Christmas / New Year gap blues

It's the odd bit between Christmas and New Year and its raining, my wife has a stomach bug, and I feel rotten. We got the blues. I would like to report loads of exercise but that never happens in any Christmas period so this one is no different. Got some fantastic presents for Christmas, I was very taken aback by some of them, and felt terrible that I didn't reciprocate with good enough gifts!! Bit of a mad time with lots of travelling to see all the relatives... all the driving did mean a bit less excess than normal - not so much aimless munching during evenings watching crimbo telly.

Worst of all I have not been sleeping because of worries about my career in the New Year... a change is coming and I don't know which way to go. I really do not know what to do for the best and what path is the right one. I have had nightmares the last few nights about a former employer and while I don't know what they mean specifically it seems to be my subconscious saying a change is the most likely outcome (but the dreams give no clue as to what those changes will be).

Crazy crush - sad incident while commuting

I am perplexed by what us humans do to each other... I had to watch a poor unfortunate future mother get off a train suffering what can only be summed up as panic attack.

The train that arrived in the station this evening was clearly packed as it pulled in so I stepped back knowing not even to try, and that another would be along soon. The rest of the assembled public on the platform surged desperately at the packed train and tried to push themselves on board. As the shuffling continued some passengers fought to get off in the face of those fighting to get on. Out of the side of this melee appeared a small'ish woman sobbing and looking distressed, she stood to one side on the platform starring at the train she'd just disembarked. As the moments went by and the massively overcrowded train pulled away the woman, now in floods of tears, passed by to sit down in the platform shelter. As she sat down I realised she was quite pregnant and holding her bump as she cried. Obviously those on the train had paid no heed to her condition and carried on pushing the woman into a space that she felt so uncomfortable in that she just had to get out.

I was shocked and baffled. Luckily as she recomposed herself she pulled out her mobile and called for some friend / relative to come and get her. Unbelievable that at this time (or any time) of the year no one would care enough to give the poor woman space!! I don't know how to round this post off other than to quietly hope I never have to see anything like that happen again.

Back in the right cycles

After last weeks wake up call regarding my increased mass (unfortunately not muscle mass), I have renewed a couple of blog pledges and had a look at my current habits. The result has been a drop of 2.5 lbs since last week. A good move in the right direction again, although the 'peak' in weight (lets call it that at least) may have been in part due to over-eating the day before, being over-hydrated, etc. I can not get away from the fact though that I was sliding in the wrong direction.

Cycles happen in life all of the time, every second, minute and hour of every day. It really is a case of how in tune with them you are. There are so many cycles in life that it is very easy to lose sight of the ones you might feel are most important. I have, of late, been caught up in the work cycle of contract renewal (and perhaps even job change) and so have not paid enough attention to health cycles. Both exercise and food habit cycles suffered under the pressures of others. I am only relieved that I spotted the shifting cycles and set about putting them right (or at least what I feel is right for me).

Everyone has pressures upon how they spend their time, what I had forgotten this last few weeks is how many of those perceived time pressures are in fact self-made. Much of my own stress was on reflection truly self-made and impacting on my health through poorer diet and lower exercise. It took some straight forward questions of myself to work out what had slipped and why, and knowing the answers made the fixes all the more straight-forward.

I always have to remind myself that negative cycles are entirely natural and not something that I willingly place myself into, but are cycles that can be altered as soon as they are noticed. Life is life and life is fun, all the more so for the challenges of its balancing acts. All you need to re-balance at any point is to give yourself that moment to notice. There is hoping that the next time I spot the negative pattern sooner... and that is the joy of experience of life... I probably will.

This mornings scales read 15st 7.5lbs, the weather outside is foul, but the weather inside is improving.

This weeks rain & storm hampered activity chart

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/3/12/07	.	yes	8k	.	.	.	.
Tue/4/12/07	.	.	2x20min	2x2k	.	.	.
Wed/5/12/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Thu/6/12/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Fri/7/12/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sat/8/12/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/9/12/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

From Thursday onwards the weather really did play a big part in the activity drop off.

