30/01/2013

Avoiding the Gym

Marathon training commences, 5 of each should be possible in the front room right?

28/01/2013

I just entered a Marathon


So those of you who know me, know that I did the one of the first UK Tough Mudder events last year. To be honest it didn't live up to it's slogan of 'Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet'. Yes I slowed down a bit on the last mile and yes it took me more times than I remember to get over the Quarter Pipe ( aka Everest, and it was my teammates who dragged me over in the end ), but in post-event analysis, it was an over-commercialised muddy fun run.

So this October I'm going to give a Marathon a go.

I'd have probably preferred to do something more 'off-road' but going to see if I can go the distance first and see what gives in 2014.

So plenty of miles to thunder through over the coming months.

Ok...now what MTB Enduro events to enter....


26/01/2013

Rock On


Is there anything wrong with trying to convince a 4 year old that Rock trumps Pop?

Answers on the back of a Sabbath Album please.

20/01/2013

Coffea Arabica



Firstly apologies for the capital 'A' in arabica. My font nerd head just couldn't cope with how it looked on Blogger.

I'm not sure when I first started drinking coffee ( though strangely know exactly where and when I first had a cup of tea ). I think I must have had some awful instant chemically nasty instant thing at some point in the 90's. Though given that instant coffee tastes of a sewer rats armpits, I have probably extinguished it from my memory. I remember having a thing for something called 'Rocket Fuel' when I worked in the first Dotcom bubble, but it was for the caffeine hit alone.

Then I found the cafetiere..



And something clicked. Ok, it was probably just another caffeine hit, but whilst others were still enjoying their nicotine induced coma breaks, I found contentment in the brewing of proper coffee for a few minutes during the working day.

Then something changed.

I started experimenting.

I started off on the easy stuff. You know, just going for the Fair Trade option in the local Co-op. But then it got worse. I realised I liked it strong. I realised I liked it black. I had become a Coffee Snob.

So where did it go from there?

It's simple, from going through the fancy packets of ground coffee you get in every supermarket and deli, I moved onto ground Espresso. Yes, the devil delights in small things ( did I just make that saying up?) and given it's status in outdoorsy circles along with it's pure design, I reveled in it.



Boy did I get a good hit from this one. It was one step away from an injection ( though strangely it was really hard to get Fair Trade ground espresso? ). But my cravings developed further...

I had to go back to the source. I had to go to the beans.



In real terms this has been the pinnacle of my coffee snobbery. I hunt out the best beans I can find, from all four corners of the world ( fortunately I have a local dealer who hooks me up when I need a hit now ). The better half even got me my own grinder, so my weekend morning are full of the sounds and smells of making a solid cup of joe. To date the best I have found are either some Ethiopian Kaffa Chiri Washed beans ( from Has Bean Coffee ) or slightly easier to find, ( though still needs to be sent or picked up from the US ), Major Dickason's Blend from the mighty Peets ( ok a little 'high street', but this stuff tastes good! ).

To be honest I thought this is were the junkie trip finished. The only direction from here was a reduction in caffeine on miss-guided grounds of trying to be healthy. However, some cheeky folk went and invented Nes-ruddy-presso. It's not beans, it's not ground, it's not even close to being as satisfying as brewing a cafetiere. But there is a shiny hit from these processed pods of power....



...and at 30p each I might have to turn to petty crime.





18/01/2013

Just read..

Yesterday I was working down in that there London. Whilst I have a smart Ultrabook for work, I still don't take it everywhere instead opting for the outdated, overpriced, poorly supported Playbook ( it's not that bad really...ok it is ).

As you would expect the train had delays both going there and coming back, but instead of using the Kobo app and reading the books I have downloaded I just worked on emails instead.

Should have just taken an old school book.

11/01/2013

Beyond Awesomeness


And just for reference, here is the original song...which was updated given everything we have learnt in the last 30 years.

09/01/2013

My very own @teamrumour

Been and interesting few weeks following @teamrumours on Twitter, so thought I might add my own. First person to mail me what it means wins a biscuit.

08/01/2013

Kettlehell

Having kids keeps you fit. I've run, carried, caught, thrown and generally been beaten around the head by my two girls ( currently 4 and almost 2 ). However, I did notice when I competed recently in of of those silly Tough Mudder events that my upper body strength has dipped a wee bit since my glory days ( commonly known as your twenties ). So along with doing some more challenges this year ( including a marathon...errrr ), I'm going to get some of that form back.

First off I'm trying a set of these in 12kg flavour....


Possibly a little old school, but very much seen as a grown up bit of gym kit these days. Also quite a lot cheaper than gym membership ( and the converted playroom does have a road map on the floor which doubles as a good surface ).

Looking around the web there are loads of resources for exercises, but I have started on this one from Mens Health. I've also dropped in a couple of other exercises and used a number of youtube clips for form ( including this one from my mate Chris ). Going to try twice a week, with a run inbetween and see how it goes.

Time to get ripped...I think?

06/01/2013

Evidence


Immy riding her bike ( her 2nd time on it ) from Tim Sadler on Vimeo.

Ok, so she can't quite stop yet. But it really was her second time on it. By the end of the afternoon I was running to keep up! Time to buy some cones from Decathalon and set up a skills course!

04/01/2013

2013 - Go Skinny?

Last summer I signed up for the 2013  Ride London 100 ( and I find out in a few weeks if I have a place ), the TdF is coming to Yorkshire and the recent Singletrack article on Cyclocross did get me thinking..

...so did I really need this teasing shot from my big brother who has now moved to Italy and found something cheeky in the basement?


....maybe 2013 is the year I jump on some skinny tyres?

02/01/2013

New Site

Yep - Under Construction for 2013.