This morning we went for a walk along the river to get some fresh air and were blasted away by strong in the face winds and bright blue sunshine. Keeping to my promise I did take a couple of photos but the hands were too cold to take more than that and I am only now (5pm) starting to warm up again.

After a sausage and fried egg sandwich lunch (ingredients bought at the farmers market yesterday morning) we watched the FA Cup quarter-final between Reading and Aston Villa. Reading easily outclassed their Premier League opponents in the first-half and went into the break 2-0 up. Unfortunately the away team scorred three goals and Reading were left optimistically prodding and firing balls towards the Aston Villa net but could not succeed. The game finished 4-2 to Aston Villa.

This afternoon I am listening to Foals and Polar Bear and just about to start studing the final two chapters of the first book of my CIW Foundations Course. They both are on Microsoft Expression Web. Later I hope to study a bit of PHP.

Well it’s been a couple of weeks into 2010 and lots of snow has fallen and almost melted again. Christmas and New Year were great and lots of great food and superb company! I’ve not been running because of the snow on the ground and because of different illnesses. But soon all the snow will be gone and I will be better!

On Wednesday I took my CIW Foundations exam and passed with 91%! So that means that I am a “CIW Associate” and can move onto the 4th exam: CIW Site Designer. Now I have a bit of spare time before the books for this course arrive I will have time to sleep and then some time to work on my website so that I can say yes that’s me!

The head was hungover but the feet needed to move, plus I’d made a promise to Cesar that we’d be going running in the morning. Seemed like a good idea last night. Yes, and it was. The sun was shining and the air was cool and for the first time I could wear my shades. I ran to Cesar’s place and then we jogged to and around Prospect Park. Windy in parts but fantastic way to blast away the hangover! 4.69miles in 37m06s.

Prospect Park with Cesar [4.69miles]

listening to Gilles Peterson using the cans that Marion bought me for my birthday is one of life’s greatest pleasures. That and sorting things out.

I took Marion to New York City at the end of Oct for her birthday and it’s been a harsh week recovering from the tiredness and jetlag that hit us as we came back to this side of the Ocean.

I took hundreds of photos on my newly bought super-wide angle zoom lens (Nikon AF-S Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX to give it its fullest of full titles!) and now am in the process of sifting through them.

Sunday #1

you can see the weather was superb. this was taken while we were watching my cousin Ethan’s soccer game.

my cousin ethan (yellow, number 14) on his 9^th birthday tearing it up.

and there were still some leaves on the trees. We went walking with Sean to cure our jetlag.

break at the top to catch our breaths.

with the trees around us it was difficult to see the sky.

big breath for birthday boy! 9 big ones.

Champions League group stage draw (thanks bbc sport):

Group A

Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa

Group B

MANCHESTER UNITED
CSKA Moscow
Besiktas
Wolfsburg

Group C

AC Milan
Real Madrid
Marseille
FC Zurich

Group D

CHELSEA
Porto
Atletico Madrid
APOEL Nicosia

Group E

LIVERPOOL
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debrecen

Group F

Barcelona
Inter Milan
Dinamo Kiev
Rubin Kazan

Group G

Sevilla
RANGERS
Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni

Group H

ARSENAL
AZ Alkmaar
Olympiakos
Standard Liege

Fixture dates:

15/16 September

29/30 September

20/21 October

3/4 November

24/25 November

8/9 December

this is where it happens? Ok then you’ve got me as I sit here in my office listening to Noah and the Whale’s new album (the beautiful sad the first days of spring). This week has gone, shuffled quickly and noisily past, like the wind buffeting the trees in the garden. It’s been emotional, and sad, and happy, and mad. But soon it is over.

Outta the window, out there, it’s just wonderful. Blue sky. Wonderful blue sky. I love it!

=> Link 60 Unusual Business Cards

saturday afternoon. week went fast past the eyes and now again its the weekend. last week: rained a lot but manged to get outside a lot too. I played badminton on Thurs with Rob (I played better than last week), went to see “The Taking of Pelham 123″ (poor poor film) at the cinema. We had a picnic by the river last night; and walked along the river on Weds eve… it was great to be in the outside and not stuck inside at home. Tonight we’re having a bbq and I have made caramel shortbread squares. Now I am going to the shops and get things for later. Have a good weekend!

This is Friday afternoon and I am about to leave for home. The week has
been long and tiring but I played badminton with my school friend Rob! Last
weekend I went to London with Marion.

To a music festival with my brother and his friends Summer Sundae in
Clapham Common with bands I am Kloot, King Creosote and some others… the
festival was sponsored by the ice-cream manufacturer Ben & Jerrys and all
around the festival site there were tents dishing out the many B&J
ice-cream flavours! The sun was out and we chilled, had ice-cream, and
listened to the music. It was great!

Fun follows fun and on Sunday Marion and I went to the Saatchi Gallery
(recommended to me by someone I met at a party – very colourful!) and then
to Brick Lane. I love music and one of my favorite shops is Rough Trade off
Brick Lane. After having some delicious food from a market we went to RT
and M bought me the latest White Jeans [is that what they're called?] album
and had a good look around.

Another passion of mine is Graffiti and we found a road called Bacon Street
where all the walls are fantastically painted (graffiti’d). Many cool and
different paints there! I have put the photos we took on my flickr page
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/andysan) if you want to check it out.

This week has been a matter of survival. It’s been tough at work and after
work I’ve been studying or reading a lot. So it was great last night to
play Rob at badminton and throw away some of the stress. Today I am aching
all over but it was great fun! Thanks Rob for chasing me so we could
organise this game!

This weekend we’re going to Winchester and then on Sunday to my parents (to
see a whole flock of relatives). Tonight we’re going to the cinema.

Sorting out photos on the computer. Have not put any photos online in a long time but looking into sorting that out. Also looking into batch processing, web optimising and such like.

• using xnview to batch process (image optimise for faster download speeds, all in one go);
• organising photos on computer into logical folders

Now I have done that I will move onto my studying. I am on the final chapter of book1 of my CIW Foundations Course:  Site Development Foundations. Off I go! See you later:)

The weekend. Friday evening I met up with Cesar (he’s just back from his honeymoon in Thailand) at the Nag’s Head and joined by Marion in the back garden for a few beers in the sunshine. Nice!

Saturday we bought beer food and supplies from the super-market and crawled back under huge backpacks (both of our rucsacs weighed at least 20kg) back home to cook for my parents. Marion made a delicious Tagine and some tasty gazpacho, while I made black olive bread and lemon sherbert (from Jamie Oliver’s “Jamie’s Italy” cookbook. We also did some chores and I juggled in the garden — something that I’ve not done since moving to this house. It was great to be out in the fantastic weather juggling in the garden; so relaxing and good fun too! The meal went well and it was super to see my parents who were both in top form.

Today, Sunday, and the weather again was hot but mixed with some clouds. We had breakfast in the garden and read on the grass in the garden. I juggled some more and Marion finished her book. I’ve just finished “Kings of the Mountains” by Matt Rendell and now I am going back to “The Golden Notebook” by Dorris Lessing.  I’ve just made some cumin bread (adaption of the black olive bread with a tablespoon of cumin seeds instead of the black olives) and I need to put it in the oven now.

