Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3D Transmissions, clutch, Cooper Reading, First Great Western, gearbox, MINI, South West Trains, Woking
Apart from a llittle ramble on Sunday, I’ve done no exercise for over a week. I have multiple excuses for this:
- I’ve had a sore throat for a week, which hasn’t developed into anything worse, but hasn’t got any better. I’m reluctant to over-do it on the exercise front for fear of getting more ill before I go away.
- My MINI needs a new gearbox and clutch, and I can’t drive it anywhere until it goes to the car hospital. However, I am unwilling to pay the £2,500 quoted by Cooper Reading. Instead, I’m going to take it to a company called 3D Transmissions in Reading, who can rebuild the gearbox and fit it with a clutch and a 12-month/12,000-mile guarantee for £1,100 + VAT. But they can’t do it until the middle of next week.
- I’m inclined to do more interesting things, like go to visit one of my best friends and her five-week-old baby, Ted, for cuddles, tea and cake. However, this does mean employing the services of South West Trains and First Great Crap Western to get to Woking and back, thereby taking up most of the day not already taken up by cuddles, tea and cake.
The reality is that I could have squeezed in a run every day this week. And I could have somehow got a lift to British Military Fitness (thanks Marc, Lee and Mick) had I made an effort to leave Woking slightly earlier today. And I’m probably not going to get swine flu if I go out for a little jog.
Hmmm, maybe tomorrow…
At this rate, I will be doing a lot more walking. The gearbox in my Mini seems to be – to use a non-technical term – f*cked. A bit bloody annoying when I finally have a week off to see friends and family scattered all over the south-east. And I can’t even get to British Military Fitness unless I’m prepared to run the nine miles there, and back again. Grrr.
Filed under: walking | Tags: Ashridge, cake, Ivinghoe Beacon, Knowl Hill Bridleway, London, tea, Thames Festival, walk
Greetings loyal readers – that’s if I have any after failing to write for two weeks or more. I’ve been out and about, but lacking the energy and good humour required to write.
As well as the odd run and British Military Fitness session in the encroaching darkness – though no more weekday triple bills – Phil and I have been trying to blister-proof our feet in advance of a trekking trip to Morocco next month. Our trip to Cornwall kickstarted the training programme with a couple of days ambling around the South West Coastal Path in August.
During the bank holiday we had a glorious day exploring Ivinghoe Beacon and woodland around Ashridge Estate, and even climbed the Bridgewater Monument. That was embarrassing: we got to the top and were rewarded with a 360° view of where we had walked during the day. The only disturbance was caused by two exceptionally yappy dogs at the base of the monument that wouldn’t shut up. Rather unwisely, I said – at the top of my voice – “God, can you IMAGINE living with those?” The woman standing right next to me said: “I can and I do. They’re mine…” Ooops. I had to relieve my red face with tea and carrot cake at the nearby cafe.
We’ve also done a fair amount of traipsing around London when we’ve been there for the weekend. Had a great day with friends mid-September, when we stumbled across the Thames Festival. This was a completely free event, featuring music and dance, food and fireworks.
We’ve also been exploring the area where I live out in Berkshire. We’ve come across little copses, footpaths, bridleways and whole villages that I didn’t even know existed, despite living here on and off over the course of 14 years. Today was a case in point: we explored the northern half of the Knowl Hill Bridleway Circuit, which we ran part of a couple of months back. We came across the most delightful place called Littlewick Green, a sleepy village with huge amounts of open space, children frolicking on the green, chocolate box cottages and lots of fancy cars. Maybe if I win the lottery…
Then, of course, I wouldn’t have to work. That would be lovely after the week I just had. Didn’t even have time to fit in the minimum two weekday units of exercise – just did one BMF class on Monday night I think. It feels so long ago, I’m not even sure. I’m also fighting off a cold and sore throat, but have had lots of sleep this weekend, so I think I might be on the mend.
Right, away I go. Time for roast chicken with chili, saffron, mint and lemon. It smells good…
Filed under: British Military Fitness | Tags: British Military Fitness, Defiance, LOVEFiLM, Revolutionary Road, The Duchess, The Kite Runner, The Reader
I arrived home at the unbelievably early time of 5.30 this evening after a hilariously chaotic “speed networking” event in Bracknell (the organiser just kept apologising for the crapness of it), and wondered what to do with the extra three hours I’d acquired. I did the only sensible thing, and sprawled out on the sofa with Revolutionary Road – the book rather than the film – and finished it just now. Bliss.
A bit dark, that book. The film version is also queued up on the LOVEFiLM list. So far we’ve had The Reader, The Kite Runner, The Duchess and Defiance – thereby avoiding anything too uplifting. Revolutionary Road should be another cheery one…
Anyway, I’m not going to feel guilty about my lack of exercise tonight, having done three British Military Fitness classes in three days. Well done me. After Monday’s class, went back on Tuesday for a session with the nice new Welsh lady whose bibs smelt lovely (her Mum had washed them with fabric conditioner, which may have been a first). The class itself was a tiny bit slow – it must be difficult to pitch it right when you’ve got all three categories of people in one group, and there was also a bit of a kerfuffle when blue number 27 hurt her shoulder during the warm-up. Oh, and we all got bitten to death by mosquitoes. But it was still good to get out and run about on a beautiful evening after two new biz pitches in one day.
Last night with Hayley was a fab class. She’d had a tough day at work, but seemed cheerier by the end of the session – not sure if that was the slightly masochistic infliction of pain on all of us or the flourescent laces sported by one of the chaps.
I ache today.
Filed under: British Military Fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: British Military Fitness, prospect park, Reading
Which one do you fancy?
Hot on the heels of the new Tuesday class in Prospect Park, tonight Steve threatened promised a new Sunday class too. I was too overwhelmed by the possibility of BMF-ing it five days on the trot to digest when the Sunday class will start, but no doubt it will be well attended. Tonight there were over 45 people trotting around in the fading daylight.
I manged two out of the three weekday classes last week – the new Tuesday session with Steve, then Wednesday with Hayley. Wednesday was notable for being the wettest ever session I’ve attended – in torrential rain for the entire hour. Our dejected group was soaked to the skin and shivering by the end of it, as well as being covered in fresh grass cuttings. I practically dived into the car at the end of the class and, despite my seat cover, my car smelled slightly damp for three days. I got out of it at work the next morning in my best pitch suit with a very moist bottom, much to the confusion of my workmates.
Tonight Johnny took the greens and growing team of slightly-more-green-than-blue reds, while Steve took the blues including a number of newbies. Johnny’s warm-up was knackering in itself, then we took to the big hill – up, across the back of the pub and down the other side. Multiple times. While being heckled by small children.
At the end of the class, I stood back from the scene in the carpark as 45 be-bibbed people dived for their car keys. To the uninitiated, it must look like a cross between one of those University hall of residence traffic light parties, where your badge denotes how “up for it” you are; and some sort of bizarre outdoor swinging convention.
