Brighton to Hyde Park

[stillwaddler]

Wow, I thought our place was unique! Obviously not, I have just printed out the Dilbert and stuck it up on the wall of the office:-)

[El Gordo]

Wow, I thought our place was unique! Obviously not, I have just printed out the Dilbert and stuck it up on the wall of the office:-)

Yes, like much of Scott Adams's insight into the modern business world, it's disconcertingly close to the truth.

[El Gordo]

I'm having a very busy couple of weeks, and struggling to post anything, so a brief update.

Weight still dropping pretty much on schedule. Am now 26.4 pounds lighter than I was in September. This is 0.06 (sic) of a pound behind target, so not bad. Ragdale was good -- report will be posted sometime. Since then, I've been plodding away reasonably contentedly. No long uns but the pace is improving -- as it needs to do if I'm to get my 10K PB in Hyde Park. Had a good tempo run yesterday, followed by a spin class and a pilates class, so am feeling unreasonably smug. Tomorrow I aim to get to the 5K parkrun before I spend all bloody day at Television Centre for Strictly. If you spot someone in the audience reading a Prince2 manual....

[El Gordo]

Forgive me father for I have sinned...

Bumped into a late-night bottle of Beaujolais Villages and plate of cheese. Got to bed at 3 a.m., all Knoxed out. Woke at 8.30 feeling OK, just a bit tired. Too late to get to the parkrun but I did have time to get to the gym for the 9 a.m. spin class. 40 strenuous minutes. Feeling annoyed with myself for missing the run, but the spin was good.

Haring off to the Beeb now for a very long and well-dressed wait on Wood Lane for the doors to open on Strictly Come Dancing. I'm sure it will be very enjoyable evening, but there is a lot of queuing and waiting to do first. Will have a couple of books with me, so might get some reading done at least. Sorry, must dash.

[marathondan]

"...but I did have time to get to the gym for the 9 a.m. spin class" - I think most people would still count that as virtuous rather than debauched.

Why is there so much queuing, if you already have reserved tickets?

[Sweder]

Why is there so much queuing, if you already have reserved tickets?

Excellent question, and one posed by my green-eyed missus.

[El Gordo]

"...but I did have time to get to the gym for the 9 a.m. spin class" - I think most people would still count that as virtuous rather than debauched.

Why is there so much queuing, if you already have reserved tickets?

Because they always issue more tickets than they have places (to ensure enough people turn up to fill all the seats). So to be sure of getting in, people start queuing hours ahead of the admission time. We had a terrible journey in through heavy traffic, my marriage getting frailer with every red light. Got there about an hour before they were to start letting people in, which is quite late -- but we were OK in the end. Further back in the queue people are put on standby -- let into the waiting area but only get into see the show if production guests don't turn up. Don't know if the 60 or so people on standby made it. Must be a sickener to finally achieve the near-impossible task of getting a ticket, and making a long journey down (we spoke to people from Edinburgh and Belfast in the queue who'd travelled specially for the show), and then not to get into see it. So that's why people turn up early.

And once you're let into what they call the foyer (a large waiting room with a bar and a shop) you have another wait of about an hour and a half.

But we got in finally, and had a good evening. As always, one is always struck by how much smaller and tattier the real thing is, though that doesn't detract from the pleasure. You end up admiring the smoke and mirrors that creates such a glamorous, seamless result. All very jolly in that hammy Brucey fashion.

Unexpected treat to see Bette Midler. M is a fan, and had been anxious to see her in Las Vegas, but her residency had finished just before we got there. Great song too, which had to be done twice. M also loves the gorgeous, talented Darcey Bussell, so it was a bonus to find her temporarily added to the panel of judges.

Anyway, I'll add the full tale to the ever-lengthening entry I need to post. I've just about finished the Ragdale bit but will add an update before posting.

Spin classes are good, by the way. Great workout, and strangely compelling. This is my 3rd in just over a week, and I'm having to confront the possibility that I've been bitten by the bug. I keep reading that spin is addictive.

[stillwaddler]

Spinning - "like a circle in a spiral on an ever spinning wheel...." etc. My daughter used to be addicted to the classes, our gym only runs them at impossible times now so I have never tried, I just give the Pashley a whirl on my daily commute. Sounds like your fitmess levels are well up there El G, I might put money on your PB at Hyde Park.

[El Gordo]

Sounds like your fitmess levels are well up there El G, I might put money on your PB at Hyde Park.

Hold onto your cash for the moment, SW. I'm having a little relapse at the moment. Wine on Friday, crisps and chocolate on Saturday, biscuits yesterday and today. And I've just received half a kilo of high quality chocolate from my France-domiciled boss which I'm desperately trying to push from my mind. Very kind of her, but a highly perilous present for a honed athlete like me.

