This was despite the fact there was snow about. Although there’s none here, one of the guys who works for us lives near Sheffield and he couldn’t get in today due to snow. Daughter won’t be happy if Sheffield is snow bound.

Yet another 10k appears on Wollaton Park. The MoRun. Fees from £22 plus a £1.95 booking fee. Bargain! I know it’s for charity but, bah humbug, I’m not paying that much and they’ll expect you to raise loads of sponsorship as well. I’m also not growing a Mo. Actually, I thought it was going to be something to do with Mo Farah.

Now, it’s bloody snowing here. Great. Just the little matter of a 15 mile bike ride home. I’ll pack a spade in my rucksack next time. My fitness campaign is just not going my way. I think possibly someone somewhere is trying to tell me something. L suggests that might be ‘rest that leg’ or ‘take it easy’. Hmmm.
 
In other news, Richard III is found underneath a car park in Leicester. I guess we knew he’s show up eventually. We watch a rather dire programme about it. It was interesting, just badly made and would have been far better if they focused on the subject in hand e.g. the locating and then digging up of Richard III rather than trying to devise a ‘human’ story around the people involved in the process. Who just got annoying. There must have been some really fascinating research involved but they just glossed over it in favour of doing a sob story with some woman and the presenter guy. I’m still not sure who he was.

(Tuesday 5th February)

Pandemic

We let everyone else get on with the business of competing with their dogs this morning and head over to Adel, ten miles or so away for the Eccup 10 mile race. I had always intended to sit this one out but after my cycling mishap it’s looking an even better decision. Anyway, I love a bit of supporting.



After the race has started, I have time to grab a welcome coffee or two, even more welcome seeing as we forgot out own coffee supplies and I was stuck drinking tea all day yesterday. There is only so much tea I can take. Then I use the runners changing facilities to grab a shower, as the dog show has neglected to provide such basic facilities.

I get back to the start/finish area just in time to see the winner cross the line five minutes ahead of the field and, checking my watch, in roughly 55 minutes. I think that’s impressive until I get nearer to the finish, see the electronic clock and realise that the race was almost near five minutes late starting. His time was actually 0:51:18, very very impressive and a new course record.



I’d have been over 20 minutes behind him. L will be a bit longer than that, time for another coffee I think and to watch a bit of cricket. There’s a junior game going on next to the finish area. A bit too close to the finish area really, which is really the only organisational failure of the race because all the runners end up walking on the cricket pitch. I don't think this would have been allowed to happen had it been an adult cricket match.



L comes in, in another good time, but in not quite her quickest 10 miles of the year. The race memento they dish out here varies every year. In 2007 it was a kit bag, in 2008 a mug (glad we missed that one, we have plenty of mugs), 2009 it was a rucksack and last year, they gave out a technical t-shirt. L chooses to enter in the year they decide to give out a paperweight... Not just any old paperweight but exactly the same paperweight we have already received from several other races. The Yorkshire crowd seemed pleased with this, it was something different for them, not realising that there’s a pandemic of these things in the Midlands at the moment and it’s clearly now spreading northwards.

We head back to camp, via Sunday lunch in a pub in North Rigton, which again sells exactly the same three beers as the other two pubs. It's just like the bad old days of the 70’s and 80’s when a few breweries had monopolies on the pubs only these beers are supplied by three separate independent breweries.

After taking the tent down we head home and find the house exactly as we left it. How many years has it been since that has happened? No dirty pots piled in the sink, no discarded socks down the back of the settee, the bathroom floor isn't underwater and there are even towels hanging up in there etc etc, I could go on. Utopia.

Then I settle down to watch the Tour de France and that horrifying accident caused by the press car.

(Sunday 10th July)