This week ahead: study, run, juggle.

Greets folks, sitting here in the lounge at home waiting for the pizzas to arrive it’s been a hell of an ill week for me. Sunday morning I woke early and watched some of the Chinese GP before going back to bed then re-awoke feeling really really cold and chilly despite the fact that it was a gorgeous day with lots of sun hotness and blue skies. The next days until now I have been struck with this fever (one moment hot, the next cold) which meant that sleep hasn’t been easy – for Marion either – and the last couple I thought I’d gotten rid of the fever only for a stomach bug to hit me. So, fingers crossed, here’s looking forward to my first pizza in ages.!.

In this time since being ill I have watched the majority of the first season of “The Wire” (BBC 2 are showing all 5 series back-to-back!) reading up on web-design techniques:

That finishing line brings only pain and aching limbs but getting there was first fun then tiring then enduring then exhausting. Still I managed to reach the finish line and before the race, after doing less training than I have ever done before a half-marathon (by a huge margin), I would be happy to reach the finish line.
The weather was fantastic. Blue skies, a slight breeze and warm temperature (not too hot).

The first 4 miles were good fun, I was enjoying the event and enjoying the music that I was listening to. Not rushing, just keeping myself moving at a standard pace. At 4 miles I needed the loo but there was no toilet until the 10k mark. I kept going as I knew I had to. The atmosphere was amazing, even though I had music in my ears and sunglasses over my eyes I was smiling knowing that there were many many thousands supporting the 16,000+ participants, some making music or holding signs supporting friends family and lovers, others just enjoying the multi-coloured parade of people whooshing past their feet.

Anyway, after 10k there was a toilet and afterwards I was much better for a couple of miles before having to stop again at the next stop. After this I knew that I could get to the finish line and collect my medal. I passed close to my house, going past the Nag’s Head where they had a table with beer and pork scratchings (a huge cheer went up when someone grabbed a beer, or pork scratchings!). The most difficult part was the long long straight road A33 towards the Stadium (where we were to finish) because you could see the stadium but it took a very long time to appear. Anyway, eventually, it did appear and I made it to the finish line.

One Hour fifty-One. The slowest ever that I have run 13.1 miles but not the worst. Considering my poor preparation, and lack of fitness going into the race that’s all that I could have possibly hoped for!

It was Marion’s first ever half-marathon and she completed it and looked rather sexy doing so. Congratulations Marion!

Good Evening Folks, Sitting here in two jumpers a pair of gloves, scarf, hat and cup of hot tea it’s not that spring-like anymore.

Anyway I’ve been ill for the last few days and it’s great to be able to get out of the house, go to work, that kind of thing. Even if it is dull repetitive boring pay-the-bills work. Anyway, I am listening to Gilles Peterson’s Guide to Istanbul on my laptop waiting for the food shopping to be delivered.

I’d like to recommend a website, if you like global music, called Fly Global Music.

It’s less than one week until the Reading Half-Marathon and my legs are exceptionally painful when I walk. I went to Lyon on the weekend and a day spent running round the city and then running up the massive hill that overlooks the city all have stretched my legs and caused me much pain for the last couple of days when I manage to walk around. Hopefully they’re better for the race this weekend.

Good Evening, just back from the second run of the week. This evening I ran along the River Thames to the boat house and back in 33mins. Monday I ran along the river and then through town in 26mins. Today I’m feeling more alive than after Monday’s run. Last night I went to the Berkshire BCS CV Clinic at Reading Town Hall. It was quite useful to speak to the chaps there, and I have taken many points from the evening.

Now something totally different: Lent. Not a believer in any god or
religion but full of belief that too much of one thing doesn’t do you any
good, I am giving up chocolate and crisps for lent. For the last I don’t
know how long Marion and I have been eating too much sweet food. We watch a
film and have some chocolate, we feel like baking and make some chocolate
chip chocolate muffins or brownies or something sweet, we go to visit a
town and what’s the number one priority: find some cafe with a good
selection of cakes hot chocolate and sweets. Not good if you do it all the
time! So we’re giving up chocolate from today until Easter Sunday (40 days
away). Marion is giving up chocolate, having alcohol except on special occasions.
I am giving up chocolate and crisps, and having sweet deserts except on special
occasions. Check back for more updates!

Kidderminster. Tonight I take the train to Kidderminster for the next part
of my Masters CIW training course. I am now on CIW Foundations (part 3 out
of 5) which deals with the basics of web-design, re-covers networking, and
introduces project management. Hopefully I will arrive in time to see some
football in a pub. A couple of days away from work, it seems as though all
my holiday has been taken away by going on these IT courses in
Kidderminster, will be good and nice to relax on the train and get some
reading done.

Football. It’s Champions League week this week (quarter finals first leg)
and last night ManU drew with Inter in Milan. It was a great game but ManU
should have taken a few goals back to Manchester for the return leg in two
weeks. The first half was a lot better in terms of possession and chances
for ManU (how did they not score?) but then in the second-half Inter got
back into the game and had a few chances themselves. ManU, however, should
have scorred with the final kick of the game from a free-kick from Ronaldo
which (luckily for the keeper who hadn’t seen the flight of the ball) was
at the keeper. I watched it round my friend Cesar’s house, cheers Cesar for
the beer and pizza!
Tonight it’s:
Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Real Madrid v Liverpool

Running. I’ve not been running in a couple of weeks. Lazy me. But I will go
running soon I promise. It’s a viscious cycle when you stop running. You
want to go and you feel that you need to go but you feel that the days
since you went running last are counting against you in some mad crazy way.
Plus it’s sometimes easier just to stay inside and not go running. Now it’s
getting lighter and lighter in the evenings the excuse or reason that I was
too tired at work to go running is becoming non-valid so I can go running
along the river in my evenings after work. I much prefer going running in
clean air along a river, than along a canal and along roads (as I do at
work). We’ll see how I get on in the next few weeks!

Sitting here reminiscing on the week gone past it’s safe to say that I’m knackered.

Marion’s parents came to visit us (their first time to the new house) Friday to Tuesday. We visited London and Windsor and Reading. My Parents got to meet Marion’s parents, they got to meet my brother. Full action packed weekend!

Sat: Wow what a hang-over. Last night spent wishing Keryn a farewell, we went to Oakford Social Club then Purple Turtle. Too much drink in too short a time, Sat morning was difficult! Trains to Oxford replaced by bus so had to re-think and decided on Windsor instead. Brilliant bright blue sunny day, bloody cold though. Took the train and arrived at lunchtime and walked around, then out into Windsor Great Park along the Great Walk. Back towards town and a late lunch in any pub we could find. More shops to see and then back to see my Parents in Sandhurst. This the first time all 4 of them were together (last summer Marion’s Mum met my parents) and it was a delicious evening, with lots of food and great company. To finish off we played Arsehole (or trou-du-cul), then skated on ice home.

Sun: We walked around the sights of Reading (along the river and through town, stopping off at the excellent Picnic for some warm soup (it was bloody raining and freezing outside). My brotheralso came to have a cuppa and meet the parents on Sunday too. In the eve we had take-away curry and watched “Breakfast at Tiffanys”.

