Wasn't Feeling It Today

Although not far, I just didn't fancy the drive across to the Kymin for 4 miles. The road conditions probably weren't too bad by the time of the race but having woken at 5am to the sound of torrential rain I really wasn't feeling up for it. The rain sounded so bad I had to get up and take a look, fearful of what might greet me. Thanfully the adjusted drainage was working a treat but after that I just lay in bed listening to the rain. Sleep deserting me.

If I'm honest I'm probably going to race minimally over the next few months. Focusing more on training - aka actually doing some - and shedding the extra weight I have acquired over the last couple of years. On that front, it's still all systems go. I managed about 150 minutes of cardiovascular today which included a 30 minute run - in the mud. Good conditions if wallowing in mud is your thing. It really is very soggy out there.

Today's baking was curried vegetable pasties using an olive oil based pastry to try and keep things slightly healthier than pasties might otherwise be. It was certainly different to conventional pastry but turned out okay. Not being the rock hard bricks I was expecting going into the oven...

Back Into The Trenches

With the forecast looking decidedly un-good over the coming days I donned the waders and climbed back into the ditch. I rejigged the early catch leaf meshing to hopefully be a) more effective and b) easier to clear. Then I dug out about half a ton of leaves, twigs and branches. It was a bloody good upper body work out mind.

Next up was the tax return - curse you tax man (or woman, I'm not sexist with my despisement).

After that I should have got out for a run but the thought of trudging through more mud just didn't appeal. Ninety on the bike again. Dinner was low fat cauliflower cheese - it's the grated parmesan and a sprinkling of ground nutmeg that makes all the difference. The diet remains on track, notching up the first pound of lard to exit stage left...

An Ark, An Ark, My Kingdom For An Ark

Jeez is it ever going to stop raining? If you're expecting to hear that I went for a run in this then you need to seek help.

The flood waters are just about being held at bay - provided I don't stop raking the leaves from the grate now and then, that is. As long as the storm drain is kept clear it seems to be coping. Definitely can't afford for it to block up though.

So it was ninety on the bike, watching cookery shows in between making and baking a french stick using my christmas banneton. It turned out great especially served up with some lovely olives wot someone gave me.

Day four of the new regime has gone well. I've been snack free again. And so the focus remains - as, sadly, does the forecast for more flippin' rain. Grrrrrhhh.

Still On Track

True, it's not been a run day but come on, three in a row, I'm allowed a day off. Not totally off though. After a steady day at work, possibly the best ever drive home with almost no traffic, I stayed focused to the task and managed a sweat inducing sixty on the static bike waiting for the rains to come - that's quite a long sentence!

Tomorrow's orienteering has already been called off and said rains have now arrived. Assuming the forecast is anywhere near accurate it's going to be tough to get out for a run now I've no official event to attend.

On the up side my new head torch has arrived. A Lenser H7. Weighing in at the same cost as a replacement battery for my magicshine, I thought I'd give it a go. It's not as bright. It doesn't turn night into day. More sort of twilighty but I think it will do the job. So if the rains do last all day maybe they'll ease off after sun down and I can run then.

On the diet front, provided I don't snack later, I'm on target again...

Day Two

Of the diet and training plan. Yesterday was a success and I'm on track today - provided I don't snack later tonight, that is... I've struck while the iron is hot rather than make it a big deal as a new years resolution. I'm aiming to shed 10lb of lard in ten weeks. That'll be worth 90s on a 5k just by itself! I really have become too lardy over the last 18 months and it's stopping right here right now. To be fair there hasn't been much planning other than that I must commit more to training and give in less to apathy.

Today Martin and I got out for the anti-clockwise Dundry loop - and it was tough out there, into a really strong headwind. My achilles was sore but that didn't stop me. Earlier in the day I had warned Martin I wasn't running in the pouring rain and gales but, like it was destined to be, the sky cleared, Moses like as unto the Red Sea, in time for our lunchtime run. Still bloody windy mind.

Bring on day three...

Better Today

It's more about fun than serious at the Christmas Treasure Hunt. I wasn't taking the event too seriously as a race but I was keen to run pretty hard on grounds of training. You see, I've decided to kick off my new years resolutions early. More training - that one shouldn't be too difficult as my recent record is extremely poor. The other is to shed a few pounds (or more than a few hopefully).

Anyway back to the hunt, I managed to visit 16 of the 18 controls within the hour time limit. I say within the limit but I was actually 17s late - smack me. Those 17s were not through lack of trying though. I was piling it on from the last control - which was actually the first as I ran the reverse direction. Despite my best effort I still got back late - damn the owners of the house whose house name plate had been removed leading me to waste 18s searching for it before declaring it awol (control 10).

After the last combatant got back we all headed to the Lion in Trellech for chip butties. Yum.

Hands Up Guv, It Wasn't My Finest Piece Of Orienteering..

There was a good turnout in the woods somewhere north of Chepstow for the Stotts Christmas-O. It was a chilly day but it wasn't raining. Well it wasn't raining until I started....