There are a great many horror stories in the news at the moment about the effects of the winter storm, for example : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7135014.stm

Crazy little thing called "weather"

I don't claim to know whats going on, whether the weather is indeed changing for the worst (i.e. global warming, green house effect, El nino, carbon release syndrome, or whatever its called). But the winter storms have arrived this week and put paid to all things rowing at least on the river. The river we row on is a fast reacting one. The catchment area is steep sided (Welsh valleys), and so the levels go up and down at times like a yo-yo.

Worse than our own river not being 'rowable' (we kind of use that as a word at the rowing club?!?!), a neighbouring clubs river is also badly affected by the storms so no race tomorrow. Monmouth Rowing Club had planned their Winter Head tomorrow... I can't help but feel deep empathy for their situation as they seem to lose more than their fair share of events to bad weather.

Land training (i.e. indoor training) would have seemed the likely way ahead, but my training buddy was busy and moreover I was very stressed by all things work in the latter half of this week!! Still I am trying to take my own advice with respect to the food / activity balance that I went on at length about in my previous post. Only time will tell, Christmas will be a stern test of that particular resolve.

Seeing as I spend a fair bit of time at the PC at the moment I did use it for some good yesterday... I sent sponsor money to the two challenges that have caught my interest of late [Charity Fundraisers]. Not the same as getting out there and making a difference I know, but it put a smile on my face to support their immense efforts :o)

Following your own advice

Sounds like stating the flaming obvious and I know I am... have gone to a saver supermarket, bought a new MP3 player for pennies and started filling it with music. "Ah ha", you think having noticed my blog entry two days ago, "he's motivating himself - following his own advice, simpleton!". Okay, to a point you'd be right, but no the advice I am renewing my pledge to follow is that of my own blog and getting 'on the move'....

Look a bit further down my blog roll to Sunday just gone (the 2nd December entry)... get the idea now? Hmm, yes I am heavier and lets be honest unfitter than I have been in some time, nigh on two years by rough reckoning. Want the reasons? No, thought not. Want the response? Well I am gonna tell you anyway.

The response has been in part the motivation MP3 true, but other than that, and more importantly I have been re-addressing of the one of the simplest sets of equations in life:-

Food + drink = Calories

Living + Exercise = Activity = Calories burnt

Calories + low activity = low Fitness + excess Weight

Calories + Activity = Fitness + 'normal' Weight

Calories + high Activity = high Fitness + functional Weight

Put simpler still (partly in case some smart-ass starts picking at my crude maths)... I've been eating too much food for the activity I undertake, therefore have gained weight.

The answer happily does not lay at the door of some hair brained wacko quack selling a book / CD / symposium, it lays squarely at the door marked "sensible healthy food in appropriate amounts". So that is indeed the door I have opened, I am trying to avoid the spare chocolate bar, the handy sports drink when I am sat in the office doing no exercise, the extra portion I couldn't say "no" to, the pack of sweets next to the shop checkout desk.

Whilst no I will not lose my extra weight in a period of strange starvation, I will whittle it away gradually, with purpose of activity and good habit. What else to say but watch my space ;o)

Atlantic Rowing Race 2007 is underway

After having my interest renewed by a recent e-mail from a colleague I looked up the events homepage...

Atlantic Rowing Race 2007 – The Worlds Toughest Rowing Race

http://www.atlanticrowingrace2007.co.uk/index.php

They started yesterday (3rd December), ahead of them lays an immense challenge crossing an ocean using their knowledge of the tidal flows and pairs of oars.

I'll be following 'Unfinished Business' (see earlier post) they are raising money for the Meningitis Trust (their event blog and fundraising link is at http://rowformeningitis.com/ ). [this link since expired]

Build a motivation CD and you will run...

"Build a motivation CD and you will run..." - no, I don't mean sit in a sound studio and record your deepest thoughts on how to attain a wonderful life and success in your sphere of work (though if the mood takes you to do so go ahead,... it is after all a lucrative market!).

What I mean is get some of your favourite music (the kind that makes you move about like a nutter whilst in your armchair) and get it onto some device you can use whilst running or working out.

Several reasons to "Build a motivation CD"...

1) You will feel inspired by the rhythm and tempo to work hard.

2) It will distract you from what you may otherwise feel is a "dull" workout (the same stretch of park land running track can even with changing seasons be a bit monotonous if you run it a lot).

