Some Lively Frivolity

I'm on the bus again today and I fear I am now over rested. I’m sure you can over taper. I get no sympathy from L who is rested to the point of pulling her hair out but isn’t, of course, tapering for anything. Well, apart from her planned power shopping on Sunday.

She does sneak in a lunch time swim. I go for lunchtime pints, she goes for lunchtime swims... who's the healthy one here?

Apparently it hurt but it was worth it. I dissuade her from her planned post-work gym session with the promise of some lively frivolity at home to include the anti-God documentary ‘The God Who Wasn't There’ on Youtube and another instalment of the Handmaid's Tale, which we are laboriously working our way through. Quite a combo. 

(Friday 13^th October)

Injury Prevention

I’m on the bus today and feeling good ahead of Sunday’s Outlaw Half although I’ve probably over tapered or, as it’s known in my case, injury prevention.

To which ends there shouldn’t be much chance of picking up any injuries in the pub where we go for lunch.

L had hoped to start the Colwick 5k series tonight, which was going to be a birthday present from me, but although she’s improving she says she’s not that good yet. Her back pain is now apparently just an ache, rather than two drawing pins stuck in her back, which was better than the 6" nail a couple of months ago.

It’s a shame because I thought I might give it a go. I even thought I might try it without dog power.

Instead she heads off to visit her folks.

(Wednesday 17^th May)

Selfie Not Forthcoming

I continue to taper and it feels very odd not being astride my trusty steed. I had considered a gentle ride today (well I would have tried to be gentle) but the early morning rain makes my mind up for me.

Instead a rare Wednesday tennis session once the rain stops and the weather brightens up. L does spin and pump then gets the new tram up to us at the Victoria, although appeals for a selfie on the tram go unheeded.

At home our house number is back up signifying, I hope, that they are now going to finish off the outside of the house.

(Wednesday 26^th August)

Never Mind The Cheese

My final pre-event bike to work today. I will then taper a bit more properly for the rest of the week, maybe. Well, I'll try to.

L is in London, working down Harley Street and having the usual fun on the trains getting there. She isn’t tapering except when being in London forces her to. She claims that her event is only a piddly little tri. The same piddly little tri is also a qualifier for ITU Sprint Distance World Championships and ETU Sprint Distance European Championships by way. So it’ll be piddly, little and full of very very quick people.

In the evening, we’re at dog training and another solid training session from MD. More solid that my triathlon training, that’s for sure.

L has gone to bed when we get home ‘to stop the cheese calling to me from the fridge’. Never mind the cheese, she needs to beware the chocolate lurking in my bedside cabinet.

(Wednesday 27^th May)

The Countdown Stops For No Man

It’s a bank holiday today, yet the countdown stops for no man. Six days to go.

We chill out, lie in, taper. Call it what you will. Although me and the boys do hit the park.

Where Doggo stalks a dandelion thinking it is his yellow ball, until I throw said ball at which point he shrugs off the slight misunderstanding and chases after it. I would say it’s his age but he’s always done odd things like that. 

(Monday 26^th May)

We Are Ready

I embark on a final training run with MD. It goes well. We are ready. L then takes out Doggo which makes MD distraught. He doesn’t seem to realise that he now needs to taper before Saturday. Oh by the way, happy birthday MD, three years old today. We’re off out tonight to celebrate without you.

I sit at my desk feeling knackered and a bit nauseous. The nausea is due to starting my latest Stuart McBride this morning. Book 4 - Blind Eye. Someone is gouging out the eyes of Polish immigrants. Nice. McBride is reading this one himself. Which is a bit weird, having got used to John Sessions. It is probably more appropriate having a Scotsman read a book about people from Aberdeen. McBride though, appears to be reading this one in a hurry but I’m sure I’ll get used to him.



I get the bus straight into Nottingham from work. Tonight is a delayed birthday celebration for me. I meet up with L for an aperitif or two before we go for a meal. She says she's always wanted to do drinks from work... and she’s waited 15 years to tell me this... I’m sure we’ve done drinks from work on more than one occasion. We end up in Langtry's where they have kindly laid on Snecklifter as a birthday treat. I’m touched.

After which we head off to the restaurant for a romantic meal for three, Daughter is meeting us there. The restaurant is called Kayal and describes itself as South Indian. Kayal means backwaters in Kerala, I’m not sure if that’s promising or not. It’s a chain of course, aren’t they all these days, but it only has three branches - Leicester, Leamington Spa and Nottingham. Well so far.



They claim that Kerala has a distinctive cuisine, very unusual and different from the rest of India but a lot of Asian restaurants say that and they still have Chicken Tikka Masala on the menu for the masses. Not here. In fact no Madras, Bhuna, Jalfrazi etc either. There was not one recognisable dish on the menu. They didn’t even do naan bread, although there was some well weird rice bread, very strange but oddly nice. It was all very refreshingly different, very tasty and not badly priced either. Recommended.

(Thursday 28th April)