From Rat Race to Campfire Boogie: Adventures with Ernie, SJ, and GoaTheaD

Started this week with a run with Ernie. It was great to see the new bridge that had finally been built in Studley and Ernie and I enjoyed running across same on our route this day. I wasn't wearing my usual trail shoes thanks to a little forgetfulness after our Rat Race adventure. Mr O's car has a new fragrance - Eau de muddy trainer!

Talking of the Rat Race, there is now a brand new video, live from this years adventure. Follow this link: Rat Race 2025 video, and you'll be able to truly marvel at the mightiness of Mr O and I. Ha!

Spent much time on Zwift this week, trying to get my monies worth from my subscription. I mentioned that my FTP wasn't the best it's been last week and this week I felt I was really put through the test. I completed some threshold work, followed by a sweet spot workout which was bitter sweet indeed. This work out was hard and I struggled to spin my legs as fast as I would have liked. However, my efforts appear to have paid off as my V02 max score has increased significantly on my Garmin app. I was always around mid 40's, but following my Zwift subscription bumped it up to 48 and then 49 after the sweet stuff. Sweet! Also completed a cadence workout which got me spinning my legs quite nicely and plan to complete my Zwift training for the week later today with some base effort building climbs.

Only been outdoors once on a cycle ride. I completed a lap of the dear old deer route on my gravel bike 'GoaTheaD'. She's still spinning smoothly after all the Rat Race abuse.

Highlight of this week though was an awesome camping trip with the Mrs. My Quechua 3 person, 2 second tent finally arrived Friday afternoon, ready for the adventure planned that night. Coincidentally, so did my trail shoes that Mr O kindly posted back to me. (He commented 'ready in time for ParkRun', however, camping won this weekend).

SJ and I headed to Atherstone for a spot of rustic camping at a Hollinshead Family Farm. My tent, as suggested, was up within seconds. SJ also brought along a fire pit and it didn't take too long before this was up and roaring too. SJ became cook and dished up some delicious steaks!

We warmed ourselves around our campfire and drowned out sounds of youth music with our own choices from SJ's iPhone. As is custom when camping around a camp fire we had a little boogie and drank spiced rum from a hip flask (the rum Boof gave me for my 50th). The lights we could see in the distance looked pretty too.

It was nice and warm and cuddly in our new little tent and we snuggled up sweetly. I awoke in the night and had a mild panic attack, we had drifted apart and all the quilt was piled high above me and I felt claustrophobic. This didn't last long and we soon shuffled back together for some more sleep.

Very pleased with the tent. So handy to have a tent that does not require poles and that gets set up within seconds. It didn't condensate either which was fab. It's defo not suitable for 3 persons and with my height of 6' 2'', I only just fit. It didn't rain so could not test the waterproofness and it was a wind free night too. Even the ground outside was bone dry when morning came - bonus!

It was nice, romantic like, with SJ and I just chilling out together in the morning sun light. I cooked breakfast (porridge) and tea on my little MSR stove. SJ had brought bacon but we would have struggled getting the firepit started again. (We plan on buying our own fire pit soon, this one was borrowed, and will research same shortly).

Putting the tent down was a tad more difficult that setting it up. It only took us a few minutes to work it out though and it was kinda fun playing tent origami. Such a neat little tent. Next time we will remember to bring a groundsheet and probably invest in a double air mattress to stop us drifting apart.

We spent some morning hours walking around Harthill Hayes Country Park. We couldn't find the route I had semi-planned but we walked anyway in this beautiful part of the world. Was awesome to use my walking pole at long last (cheers Phantom), though the terrain didn't really require same. 

Spent the remainder of the day visiting Atherstone Town centre. We had a pootle around the shops and even brought some Christmas presents. The shops made us think of our kids, we saw E.T. in one shop and Wednesday Addams in another. Ate a belly busting full English and then set off back home to be re-united with the kids.

All in all, a week packed with adventure, a dash of fitness modesty (enjoy it whilst it lasts) and the bonus of a tent that behaved itself.