Back to running for 3 weeks now after a prolonged and intermittant winter and spring while I was commuting to and from Walton-on-Thames every working day. Now I cycle to work and can run in the lunchtime because there is a shower and some decent running routes. I have managed 2/3-times a week and every time so far I have tried a different route (6 different routes). I try to alternate between running along the canal (flat, less pollution) and road (more hilly, more cars). The longest route I did was 7.3 miles in 61mins along the canal. Life at work is ok, a bit repetitive for my liking but things can change. Also, people are a bit quiet but again this can change as we are a new team (3 new members in the last 3 weeks!). What we need is some socialising to break down the barriers!
Have been watching Olympics and we (UK) are doing really well in the cycling! More potential golds today are in the Men’s Madison (Wiggins and Cavendish) and Men’s (Hoy and Kenny) and Woman’s (Pendleton) Sprint. Have also watched a number of great films: The Bank Job, Hancock and Wanted, Roman Holiday, and The Dark Knight.
back from the first day at the new job. took 20 mins cycle there in the morning and ’bout 25 back. The job: well too early to say as only first week but there’s lots of new people, the work is different. No cranky car either! It’s gonna thunder-storm tonight, so very humid
yes so another beautiful day in paradise. this day spent reading in the garden, finishing “Shalimar the Clown” by Salmand Rushdie, last Sunday’s newspaper about films music and books. Yes just did 100 situps as my posture has got to a stage where I need to make it better. Been juggling in the garden, left shoulder really hurts still.
Yesterday: cycled on hottest day of year to my parents, 11 miles in 45mins. Along roads and quite often subject to side and face-on winds. Great. Have now found my cycling shorts so ready for next week’s twice daily commute to-from work:) Hot hot hot. Yes so the reason for yesterday’s visit was to see my grandma, and my parents too. M met me there and we helped cook dindins: lasagne and then rhubarb crumble (i made the crumble: 9oz (1/4 white flour, 1/4 wholemeal flour, 1/2 oats), 4.5oz butter, 4.5oz sugar) for topping). Makes huge difference not taking the car every/anywhere and I am liking it very much.
welcome back to this blog after a day off-line. Tried to upgrade Wordpress (the strings that hold this blog together) from version 2.5.1 to 2.6 but must have got something wrong. So still with 2.5.1 for now.<update> now have upgraded to 2.6 not that difficult really.</update>
Back home after a week in Paris for friends wedding. We took Eurostar last Weds then met up with Didier and Lucie at their home in the suburbs. Thu M and I went into Paris and did some touristy leg-walking, mission number one the Eiffel Tower then mission number 2: find some churros. Both accomplished but the second only just as we almost ran out of energy after walking at least 10km in our search. Fri spent preparing for the marriage and then Sat morning too, before the wedding and eating drinking and partying into early hours. Sun cleaning up then on Monday went to Paris again to walk to Monmartre and then to Line, Jabert and Lisa’s to collect our bags before catching the Eurostar back to UK.
I am now on two week holiday after 8 gruelling months of getting up at 6am, leaving at 6.30 for 1 hour commute, working till 16.30 and then second 1 hour commute before getting home at 17.30. Knackered, Stressed, Violated, Poluted, Hungry. I now have a new job (just three miles each way) in Reading, starting on the 28th of July, and will get there by bike or by running.
Yesterday I read a lot, used linux (after installing Ubuntu on the computer my brother’s old computer - cheers bro), got infuriated with the noise coming from the knackered fan in said computer (and with Drupal) and set off on my bike to ride to Maplin in search for a replacement fan. The route is the same as I will use for getting to my new job and was really hilly and v.hard work. After finding no suitable fans in the shop I tried a different route home but took a wrong turning and instead of getting the map out I did a bit of high speed exploring, then when knackered got the map out and rode home.
In the evening after M had arrived home and we had eaten dinner we watched “Priceless (hors de prix)”. Really funny film, Audrey Tautou sexy pouting seductive actress in same vain that Audrey Hepburn was in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”… which reminds me that I have a whole box-set of Audrey Hepburn films to watch.
when is the summer gonna start? today rained from 6am till now (9pm) non-stop. Managed to get out at lunch for a walk with enormous umbrella. Had to re-attach wiper blade on motorway in rain as almost fell off.
Cavendish won stage 5 of the Tour de France!!! Awesome dude! He has already won 2 stages in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year. Come on GB!!!
Running: Just back from my first run in 2.5 weeks and was great fantastic awesome to kill myself for the name of getting fit, losing weight and generally feeling much bloody better than those sedentary folks. Was just going to do the regular 2 laps of Palmer Park, which to be honest is really dull and boring, but instead I felt like going further and doing something a bit more challanging. So I did “[Tesco Route - 4.32miles]” in 32mins with some traffic lights and a stop to do up my laces. Weather was good although quite windy, lots of sun. Shoulders really painful for some reason.
Miles Remaining: 540.
Friday lunchtime and the weekend beccons, the sunshine dazzles and the blue sky dotted with white fluffy clouds. Been a long week but a short week and another week less before I start my new job, one week less at my current place and only 22 journeys (that’s approx 750 miles) before I can rest the car and get out my bike. Have not run all week although went walking a lot last weekend, several times this week and also to-from town on bike twice too. Went to see Indy 4.0 last night although entertaining it played too much and tried to be humerous. Watch out for the ants. Semi-finals and finals of men and woman’s tennis this weekend. Serena and Roger all the way. Have a good one!
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[Pharoahe Monche - Desire : 3m32]
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[flobots - handlebars]
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