Saturday
Wake at 6, and wake D at 6:15, to get him to school in time for 7 so he can go off to a climbing competition in Leicester. He isn't exactly in top form - indeed, he took Friday off school sick, and is only half sure he wants to go. But never mind.
By the time I get back I'm awake so sit around downstairs; a little tidying but mostly online, and reading Speer.
About 9:30 I head off into town; its my habit after rowing outings to go for coffee+book in Waterstones; today there is no outing and I feel oddly bereft with a whole day ahead of me (its also Cambridge Science Festival but E doessn't feel inclined to do owt). Stop at the picture-framing place on Mt Pleasant and see how much getting stuff done properly would cost; its not clear, but perhaps £50. I need to bring in a pic. Take in my plastic boots; Timpsons offer to try to re-glue the soles. Thence to Waterstones where I finish off Heartstone: review to follow.
Pick boots up, buy bread from the market bread stall, get some cream from M+S for M, and home. M is nearly asleep on the sofa, E is happy doing E type things. Prevaricate for a bit (early in the day weather had been very windy, with some rain, and yet I'd intended to go running). But then gird up loins and head out at a little after 3, for a "long" run of slightly indeterminate duration. In my fantasies it might have stretched out to a marathon; as it turned out it was 30k. I went somewhere new, which was definitely good as a change: through Grantchester and up Long Road to the Perse; the same route I'd driven D in earlier. That's 9.5k. Then into town, to the river, and to Baits Bite and a k beyond; then back and up the Coton footpath; 30k to just where it turns into road, so I got a walk wind-down. Overall a good run - my first sub-5-per-k 30k (2:30) - but I got very dry towards the end (I didn't finish my second gel as I couldn't get it down). Which has a good side: presumably I'd be faster with more water and more gels. So this, and the Cambridge half record 1:36, are promising for the Brighton marathon. Although, to put forward the opposite view, I was down to 5:15 towards the end.
When I get back, M is out fetching D. I'm tired and have a shower. D comes back, tired, but he survived. He collapses by the fire and doesn't say much.
Sunday
I'm coxing the men's novice VIII this morning. Contrary to the weather forecast its actually quite tolerable. But due to laziness and running late, I drive in anyway. There's a junior sculling head on later, so we content ourselves with one lock done fairly briskly in order not to get too tangled up in them. Unfortunately what they really needed was a technical outing focussing on timing and technique; such is life.
On the way back stop at the Orchard and buy some broad bean seeds, and some sweet peas, and also some violas for the front flower pot and some snake's head fritillaries because they were there. Lunch (bread and cheese type for us all) and then I'm tired so lie by the fire sleeping for a couple of hours, thereby missing the best of the weather. But, later, I do manage to get the violas planted out. Daniel is still unwell - manifesting itself as tiredness and inability to concentrate on his homework. M is fairly quiet too, starts cooking at 4:30 and we have a "vegetable only" evening meal. Her cooking is really very good nowadays.
I'm missing out me being online,posting the Ladies WeHORR entry for them, arguing online about the FTT, reading Speer's "Inside the Third Reich", and so on.
D heads off to bed at 8, its undecided if he'll go to school tomorrow or not. E at 9 (slightly delayed by me having to fix the shower) and M meditates for 15 mins before the news at 10, then heads up after writing *her* diary, and now its my turn.
Refs
* D's climbing results. Not good, but it was his first, and he was sick.
No comments:
Post a Comment