lt has been great fun coming back to Sheffield. The day started late and badly with a flat as bad as the attitude of the agent that showed me around.
He redeemed himself a small ammount at the next flat - once I finally persuaded him to go. It was lovely but no parking and at the end of the high-street so not even worth me asking the cat question.
Now... the cat flat... that ruled. No concerns except
· How to efficiently get a washing machine down 12 steep concrete steps?
· Can I cope with the lovely view?
· Did I just like it because I was hungry & wanted my lunch?
· Can I persuade them to accept lower rent?
· Can I face looking anymore?
I went for a curry to ponder these and other questions then I walked into town and experienced the delight of discovering a John Lewis, a new fountain / shiny hotels / sculpture area, a wooden hippo, the Nero and a skate park. I walked down Mappin Street and sat on the steps outside the department for a long time thinking about what engineering means to me.
I could find nothing but excitement, pride, anticipation and just a little bit of fear as the sun set behind the arts tower in its refurbishment cloak.
I finished off with a drive around Broomhill, Fulwood & Eccleshall Road to remind myself why I'm here & where I want to be in the end. I stopped myself short of a drive into the peaks - because that would've been indulgent - instead, heading back to a quiet hostel & discussing the day's findings with Andrew.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
March 2010 Stats
Running: 28.10km, 9.8km/hr, 234m el
Cycling: 267.65km, 17.0km/hr, 2,363m el
Swim: 3.82km 2.3km/hr avg.
Cycling: 267.65km, 17.0km/hr, 2,363m el
Swim: 3.82km 2.3km/hr avg.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Marathon Miss
Inspired by Eddie Izzard's Marathon Man on Wednesday, I managed swimming yesterday morning and a 5.8km run today.
It was difficult getting out for the run - don't get me wrong. Despite my best intentions and a gut feeling of wanting to run, I was tired in my upper-body from the swimming, mentally fatigued and knew it would result in me needing to drive to work instead of riding.
However, I finally (after a snooze on the sofa) left the house at 7:30. I let rip on the downhills, not bothering to control my speed but instead, impacting to aoid the other resultant pain of muscle strain. I powered up the up-hills - just cos I felt like it really.
It was, in the end, deserving of the status of a good run.
I can't wait to go out for a ride with TSK tomorrow.
It was difficult getting out for the run - don't get me wrong. Despite my best intentions and a gut feeling of wanting to run, I was tired in my upper-body from the swimming, mentally fatigued and knew it would result in me needing to drive to work instead of riding.
However, I finally (after a snooze on the sofa) left the house at 7:30. I let rip on the downhills, not bothering to control my speed but instead, impacting to aoid the other resultant pain of muscle strain. I powered up the up-hills - just cos I felt like it really.
It was, in the end, deserving of the status of a good run.
I can't wait to go out for a ride with TSK tomorrow.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Just about back
I'm never good after ski-ing. No matter how good I thought I was when I left it always takes me a few weeks to get over it.
I forget this every time and have been sulking at myself for weeks for being unmotivated, unmoved and rubbish. Let's see, since my trip to Sheffield I have managed a pathetic Sunday bimble to recalibrate the tri-bars position and one pathetic swim where I failed to get out of bed in time and got thrown out after 25 minutes and 42 lengths. So much for the swim-test I had planned. To be fair, there was also a sick walk to the Farm and chronic dancing at Keeran's wedding.
Yesterday I was just "done" with being useless and promised myself a trip to the gym - despite the swollen glands and the cough. The hacking chestie that attacks me every morning.
So today I have achieved and ridden to work too... and gotten to the doctors on time to get anti-bios for the swollen glands.
Again again!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February Stats
Swim: 4.92km, 2.2kph avg
Bike: 205.24km, 21.6 kph avg, 2170 m elevation, HRZ 0.9. 3h25min stationary bike HRZ 1.6
Run: 9.77km, 5.8 kph avg, HRZ 1.6
Bike: 205.24km, 21.6 kph avg, 2170 m elevation, HRZ 0.9. 3h25min stationary bike HRZ 1.6
Run: 9.77km, 5.8 kph avg, HRZ 1.6
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Trep Homecoming
There are a few true homes to my life - Altrincham & Sheffield. Naramata and The Orchard have been but transient homes and Cambridge and Peterborough were never really anything but a house.
On Friday I went for an interview in a little town just outside Sheffield. It went well and I left feeling happy and somewhat confident. For the drive back to Altrincham, I chose to leave the M1 early before the Woodhead turn and head for Sheffield - and potentially the notorious Snake Pass A57. Not thinking I needed a map, I navigated my way through the Sheffield suburbs and arterial roads part by intuition and part by gut and familiarity.
Turn after turn I found myself guessing but by that point, with Sheffield on the left, Manchester is pretty much always to the right and the only true decision I had to make was wether to turn into Grenoside or away from it. Turning away from it, I passed over the brow of the hill and promptly burst into tears of joy and laughter. With the spills of the peak district ahead of me, covered in snow, dark trees in contrast, the dusky post-sunset-glow and the light of the city where I was at univeristy glistening in my tears, I cied becuase I was home. Home being a random hillside in the middle of nowhere. I plunged down the hillside, pulled myself together and continued in my quest to get back to Altrincham home.
I completed the rest of the journey, the tufty grass verge of Woodhead with snow just beyond, the wiggly descent past reservoirs reflecting the dark blue night sky, past God's crag car park where I've taken special friends to go climbing and into Tameside with the vintage car garage. The slow climb that used to be a 60 limit to Hyde where my dad once chased a boy who thretened to beat us with a stick as we cycled past. On through Stockport and the M60 to mum and dadd's where I looked at my watch and pronounced I still have it - Sheffield to Manchester in 1 hour 22 minutes by Gut-nav. Eat my dirt garmin.
On Friday I went for an interview in a little town just outside Sheffield. It went well and I left feeling happy and somewhat confident. For the drive back to Altrincham, I chose to leave the M1 early before the Woodhead turn and head for Sheffield - and potentially the notorious Snake Pass A57. Not thinking I needed a map, I navigated my way through the Sheffield suburbs and arterial roads part by intuition and part by gut and familiarity.
Turn after turn I found myself guessing but by that point, with Sheffield on the left, Manchester is pretty much always to the right and the only true decision I had to make was wether to turn into Grenoside or away from it. Turning away from it, I passed over the brow of the hill and promptly burst into tears of joy and laughter. With the spills of the peak district ahead of me, covered in snow, dark trees in contrast, the dusky post-sunset-glow and the light of the city where I was at univeristy glistening in my tears, I cied becuase I was home. Home being a random hillside in the middle of nowhere. I plunged down the hillside, pulled myself together and continued in my quest to get back to Altrincham home.
I completed the rest of the journey, the tufty grass verge of Woodhead with snow just beyond, the wiggly descent past reservoirs reflecting the dark blue night sky, past God's crag car park where I've taken special friends to go climbing and into Tameside with the vintage car garage. The slow climb that used to be a 60 limit to Hyde where my dad once chased a boy who thretened to beat us with a stick as we cycled past. On through Stockport and the M60 to mum and dadd's where I looked at my watch and pronounced I still have it - Sheffield to Manchester in 1 hour 22 minutes by Gut-nav. Eat my dirt garmin.
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