Sunday, 15 May 2011
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Well I'm back.... sort of!
Long story, roundabout route, trying to upload video from my new Muvi-Cam to a blog. The wordpress version requires a fee to do so, so I've come back to Blogger to see if I can do it on my old blog. Here goes
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Just have to get it off my chest now.
What is it with car drivers lately?
I've been cycling on the roads, hereabouts for the best part of 6-7 years now, and it seems that in the past couple of weeks, their patience with cyclists has evaporated completely. Tonight, on my way home I had a close shave, far too close for comfort. I was waiting at a red light, and I heard a car pull up behind me, no problem,waiting for the lights to change to green, just like me. It was two way traffic, one lane each way. The light went to green and I set off, wen this sports car accelerated past me, only a couple of inches from my outside pedal, as he squeezed past and between me and the oncoming traffic. I was outraged that he could risk injury to me like that, and responded with the universal wanker sign as he sped away.
This is the third time cars have come within inches of me in this past week alone. I have to admit I'm really starting to worry about my safety, and I shouldn't have to do so.
I really must get a muvie spycam asap., so that I can have these barstards on film at least, as they go about risking my life and limb, and I, at least have a chance of bringing them to book, hopefully not posthumously.
They are just going mad?
Is it because, all of a sudden, there are alot more cyclists out there? That drivers have become even more resentful of them being on their roads?
I don't know, but I do know it's got an awful lot more dangerous out there, in a very short space of time.
Take care.
Cheers.
I've been cycling on the roads, hereabouts for the best part of 6-7 years now, and it seems that in the past couple of weeks, their patience with cyclists has evaporated completely. Tonight, on my way home I had a close shave, far too close for comfort. I was waiting at a red light, and I heard a car pull up behind me, no problem,waiting for the lights to change to green, just like me. It was two way traffic, one lane each way. The light went to green and I set off, wen this sports car accelerated past me, only a couple of inches from my outside pedal, as he squeezed past and between me and the oncoming traffic. I was outraged that he could risk injury to me like that, and responded with the universal wanker sign as he sped away.
This is the third time cars have come within inches of me in this past week alone. I have to admit I'm really starting to worry about my safety, and I shouldn't have to do so.
I really must get a muvie spycam asap., so that I can have these barstards on film at least, as they go about risking my life and limb, and I, at least have a chance of bringing them to book, hopefully not posthumously.
They are just going mad?
Is it because, all of a sudden, there are alot more cyclists out there? That drivers have become even more resentful of them being on their roads?
I don't know, but I do know it's got an awful lot more dangerous out there, in a very short space of time.
Take care.
Cheers.
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Standing still...
Weighed myself today, no progress yet. The scales said 16 stone dead, no change at all. The good news is, I should say bad, but, I haven't been on my bike since last Saturday, when I cycled home from work. This means that now I'm eating less?? when I start back commuting to and from work, tomorrow, I'll be burning calories, hopefully more than I consume.
I suppose it's the relative non activity of the last three days, but I'm feeling decidedly portly at present, perhaps it's in my head, and I'm self conscious about things.
Did the supermarket run today with her indoors, took some extra time looking around for "healthy" foods, particularly for when I'm at work. That's the place where I take on too many extra calories, the too many I'm not burning up. 12 hours is a long shift, and when things get quiet, that's when I get the munchies.
As I've said, many times before, I love my food, and particularly when I'm away from the supervision of herself, her indoors, I tend to over indulge. Why that's so, I don't know, but I'm going to have to defeat that tendency, asap.
Up till 2003 I smoked a pipe, had done so since the age of 19, so a total of 33 years I had smelt like an ashtray, but really loved to smoke my pipe, probably three ounces a week. A couple of times I told myself, I was going to give it up, but wasn't serious enough to follow it through. Then I remember taking part in a five a side football tournament with my workmates, I fell down, and I struggled to get up, I was at me heaviest then, but I was also quite breathless, and running was a struggle, I knew something had to be done.
I gave up smoking on a Tuesday, and have never smoked since. Looking back, I should have done three things.
1. Given up smoking.
2. Started eating healthily.
3. Taken up exercise.
Sometime ago, I heard, on the radio, an "expert" talking about peoples' ability to give up addictive practises, and learnt that apparently, it is the case that people who can give up "smoking", immediately, like moi, have a brain that is "damaged" in some way? I'm sure there are many who will gladly attest to that fact, in my case. But going back to the three things I should have done back in 2003, about a year later I started riding a bike, so exercise started, but I never got around to food? Food, it seems, is overly important to me, why?
I am a twin, I have a twin sister, who was born a couple of hours before me, was I the runt of the pair, who needed to grab as much as he could? I know I've always been a big eater, through childhood and my teens, all those calories got burned over and over again, because my generation had the benefit of the great outdoors, and competitive sport not only at home, but at school all year round. Rugby, soccer, athletics, the lot, I really feel sorry for kids today.
