Finished!
Monday, September 12, 2011 ~ 7 comments so far
In total I’ve raised over £850, so thank you to everyone who donated.
I quite enjoyed myself, thankfully the weather held and I almost managed it in my target of 4 hours (4hrs 7mins in total).
Add in cycling to and from Glasgow Green and I covered 69 miles on Sunday, no wonder my legs are a bit sore!
Will I do it next year… yeah.. maybe.
In the mood
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 ~ 2 comments so far
Right!
Yes, right.
I think, yeah I’m pretty sure, well as much as I can be, that my mindset is in the right place.
I pick up my bike on Saturday (finally) you see, hence the change of mindset this week, in preparation.
Hmmm, I’m waffling. Let me explain.
For a long time, many many years, I’ve been overweight (clinically obese at times but what do doctors know!).
I’ve dipped in and out of various fitness attempts and diets, with varying success. Play 5-a-side football, hit the gym at 6am, got down to 15st 10lbs at one point which is, as far as my ailing memory serves, the lightest I’ve been in my adult life, then put it all back on again.
Jogging seemed to be working for me before I injured my knee, and recent visits to the gym have dropped off, bad habits returned and I managed to get all the way up to 17st 12lbs.
With 18st approaching, I realised I had to do something so I’ve been a bit more sensible with my diet, and have slowly, oh so very slowly, gotten down to 16st 12lbs. I went to the gym a few times but seem to have plateaued.
Then I heard mention of a cycle to work scheme and, having moved to within cycling distance to my work (it’s about 8 miles) I realised there was maybe something I could do and would enjoy. The number of cyclists I see on my way to work seems to be on the increase and that only encouraged me further.
I’m not great in the gym, I don’t find it stimulating at all and whilst I know that, for health reasons, I need to go, it’s not something that fills me with great joy (yeah yeah, I know, nothing unique there). However, give me something outdoor, that I can, in my own head, turn into a competition (can I catch the guy in front? can I beat the car to that junction? what was my time yesterday, can I do it faster?) and my interest level rises and I really start to apply myself.
With the arrival of my new bike imminent I’ve actually started to be a bit sensible, rather than leaping on it and doing my usual (overdoing it and injuring myself). I went to the gym last night, will go for a swim tomorrow night and back to the gym on Thursday, and I’ve just ordered all of the fruit and veg in the world to be delivered later tonight (thank you Tesco!).
What I don’t fully understand, but I’m not really questioning, is how my mindset can so quickly change. Last week I was all about the pizza and the chocolate and the ‘fuck it’ attitude. This week, healthy, healthy, exercise, exercise. I’m not prying into that though, I know I’m best to look forward and set myself some goals.
So, whilst it’s not easy it does appear that I’m in the mood to do this so I’m doing my best to stay focused.
I also apologise in advance if the next few blog posts are slightly “cycle heavy”. And, of course, when I say “cycle heavy” I mean “cycle gadget”… no, I’m not buying a trip computer just yet, but I do have a couple of apps on my iPhone at the ready!
It’s also only fair to mention, now, that I do have a goal in mind for all of this. In September I will be cycling from Glasgow to Edinburgh. I will be raising funds for charity. You have been warned!
Onwards!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 ~ 3 comments so far
2011 is here and I’ve just about got the flat into a state I’m happy with (a couple of purchases which will require a credit card remain).
So, what else? Well I’ve got a photography course starting towards the end of the month, and a few other commitments that will keep me plenty busy. It’s looking like it’s gonna be a good year!
Which brings me to this here blog. I’m not stopping, but given the paucity of updates I wonder if it might be better to point everyone at my ‘named’ website which pulls in content from my various online sources (bar Twitter).
Just a thought.
So if you aren’t aware of it, check out www.gordonmclean.co.uk for photos, links, blogs, books and more.
Merry Christmas
Saturday, December 25, 2010 ~ Comments Off
I hope you and yours have a wonderful day, a fabulous festive season and here’s to a great 2011 for us all!
Campylobacter
Monday, November 29, 2010 ~ 3 comments so far
AKA Food Poisoning.
Is not fun.
I will spare you the details.
That is all.
Oh No, Not Again!
Thursday, November 4, 2010 ~ Comments Off
HAD to share this.
Miscellany
Sunday, October 3, 2010 ~ Comments Off
Random thoughts of a Sunday morning.
And yes, I’m sitting waiting to get through to buy my ticket for Glastonbury next year. No, the website won’t load, yes the phone line is constantly engaged.
You know you are bad at packing when you have several open ‘I’ll-just-take-them-in-the-car’ boxes.
Anyone else on WordPress seeing a lot more spam in their comments? Thank the lord for Akismet! By the way, does anyone pay for that? Is it like Xmarks, something you’d pay for but don’t?
Speaking of which, if you use Xmarks and want to, maybe, see if you paying for it would keep it going (it’s folding up), then go read this!
Sorting through boxes that have been unopened and in your loft for several years isn’t all that fun. The reality of what is happening is writ large in the memories we will always share.
I need to buy a new kettle. Must remember to write that down somewhere.
Music wise I seem stuck in a bit of a BBC Radio 6 place, all new bands, luscious sounds and the odd blast from the past. Where did all the rock music go?
Quite excited to go to Glastonbury next year though, never been and will need advice on what to take and what NOT to take. Also where the feck to sleep, in a tent? Off-site somewhere? And, of course, there will be endless rounds of “right, I’ll go and see them and then head there to see her, and then I’ll… ohh, wait no. I’ll go and see him, and then her, then I’ll go there to see… no… right. OK, this time… I’ll start here and…”
The cat likes boxes. Specifically, sleeping in them. Specifically, one that almost got taped shut as I presumed from the weight that it was as full as it could be.
You know how I have that other blog, well I wondered why I hadn’t had any comments on it and realised I’d turned them off. Only thing is, I turned them back on but they don’t work. I’ve decided this is for a reason and I’m leaving them off.
It gets really boring sitting watching a website NOT load, hitting F5 over and over and over and over…
Ohhh and applications that popup a dialog and steal focus, with OK set as the default button so, when I’m typing and glance down at the keyboard, the dialog pops up just as I hit the spacebar… in other words, I don’t even see anything except a brief blip on the screen then something starts up, or shuts down. Yeah. I DO NOT LIKE THOSE!
I have a lot patience threshold. 45 minutes sitting waiting and I’m at the “you know, if it’s this bad getting tickets, what is it going to be like at the fucking thing? It’ll probably rain anyway… shall I even bother?”. Then I think of the alternatives… T in the Park, and decide, yeah, I’ll hang in there a bit longer. Note to T in the Park, up your prices! (in the hope of weeding out the dickheads).
Hmmmm yes, yes I am a snob. This fact doesn’t really bother me.
It’s amazing what you can achieve in one room whilst waiting on a website to load. That’s my little office ready to be moved.
And yes, this is what Twitter is like. Except those big long sentences obviously.