A happy-go-lucky English rambler dude goes to New Zealand for a year. Here he interfaces with some of those he left behind and details his nefarious activities. Or summat.
Recently clicked on MP3s - 7th June 2005 The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners
Jens Lekman - When i said i wanted to be your dog
The Trashcan Sinatras - Weightlifting
Teenage Fanclub - Man Made
Laura Veirs - Carbon Glacier
The Decemberists - Picaresque
The Eels - Blinking Lights
12:02 am Thursday, May 08, 2003
Hey, life's not all bad!
I'm still off running, but hopefully Friday's club run will be my long awaited comeback into the world of semi-amateur jogging, as my upper leg / arse region has been feeling staedily better all week.
To stop my legs wasting away completely, and to get ready for a sponsored bike ride i'm doing soon, i've started cycling to work this week. It's only a few miles, but there are plenty of 'satisying' hills to get stuck into on the way, and the sense of complete smugness gained from zooming up the inside of huge traffic jams really is quite incredible!
Not to mention the time saved, as, due to all the jams, it's actually quicker to cycle the 6 miles-ish to work, than it is to drive or get the bus! Doesn't seem quite right for Lestar, the UK's "Environment City", does it? (Though as i was one of the shmucks sat on his own, in a car, in the traffic jams last week, i can't start preaching just yet)
Ah, and especially as my other reason to be happy involves gratuitous use of a 2 litre combustion engine... Bank holiday Monday was spent cruising around the sunny Leicestershire countryside in a classic 1972 *COUGH*fortaxpurposes*cough* Citroen DS, courtesy of Leicester's premier Citroen officiando, Mikey.
The big, green, curvy beauty turned heads everywhere we went, even despite the fact we had neglected to wear the traditional black polo necks, and chain smoke Gauloise. Ahh... Merci Mikey!
Ce Soir Matheiu, Je suis Charles Aznavour!
1:17 am Saturday, May 03, 2003
Being injured sucks SO badly.
Unfortunately my 'arse strain' from the other week has turned out rather worse than i'd hoped. I thought it had cleared up completely, and last Sunday i headed out for my weekly 10 miler, out to 'Old John' and back, but after 4 or 5 miles the horrendous shooting pains up and down the back of my thigh seemed to indicate that the injury was back with a vengance.
Almost a week later, i'm still getting them whilst walking around, although much less frequently. Which I suppose indicates it's getting better, but having missed alost two weeks of training, with only a week left till the half marathon, i won't be doing it at all, let alone going for a good time, as i was hoping for. FUCKNUTS!
Before getting into doing sporty stuff, i always failed to empathise with injured sportspeople. What were they moaning about? Surely being injured meant they could put their feet up and catch up on all the telly they'd normally miss? What's the problem with that? But now being in that position myself has made me realise just how freustrating it actually is. This race has (rather sadly) been the main focus of the last two months of my life, and i've put in loads of hard work getting ready for it, and now with two weeks to go, it's all gone up in a puff of smoke. BASTARD!
I know there'll be other races, and that not all of my fitness will disappear while i'm sitting around watching DVD's for the next few weeks, but i can't tell you how much of a sickener it is to have all of your plans and hard work taken away from you, just when they were all about to come together.
I know it's not exactly Paula Radcliffe spraining an ankle of the start line of the London Marathon, so i'm trying to look on the bright side. For instance, i've borrowed some quality films to watch, like the arty Swedish, and Spanish por..., *ahem* arthouse films Show Me Love, Together and Jamon Jamon, courtesy of Boney Boy and Roberto.
I'm not sure what my injury actually is, but this excellent description of Piriformis Syndrome seems to match my symptoms pretty well (Pain in the arse), as well as it's causes (Running downhill, too fast, with a long stride - Guilty as charged).