Mon: A day to see London. A very wet day not to venture out of the house unless totally necessary. No choice but to brave the conditions and go into London. First stop was the Tate Modern although I’d seen the normal exhibitions before it was good to go again, to see the strange weird and demenous paintings. I love the Tate Modern! Lunch in a pub by the river then walked towards Covent Garden along Fleet Street and into the Twinnings shop. We also took in Ben’s Cookies, China Town, Leicester Square and then finally, made it back to the train towards home. Knackered and cold. More curry and “A Life of Brian” for more britanica for our foreign guests. What a fantastic weekend!

wow, another white morning. Marion gets the day off of work because people cannot get to work but I have to now go outside in the wet slushy snow and cycle to work. I cannot wait!

Yesterday [04.02.09] Second bridge along the canal. Some snow (in the shade) and some slush, but was great to get out there running. Seriously need some new headphones as the left headphone is just distortion whenever there’s any bass. Fortunately I have ordered a pair of Grado iGrado phones which should arrive this week!

Jazzanova. Gilles Peterson. Snow. Cool.

Yeh it’s Sunday night and the weekend is over. So what. Spent most of the weekend studying. Almost finished the second book of the CIW Foundations course, final chapter on e-commerce to read then it’s on to the Networking book. Friday night Marion and I went to Hobgobblin for a pint then to the cinema to see Slumdog Millionaire which we both really enjoyed. Managed to stay inside all Saturday but did the cleaning and re-arranged the lounge so DVD now on hifi (so good for playing films through speakers, and also for playing CDs on hifi. We don’t have a CD player you see, just internet radio, and an MD player, so playing the many CDs that I have lying round the place was impossible (unless burned onto computer and streamed through the internet radio). It’s much nicer to play and hear CDs from the CD-player rather than the computer. Don’t you think?

Listening now to Gilles Peterson’s show (from last Thurs).

Yes. Now. This evening, I am making chocolate chocolate chip nut muffins. They’re out of the oven and cooling down. I smell their smell on my fingers. Ate too much of the dough so not really hungry at the moment to be honest. That’s the cooks’ right, to eat the cooking before it’s made. Which is why I love making deserts because one can eat the food before it’s made.

It snowed. For a few minutes. Now going to eat some noodles then to try the muffins. Adios!

for my bro and all those interested in streaming radio over the internet, this is an article about cloud music (e.g. live.fm, pandora, deezer). i.e. music which is streamed from the internet. Is this the solution to online music piracy?

Out goes Bush the second, in comes Obama. Here’s the inauguration speech.

is what everyone really needs on a cold Tuesday morning. thanks idodds. ggggGoing to work now.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

hands even colder than earlier. now trying out scribefire utlity for blogging to my wordpress blog from firefox (rather than logging in everytime onto my blog). Other ways of posting include using a 3^rd party tool such as w.bloggar (for windows) or drivel (for linux), and also posting by email. I will try all of these options and get back to you.
have you heard of TSF Jazz? Bloody awesome!

Good afternoon. Cold air returns to Reading. Just back from Sainsburys to stock up on milk and something for dinner tonight, and this week’s Observer. This morning, as well as finishing the first book of CIW Foundations, I cleaned downstairs and talked to my bro, who’s now at work. Going to have lunch now.

kid cudi

Essie Jain

Last week has been non-stop and knackering. I went running twice and recieved a Squeezebox Duet (for internet radio – it’s fantastic!) and my pc died. Otherwise life is good!

Good news: ManU are top of the Premiership for the first time this season having just beaten Bolton 1-0 in the final minute of the game. Liverpool play Everton on Mon and can go back top if they win.

Tis an easy Saturday. Marion is in Macclesfield with her friends from France. I am home studying. Catching up with my course after the holidays. Almost finished the first book now. Just topics on Project Management and Security to go. Hopefully the second and third books will be more interesting.

Last night I finished a book which is about the river Yangtze in China “The River at the Center of the World” by Simon Winchester. In my opinion was great at the end and slow plodding at the beginning. Like the river perhaps! Well worth a read if you are either interested in China or Rivers, or both!

Tonight I will carry on with my studies.

sitting here with Marion and setting up her first wordpress blog. here’s some photos: from frankfurt trip in December 2008.

happy new year to you all!

DiS’ Top 50 of 2008 in full:

1. M83 Saturdays=Youth (Review / Interview)
2. Frightened Rabbit The Midnight Organ Fight (Review / Interview)
3. Cut Copy In Ghost Colours (Review)
4. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!! (Review / Interview)
5. Deerhunter Microcastle (Review / Interview)
6. Portishead Third (Review / Interview 1 | 2)
7. Why? Alopecia (Review / Interview)
8. Friendly Fires Friendly Fires (Review / Track-by-Track / Interview)
9. The Kills Midnight Boom (Review / Interview)
10. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (Review / Interview)
11. Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing (Review / Interview / Tour Diary)
12. Foals Antidotes (Review / Interview)
13. Gang Gang Dance Saint Dymphna (Review / Interview)
14. Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid (Review / Interview)
15. Crystal Castles Crystal Castles (Review)
16. Shearwater Rook (Review/ Track-by-Track)
17. Sigur Rós Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (Review)
18. Of Montreal Skeletal Lamping (Review)
19. Los Campesinos! Hold On Now, Youngster (Review) / We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (Review)
20. These New Puritans Beat Pyramid (Review / Interview)
21. No Age Nouns (Review / Track-by-Track)
22. Santogold Santogold (Review / Interview)
23. Nine Inch Nails The Slip (Review)
24. Okkervil River The Stand Ins (Review / Interview 1 / 2)
25. Late Of The Pier Fantasy Black Channel (Review / Track-by-Track)
26. Hauschka Ferndorf (Review)
27. TV On The Radio Dear Science (Review)
28. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Review / Interview)
29. Wild Beasts Limbo, Panto (Review / Interview 1 / 2)
30. Atlas Sound Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Review / Interview)
31. White Williams Smoke (Review)
32. The Stills Oceans Will Rise (Review)
33. Mogwai The Hawk Is Howling (Review / Interview)
34. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (Review)
35. The Futureheads This Is Not The World ( Review / Track-by-Track)
36. Bloc Party Intimacy (Review)
37. The Raveonettes Lust, Lust, Lust (Review)
38. Johnny Foreigner Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light (Review / Track-by-Track)
39. El Guincho Alegranza (Review)
40. Metronomy Nights Out (Review)
41. Lykke Li Youth Novels (Review / Interview)
42. Islands Arms Way (Review)
43. British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music? (Review/ Interview)
44. Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life (Review)
45. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (Review / Interview)
46. Blood Red Shoes Box Of Secrets (Review / Track-by-Track)
47. Rolo Tomassi Hysterics (Review/ Interview)
48. Times New Viking Rip It Off (Review / Interview)
49. Diamanda Galas Guilty Guilty Guilty (Review)
50. I Was A Cub Scout I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope (Review / Interview)

Hello. been to Frankfurt for 3 days to visit my friend Christine and her fiancee Marcus. Had a great time there. Will write more soon!

