We all knew that this Christmas would be different. I just didn’t expect it to be quite THIS different. It’s Christmas Day and rather surprisingly, I find myself enjoying the hospitality of the Clinical Decisions Unit of the acclaimed Leicester heart hospital. To their credit, the NHS served up a decent turkey dinner. I particularly…
Category: Running & Cycling
GROUNDED – Day 4, Loungewear to Lycra
I interacted with other humans a bit more today, which wasn’t difficult after yesterday’s mainly solitary confinement. My wife was out all morning (again), but my daughter came for the day. Not specifically to spent quality time with her dad – rather because her car needed an MOT at the garage at the end of…
Opting out of the wild goose chase
There are a many situations in life where we run into a sticky problem and have to decide whether to carry on regardless or to back track. At what point does reason tap on the shoulder of determination and suggest an honourable retreat? And will our ego allow common-sense a fair hearing? I set off…
Running with Pablo
I was running along the Atlantic coast in the cool remains of the evening. The sun, tired from its long day’s work was sinking towards sleep, dimming its light, brushing a soft orange glow over the darkening grey ocean. Laying its head on the pillows of the clouds. I ran at a steady pace, my body…
Swimming in another fish tank
Living in another person’s house is a bit like wearing someone else’s clothes. It’s an interesting journey of discovery – but after a while you just want your own comfortable jumper back. We have just enjoyed our first week of “airbnb”, living in someone else’s world in Vienna. We arrived at street level after a quick…
Running through my mind
I went for a run this morning through Vienna, up and down the banks of the river. The city was waking up to a beautiful sunny morning. It is always fascinating to run through a new place and watch the people – some were coming towards me, some sat on benches overlooking the river, some…
Le Tour de Yorkshire
By ‘eck Bonjour – a Day at Le Tour. When France came to Yorkshire. We had been appreciating our own little tour of a small corner of France, venturing out “à pied” and “en auto” to nearby towns and villages. As we returned today from a little run up a picturesque valley, we found ourselves…
Teamwork on a Bike
Originally posted on Unwrapping The World:
Cycle road racing is the perfect example of real team work – where success demands the graft and skill of each individual working together in perfect harmony. I have to confess to be new to this sport. I have always been a solo cyclist, competing against the clock and…
A Bike Journey Too Far ?
The plan was sound. I needed to get home from Derby Station and my wife – my usual taxi-driver – was going to be in away Lancaster. I would take a train home from Southampton and cycle home. The journey was only 18 miles on good cycle routes and relatively flat. I would get my…
Blogwash#1 – Hills and Headwinds
Life is a cycle ride. Would you rather cycle through it down-hill into the wind or up-hill with the wind behind you? Hills are predictable. As a kid, I would plot a route on a good old-fashioned map, and by marking off the contours create a vertical section of the terrain. It usually looked disappointingly…
Unwrapping The World 