Anyway, the non-choc items have set me back 5 lbs, which seems disproportionate.

[El Gordo]

Oh, and one other thing -- I've had a very sharp pain behind me knee since my spin class. Enough to decide against a run yesterday. I'm presuming it's just a strain, and will drift away within a day or two, but am supposed to be running a race on Sunday, so will have to see.

[El Gordo]

Knee pain subsided as hoped/expected. Very little running to report. Had another spin class last night, and have to deliver M to the Strictly class at the gym tonight so will spend my time interval-running, and on other manly pursuits. Am on my Prince2 course this week, so not much time to chat. Exam today - hurrah! Should be able to uncork a long old entry at the weekend.

[Sweder]

Good luck at Guildford today. I'll be with you in spirit, mirrored on the southern equivalent of those north downs hills.
I'm intrigued by spin classes. Moyleman swore by them - and about them - but I've yet to pluck up courage.

[El Gordo]

I'm intrigued by spin classes. Moyleman swore by them - and about them - but I've yet to pluck up courage.

You'd like them. I've not yet done justice to the idea. It can be genuinely exciting as the door shuts, the lights go down, and something like "Born To Be Wild" stars to pour through the speakers. People whoop and squeal, and the instructor gets her imaginary whip out......

Honest, it can be great fun, not to mention bloody hard work. If there isn't a pool of sweat beneath your bike at the end, you've not worked hard enough.

[Bierzo Baggie]

I have a confession to make: I quite like New Age muzak. I once voluntarily listened to the same CD on a continuous loop for about 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for almost 9 months. One day, I will impart the circumstances. It's an excellent story, and was the unintentional beginning of this very website.

I'm very intrigued by this... some bizarre experiment perhaps?

[El Gordo]

I have a confession to make: I quite like New Age muzak. I once voluntarily listened to the same CD on a continuous loop for about 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for almost 9 months. One day, I will impart the circumstances. It's an excellent story, and was the unintentional beginning of this very website.

I'm very intrigued by this... some bizarre experiment perhaps?

Not really, no. It helped me concentrate on a task....

[Sweder]

As for those bloody fitness balls ... well, I've had my own run-ins with those Johnnies.
A wholly undignified experience it was too

[Seafront Plodder]

I too am very sceptical, nay cynical even, about the actual benefit of these new-wave treatments. Most of which I suggest are invented by a Committee. Picture the scene…..

“Ok team, we have to invent a new way of getting Health Farm mugs, sorry clients, to part with their hard-earned.

Now flotation tanks have been done. Laying in a darkened room listening to whale music, done... I know, how about all of that whilst some young stunner, sorry masseuse sticks a lit candle in your ear. They'll be flocking in...?

[The Beast of Bevendean]

On the matter of the ear candles, long ago, when my children were small, I had a bad back, I'm sure as a result of too much toddler-carrying. At the time I worked for the British Council, just off Trafalgar Square. Try osteopathy, suggested a colleague, telling me that the British School of Osteopathy was nearby and that, provided I didn't mind being practiced on, I could have a student treat me, under supervision, quite cheaply.
I'm a Goldacre-ist when it comes to alternative therapies and back injuries, unless they require urgent surgical intervention, tend to get better of their own accord. Nevertheless I went along.
At my first session the student came in, a dazzlingly beautiful Frenchwoman, with something of the looks of Audrey Tautou. For several weeks I had to visit, strip to my underpants and lie face down while she manipulated me, murmuring a few instructions in her soft contralto voice.
Alas, she graduated, and I came one day to find her place had been taken by a sweaty young Australian man. I made my excuses and left.
Which goes to show that such treatments may not do any good, but if administered by a comely person of the appropriate gender can very well fulfil the Voltairean maxim that the role of the doctor is, 'to amuse the patient whilst nature takes its course'.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm trying really, really hard, but I simply can't understand why anyone would pay good money to have a candle stuck in their ear. I'm struggling to understand why you would do it even when it was free, EG..?

[El Gordo]

I'm trying really, really hard, but I simply can't understand why anyone would pay good money to have a candle stuck in their ear. I'm struggling to understand why you would do it even when it was free, EG..?

Because I was having major trouble with my right ear, which had become blocked with wax the day we arrived (probably not helped by a rare swim). I mentioned this to someone there, and they reckoned the Hopi ear candle treatment was just the thing to help me. I was desperate enough to try it.

And... and I'm ashamed to confess that this was one treatment I had to pay for, as it wasn't included in the deal.