"what skills could you bring to this post?" Why did my mind go blank? It's not as if this is a surprise question at interviews. I'm so frustrated with myself. What an idiot.
Anyway, I've nearly finished two more applications, both of which are for jobs that I would actually like to do. As apposed to jobs which aren't as bad as the one I have.
And I didn't run to work, or during work or even after work yesterday. We did visit our friends though. Who have the most beautiful little baby girl. Marlie is an ace little bundle of comedy faces and noises. She brought a smile to my face and maybe even a little tear.
Off to work soon. Tomorrow is another day.
23 February 2009
21 February 2009
not in the training plan
The sun had been glaring off my computer screen all day. I'd been feeling a little guilty about not running yesterday and ending up in the pub instead. So I was a little hungover or maybe just tired but I'd resolved that as soon as I finished work I'd be fartlek-ing around the woods. Well, that didn't happen either....
A sunny day makes you do strange things.
We decided to go for a walk.
Not our usual kind that involves driving 150 miles then donning waterproofs and eating dried fruit.
No, we just had a slow meander around and about.
Coffee was drunk, flowers were noticed and a ride on the Nottingham Eye was had.
I even managed to get a steak dinner.
I couldn't have planned it better.
18 February 2009
mud, rain, whiskey and fruit loaf
It was wet and warm out tonight and the mud has returned with a vengeance.
Not much else to say today except sometimes I just really enjoy riding my bike. Good company and a moist tea loaf what more could you ask for?
I promise to meet at the right place next week.....
15 February 2009
2/12 century a month challenge (metric!)
Today's question is, how far would you cycle for a piece of cake? Trio came up with the notion that a 100 mile round trip would probably be about the right distance.
We both set off from our respective houses with the aim of meeting in Edale for refreshments. Fortunately my route is much less hilly than hers. So I arrived early which meant that I had longer to satisfy my appetite!
The ride itself was very uneventful and not particularly interesting. A lot of dull flat tarmac until you get to the Peaks. The road through Chatsworth was especially lovely, almost like riding on a closed road.
The main item of interest which kept my mind occupied for most of the day was the sighting of a dog wearing a nappy! This was in a built up residential area near the start of my ride. Said dog was on a lead and being taken for a walk. It paused at a lamp post and cocked it's leg. I didn't see what happened next but it did raise a few questions. Did the nappy have a 'wee hole'? Do dogs understand the concept of a nappy? Was the dog ill? Or the owner really lazy? Surely cleaning a dog after using a nappy is worse than just picking up the turd? Where do you purchase dog nappies? As you can see, I had a lot of time to think today!
174.74km 1778.81m climbed 27.6kph Ave.
* Trio-I'm not ready to officially move up to the imperial challenge just yet!
We both set off from our respective houses with the aim of meeting in Edale for refreshments. Fortunately my route is much less hilly than hers. So I arrived early which meant that I had longer to satisfy my appetite!
The ride itself was very uneventful and not particularly interesting. A lot of dull flat tarmac until you get to the Peaks. The road through Chatsworth was especially lovely, almost like riding on a closed road.
The main item of interest which kept my mind occupied for most of the day was the sighting of a dog wearing a nappy! This was in a built up residential area near the start of my ride. Said dog was on a lead and being taken for a walk. It paused at a lamp post and cocked it's leg. I didn't see what happened next but it did raise a few questions. Did the nappy have a 'wee hole'? Do dogs understand the concept of a nappy? Was the dog ill? Or the owner really lazy? Surely cleaning a dog after using a nappy is worse than just picking up the turd? Where do you purchase dog nappies? As you can see, I had a lot of time to think today!
174.74km 1778.81m climbed 27.6kph Ave.
* Trio-I'm not ready to officially move up to the imperial challenge just yet!
14 February 2009
wig out
What would be the perfect preparation for a 100 mile ride?
How about spending the night before, the night before celebrating a friends birthday-wigs mandatory, fancy dress optional. I went for a wig and 'tash combo with no fancy dress, Jane chose normal clothes and a giant fake beard. It was a great night, everyone had made the effort, particularly the birthday boy! His cake has to been seen to be believed. All I can say is that his mum is some kind of unbalanced cake baking genius. (pictures on flickr soon!)