Good morning. the wind is blowing across this friday blue-sky morning. re-partitioning old crappy computer with gparted live. Passed my CompTIA A+ IT Technician Exam with 93%!!! Now can move on to do CIW Foundations section of my course. It’s Friday and I am knackered as it’s been a very long month, a very long week too, with moving house revising and studying for the last exam, French homework and both Marion and I had birthdays too. After the new year life will slow down a bit.

Grooving to School of seven bells. Almost time to goto Work. See you later.

hi, took CompTIA A+ IT Technician Exam and got 93%!!! So now qualified and can progress onto CIW Associate Training. Glad that it’s out of the way and that I can say Im a tech. Looking forward to the CIW part of the course.

Sitting here in the break room for the second of my IT courses. This is CompTIA A+ IT Technician. The B&B I stayed at is cheap and basic, the owners watched TV at high volume till 1130 last night so I am still really tired. Otherwise there are 3 others on my course and it’s quite interesting so far. Wish I were on real holiday as I am pretty knackered recently.

Need to go running, and evacuate the stress. Have started doing pressups. Need a haircut. Know of anywhere in Kidderminster?

Holy shit I forgot to blog about it: I passed my A+ Essentials with 84%!!! Yes I am now learning the A+ IT Technician course work and have my next classroom session (and hopefully exam at the same time) in the middle of November!

Working on many computers at the same time at the moment. I have been given another computer from a work colleague, so far it’s fast but keeps on crashing. Will persevere a few more times then re-build with Ubuntu or something like that. Currently it has XP. Will be useful for me having a couple of computers so I can practice my networking skills when I get to that part of my course. I am also learning about drupal to make my brother’s website. So far I’ve installed it and have been watching a few video tutorials on youtube about various modules.

This week has been busy. Last night we went to see “The Edge of Love” at the cinema. Monday night we found a new place to live (the landlord wants his house back at this place), I’ve been learning my new course, about Drupal and also about PHP when I have the time. Had my French lesson on Wednesday which went well. And and and yes we’re going to move in/out in 2 weeks!

good morning folks, it’s almost the weekend almost the end of september and the sun’s a shining and the blue skies are a blazing. Have started my first ever French course after leaving school, 10 years since dossing through GCSE French (now wished I’d paid more attention to Monsieur Leam and Madame Emmery back in those dark distant school days). So far two lessons done and learning regular and now irregular verbs. It’s coming back and although I know quite a lot of words there’s huge vast space in my vocabulary that remains vacant. So here’s to all those learning French! Come on Bro, you know you want to keep up with me, come on everyone else.
Only been running once in September. Studying at lunchtime (french) and studying when I get home (IT) which leaves a small amount of time to talk to Marion, relax and have something to eat. What about at the weekends? We’ll see. I am really missing running.
Been listening to a lot of new music lately. Currently “Underground Railroad”. But “Mercury Rev”, “Kings of Leon”, “Metallica” “Gaslight Experience”, some french music: “Tyro”, “les cowboys fringantes”, and recently “doba caracol” which are very good imho.

sitting here in kidderminster on CompTIA A+ Essentials workshop just had first mock exam waiting for the others to finish so can have results. think I need a lot of revision and further work before can take the exam but will see. looking forward to drive home… looking forward to getting home.
Update: I passed the mock with 77/100 (needed 70% to pass, will need 75% in real exam) and journey back went well.

Back to running for 3 weeks now after a prolonged and intermittant winter and spring while I was commuting to and from Walton-on-Thames every working day. Now I cycle to work and can run in the lunchtime because there is a shower and some decent running routes. I have managed 2/3-times a week and every time so far I have tried a different route (6 different routes). I try to alternate between running along the canal (flat, less pollution) and road (more hilly, more cars). The longest route I did was 7.3 miles in 61mins along the canal. Life at work is ok, a bit repetitive for my liking but things can change. Also, people are a bit quiet but again this can change as we are a new team (3 new members in the last 3 weeks!). What we need is some socialising to break down the barriers!
Have been watching Olympics and we (UK) are doing really well in the cycling! More potential golds today are in the Men’s Madison (Wiggins and Cavendish) and Men’s (Hoy and Kenny) and Woman’s (Pendleton) Sprint. Have also watched a number of great films: The Bank Job, Hancock and Wanted, Roman Holiday, and The Dark Knight.

back from the first day at the new job. took 20 mins cycle there in the morning and ’bout 25 back. The job: well too early to say as only first week but there’s lots of new people, the work is different. No cranky car either! It’s gonna thunder-storm tonight, so very humid

yes so another beautiful day in paradise. this day spent reading in the garden, finishing “Shalimar the Clown” by Salmand Rushdie, last Sunday’s newspaper about films music and books. Yes just did 100 situps as my posture has got to a stage where I need to make it better. Been juggling in the garden, left shoulder really hurts still.

Yesterday: cycled on hottest day of year to my parents, 11 miles in 45mins. Along roads and quite often subject to side and face-on winds. Great. Have now found my cycling shorts so ready for next week’s twice daily commute to-from work:) Hot hot hot. Yes so the reason for yesterday’s visit was to see my grandma, and my parents too. M met me there and we helped cook dindins: lasagne and then rhubarb crumble (i made the crumble: 9oz (1/4 white flour, 1/4 wholemeal flour, 1/2 oats), 4.5oz butter, 4.5oz sugar) for topping). Makes huge difference not taking the car every/anywhere and I am liking it very much.

welcome back to this blog after a day off-line. Tried to upgrade Wordpress (the strings that hold this blog together) from version 2.5.1 to 2.6 but must have got something wrong. So still with 2.5.1 for now.<update> now have upgraded to 2.6 not that difficult really.</update>

Back home after a week in Paris for friends wedding. We took Eurostar last Weds then met up with Didier and Lucie at their home in the suburbs. Thu M and I went into Paris and did some touristy leg-walking, mission number one the Eiffel Tower then mission number 2: find some churros. Both accomplished but the second only just as we almost ran out of energy after walking at least 10km in our search. Fri spent preparing for the marriage and then Sat morning too, before the wedding and eating drinking and partying into early hours. Sun cleaning up then on Monday went to Paris again to walk to Monmartre and then to Line, Jabert and Lisa’s to collect our bags before catching the Eurostar back to UK.

I am now on two week holiday after 8 gruelling months of getting up at 6am, leaving at 6.30 for 1 hour commute, working till 16.30 and then second 1 hour commute before getting home at 17.30. Knackered, Stressed, Violated, Poluted, Hungry. I now have a new job (just three miles each way) in Reading, starting on the 28th of July, and will get there by bike or by running.

Yesterday I read a lot, used linux (after installing Ubuntu on the computer my brother’s old computer – cheers bro), got infuriated with the noise coming from the knackered fan in said computer (and with Drupal) and set off on my bike to ride to Maplin in search for a replacement fan. The route is the same as I will use for getting to my new job and was really hilly and v.hard work. After finding no suitable fans in the shop I tried a different route home but took a wrong turning and instead of getting the map out I did a bit of high speed exploring, then when knackered got the map out and rode home.

In the evening after M had arrived home and we had eaten dinner we watched “Priceless (hors de prix)”. Really funny film, Audrey Tautou sexy pouting seductive actress in same vain that Audrey Hepburn was in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”… which reminds me that I have a whole box-set of Audrey Hepburn films to watch.

when is the summer gonna start? today rained from 6am till now (9pm) non-stop. Managed to get out at lunch for a walk with enormous umbrella. Had to re-attach wiper blade on motorway in rain as almost fell off.

