Being outside.

I am really quite annoyed that I have a stinker of a cold this week.

To be fair, I wished it on myself.  With only 13 days left in the office, I thought I might take some as leave and the rest as sick.

In reality, if I take this week off sick, I'm not sure I can get all the work done that I would like to do in the remaining 5 days of work if I were to take the 4 days annual leave owed to me.  Leaving me with little or no holiday before the new job.

The new job has also inspired me to get out training.  When I start working at BOC I want to be able to ride there - every day - without fail.  I want to be able to start swimming again (this is the point of the move) and run to work from time to time.  Sod the duathlon on the 15th April - I want to get fit for work!

This week I was going to do more running. 

This week I was going to get to the gym to check out the facilities at Hillsborough.

Yesterday I sat indoors all day.  Staring at the computer, staring at my knitting, printing out envelopes and packing wedding invites.  I am rarely deprived of both daylight and fresh air completely.

The results were a devastating headache at 6pm when TSK came home.  He forced me to read the label on the Lemsip packets properly and persuaded me I was allowed one before the one at bedtime.  By 9pm I was feeling better so I collected up the wastepaper baskets around the house and stepped outside to empty them before collection in the morning.  The night air was still springy.  I needed my sweatshirt on but after I hauled the big black bin down the steep garden stairs and through the passageway, I sat in my free plastic chair and stared down the street across my neighbours gardens.  I sat there for about 10 minutes.  Just breathing.  I thought about doing some yoga but my headache was still just there enough to dissuade me.  I breathed some more.

I sorted out the recycling bin and took that out the front door.  In my slippers, I padded up the street to the top.  Ignoring the giggling couple walking home from the pub, I turned and stared out across Sheffield city.  The top five floors of the arts tower glowing back at me from the next valley like an old tungsten lightbulb that time forgot.

I breathed some more.

I realised how much fresh air is an important part of my life.  It's no wonder I have hated my job in Leeds.  The fresh air exposure is limited to 20 minutes per day - 30 if I manage to get out for lunch which I haven't done in over a month.

While Brinsworth isn't a particularly special part of the world and the ride to it is going to involve some fairly depressing town rididng, it has its potential for woodlands and fields access when I am there and swimming pool access on my way home.

If nothing else, this poorly episode has taught me something - that no matter how rubbish anything is, I need to be outside - just for a little while - every day.