We were using a work in progress map update of the area but to me it was fine - but then I couldn't see anything for the rain on my glasses, so what do I know?

I struggled in the early stages. It was really just so difficult to see the map while monitoring my progress. I mucked up one and made a bad route choice to four but after that progress was just plain slow until the rain finally stopped and I could see clearly once more. Just a shame that was by the time I got to control nine. From there to the finish I went a lot better.

Good fun though. Looking forward to tomorrow's Christmas treasure hunt and maybe, just maybe, it wont rain....

Well It's Back To Work Tomorrow

Been a good couple of days. I ate. I drank. I baked and I was merry...

Got a couple of orienteers planned for the weekend and I need to bake something for Saturday's event. I'm thinking my special coconut orange cookies...

Neighbours, Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

Thanks to their quick action I'm not looking at mopping out the ground floor. The water was lapping at the door quite literally. Me thinks a thank you bake is in order... and I think I'll leave the sand bags in place tonight.

Having kept the water just at bay I donned my waders and waded into the brook - well that's what they're for. There were quite a few blockages up stream of the main drain. That was forcing the waters out into the field and at the houses from a different direction to normal, with nowhere to go. The level is now a good half a metre lower up stream which should keep the waters at bay overnight. I'm going take an emergency day off tomorrow to get back in the brook and continue the clear out.

Once again I can't thank the fast actions of my neighbours enough, averting disaster and saving me from a very unwanted birthday present.

Fun Run In The Darkness

...it got even darker after my battery hit empty. Unfortunately I still had a muddy, tree covered descent still to go but I'm getting ahead of things.

It was the first Rogue Runs night race of a four race series. Staged in the mighty Forest of Dean by a formidable team of race experts. It was bloody good fun - until the lumin deficiency. They even made us run through a 40m long tunnel. Selling it as a short cut - shortcut my arse. I got over-bloody-taken - both times! I hate you Creber [in my best 'On the Buses' voice and shaking fist].

On the final climb my battery gave up the ghost. It wasn't that bad on the climb as it was a good, wide track but once at the summit I was fair up a creak without a paddle. Having tried to continue along the muddy, windy tree covered path I couldn't see s*!t. Just had to wait for the next runners to appear to give me some light. Cue a 30s wait. Having found the light at the cost of two places, I finished. I'm looking forward to the next race in the series - just need to order a new battery first....

Bostock's Brilliant Brunch

The man is a genius with a frying pan. A veritable legend - in his own mind - I jest. Don't do the English breakfast often. Today's was gert lush. Right that's enough of that nonsense I'm welling up. I've I lunch run planned for tomorrow. And no, I'm not going to look at the forecast for fear it puts me off. Up Saturday will be the Forest night run - organised by some right rogues so I've heard. Sunday - or Birthdays Eve as it is oft called - I'm going to be out to lunch - shut it. It's actually going to be out to dinner but there's no corn to be had with that.

Son Of A B!*(#

Traffic on the way home was mental. Getting out of Bristol a nightmare - I'm thinking Brunnel didn't build the plimsoll bridge. It got stuck open causing absolute chaos!

When I did final arrive home imagine my negative joy to find bits of bird and feathers spread around pretty much every corner of the bedroom - lovely, just what one needs after a long day at the office. Then, having cleared that mess up, the damn cat - no, she's not in my good books - decided raw bird didn't agree with her and had a good solid puke all over the floor - aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Finally, with that fine mess cleaned up I hit the sofa - hard. Operation couch potato has commenced....

Spitting, It Were Spitting

Yes, it was a wet and windy lunch time run today. You know, it's really rather unpleasant when - to quote Adele - the rain is blowing in your face. Martin and I managed to get out there in the drizzle. Our commitment to the cause knows no bounds. Okay, I'm pretty sure there are going to be a few bounds along the way that we will know but at the moment we are having a jolly good go at not knowing any.

It was the clockwise run today and that meant rain in the face all the way to the summit of Mount Dundry - as it isn't known. I was a little quicker this time than last but not by much. Conditions were on a par with the worst we've run this fair winter season so mustn't grumble with my effort. Things are inching very slowly in the right direction - slowly being the operative word.

Hopefully we'll both be in the office Wednesday for another trundle...

Recovery Weekend

Recovering, from Friday, that is. I kipped in the van Friday night - well I say Friday night, it was more, early hours of Saturday morning... I did not rise till gone 2pm. Ye olde van is quite comfy. Suffice to say I didn't quite make it home in time to get to the night orienteering.

Today has been continual rain and I've been a bad boy. I did an hour on the bike and fifteen minutes on the rower. In between that I baked up another couple of panettone to take to work - added a few white chocolate drops this time so it'll be interesting to see how that works out. Also made a gert lush winter root veg stew with herb cheese dumplings - to quote a big fake bear, "mmmmmm tasty".

Hopefully tomorrow's planned lunch run will happen, it'll be the more favourable clockwise variant....