Load of Cobblers

Another week mostly ticked off on the training and adventure front—nothing to write home about but plenty to keep things interesting. Who would have thought the peak of excitement would be the purchase of a new bin? But here we are. This one is Ernie-proof (finally!), so with any luck he’ll stop raiding the rubbish for extra calories, and his ears will no longer be tinged green from wearing Moo’s slime like some strange badge of canine honour.

On the home front, Spoon’s made a musical leap—I caught her tentatively piecing together ‘No Surprises’ on the piano. It’s a joy to hear, and a testament to quiet persistence. She’s off on her own adventure now at Lye camp this week, hopefully carving out stories to tell when she returns. Talking of music - got some new (old) vinyl from Jackie's cellar. Not sure if the vinyl is salvageable to be honest, but one of Josh's pics was which was neatly tucked away in this collection of records.

Training-wise, I got a couple of runs in—mainly early mornings with Ernie as my ever-enthusiastic sidekick. Still haven’t summoned the will for a properly long run though. Motivation’s been flagging; perhaps I’d fare better if I shifted that effort to earlier in the week before apathy takes over.

Cycling offered a bit more variety. Took both the fixie and the DI2 out, clocking up several rides. My longest spin barely scraped past 50k, but it packed in plenty of hills for good measure. The highlight was the imaginatively dubbed ‘Cobblers Cock’ route. The name was Phantom’s brainwave after gifting me a can of IPA of the same name post-ride—hard to argue with serendipity, especially as the route itself climbs both Cobley Hill and Coopers Hill and loops in a satisfyingly C-shaped arc. A route name that tells its own (slightly dubious) story.

All in all, another week with small wins, minor mischief, and just enough forward momentum. Onwards.