3) It's a fun exercise in itself to work out what in your music collection inspires you to greater efforts... you might find the theme from the "Rocky" movies is surpassed by that stirring classical movement that gets you waving your arms conductor style!!

4) You can re-burn, reshuffle, rejuvenate, restart the tracks whenever they too begin to feel a bit samey.

How to "Build a motivation CD"...

Well know this bit is as simple or as complicated as your circumstance dictates. There are more routes than might otherwise appear obvious. I am not gonna tell you how do this in detail, there is always a tech geek in anyone's sphere of friends / colleagues....

1) an MP3 player - there are a great many of differing price - the lower end of the scale get cheaper all the time (and given you are likely to put it through wear and tear a cheap replacement to make if need be). They very often link to a computer via USB leads meaning the interface is 'plug and play' and simply requires 'dragging and dropping' tracks onto the device.

2) a cassette walkman - okay, old school, but far less likely to skip than CD players. Have the benefit of being simple to operate for those not of the "facebook", "myspace", "youTube" generation. Again now relatively cheap, so can be replaced if dropped during a hard session without hurting the pocket too much. Editing might be fun if your HiFi is so new it no longer has a double tape deck, but if it is new you could no doubt transfer 'new' format digital media onto the analog tape pretty simply.

3) a CD Walkman - making a CD (CD burning) can be a bit of a pain depending on how computer literate you are and what software you have access to. Though once mastered it does mean that you can share your inspiration with fellow gym goers (ahem, albeit bending rules on sharing music slightly, kinda counts as a public broadcast but hey very few 'artistes' would begrudge you your motivation I'm sure?!?!)... what gym doesn't have a CD player in the corner? Does mean that others may hear that classical stirring track you like and wonder just when the theme from "Rocky" will come on.

4) Mobile phone - aside from being handy if you are running by yourself in 'that' part of town many now have music / radio capacity. Great option if you like to keep up with current affairs but don't catch the news at home, for example. The phones that can will come with all the bumph to guide you with the "how to", some might need you to buy a headset or other add-on, but its well worth considering the next time you upgrade (check you contract has insurance, if you are on one, handy with the afore mentioned drop risk). Many will have software which will give you more or less the 'drag and drop' track options.

5) iPod or other similar - kinda should be under the "MP3" type category, but as a lot are "MP4" I can split hairs. Basically the bits of kit that belong at the fancier end of the personal music spectrum... they usually bristle with handy features and bigger storage capacities. Some even come with jogging add-on's which will alter the beat of the song to fit the rhythm of your foot steps. Whizz bang, and great if you like running and working out all the time and get the benefit of the gadgets... can be a bit of a target of thieves and you will be all the more gutted to drop it losing your entire CD collection that you spent weeks burning onto it!!

The simplest motivational track available...

The cheapest and simplest alternative to all of these is of course to drag a friend / colleague along with you so that you can chat / share the pain / plan your next sporting conquest or whatever as you run and workout. By far the most rewarding in as far as you have a witness to your goals, improvements, and a motivator (i.e. someone to race in a sprint burst, hehe).

Motivation comes from within for sure, but don't hesitate to give yourself variety in your endeavours be that a new motivation CD, a new challenge, a new sport, a new route around the park.... Have fun :o)

Another weeks activities...

Well I will be trying to get back on the bike this week, last week (below) shows another week where I failed to keep that going. Work has been the main reason, though I can't deny that the cold and erratic weather does not have more than a little to do with it also.

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/26/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tue/27/11/07	.	.	yes	yes	.	.	.
Wed/28/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Thu/29/11/07	.	yes	.	yes	.	.	.
Fri/30/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sat/1/12/07	yes	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/2/12/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Bad news... travels slower!?!?!

Bum, I discovered (if that really is the right word for getting on the scales) that I am heavier than I have been in quite a long time!!! A#s#, indeed according to my scales I am currently 15st 10lbs.... nooooooo!!!

Can hardly really keep up the pretense of surprise given that I have been enjoying my food all too much lately in any form at any time... the faster the form the better lately. I am not happy and will be cutting out the extra snacking and being sensible to put myself back on track..... especially as the Crimbo food fest is looming..... argh!!!

Charity fundraisers

This week I have had news of two charity efforts that involve huge personal strength of differing kinds. One in the South pole and the other in the North Atlantic.....

