Monday
As usual for a Monday, I woke up feeling a bit rough and rather unmotivated. I jumped on the bike after breakfast and cycled into work. The lesson was good, the kids were excellent, but I did have a headache until lunchtime.
My afternoon lessons were rubbish - the students know they have finished all of their exams so it was a constant battle to get them to put their phones away and to contribute to the lessons. Two of them feigned illness and one simply refused to take part. I got to 4pm feeling drained and grumpy.
I cycled home. Some tosser in a 4x4 blasted his horn at me even though he was the one who turned without indicating.
In a suitably furious mood, I found myself doing a great weight lifting session for an hour. One that left me with aching limbs as I made dinner for the family. Bed before 10.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Tuesday
I jumped in the car today. College was much better than yesterday with all students engaged and two volunteering to do extra work after their lesson ended. I went home in a much better mood than yesterday.
I dropped Mouse off at the train station (she was off to see a concert by some guy who was in One Direction) before picking up the weights for an hour. It was another good session that made me ache all over. After a healthy dinner of salmon and rice, I did the washing up and then watched The Walking Dead for a bit.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Wednesday
For the first time this year, I cycled in to work on the racing bike (Specialized). When I'd woken up this morning, I had decided to focus on cardio rather than strength, which is just as well because the wife described me as "porky" at work today! Unfortunately, when taking the bike out of the garage I noticed that the headset had stiffened up. It proved to be a little difficult to turn on the way in, but not too bad.
On the ride after work, the headset had become worse and the bike was significantly harder to handle. To make matters worse (and more expensive) my faithful One23 Extreme Bright 1000 headlight started to flick on and off at random. Anyway, I carefully and slowly completed the 15 miles after work before getting home to take my light apart and to look up how to change a headset.
I got the screwdrivers out and discovered that I couldn't repair the light without a soldering iron, which I don't have and have never used. Oh well, I ordered a new light for half the price that the One23 cost me about ten years ago. Let's hope it's a decent one.
I looked up the headset job - I couldn't do that without a length of copper pipe and a specialist headset tool. So that's a job for the LBS...
I put some tunes on the stereo and made dinner for the family. Then I watched the Giro and then the first episode of season 6 of The Walking Dead.
Cycling, no junkfood, no alcohol
Thursday
I cycled in on the racing bike with its dodgy headset. At lunchtime, I cycled to Scott's Cycles to book it in for a replacement headset. Unfortunately, the shop was shut.
As soon as I got back, the college was evacuated because of a burst water main in the area which left us without running water. I cycled up to Halford's to see if they could book my bike in for a replacement headset, but they couldn't find a slot for me until Wednesday! I cycled carefully home to make a beef chilli for dinner.
I marked student work until 4:30 and then got ready to continue my "porky" training - a 10K run. I had some great tunes in the earphones this evening, including Faith No More, Bruce Springsteen and Rammstein, but the highlight was by Million Dead. I managed to stagger around in a time of 62 minutes and 53 seconds. I was bright red by the time I lurched through the front door!
I had a quick shower and then served up beef chilli to the family. We watched some Master Chef together and then I carried on marking work until 10pm.
10K run, no junkfood, no alcohol
Friday
Back on the mountain bike even though the roads are dry and sunny - I don't want the headset on the racing bike to get any worse before my weekend ride. On the ride in, I found myself questioning why I drink beer: nothing feels better than feeling fit and healthy. I've exercised everyday this week so far, not eaten any junkfood and not consumed any alcohol. As a result, I'm feeling pretty good! Let's see if I still feel the same after work today!
My morning lessons were good although the students were very quiet. It was all a bit glum despite the work being excellent. In the afternoon, we had to endure some of the most boring, irrelevant "training" I've been subjected to in my 20 years as an educator. I tried to get some marking done while I pretended to listen, but was told to stop. I was very glad to get back on the bike in the sunshine!
Back at home, my new light was waiting for me. My first impression of the Ravemen CR1000 is that it is very, very bright and feels quite solid and heavy. Two good signs. It is charged on a USB which will be convenient for home and work. My only concern is about how waterproof it is. There is a rubber cap to protect the charging socket. Will this be enough in a downpour?
Tonight's karate session was a good one. Sensei Ronnie concentrated on kicks for the entire hour. We kicked up and down the hall as expected, but we also got to do some partner work too. I worked with Sensei Jason and he seemed mildly impressed with my back kick, a kick I have always struggled with. I'm glad Martha came along tonight - it seems ages since we've trained together. Afterwards, she complained that she was aching and tired, but I just think that's the way of most young people today!
I intended to drink beer in the garden with my wife but she wasn't in the mood, so I stuck to water instead. She made an awesome chicken curry!
Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol
Saturday
I've taken delivery of about 60 records to sell for a friend. I spent a lot of today organising, washing, listening to and photographing these records ready to put them up for sale. It was a lovely hot sunny day and I wished I'd spent more time outdoors. I got some ironing done and went to the dojo.
Karate was excellent today - another kicking lesson, this time from Sensei Gary! I was once again partnered with Sensei Jason and we got some good work done. A nice atmosphere in there today.
Back at home, I took bits off the bike until I could get to the headset. I applied lots of lubricant and then put it back together, just not as tightly. Hopefully it will be okay for tomorrow's ride.
 |
| Don't really know what I'm doing... |
Karate, no junkfood, 4 beers
Sunday
Up at 7 to go cycling with James. It was a lovely warm sunny day, but with a slightly chilly wind from the north. We set off at 9, and after 5 minutes I had forgotten all about the headset - the bike was handling like it did when I bought it nearly 10 years ago! Whatever I did to it yesterday had worked.
It was a lovely ride. We went down our Widowmaker route but missed out the Two Towers (we're not in training after all). It was on the climb up to Norton Lindsey where I realised that I wasn't going as well as I should have been. I put it down to a 10K on Thursday and then two kicking lessons over the next two days. My legs were a little empty by now. Still, it was a fairly easy rolling ride and we didn't stop talking at any point! We got to Wilmcote in good spitrits and ready for the awesome cake on offer. I had banana and carrot cake with a coffee. Happily, Yvonne came to join us too. It was hard to get back on the bike after such a nice visit.
On the way home, we agreed that it was quite a cool headwind, and I was glad I had left my base layer on. I got slower as we went but we still managed to get back home after 38 miles with an average speed of 14.2mph.
After lunch, and watching Geraint lose the Giro on the final day, I hung some washing out in the sunshine and then set about cleaning the car ready for its MOT on Tuesday. I picked up Lily at 5pm and then we all had dinner together (Lily, me, Mouse, Martha and Lucy. Tilly had to pack, apparently). After dinner, we watched a horror film (The Thing from 1982) with ice cream, beer and chocolate! We eventually went to our beds at 11pm!
Cycling, junkfood, booze
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