We managed to sneak off before things got too messy and used our Glenmore Lodge navigation skills to find our way across Greenwich at 3am. Not wanting to miss the 'continental breakfast' we were up by 9 and I was on my second croissant by 9:15.
The afternoon was spent meeting up with Lizzy and indulging in a bit of culture at The National Portrait Gallery. And I might of had some cheese cake as well.
Now all I have to do is put some pedals on the road bike and get a map out.
How about spending the night before, the night before celebrating a friends birthday-wigs mandatory, fancy dress optional. I went for a wig and 'tash combo with no fancy dress, Jane chose normal clothes and a giant fake beard. It was a great night, everyone had made the effort, particularly the birthday boy! His cake has to been seen to be believed. All I can say is that his mum is some kind of unbalanced cake baking genius. (pictures on flickr soon!)
We managed to sneak off before things got too messy and used our Glenmore Lodge navigation skills to find our way across Greenwich at 3am. Not wanting to miss the 'continental breakfast' we were up by 9 and I was on my second croissant by 9:15.
The afternoon was spent meeting up with Lizzy and indulging in a bit of culture at The National Portrait Gallery. And I might of had some cheese cake as well.
Now all I have to do is put some pedals on the road bike and get a map out.
13 February 2009
holiday mood continued
I had a further attempt as speed work on Wednesday. This time at the park, so as to save £4.50 track fee. Unfortunately, I now realise that I need the discipline that the track offers. Another failed training session. I also canceled a trip to the climbing due to poor weather. Yes, I know it's inside!
My mum has been staying with us the past few days. Which has given me further excuses not to get outside and to overindulge in the sweet department. Yes, the holiday spirit lives on. We're off to London this evening to celebrate a friends birthday (wigs mandatory)...mmmm
On Sunday I'm hoping to complete my century ride and meet up with Trio in Edale. EEK!!
10 February 2009
faff-a-rama
I met up with Chris for what I was hoping to to be a fast ride (me playing catch up obliviously). I'm in desperate need of a kick start to training, having remained in 'holiday mode' for the past 3 days. However, things didn't start well. Embarrassingly Blackie hasn't been touched since 'puffer. So brake blocks needed changing, sprocket switching, chain removing and swapping due to a high level of corrosion. Oh, and I had to find my cycling kit which has been buried under a pile of winter walking attire.
Then there was the small matter of having to call Chris to come and solve the the chain slipping problem. He then discovered that the bottom bracket was completely loose. With everything now tightened and a chain on the short side we where ready to go.
After riding for about 15 minuets I realised that I really didn't have enough layers on and even though riding quickly would warm me up the wind chill wasn't helping. But I decided to not to mention this. Once at the woods we found a mixture of sheet ice, slushy mud and crispy hard snow. It was very slow going.
Then Chris had a puncture. We got colder. I noticed my handle bars were also loose. We had some whiskey. It was time to head back. The huge amount of faff, admittedly mainly mine, is so disproportionate to the length of ride I don't think it can even count as training. However, it was lovely to catch up with Chris. I promise to be more organised next week.
08 February 2009
1700hrs: tea & cake
Once again I'm back at work all to soon after a fantastic holiday. Our week at Glenmore Lodge certainly delivered all that it promised. I didn't want to leave. And despite my wishes of getting snowed in the efficient staffed ploughed the car park and provided giant shovels for digging the car out. We were treated to the biggest snow dump in recent years. So much snow in fact that the ski centre remained closed for a day and a half!
Our instructor, Doug, was patient, knowledgeable and it was a privilege to spend 5 days on the hill with him. Likewise the other members of our group were all good company. They were probably a little over qualified for the course but didn't make us feel like we were holding them back.
The weather was so extreme that we only made it to the top of the Cairngorm Plateau once. That was on day 2 via a shallow snow gully from Coire an Sneachda. Not quiet hard enough to be graded but kicking in the crampons, clinging to my axe whilst battling 35mph gusts it certainly felt exposed to me. No photos were taken that day. I was too busy trying to stay on the mountain!