==============================================

Polar Trek

One of the recent post-grads from where I work, Cameron Hudson, is about to embark on a 700mile trek across Antarctica to raise funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the International Glaucoma Association.

This is a huge physical and mental challenge and Cameron hopes to raise at least £250,000 for these worthy causes. For more information and to find out how to make a donation (which is via the justgiving website), please visit http://www.visionsouthpole.org/  [link since expired]

==============================================

2007 Atlantic Rowing Race

Colleagues from the Cardiff rowing community are taking on the 2007 Atlantic Rowing Race.

Rower Jo Davies trained at LRC as part of the Cardiff University Rowing Squad. After failing to complete the Atlantic Rowing Race in 2005 due to injury, Jo is attempting the crossing again this year with three other women, all of whom were forced to retire from the 2005 race for different reasons.

Their crew - 'Unfinished Business' - will leave the Canary Islands on 3 December and race to Antigua in the 2007 Atlantic Rowing Race, raising money for the Meningitis Trust in the process. Support the girls and follow their progress here: http://rowformeningitis.com/  [link since expired]

==============================================

I find the kind of efforts people like these go to quite incredible, to put lives on hold and on the line in the name of charitable fundraising is something I am very much in awe of. I will be supporting these and other efforts, seems the least I can do for the moment.

Ahem, what happens when work gets in the way...

The last couple of weeks I have been attending a Welsh language course in the mornings which have had a couple of knock on effects... firstly I am pretty tired from getting up early, secondly work has had to try and be compressed into a little less time (not really managed that yet). The other thing that has impacted on my training I have been taking the train into work to get to the course in time and in a fresh frame of mind... this is probably me finding an easy way out of cycling on cold mornings... although it isn't nice turning up in class hot and sweaty from the cycle to work.

The answer is to arrive at work in time to cool down from the ride, therefore get up earlier, argh - I like to sleep as much as I can... I am very definitely an individual who needs the 8 hour mark of good sleep!!

This week has been a bit better than last week, in as far as I have done some quality training, albeit not great quantity then certainly in a better fashion than I have been doing. I did some ergo work that I intended to strengthen up some of my slide work, and from what little I did it seems to be a move in right direction ;o)

Last weeks training table - ahem not much in it!!

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/19/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tue/20/11/07	.	.	.	yes	.	.	.
Wed/21/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Thu/22/11/07	yes	.	.	.	.	.	.
Fri/23/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sat/24/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/25/11/07	yes	.	.	.	.	.	.

Keep on moving don't stop

This week has been a little bit crazy, it started with a Monday from hell... e-mails flying around work making everyone involved feel rubbish, a busy week of actual work (which was nice), lots and lots of exercise (yippee, currently enjoying a warm afterglow of this mornings session!!), a trip to see Stomp! at the WMC, lots of building work on our house extension, meals out and all sorts really....

Why the blogpost title? Ah, well as I said I am enjoying the buzz of working hard this morning, and feeling full of energy and ambition :o)

In the vane of getting back on the move lately...

Cardiff Valentine's 10K PPUK Love Run

Saturday 9th February 2008 at 11am.

In Bute Park, Western Avenue

Entry fee £15

Web Site - http://www.ppuk.org  [link since expired]

Its all on a dead flat course around Bute park.

The entry can be done by post through the organisers

Or simply online through runnersworld.co.uk

(note: you will have to register with Runnersworld which is real straight-forward).

[ See you on the start line... :o) ]

It is an annual Cardiff event that I've done a couple of times, and is always good. The rowing club are trying to put a few people in, I guess so a degree of team running can be coordinated. Should prove a test of how good our winter training is or isn't!?!

This weeks training log

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/12/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Tue/13/11/07	.	.	.	2k t	.	.	YES
Wed/14/11/07	.	.	2x20	20	.	.	YES
Thu/15/11/07	YES	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Fri/16/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Sat/17/11/07	YES	YES	.	6x500m	.	.	YES
Sun/18/11/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Back to 2k monthly tests

Tonight saw the return of the monthly two kilometre test

The breakdown was...