Cavendish won stage 5 of the Tour de France!!! Awesome dude! He has already won 2 stages in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year. Come on GB!!!

Running: Just back from my first run in 2.5 weeks and was great fantastic awesome to kill myself for the name of getting fit, losing weight and generally feeling much bloody better than those sedentary folks. Was just going to do the regular 2 laps of Palmer Park, which to be honest is really dull and boring, but instead I felt like going further and doing something a bit more challanging. So I did “[Tesco Route - 4.32miles]” in 32mins with some traffic lights and a stop to do up my laces. Weather was good although quite windy, lots of sun. Shoulders really painful for some reason.
Miles Remaining: 540.

Friday lunchtime and the weekend beccons, the sunshine dazzles and the blue sky dotted with white fluffy clouds. Been a long week but a short week and another week less before I start my new job, one week less at my current place and only 22 journeys (that’s approx 750 miles) before I can rest the car and get out my bike. Have not run all week although went walking a lot last weekend, several times this week and also to-from town on bike twice too. Went to see Indy 4.0 last night although entertaining it played too much and tried to be humerous. Watch out for the ants. Semi-finals and finals of men and woman’s tennis this weekend. Serena and Roger all the way. Have a good one!

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[Pharoahe Monche - Desire : 3m32]

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[flobots - handlebars]

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New css3 selectors in Fx 3.1
Acid Test
New Look BBC Radio Online

How to grow chili from seed. Yes we’ve got a small chili plant bought from a garden centre and it’s growing quite slowly so this article could provide the solutions.

Rob’s Birthday Present + Card – yes I know bro that you’ve still not received it but at least I am thinking of it!

Open DNS – see what websites are being accessed from your network.

French – learn new words, verbs, basic sentences, practice with M;

Running – One foot in front of the other, run!

Website – Update and add new content;

Monday afternoon and the sun is shining. Weekend just gone was spent with M’s Mum M (also) who visited us from France. We picked up M at Stansted Airport Friday evening through 2 hours of M4 and M25 motorway traffic then easily found M at airport collected car and drove 1.5hours back to home where we got changed then headed out into air and found delicious curry for dinner.

Saturday got up sleepy eyed at 10 with fresh brioche smells had brekki in garden then drove beyond Marlow to a place called COokham and a walk along the Thames and round loop in hills above river. Had picnic atop hill views of Red Kites and rabbits and over Thames, v nice! Yes then walk back to car and drove to Henley and walk along and back on river past lock and weir. Ice-cream next to the river in the sun and drive via Tesco to home for BBQ in garden. Extremely tired all go to bed.

Sunday again cannot get up at 10.30 but forced as have guest so we have brekki in sunshine in garden! Pack smart clothes, for later, into car and then drive to Virginia Water and walk around the lake admiring the scenes and plants trees and ducks. Almost die of starvation but finally find place on grass in Sun then after play frisbee with M and M before driving to Bishop’s Gate and walking to the Copper Horse in Windsor Great Park with fantastic views of Windsor Castle and deer and planes taking off from Heathrow Airport. In Eve drive to my rents place, after changing in car, and first time M’s mum meets my M&D. Delicious food, good evening! Spain beat Germany in the Euro 2008 final although we don’t see any of it as eating and socialising. Great weeekend!

Yes I have just updated wordpress to 2.5.1 which took a while as up-load speed was v. slow. Alas, it;’s done now! Adios for now.

Good afternoon! A week off in sunny Turkey with M and a week back in UK now almost settling back into life again. Great holiday in Marmaris: week of sitting on the beach soaking up the sun just what I needed, still have some of the suntan left as well! Went swimming and walking every day, though the copious amounts of ice-cream and tasty turkish sweets and patisseries balanced that out! Yes went running on Monday evening with M after 2 weeks of non-running. Feels good though looking forward to going at my speed! Have been cycling to and from town regularly in evening, to Persepolis last night and to-from town plenty of times on the weekend.

FreeMind is the perfect (free) software for organising your to-do list, Thanks to my brother Rob (see photo) for showing me wonderful tool!!! M and I, with help from my bro (thanks bro!), are organising the next Pidgeon Walking Weekend and this is the perfect tool for visualising what needs to be done and what to think about.

Here are our Turkey Photos and hoping to put some more online soon of life and chocolate and sunshine.

In this insipid war-ravaged world writing has become something of a relic of the past when we have excellent music and, with the excellent viral video chart, excellent viral videos, huzzah! Yes so what am I getting at? To be honest I’ve no idea. Have you? Viral Video Chart currently has pork and beans at #1.

and this one too

Yikes have you seen it? Walking with one humpy mud-yellow sock hanging out of his jeans rear pocket and the other smouldering in the sweat of his right wellington boot (itself caked in last years horrific glastonbury festival boogie mud), stepping one foot before the other and working through the stages to getting up. Up up UP he gets and grabs reluctantly unsuccessfully at the biscuit jar crammed with rockie bars, he wants them so much to dunk into the grisly scank-tea discovered earlier in the microwave (it must have been left over from last night’s poker smoking session he recalls).

Rock en Seine 2008 August 28/29; Paris, France. Having been previously to Rock en Seine 2006 I can say it’s an amazing festival to goto! Wow yes and what a line-up! Amy Winehouse, Tricky, Racounteurs, Serj (from SOAD), The Roots, JSBE… yes seriously considering this one! Get your tickets from FNAC.com.

Yes new camera at last arrived at work in time for the blue skies and sunshine! It’s a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500. 10Mpix; 5x optical zoom; touch-screen control. Looking and feeling very tasty!

Yes it’s almost the weeeeekend and next week we are off to Turkey!!! Have you heard the new song by Weezer “Pork and Beans”? Doing the serious viral rounds, great music nice vid too.

It’s Tue afternoon and the rain continues to fall from the blackish grey sky falling for a few more hours on what should be a sunny and warm June day. This week I am going with M on holiday to Turkey: for 1 week in the sun on the sand in the sea on the beach, soaking up rays of suntan inducing sun enjoying being a tourist in a foreign land! I cannot wait, the last 6 months since Christmas/NY have been long and tiring and I need a proper break. Shocked by the price of diesel last Thu when I filled my car up: £73.59 for a tank of 125.9/litre of diesel, up 20p/litre since when I bought the car back in November last year. Shocked. Where is the alternative to using my car? I use my car to get to and from work every day 65 miles a day, 325 miles a week, plus some weekend trips. That’s a lot of money to pay. Option 1. travel to work by train. Yes more cheap (i think it costs £60 a week) but takes 3 hours there and back rather than 1.5 when driving and large number of connections mean that if any train is delayed I am very late home or at work. Option 2. Move closer to work. Not realistic at the moment. Option 3. Move job closer to home. Not realistic at the moment.

