I am a dishcloth

My body clock is still out of synch - very late night on Friday following fabulous AC/DC gig at Wembley and we didn't wake until half 11 on Saturday! Spent most of the day in the sunshine at the allotment, but felt like I'd been wrung out.

Couldn't sleep on Saturday night until 4:30am - then slept until half 11 - again! I was planning on lazing/recovering but Husband persuaded me to join him on a bike ride from the house later on - I figured the not-wanted-exercise might help me to get sorted sleepwise and to be honest, I did feel better for the 24km ride. The bridleway by Park Woods was virtually dry enough to be all ridable - a rare novelty!

However, insomnia kicked in again last night. I was thinking too much about the WRN new beginners group that started tonight and this was enough to mean no sleep until gone 4am again. So another day of feeling like a dishcloth. Good day to be cycling to work though.

Despite both me & L tripping over & skinning knees, enjoyed the standard run tonight. I had 10 new beginners show up - a further 3 for next Monday are due - and I think it went well - they are all very enthusiastic and positive.

Scooting around BC in an RV

Just back from hols - just over 2 weeks in a motorhome in Canada. As usual, I've failed miserably to blog whilst away. I'm only going to focus on the activities we did, following the objective of this blog as an exercise tracker:

Vancouver: On our first full day, we rented bikes for the afternoon & pedalled around Stanley park & then around the creek to Granville Island then onto Marine Drive - great way to see the city. Saw the giant glass golf ball science centre, ice hockey stadium and half built Olympic village.

I took advantage of waking jet lagged way too early the next morning to join the many women jogging along the coast, up to Stanley Park. There were some blokes too - but definitely outnumbered. In line skating seemed to be more of a boy thing - they get to use the bike lanes on the paths. So beautiful (see photo!) that I switched off my ipod and doubled my intended distance - but I wasn't fast.

Whistler: Mountain Biking on trails around Lost Lake - technical enough to keep Husband interested but not as gravity defying as the bike park! I still can't do board walks. We did a gentler ride in the afternoon, sightseeing along the Valley Trail with bald eagles soaring overhead. It's a lovely spot, but the sound of Olympics construction (Winter 2010 - behind schedule and over budget) was a little omnipresent.

Tod Mountain Ranch: I've only been on a horse a couple of times before and didn't really enjoy it. Husband has never been on a horse. We weren't sure if we'd give riding a try at Tod Mountain Ranch - my friend T's fab new guest ranch in a quiet, scenic u shaped vallley near Kamloops - but figured it was an opportunity that we may not have again. T and her wrangler were very patient with getting us mounted onto Cash (sweet and tolerant brown horse for me) and Billy (huge painted horse that looked strong enough to carry anything for Phil). Big armchair saddles and the laid back western riding style made it all easier - Billy didn't even have a bit thing in his mouth! It felt pretty good heading up on the trail and the horses were calm and immaculately behaved - although Billy farted constantly (Husband appreciated this!).

Enjoyed it so much that we were glad to be able to give it another go the next day. Same horses, but a trickier route - we had to hold on when the horses picked up pace to get up a steep narrow section. This really helped my confidence and I panicked less when Cash needed to be slowed (he tended to trot when the horse behind was too close).

T's got a fabulous set up and the first guests arrive tomorrow - we're definitely planning to return! Location is great, food was fabulous, lodge and cabins are a really high standard and the riding was fun.

Wells Gray: Whitewater rafting with a group of pizza restaurant staff from Kamloops (very cool sounding reward programme!) that started with my first ever experience of hiking in a wetsuit - not an ideal outfit, but it came in handy at our destination - Moul Falls where we scrambled behind the waterfall. This was scarier for me than the rafting through sabre tooth rapids.

Canoeing on the remote Clearwater Lake - weather started well, but we had a thunder storm complete with hail - so we had a boat full of ice and got very cold. Later that day, back to shorts & t-shirts weather - weird.