Time 7:10.0

Split times:- 0-500 : 01:43.3 500-1000 : 01:50.7 1000-1500 : 01:50.0

1500-2000 : 01:46.5

Stroke rates:-

31, 27, 28, 30 (average = 29)

I really feel like I had more within me, and was working within myself. I very much had setting a benchmark in my head; I don't think I was in the mood to get off thing in pieces. My best is some 14-15 seconds quicker, so I hope to improve this winter training mark quickly.

I would normally be upset with such a time, but I have been all over the place with work pressures and missing hardcore training sessions. With a couple of weeks of good training in my legs I would have been annoyed... so the next test should be the true mark of where my attempts at training are heading.

Cardiff Small Boats Head 2007

Yesterday we had a crack at the Cardiff Small Boats Head in the pair, it was certainly an adventure. On the way to the start we encountered the water taxi and large waves that filled our foot wells. After trying to row on it was soon clear that a bail out was required, we pulled in at the top of the river got out and turned the boat over to tip out the half of the river that had jumped into our small craft.

The race itself went to plan in a great many respects except that we weren't any where near as fast as we'd hoped. We took over 16 minutes for the course. I don't think either of us could claim to be totally fit, but I think we'd both convinced ourselves that we had done enough work to compete. I think the truth may have been that we simply hadn't done enough base fitness work to go with our improving strokes from all the technical work.

It gave us plenty to think about, and a base to work from.... onwards and upwards ;o)

Funny old week

I would have liked to be able to report tales of great efforts in the fields of sporting endeavour... sadly, I can't. We have have the builders start on our extension and setting about digging one mother of a hole in our back garden. With the builders come a certain set of stresses (happily nothing to do with them as they are great blokes), like the worry about the disturbance to the road and neighbours, the worry about what they might find as they dig dig dig ever bigger holes.

This alone shouldn't have prevented activity, but it seems that I have some sort of low grade bug... it is that time of the year again, working with students coughs and colds come with the new academic year. Thanks to the disturbances in the back garden we haven't been able to get our bikes out to ride into work either..... I am not sure that these reasons really stack up to much, but I sure feel rotten for not doing anything the past few days!!

Latest training log

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/1/10/07	.	YES	.	.	YES	.	YES
Tue/2/10/07	.	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Wed/3/10/07	.	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Thu/4/10/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Fri/5/10/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Sat/6/10/07	YES	YES	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/7/10/07	YES	.	.	.	.	.	.

Winter training? Has it really begun?

Well, last night saw the start of winter circuit class at the club, hosted by a local school. And after a crazy day in work I got there a few minutes late (five minutes actually - cheeky!). It was hard work and today my legs feel like they have had all the bones removed leaving me with wobbly jelly legs. The question is has the winter training really started?....

I hope my training logs will continue to inspire me, as will (I hope) my renewed affair with all things blogger.... ( blogging still seems more appealing to me than facebook).

Ps. Stepped on the scales this morning... that's a whole other story!?!

Last weeks activites...

And so the training log continues, not too much to write home about generally, but the weekends rowing sessions in the pair were brilliant!! We swapped the seats around each day and did lots of technical work, which really seemed to pay off. We even got a little more impromptu coaching :o)

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/24/09/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	half
Tue/25/09/07	YES	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Wed/26/09/07	YES	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Thu/27/09/07	.	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Fri/28/09/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Sat/29/09/07	YES	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/30/09/07	YES	YES	.	.	.	.	.

E-mail eh?

It has taken me all this time to find that I can e-mail an 'article' / entry to my blog. So now in the window of a work (or other) e-mail account and no one can be sure if I am corresponding with a contact or my blog! I kinda like the degree of subversion involved, brings out my inner pulp fictional spy.

I had a look through the 'Andy on the move' blog archives yesterday, I was chuffed at some bits, I cringed at other bits, but generally I was impressed with the most coherent diary of any form that I have ever kept. I was the kinda kid who got a new pocket diary every Christmas from relatives, got all excited about the newness of it, filled in the contact pages in the front and then made 2-3 random entries for the first week in January before giving up entirely. I did find a few of those diaries about a year ago and laughed aloud at the consistency of my behaviour. The one year that I did in fact write anything more was to chart the mis-adventures of an infatuation with a school friend... there was a goodly helping of cringe in that diary keeping attempt I can tell you!!