Running: Last night I went out with M after work. Felt initially very low energy from day at work but glad went out. We did the same course apart from the final section. A new [Uni PP - 3.9miles] route. M did 3.1 miles and I did 3.9 in 25 and 30mins, respectively. Last week went out with M once (Woodley) and myself (2laps of PP). Have stopped taking the vitamin tablets since beginning (7th) of May and seeing what this makes to us. So far have less energy and more tired, but this could be to do with the amount of things that we are doing. So. Will give it another month or so and see how feeling then!

Back from 6 days of rest. Been for 6days in Lyon and Nuits St Georges in France for wedding of M’s friends Armelle and Guillaume, to see M’s uni town and meet friends new and old. Had great time, lots of sunshine and good food and wine, now recovering at work breaktime almost hometime and wishing I were back in France. Not going running tonight as it’s my Mum’s b’day and we’re going round for a cuppa tea.

Yah, wow, mesmerising, aching, happy. On Sunday I raced in the Bracknell Half-Marathon and beat my personal best by 7:08 in a fantastic time of 1:34:54. The first 10miles I took at a steady pace monitoring my time every 3 miles using my bike computer’s clock(note to self :buy decent running watch!). Marion was supporting me on her bike so it was a great surprise everytime I saw her beautiful face, and more motivation for me to get to the finish asap! The course was through the pavements and tracks of bracknell and had a few hills, the course was well marshalled and very well supported throughout. After starting out in murky humid sunshine the run was pleasant and warm until the rain began falling at mile 11 and t-storm and heavy rain accompanied me through miles 12 to the finish… Huzzah! Now I feel great.

Last night: Having skipped the exercise Tue I had to get out, and the sun was shining and the blue skies were beating down on my lab all afternoon so I knew it was going to be an evening of running. 10k. I’d measured a route on Monday online using Gmap Pedometer along the road to Sonning and back along the River Thames, via Palmer Park and to home. This Sonning River route mixes road running for the first half of the route then running along the river, through grassy meadows for 2.5k then through paths and around Palmer Park up the hill to home. It took 47mins and I stopped 4 times: twice to do shoe-laces up, one to cross traffic lights, one to go for a slash (you get it all here!) on top of a long day at work this is not that bad a time.

After having dinner with marion I cycled to Cesar’s to watch the Barca vs. ManU footie game. 0-0 result really exciting and tense Barca dominated the possession but barring ManU’s missed Pen and the odd Barca chance there was little on-goal shooting. ManU’s defense was impecable, and Barca couldn’t penetrate.

Monday: went running with Marion: two laps of Palmer Park. Pushed her perhaps more than she wanted to be pushed but that’s what running’s all about;) Got this Half-Marathon on Sunday so I want to do more running this week.
Last night: felt like sleeping not doing much so didn’t go swimming. Did however goto the pub by bike in evening; really fantastic day so was still warm in evening! Life is expensive at the moment. Going to Twickenham to see the Guinness Premiership Final on 31st May! Tonight ManU play Barca in the semis of the Champions League. Now now now I am at work, and break is over and I gotta go back to work.

Friday! thank fuck for that, Friday has finally arrived. I woke up this morning slightly hungover from last night, bah.  Yesterday I went running after work, a new route through Woodley inclusive of a nice hill to start with! Sunshine blazing and wind ripping into me I did the Woodley 2.8miles route in ~20mins (much quicker than I imagined) and then jumped into the shower and started cooking for the party. I made banana and apple crumble, then chocolate cookies, and M made quiche and dips and aperatifs. People arrived and we ate talked listened to music and catched up, ate some more and drunk more, then played Jungle Speed (crazy French game). Lots of newbies so not as fast but really funny. Going home now it’s Friday!!!

Last night I had zero energy thus no running. Bah what a poor excuse, eh, I will try to go out tonight. Have party round our house tonight, and I am cooking cookies and crumble. Yesterday the lab was full of fumes from the painting that was being done to the chemical stores next door to the lab, thus the headache the lack of energy. I enrolled onto the Masters CIW course, had dinner and then watched the first half of “Before the Devil Knows you’re Dead” before catching the zzz’s.

Wow yes it’s wonderful sunny outside, just been outside to walk to the newsagents. Had to get out into the fresh air after being trapped in here all day. Party at our house tonight, cooking cookies and crumble will try go running and get legs moving towards the 1/2-marathon on the 27th. Adios Amigos.

Following a nasty afternoon at work I jumped into the car and drove home. Into the rain I went and out the other side just before getting back home in the middle of the exit to the roundabout was a police car blocking all onward traffic. This was a place where there were few (if any) routes around so I went back, cut across country and then got stuck in more rush-hour traffic going back into Reading. Arrived home after 90 mins in the car I needed to go out running. After yesterday’s 10k race my legs were a bit stiff so I blasted around PP on the first lap and then coasted for the second. Time: approx 20mins. Distance: 2.6miles.  After having a shower I now am feeling much better!

Spring Is Here! April Showers, Sun, Snow, Furballs, EVERYTHING!!!

Yes it’s Monday and I finally get round to up-dating the blog! So what have I been upto since I last wrote? Yesterday I ran a 10k race (Marion ran a 5k race at the same venue). Last weekI signed up to do a Masters CIW course (which begins later this month). I did a First-Aid Course. Been to France for a long-weekend to visit Marion’s brother and parents. Seen lots of films and DVDs (Grindhouse and Son of Rambow last week; 27 Dresses and 13 Going on 30 the week before) and listened to lots of good music (including Radiohead, Adele, Sebastian Tellier; online including Indy103.1 and radioactive.co.nz).

Friday::: Yes, end of another fast-paced week shortened by Easter and ended by rain and wind. On Monday I went biking with Alejandro and his friend Ramiro to the Look Out. Weather was cool-cold and intermittant snow showers with sunshine bursts what a crazy day! Marion was in Macclesfield at her friend’s Hen Weekend. With A and R we rode for 2 hours on single-track and off-track I getting used to my new Specialized RockHopper and Alejandro still recovering from breaking his arm last year. Ramiro ex-trials was on top form although many of his front spokes came loose. Muuuuuuddddd!!! So much mud! Wheels clogged brakes jammed rims rubbing on the brake blocks. So much water mud splattered everywhere in eyes foot mouth!!! Wow great fun! Will buy proper pedals and shoes for biking as only have flat pedals and old trainers atm. Last night I practiced balancing without moving and wheelies yes. Need lots of practice though could see improvement already! Need to work on this! Is not really nice weather out there now have an hour till I leave for home then either I go running or biking or to sleep. Am really knackered not really getting enough sleep last weekend didn;t help. Right. Rain rain rain falls from the skies. What a crappy day to be a bumble bee. This week: went to cinema tuesday saw The Counterfeiters, last night knackered but I went riding.

Running:: Running with Marion we did “Tesco River” 4.68miles in 50mins. Today I ran from Walton Bridge near work really heavy legs did 33mins. What route? Hahaha, haven’t a clue:) Have entered for 2 races next month: 10k round Dorney Lake on 13th, and Bracknell Half-Marathon on 27th.

