Much like one "year" tipping over into another "year", I normally don't get excited about "months". Generally I find the 1st of February pretty much the same as the 31st January, for example.
However, this time round I am more than happy to see the back end of January - what a pain in the arse four weeks that was!
January saw the protracted death throes of one contract I was involved in combined with the uncertainty of the TUPE process over to a new employer for the start of another contract.
The bad feeling, anger, frustration and general "couldn't-give-a-fuckedness" that this process has generated have all permeated into just about every aspect of my life.
February 1st saw me start my "same old/new job" with a new employer. And while things may not get better soon, they will at least, with luck, start to settle down and resolve.
Anyhoo. Moan over. What of things that matter?
Last week saw me put Old [T]rusty the bike into retirement. I've been thinking for a long time about getting a new bike, and decided that the time was "now".
Thing is, I've only got room for one bike. So what to get.
I don't really do cycling for "sport" as such, though I do use a bike for exercise when running is put on a back burner during times of injury. I certainly couldn't "justify" a good road/racing bike. While I would love, at some point, to get a racer the roads around my house are not conducive to narrow rims and tyres.
Neither do I go clattering about mountains and rocks on a bike....so a "propper" mountain bike with all the shock absorbing gubbins that goes with it was out.
I wanted something I can, hopefully, use to tap out thirty or forty mile runs (maybe more?), that has the gears I need to get me up and down the likes of "Starvation Brae" and can be hauled out of the shed "just to pop down to ASDA".
So...a hybrid it was. Picked it up on Tuesday. And I've still not had a chance to get out and play on it!! Maybe next weekend (though next Sunday's already spoken for - Gala XC duties).
Partly due to work but my running schedule has been all to pot lately. I'm just about keeping my weekly mileage at acceptable levels, but it's all very "bitty" with no real meat. So it was nice to get out for 11 yesterday then 14 today.
A strange wee run on Thursday though. I ran from my office in Leith to the train station, then from Dunbar Station to the house (a moderate run of two short legs).
During the Leith to Waverly section I had to run past two of Leith's many, many colourful local "characters" out walking their "dogs" (though sharks on legs would be a better description). The kind of "characters" who should be, quite honestly, rounded up and shipped off somewhere remote and isolated for "special" treatment.
These two were gleefully watching their respective staffies try to tear lumps out of each other.... in the middle of the path I was trying to run along. Needles to say I stopped. Only to be informed by one of said characters, as though this was the most natural thing in the world, "aye. Jist run bye them pal. They'll no bother ye." Helpful advice, I'm sure, but I still waited till the furry whirlwind of muscle, jaws and teeth had made its way into some bushes and was out of sight before I set off, at speed, to get away, before their interest in each other changed into a mutual interest in me!!
No comments:
Post a Comment