Wednesday, June 18
they say it's yer birthdayIt's my sister Ruth's birthday today (yesterday if you live in NZ, as she does). Happy Birthday Ruth!
Tuesday, June 17
at Longstanton, we'll stand well clear of the doors no more...Trying to stack up some pre-London to Cambridge miles (as of this afternoon 1604 down, 396 to go) we went for a quick, post-work blat last night. (Should have been at Raqs Sharqi class but it was a fine summer evening and I couldn't face being stuck in a steamy studio with no ventilation and a lot of other wobbling abdomens.) As is the way of all our quick post-work blats, it turned into a sweaty 30 mile haul around several north Cambridge villages, dodging rush-hour traffic and a battalion of flying insects that pinged off my face and forehead and occasionally had to be dug out of various delicate orifices. Arrived home wringing wet and bug-splattered at about quarter to nine. If I sweat enough, I've found that when I leave my mobile in the back pocket of my cycling top salt crystals start to form on it. Disgusting, huh? Still, was pleased to note that my average speed's up by a couple of miles/hour and that my arse muscles didn't start to complain until well after the 20 mile mark - until recently they've lasted about 10-15 miles. So progress is being made. Need some hills to practise on though.
Sunday, June 15
Yesterday mostly spent cycling round trip of 40 miles to Ely to go to a birthday barbecue - more fun than it sounds, honest, although very hot - on the trip out alone I managed to down two litres of fluids with nary a roadside relief stop - just as well as the roadside nettles are currently as high as an elephant's eye. Birthday girl is a workmate who has succumbed to the pregnancy pandemic that's currently sweeping south Cambridgeshire, and has recently gone on maternity leave. Speaking of which, most hearty congratulations to Micky and Susan on the recent safe arrival of Aidan (8 lb 11 oz), to be known henceforth as mini-Micky.Friday, June 13
postcriptDoing some research at work (eeeyep, at the moment I'm getting paid to read the paper all day. The horror.) I came across a Mirror article on the Moonwalk, which I decided to email to Lisa. Moments later she replied - her work smut filter had bounced the article and sent her a 'Notification of offensive content' message instead. Turns out it didn't like the word 'boobs', which appears in the article's title. What particularly irked me was the fact that word 'sensitive' was misspelled in the notification message. Unless this is deliberate. Maybe the word 'sensitive' has itself been deemed too vulgar to sully corporate emails so they have to misspell it to get it past their own smut filter. Gah.
Thursday, June 12
On the way home to day passed a lass who was using red bulldog clips as cycle clips. Genius. Must try it. Wonder if they do them in safety yellow? Speaking of rising to a challenge...Wednesday, June 11
lately......Alex and Martyn's Goth party, during which Alex celebrated her birthday and much black was worn. I squeezed into a shiny, lung-compressing PVC bodice, and got stroked a lot. Moonwalk seems to have awakened in me a latent and late tendency towards exhibitionism. Got through the evening without major organ damage and didn't even have to break out the emergency backup comfortable top. Now that's what I call discipline. Got the birthday babe a copy of Secretary, a very pervy film indeed. Well, somewhat pervy. Happy birthday Alex!
Strawberry Fair - the annual hippy/burglary fest hit Midsummer Common - bigger, hotter and smellier than ever, atmosphere slightly less borderline psychotic than previous years - last year someone got stabbed. I blame society. For my money the best stall was, as ever, the herb stall. No, not those sort of herbs. Came away with a small but so far vigorous mint plant, which I've planted in the thin, barren, light-starved border at the back of our house, to see how it gets on. Also got a young bay tree with many pale new leaves. Have given it its own pot to stop it being strangled by bindweed, or convolvulous, to give its proper name.
Much cycling, in preparation for the London-Cambridge ride - only 6 1/2 weeks to go! As of today am 2 miles shy of 1500 miles on the clock and a whole lot more of my goal of 2000 by the end of July. Must pick up pace. Following some excellent advice and a bespoke programme courtesy of the formidable Mistress Krista, have begun a cycle-specific weights routine at the gym. In case you're interested, it involves supersetting upper body work and squats. Lots of squats. My thighs are getting mightier by the week. But I like them that way. Although the GAP jeans may have to go in the bin, as their somewhat exiguous design is incompatible with the cultivation and maintenance of leg muscles.