I spent a portion of my mornings e-mail catch-up pinging mails to the club, and then this afternoon received some glowing feedback on a couple of my efforts. The thrill I gained from the feedback led me to ponder... In the end I had to look something up to see if it fitted things I often do... courtesy of dictionary.com [via a google search of course] I turned up this...

vi·car·i·ous
–adjective
1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment.
2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.
3. felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others: a vicarious thrill. 4. Physiology. noting or pertaining to a situation in which one organ performs part of the
functions normally performed by another.

Now, I don't purport to relate directly to the first or indeed the last descriptions, but the middle two.... I do seem to be something of a vicarious thrill junkie. Explanation... I read more than my share of daring do biographies and get quite the involved buzz from them; I watch rather a lot of movies and the bigger the engrossment factor the better; I very much enjoy hearing that others have enjoyed the fruits of my labours, be that work, the rowing club, my family, a random e-mail I've sent... I enjoy the pleasure of others around me very much.

What I am left wondering (as well as noticing that e-mail blogging has given me the licence to go on a bit, sorry) is simply this... is that a bad thing? I suppose I enjoy it so much that it can't be, can it?

Oarsome session

It really is all about the activity.... I feel so much better for getting on the move again. The training log, although simple, is making a big difference. Also sessions like tonight help to inspire... it went really very well. We swapped sides in the pair, which isn't quite as simple as it sounds. I got in the stroke seat and we tried to gel over one trip before doing technical stuff from there on.

The gel phase was interesting as I struggled a little to get used to not doing all the extra things you do in the bow seat, it was a bit like trying to write with the wrong hand at first. The technical phase went surprisingly well, the exercises at times were relaxed and controlled. I did feel I was looking down at the boat too much and tried to sit up, it was good to have DC sat behind me giving feedback too.

We have agreed to rotate fairly regularly, but haven't really settled on the pattern for it just yet... we are going to try and get some coaching input at some point soon on the subject. As it was we were both heartened to hear some bank side feedback as we were putting the boat away. We received it from another of the junior coaches so once he understood what we were trying to do he quickly shaped his feedback to our efforts and was very helpful in what he was saying.

It does seem that my biggest hurdle (my own diagnosis) is to relax and keep a fluid confident posture in the boat. I think if we rotate like as we did 1in3 or 1in4 outings that will really help a great deal. I thank my lucky stars to have a partner who is patient and intelligent about his approach to rowing :o)

Last weeks training table

Last weeks training table is below, I have yet to figure out how I want to keep track of these this time around.

It did show a marked return to form with the cycling commute, which is great, although I have changed buildings at work and my route isn't as satisifying. I now have to play with traffic on my journey and cross a main road at lights mid way through the ride, rather than having a nice long run through the park with short stretches of road crossing either end. Still I am toying with making my ride delibrately longer so that it is more enjoyable... enjoyment over effort now I think that sounds sorta healthy!

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/17/09/07	YES	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Tue/18/09/07	.	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Wed/19/09/07	YES	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Thu/20/09/07	.	YES	.	.	.	.	YES
Fri/21/09/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	YES
Sat/22/09/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/23/09/07	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Ps. I am reckoning these tables should see me well back into the "Andy on the move" groove :o)

Buzz, blades, bell peppers and builders

Buzz, blades, bell peppers and builders...

Buzz - the joy of having done some sport or exercise. I missed a session last night and was very grumpy just because I didn't get the endorphin buzz that I was anticipating. Sport is an addiction, and the best kind of addiction I know!

Blades - talking of sports buzzes my wife has purchased her own sculling blades (oars), to ensure she gets the most out of her sporting endeavours... hmm, now where can I buy a crew?!? hehe It is pretty amusing coming home to find a pair of oars propped up in your dinning room it has to be said, I can only wonder what the neighbours make of blades wandering in and out of the house several times a week!?! (a storage spot is still being sought out at the club!).

Bell peppers - we prepared a feast of chilli (I think that's the correct term) from peppers grown on our jungle'esque window sills. I cooked up 8 portions in the largest pot we have, I am not sure the flavour is quite the same scaling up so far, but we haven't tasted it yet so we'll see.

Builders - the process of packing has to be completed by Monday when the work will now commence after a meeting decided it yesterday, yippee!

Overcast, less breezy, still cooler than of late.