Hi Hello Good Afternoon! It’s Friday sunshine dazzles the outerworld while in the innerworld I get ready to go running for the first time along the Thames from Walton Bridge (near work). Since March began I have run Reading Half-Marathon, been to Nottingham and the Peak District, went running with Marion, been to see “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” at cinema, “Shoot ‘Em Up” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” on DVD. Huzzah just now they have announced the draw for the 1/4 finals of the Champions League: Arsenal/Liverpool; Roma/ManU; Schalke/Barcelona; Fenerbahce/Chelsea. Wow I cannot wait to see it! Have entered a 10k race in April and going to enter a half-marathon in April. Going to get changed now. See you.
[... at home. 1500]
Heavy legs, didn’t find the route that I wanted to do… But I feel Great! Great that I went running, that I went running before driving home to a hot shower, great that I tried a new route. I have just entered the Bracknell Half-Marathon on 27th of April to add to the 10k race I am doing on the 13th. Now It’s really the weekend and Marion and I are going to a party tonght then tomorrow into London to have a test of some new bikes, watch the rugger and get some art for the housewalls. Ment to piss down all weekend so w/e will prob involve cinema or DVD too. Yessah!

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Running:: Just back from the first run of the week. Monday I was ill and Tue Marion and I went to see “4Months, 3Weeks and 2Days” in Oxford. Wednesday I had zero energy or motivation and Thursday Marion and I played 1.5 hours of badminton! With still aching legs courtesy of the badminton last night I ran through Palmer Park to London Road then Kings Road past the Prison and right at The Rising Sun roundabout under the railway; over the next roundabout and before crossing the bridge turn right along the River Thames until it meets the Canal when go over bridge follow canal and then turn left up Cholmeley Road before taking Liverpool Road back to Palmer Park and home. I’ll Call this “River Cholmeley” and it took 36 minutes. I have lost my running watch so I have to use the clock on my mobile for timekeeping. I check it before and when I get back. Not the best accuracy in the world. Was very windy out there. The Thames is very high although there was no water on the footpath this week.

Yes so I am back running, three times this week so far and it feels great! With my new Polar Heart Rate Monitor watch I can see how much I am killing myself and exactly how long my runs are (rather than using the clock in the kitchen when I get back through the door as I have been using). Sunday in bloody freezing weather I did WC in 24m20s (Max HR: 200; Av HR: 183). Tuesday I made up a new route comprising lots of hills: Mickle Hill, the road route to Crowthorne and back, through Sandhurst to Rackstraws XR and then double back to home via Wellington Road. I call this “Sandhurst Night Hills” and it took 32m26s (Max HR:203; Av HR:184). Tonight in the horrible drizzle and rain I did another new night run comprising of my running clubs’ Handicap route and the to and from home. This I name “Crowthorne Handicap Night” and it took 44m18s (Max HR:185; Av HR:171).

Marion (coucou mon amour) is in France, I am doing a clinical trial, I have started a new job, Marion and I have found a new place to live, I am looking to buy a car. Life is extremely hectic at the moment. The travelling is killing me. I travel in the morning to the clinical trial lab to deposit blood and urine, get weighed; then I travel to work via train (35mins) and walking (8 minutes) then I work a full day until 5.30 and walk to the station and catch a couple of trains finally arriving at home at 7pm. Have dinner according to the food diet that I have to follow and then speak to Marion on the fone. Knackered knackered knackered. I need a break. I need to go running. I did go running on Tuesday, 1hr at 11.7kmph on the treadmill for the study. Not proper running outside but hard work running on the treadmill. Never done that before, preferring more to go running in the outside world and feeling the freshness of life on my skin (rain, wind, snow, sunshine, etc!). I have to follow this controlled diet so I am not allowed certain foods, and NO ALCOHOL, I cannot wait until Saturday when I can drink and eat as much of whatever I want to, and go running too!!! Yes!!!
Tomorrow night I will go to Reading and meet up with the boys to watch the England footie game vs Austria. No booze for me but it will be good to get out on the town and see friends. Marion and I went to Paris at the start of the month, taking the Eurostar on a Thu evening and arriving at her friends’ house via another set of friends. We had a great time, I met with lots of her friends and saw much of the sights of Paris by foot. Here are the fotographs::: . Great food too, I love French food!!! Especially love patisseries, chocolateries, supermarches, creperies (crepes and nutella are simply devine!!!), and so on We stayed at Helene’s place first (she was on holiday) and then were shown the sights of Paris by Line, Jalabert and their 9mth-old baby Lisa. The Eiffel Tower by night is simply stunning (see the fotos!)
and lisa is soo entertaining! Marion and I went to a restaurant and had simple delicious food. Next day Marion and I went to Monmartre and had crepes for brunch, found Line, Jalabert and Lisa and did more touring. In the evening Marion and I took the sardine train to see another set of her friends Didier and Lucie and we had the most amazing chocolate fondue ever, preceeded by salad and duck. It was great, with fresh fruit just dipping the stuff into the molten chocolate and eating it.!. Choco-holics heaven Following morning Marion and I stocked up on French goodies, then to Paris central again via a chinese supermarket for essential foods! We did a walk along the Seine and then had chocolate crepes for lunch. Marion and I then went to see Line Jalabert and Lisa one more time and taste their amazing food. Jalabert owns and runs his restaurant and the food was as you’d expect, sumptious!!! Lisa was very entertaining too!!! Had to get up really early on Mon am to catch the Eurostar back to UK, with just made croissants and pain au chocolat for our brekkies. The best I’ve ever tasted
Im knackered and will continue the tale next time!
Best Wishes, Andrew.

Marion and I are going tonight to Paris for a long weekend staying at her friends house looking to see what one of the world’s most amazing cities has to offer and to consume delicious food and drink and soak up the Parisian atmosphere. Wow we need a break from the UK it’s been such a long time since the summer and since we went to France. Times are a changing as I have a new job starting after we get back next week, we are looking for a place together and I am also looking for a car. Wow at the moment I am pretty stressed out but I am sure things will settle down once I have the car sorted. What have we been upto, what have I been upto since the last post? I have had a number of job interviews, I have had a birthday (Happy Birthday Me!!!) and have accepted one of the job offers. I have been running, indeed Marion is also a runner now and goes running 2 times a week lunchtimes at work (just like I did) and we both go swimming together once a week too.

Running: yesterday: “Ambarrow Muddy Lane” in 32mins, Tuesday: WC in 24mins. 23-Oct: CBH in 40mins; 25-Oct: Rev-WC in 24mins; 26-Oct: CDN: 43mins.

“Kings of Leon – The Runner” on current listen, torrential rain on the glisten outside wow what a nice sound they make! Had a couple of job interviews today, now really tired, have another tomorrow. Started doing situps and pressups but skin a little sore on back as have been doing a lot of them and skin not used to it, hah! Situps good for posture, core stability and also for running form, while pressups are good for the musle, yes! I went running with the running club last night, was slower than last week but we did manage a few fast reps and up some hills too, reason why other people were not up for fast running was that they were racing over the weekend and were tired. Have been invited to the Weds sessions so may check them out in the future! The Weds sessions are longer, 8-10 miles and a continueous pace rather than the looping that happens on the Monday nights. Am very tempted, although will have to do more running and get even faster first! Something to aim for!!! Last week I did the VO2max test (as part of this running trial I am doing) and got a figure of 63.75. Bloody hard work. Went walking with Marion on Sunday, looking for a long route that’s exactly what we did. From here to beyond the Look Out in the woods, then back again, we did 25km (saying the distance in km is much better cos the figure is larger!) and Marion almost killed me when we worked this out! “Were you trying to kill me” she said,,, it’s excellent preparation for the GR20 I think!
England are through to the Rugby World Cup Final after narrowly beating France on Saturday. Wow, amazed to think that this is the same squad of players that we watched just last month playing so poorly. Come on England!!!