We also did a lot of work around navigation, route choice and avalanche avoidance. There is so much to learn and so much that can only really be gained through experience and practice.
By Thursday the whole of Glenmore had transformed into a magical winter wonder land. With the main access road closed due to the amount of snow our options were limited. Doug put into action 'Plan D'. A day of snow appreciation. We snowshoe'd west towards Chalamain gap and spent the day building and learning about snow shelters. We had glimpses of still blue skies, whilst we tried to take in the awesome views of the snow covered coires. Snow so deep and pure that it looked like the hill had been covered in royal icing.
We all went to bed that night hoping conditions would remain calm, it wasn't to be. Friday, our last day, was the day that I felt like a true mountaineer. Decisions were made based on forecasts and Doug's local knowledge but we wouldn't know what the conditions were really like until we were in them.
We hoped to follow a path trod by a group the previous day. However, more snow had fallen and strong winds had covered any tracks. After two and a half hours of wading through thigh deep snow and howling winds we were less than a third of the way along the ridge to Cairn Gorm. It wasn't a long conversation and a "good mountaineering decision" was made. We turned around and headed back. Our snowshoe imprints already blasted off the mountain side. We would even have to brake trail to get down. There were now snow drifts nearly 6ft high and visibility was poor. I wasn't too disappointed to be turning back.
It's strange how quickly I became institutionalized and how much I thrived on it. 0745hrs: breakfast, 0900hrs: out on the hill, 1700hrs: tea and cake, 1800hrs: lecture or climbing wall, 1900hrs: dinner, 2000hrs: lecture, 2100hrs: bar, 2230hrs: heavy eyes and achy limbs. Repeat.
I can't recommend Glenmore Lodge enough. We're already planning our next trip.
Our instructor, Doug, was patient, knowledgeable and it was a privilege to spend 5 days on the hill with him. Likewise the other members of our group were all good company. They were probably a little over qualified for the course but didn't make us feel like we were holding them back.
The weather was so extreme that we only made it to the top of the Cairngorm Plateau once. That was on day 2 via a shallow snow gully from Coire an Sneachda. Not quiet hard enough to be graded but kicking in the crampons, clinging to my axe whilst battling 35mph gusts it certainly felt exposed to me. No photos were taken that day. I was too busy trying to stay on the mountain!
We also did a lot of work around navigation, route choice and avalanche avoidance. There is so much to learn and so much that can only really be gained through experience and practice.
By Thursday the whole of Glenmore had transformed into a magical winter wonder land. With the main access road closed due to the amount of snow our options were limited. Doug put into action 'Plan D'. A day of snow appreciation. We snowshoe'd west towards Chalamain gap and spent the day building and learning about snow shelters. We had glimpses of still blue skies, whilst we tried to take in the awesome views of the snow covered coires. Snow so deep and pure that it looked like the hill had been covered in royal icing.
We all went to bed that night hoping conditions would remain calm, it wasn't to be. Friday, our last day, was the day that I felt like a true mountaineer. Decisions were made based on forecasts and Doug's local knowledge but we wouldn't know what the conditions were really like until we were in them.
We hoped to follow a path trod by a group the previous day. However, more snow had fallen and strong winds had covered any tracks. After two and a half hours of wading through thigh deep snow and howling winds we were less than a third of the way along the ridge to Cairn Gorm. It wasn't a long conversation and a "good mountaineering decision" was made. We turned around and headed back. Our snowshoe imprints already blasted off the mountain side. We would even have to brake trail to get down. There were now snow drifts nearly 6ft high and visibility was poor. I wasn't too disappointed to be turning back.
It's strange how quickly I became institutionalized and how much I thrived on it. 0745hrs: breakfast, 0900hrs: out on the hill, 1700hrs: tea and cake, 1800hrs: lecture or climbing wall, 1900hrs: dinner, 2000hrs: lecture, 2100hrs: bar, 2230hrs: heavy eyes and achy limbs. Repeat.
I can't recommend Glenmore Lodge enough. We're already planning our next trip.
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