[I don't have the links to these - I am happy to remove the images if necessary]

Random weekend stream of thought

Well what a topsy turvy weekend, different movements in being on the move without fitness work. We are having building work done to 're-birth' our house as a new tailored to our lifestyle kinda space. The planning stages seem to be nearing completion and the on the ground action is imminent... so much movement as been packing our house into... our house... moving all manner of stuff into new locations away from build zones. Madness - kinda like the biggest spring clean going with the added fun of finding new homes for stuff.

I created five bags of shredded paper that will make its way to the compost bin, which has moved anyway to make room for other innovations. Ah, that was a whole other 'on the move'... turning a compost heap - lots of fun in that inner child 'I love muck' type way ;o) The best part of the compost adventure was that the kitchen clean up had unearthed old / out of date foodstuffs to tip into the heap as it was turned... I do hope tins of baked beans don't give compost heaps bad gas!

We've made good progress, and streamlined so many rooms its craziness!! During the fun my mum came to visit as the last official guest of the old house, she has suggested she'd like to be the first official guest in the new renovated house... didn't have the heart to tell her the dog gets that honour upon his return from building work (noise) exile.

Even my sisters posse turned up to heap the chaos on a fraction more, Sian dealt with the extra mouths excellently and they left well satisfied. My brother in law is going into the photography business and is setting himself up, he does have a well appointed website set up and is canvassing actively for business around the area "David Young Photography" [link since broken]. His stuff looks great, though I did a google search and he's not the only David Young in the trade... I haven't asked him how chuffed he was to find a dot com available, hehe

On the subject of links I added to more sports links to the 'on the move' listing...

canterbury sports clothing - I have purchase an excellent base layer from them, though I personally keep it as an 'undershirt' base layer as the bod doesn't allow buff muscle poses!?!?!

Simply Oarsome - Rowing Apparel - from whom I have ordered rowing all-in-ones, they haven't arrived yet so any form of review would seem a little previous.

As the title line says "Random weekend stream of thought", I'm sure there was something else to blog...... ah well, next time!

Very gusty, cooler, broken cloud.

[links checked and updated April 2011]

Question of Club roles

I have been doing many other things than just rowing at the club this last year, and I constantly ponder and wonder about how much I am doing. The problem being that I love a distraction and if something captures my interest, as rowing does, then I am all to quick to throw all my attention at it.

The last year I have been trying to look after all things racing events away from home river competitions, we've been pretty successful at re-organisation and putting in place clear obvious systems. Its taken chunks of time but the inner control freak / OCD / perfectionist in me has enjoyed it.

This year I received large nudges to become the novices vice captain... flaming tempting, but for some truths I couldn't escape just at the moment...

Primarily, I have a huge year ahead with work, I am on the verge of a contract renewal and as an ever aging scientist my shelf-life is incredibly uncertain. My current line manager is off having a family, and so I am seemingly in the lap of the Gods regarding re-employment issues. Essentially I need to be careful with managing my time, and my current commitments are known quantities in planning my efforts.

Secondly, I don't feel I have the experience to pull it off as well as the previous incumbent of the role. I don't have the club wide contact network that helps to lessen the work, and I would want to have more coaching experience before trying my hand at such a challenge.

I am enjoying my current involvement with the racing entries, I would like to give that at least another year to follow through on our efforts of this year. Thus, I've sort of postponed any change of role to next year.

It would appear a bit cheeky saying "oh no, next year" but it makes sense right here and now. One way or another my career issues should be clearer by May next year, so I would likely be happier to engage with such a task/s after that point.

I am committed to continuing to help the Novice rowing group, through coaching (coxing, etc.), involvement in L2R, admin, and so forth.

Sometimes its hard to decide if I really should push forward on the water for myself or whether I'd derive more pleasure from helping others enjoy the water... I will continue to wrestle with this so some time I feel.

Today - weather overcast but mild, slightly showery.

Mixed reviews LRC regatta

The review was courtesy of the City of Bristol Rowing Club blog... go have a look at their excellent club blog... Gurt Lush

Hmmm, a mixed review from that there Gurt Lush about this years Llandaff regatta, at least they seemed to win a fair bit.... more than I managed! Drat!

Gloucester Rowing Club also seemed to have had a productive time of it... GRC website - Entries, Results and Reports

[links still active as of April 2011]