Sadly, when I left school things started slowing down, so much so, my weight started a slow inevitable rise, from a fit 13 stone 7 lbs, at 20, to 17 stone 10 lbs at 51. It's interesting to point out, that the lighter figure, would still classify me as obese today? Perhaps I'm big boned?
Well I'm on the bike in the morning, carrying a load of healthier foods to eat at work, it'll be a great start if I don't eat it all on the first day!
I suppose it's the relative non activity of the last three days, but I'm feeling decidedly portly at present, perhaps it's in my head, and I'm self conscious about things.
Did the supermarket run today with her indoors, took some extra time looking around for "healthy" foods, particularly for when I'm at work. That's the place where I take on too many extra calories, the too many I'm not burning up. 12 hours is a long shift, and when things get quiet, that's when I get the munchies.
As I've said, many times before, I love my food, and particularly when I'm away from the supervision of herself, her indoors, I tend to over indulge. Why that's so, I don't know, but I'm going to have to defeat that tendency, asap.
Up till 2003 I smoked a pipe, had done so since the age of 19, so a total of 33 years I had smelt like an ashtray, but really loved to smoke my pipe, probably three ounces a week. A couple of times I told myself, I was going to give it up, but wasn't serious enough to follow it through. Then I remember taking part in a five a side football tournament with my workmates, I fell down, and I struggled to get up, I was at me heaviest then, but I was also quite breathless, and running was a struggle, I knew something had to be done.
I gave up smoking on a Tuesday, and have never smoked since. Looking back, I should have done three things.
1. Given up smoking.
2. Started eating healthily.
3. Taken up exercise.
Sometime ago, I heard, on the radio, an "expert" talking about peoples' ability to give up addictive practises, and learnt that apparently, it is the case that people who can give up "smoking", immediately, like moi, have a brain that is "damaged" in some way? I'm sure there are many who will gladly attest to that fact, in my case. But going back to the three things I should have done back in 2003, about a year later I started riding a bike, so exercise started, but I never got around to food? Food, it seems, is overly important to me, why?
I am a twin, I have a twin sister, who was born a couple of hours before me, was I the runt of the pair, who needed to grab as much as he could? I know I've always been a big eater, through childhood and my teens, all those calories got burned over and over again, because my generation had the benefit of the great outdoors, and competitive sport not only at home, but at school all year round. Rugby, soccer, athletics, the lot, I really feel sorry for kids today.
Sadly, when I left school things started slowing down, so much so, my weight started a slow inevitable rise, from a fit 13 stone 7 lbs, at 20, to 17 stone 10 lbs at 51. It's interesting to point out, that the lighter figure, would still classify me as obese today? Perhaps I'm big boned?
Well I'm on the bike in the morning, carrying a load of healthier foods to eat at work, it'll be a great start if I don't eat it all on the first day!
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Slimming's easy when you forget your keys.
Worked last night, off now, till next Thursday, that's the way the shift pattern works, though probably, I'll get called in for some overtime, it's holiday time. Cycled to work, taking in an extra mile or so, along the Aberavon seafront, really lovely.
When I got to work I discovered I'd left my keys at home, this meant I couldn't get into my locker, to change clothes and freshen up. As a result I had to work through the 12 hour shift in my cycling gear....ugh! Not just for me, as several deodorant cans flew my way. "Ma vittals" were in said locker, so I had to make do with even less of the less to eat that I had expected, result, starving bigtime. Consequently, I felt very light on the trip home this morning, even passed another cyclist, which hasn't happened often in my cycling carreer.
At this juncture I'd like to point out that I always make the effort to speak to fellow cyclists, unlike the ignorant @*~#'s I usually meet up with. It's simply a good morning, nice day etc., and mostly I'm totally ignored??? Perhaps it's down to me being a strange, possibly frightening sight. I'll get a picture of myself onto the blog asap., in my usual commuting gear, my darling will have to do the honours, still that is a treat, you my reader, will have to come back for. Meanwhile, let's get back to that cyclist "I blew away" this morning, I believe that's the correct terminology.
Cycling through Resolven, into strong sunlight, I thought I caught a glimpse of the fellow cyclist in the distance ahead, it dawned on me that he couldn't be moving too fast, because I'd stopped a little earlier for 5 minutes or so, while I watched for a buzzard I'd disturbed on the road, to return to its roadkill meal of woodpigeon. I carried on and once we were on the Rheola straight, he was in plain view, obviously not moving very fast, because well, it was me who was catching him up. Now came the FEAR factor, O.K., so he wasn't moving fast, but what if he started to speed up when I had the audacity to actually try and pass him. On top of that the "Rheola straight", as I call it, is a long shallow uphill slope, that I always dreaded on my way home, in the early commute days, still do occasionally, when I'm feeling pooped. This could mean the distinct possibility of me running out of steam, and then suffering the ignominy, of becoming the passee, after making him the passee, if you get my drift.