Mountain biking, yelling "Hey Bear" at every blind corner & summit to avoid bear/bike interfaces (we did see a few but only when we were in vehicles). Just me, Husband and 3 guides! One of the guys was semi pro - he made jumps look elegant - and is also the 6th best snow mobiler in BC.

Gentle rowing around the lake near our campground looking for painted turtles - successfully. We had a swim in the lake afterwards - brief for me, much longer for Husband which seemed to intrigue a loon (duck, similar to a diver).

Salmon Arm: Brief walk along a river and gentle swim later in the campground's pool. Project head under water continues!

Revelstoke: More gentle walking in Mt Revelstoke and Glacier national parks. More swimming - this time in hot spring heated water with a great view of the mountains.

Okanagan Lake: I had a bit of speed walking when we discoverd that the RV had a flat tyre, my mobile was flat, and the nearest phone box was a kilometre away! But this walk was through Okanagan Lake Provincial Park with many fat gophers to entertain me.

Much more enjoyable was cycling the Kettle Valley Railway in Myra Canyon - 24km route along a disused railway that manages to be virtually flat by using tunnels and wooden trestles clinging to the side of the canyon. Stunning scenery, wildflowers, more gophers and discovered that BC rabbits have white socks! It was a little surreal afterwards - we'd met the bike shuttle service in a supermarket carpark, so I was able to change in the RV.

Off to Canada

Woke up too early today thinking about what I still have to locate/pack. All sorted now except my fave bikini is awol - but it's Canada we're off to not Thailand so shouldn't miss it too badly. Starting in Vancouver, pick up RV, up to Whistler then Kamloops to see T's venture - a gorgeous looking guest ranch. Wells Gray, Jasper, Lake Louise, Penticticon, Osooyoos. Original plan was to get to the Pacific coast - but that's been shelved for a second holiday somewhen. Activity wise, we have canoeing & rafting trips booked and have packed my bike helmet. Really hoping I can get my food/exercise balanced again - but I doubt that Canadian portion sizes will make that particular aim realisable!


Very grateful to C for agreeing to feed fish and water.


It's been an exhausting week but not for exercise. Husband's been working stupid hours and I've been struggling to get work to a stage where I can leave it with a clean-ish conscience. We were both grateful to have all Saturday to pack - if we'd been rushing around on Friday night, we'd be exhausted for first few days of holiday! Lots of later nights, late tea - not good.


Only cycled on Mon, Tue & Fri this week due to an excursion to London on Wed. I came back via allotment on Friday for watering.


Extra running on Thursday for WRN so that they wouldn't miss too many sessions. Only D made it & we did the Itchen Way in (drum roll) 37:33 - on Monday, it took over 42mins and it's a difficult route to speed on (off road, narrow, bridges/runners/kids/walkers & dogs to negotiate).

Fordingbridge

Just finished tea and it's gone 10pm! Husband & I realised at half 7 that the allotment probably hadn't been watered since Thursday and it's been a tad warm this weekend - not sure why we didn't twig earlier, but hey! So after run number 2, scooted over to allotment, watered gasping veg, got back about half an hour ago. Still, it did mean that we had very fresh broad beans.

As it's been so hot today, I took both running groups up the Itchen Way - shady by the river & very pretty. Swallowed a few flies though! Had a new recruit for the standard group, but numbers are very low. Should get better after I get back from hols & roll the intermediates into the standard group.

Fab ride on Saturday - we did the HCC Fordingbridge route "21 miles, 12 of which are off road, strenuous". It's always really satisfying to do rides we've done before - esp when they seem easier 2nd time around. Love the area around Rockbourne/Breamore/Damerham/Martin - views across downland. Brief diversion to look at the ancient Miz Maze near Breamore. Less positive was lifting bikes over a locked gate (email to rights of way officer is about to be written) and a revolting pig slurry lane that I need to look into diverting around next time.

I now have cyclist's tan - hands are much paler than my arms.

No exercise on Sunday as we went to Warminster to buy a painting (came back with 2) and onto Bournemouth for a very pleasant afternoon on G's lawn.