I was now at the planning stage of my "passing strategy", as I steadily gained on him, I decided to maintain a "quick" pace, and a "steady rhythm", OK, so Tour de France this isn't. I was eating up the ground now, and then actually PASSING him, while he struggled up the slope. As I passed, we turned to face eachother, and I said to him, "Great stuff isn't it", to which he replied, "I'm in heart attack country here mate", which made me laugh out loud, in recognition, that oh, had I been there, just like him. I FLEW on, and shouted back, "I know that feeling very well."
My passee, by the way, was a little old man, in a winter coat, corduroy trousers, hobnail boots, a flat andycap, on an old mountain bike, but hey "scalps" are "scalps", and so "he's mine", as they say in the vernacular.
Isn't cycling just fantastic, even for fat slowboys like me!
Now, where's that picture of Dallaglio when he had hair?
Cheers.
When I got to work I discovered I'd left my keys at home, this meant I couldn't get into my locker, to change clothes and freshen up. As a result I had to work through the 12 hour shift in my cycling gear....ugh! Not just for me, as several deodorant cans flew my way. "Ma vittals" were in said locker, so I had to make do with even less of the less to eat that I had expected, result, starving bigtime. Consequently, I felt very light on the trip home this morning, even passed another cyclist, which hasn't happened often in my cycling carreer.
At this juncture I'd like to point out that I always make the effort to speak to fellow cyclists, unlike the ignorant @*~#'s I usually meet up with. It's simply a good morning, nice day etc., and mostly I'm totally ignored??? Perhaps it's down to me being a strange, possibly frightening sight. I'll get a picture of myself onto the blog asap., in my usual commuting gear, my darling will have to do the honours, still that is a treat, you my reader, will have to come back for. Meanwhile, let's get back to that cyclist "I blew away" this morning, I believe that's the correct terminology.
Cycling through Resolven, into strong sunlight, I thought I caught a glimpse of the fellow cyclist in the distance ahead, it dawned on me that he couldn't be moving too fast, because I'd stopped a little earlier for 5 minutes or so, while I watched for a buzzard I'd disturbed on the road, to return to its roadkill meal of woodpigeon. I carried on and once we were on the Rheola straight, he was in plain view, obviously not moving very fast, because well, it was me who was catching him up. Now came the FEAR factor, O.K., so he wasn't moving fast, but what if he started to speed up when I had the audacity to actually try and pass him. On top of that the "Rheola straight", as I call it, is a long shallow uphill slope, that I always dreaded on my way home, in the early commute days, still do occasionally, when I'm feeling pooped. This could mean the distinct possibility of me running out of steam, and then suffering the ignominy, of becoming the passee, after making him the passee, if you get my drift.
I was now at the planning stage of my "passing strategy", as I steadily gained on him, I decided to maintain a "quick" pace, and a "steady rhythm", OK, so Tour de France this isn't. I was eating up the ground now, and then actually PASSING him, while he struggled up the slope. As I passed, we turned to face eachother, and I said to him, "Great stuff isn't it", to which he replied, "I'm in heart attack country here mate", which made me laugh out loud, in recognition, that oh, had I been there, just like him. I FLEW on, and shouted back, "I know that feeling very well."
My passee, by the way, was a little old man, in a winter coat, corduroy trousers, hobnail boots, a flat andycap, on an old mountain bike, but hey "scalps" are "scalps", and so "he's mine", as they say in the vernacular.
Isn't cycling just fantastic, even for fat slowboys like me!
Now, where's that picture of Dallaglio when he had hair?
Cheers.
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
This is a struggle.
I've been nights since Sunday, after doubling back from days on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, of last week, and I'm pooped. Eating less seems to be hitting my energy levels, so much so, that I'm taking the car to travel in this evening, I hate doing so, because I miss my ride so much. When it comes to the morning, I'll be itching to get on the Subway.
Am I fooling myself about my energy levels? I'm starving now. After the struggle to get home on the bike this morning, I just couldn't face attempting to pedal. Yes, I have felt like that before, but it's been a long time since I've felt so worn out on the ride.
Weighed myself last Friday, 16 stone exactly, so I have to lose 2 stone, i.e., 28 lbs by 15th February 2011, my 60th birthday, perhaps 4 lb a month or call it 1 lb a week, just like doing the lottery then, because I lose a pound a week, every week, doing that!
Easy then.
I'll be looking up sensible food to eat, and planning to get that into my diet asap. Why do I love my food so much?
Anyway, forgive the rambling, go to go now.
Am I fooling myself about my energy levels? I'm starving now. After the struggle to get home on the bike this morning, I just couldn't face attempting to pedal. Yes, I have felt like that before, but it's been a long time since I've felt so worn out on the ride.
Weighed myself last Friday, 16 stone exactly, so I have to lose 2 stone, i.e., 28 lbs by 15th February 2011, my 60th birthday, perhaps 4 lb a month or call it 1 lb a week, just like doing the lottery then, because I lose a pound a week, every week, doing that!
Easy then.
I'll be looking up sensible food to eat, and planning to get that into my diet asap. Why do I love my food so much?
Anyway, forgive the rambling, go to go now.
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