Running: Thurs: “Lakes Dell Lane” in 53mins. Damn nice weather out: blue skies and sunshine, not too hot bit of wind perfect. Legs felt heavy from 2 previous days of running but kept going pace slowing a little (IMHO) in the final quarter. Weds: “Devil’s Highway Nature” (Crowthorne end first) in 43mins. Steady pace, with Underworld on mp3. Fantastic sunset, blue skies, quite cool [departure time:1644]. Tue: “WC” in 24mins. Steady pace, damp and cool. [1200]
Overall I am feeling in better shape than last week. Tomorrow (Fri) I will take a medical for a clinical study for which I will write about more in the next weeks. But it does mean that there’ll be No brekki for me

Yeas so I have been running again this afternoon. I died plenty of times, where has the energy the motivation to go running gone? Or am I going at it in the wrong way? Without a clear objective I go out running for the sake of running, say three or four times a week. And solo too. In the summer it was easy, relatively speaking, because the blood was flowing quickly and it was great to go outside for a deathly run through the sunshine. Now winter is on its way and the temperature is a mere 10 degrees, the sunshine ain’t there and there is rain hard blissful plentiful rain to put the lazy section of the brain off. Yet I am still going out running, and this is the positive that I must take from this change of seaesons, change of spirit, because summer is not coming any quicker if I stew and think up excuses for not going out in the cold glorious rainy grey gloom of September in Sandhurst.
Running: Tuesday: “Hills + WC” in 29mins. Rained and was cold. Wednesday (Today): “Nature + Crowthorne” in 32mins (half of Broadmoor Nature, half dying on way back to home). Windy, cold and wet.
Solutions: (1) Running Club; (2) Enter some races; (3) New Routes; (4) Evaluate Training Plan;

Running: Monday: “Ambarrow Ridges” in 33mins. Was really cold out there, fingers frozen pain in arse getting key into door to let myself in. Tuesday: “WC” in 23mins. Felt much better afterwards.

Swimming: 40 lengths of which 35 Breast-stroke and 5 Front Crawl.

Running: Tonight: “Devil’s Highway Nature” in 42mins (crowthorne end first). Began running at 1850 so was quite cold in places in the woods, and quite dark too. Bumped into the beginners group of Sandhurst Joggers, recognised the girl who was leading the run. My run however was a slow one intentionally so as not to knacker myself too much. Bit stressed lately because of the job search, so was nice to get fresh air and blast away the cobwebs in the autumnal air.

Running: Yesterday: after an interview and before meeting Marion I had a small window to go running so I grabbed it; I went for a usual Monday run: “reverse WC” in 23mins. Still have lung butter but at last no cough! Nice conditions for running, although a tad windy.

Running: Today: “Reverse Ridges Ambarrow” in 33mins. Really hot, quite knackered in second half of run. It’s the weekend its the weekend! Yah yay sweeeeeet. Have a great weekend!!!

Running: yesterday: “Broadmoor Devil’s Highway” in 44mins. Really struggling with breathing because of lung butter, and coughing too. Great afternoon run nontheless in fantastic weather. I would like to enter some races in the next month(s) to test myself.

Hi news just in Klaxons Scoop 2007 Mercury Music Prize and wow what a great band they are not. Sure I like their music, went to see them live in Reading. But surely they are not the best band on the list.

Running: Today: Dell Lane Lakes in 53mins; Yesterday: WC+ (in the dark so had to walk sometime) in 25mins. Running session today: I took my Learn French mp3 and listened to the first lesson. Great stuff, learnt some new words and phrases, great! But not the best accompanyment to go running with, not fast enough. Nose full of lung butter, top of chest hurt a little. Have had a nasty cold the last week and now getting almost over it.

Running: Monday 27.08: “Wellington College+” 23 mins. Had to alter route cause the gates at the far end of the kilometer driver in WC were closed (as it was a bank holiday). Set off on a flier and would have knocked off more time from record if had been the usual route.

Suffering from a sore throat I didn’t go running today, opting instead to sleep sleep and read Harry Potter.

Now I am hungover, and punishing myself by being awake. Last night I met with Martin my best friend at school from age 5 till uni. Lots of drinking, catching up had a great time played darts somehow drunk lots did I say that? Now now NOW I still am punished for it, uck. I have been a good soldier lately however, going running and swimming a lot, walking everywhere and eating good food.

Running: 7.08 “Hilly Route” (time taken: unknown); 11.08 “Reverse Wellington College” 26mins; 14.08 “Wellington College” 24mins; 15.08 “Muddy Lane Lakes” 55mins (7.23miles); 17.08 “Broadmoor Devil’s Highway” 42mins (5.83 miles); 20.08 “Reverse Wellington College” 23mins; 21.08 “Ridges+Ambarrow” 41mins; 23.08 “Reverse Muddy Lane Lakes” 51mins.

Swimming: have started swimming every week with Marion. Main stroke is breaststroke at the moment although I want to improve front-crawl, back-crawl so I don’t die if I do more than 5 lengths at once with these strokes.

Gin and Juice (mp3)

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Yeas so it’s been another month of hectic activity. I have great news: I have a girlfriend she’s called Marion (hi Marion mon amour!) she’s funny sexy clever crazy intelligent excellent cook delightful taste in music always on the move doing something allthetime and she’s French…! We went to France on holiday stayed at her parent’s place and had an amazing time! Went to the beach almost every day she’s from the Med coast so the weather was absolutely mesmeric everyday blue sky sunshine and hot hot temps, met her Bro Aurele who’s currently on hols from his uni, met her parents, met Marion’s friends went to a wedding and buffet, a party in a huge mansion with family friends, fireworks on the beach, the Tall Ships Race (from the sea no less!!!) and feasted on amazing French cuisine, fresh fruit every day so got a bit of a paunch. Went running twice along a cycle path that runs for 40+km from her city, in the evenings around 8 when it was cool enough with shade and some wind. First day ran with Marion on in-line skates for 30 mins: 15 there and 15 back. The second time I went solo and slower and further, for 40 mins with music (Pheroahe Monche) on the mp3. Went to Castallet, drove up Mount Feron spectacular sunset views of Toulon. Many many fotographs to follow!!!

After getting back from France finding England under ten thousand meters of water, finding that my bro spent 28 hours stranded by the water on the way from his home to London (he didn’t make it) in a pub, after the shocks of the drug use in this year’s Tour de France (Vino used to be my hero, what a fucking idiot he is) I went to my auntie’s wedding in Norfolk. I’d agreed to take some fotographs at the wedding so was a bit strange not being able to get totally drunk straight off;) But there was plenty of free champagne floating around so we got there in the end! The event was relatively lo-key with all the family (ten thousand of us) and some of their friends. The location was great, in an old stately home that is currently being renovated into a hotel, after the dancing (my auntie K and her husband K met at dancing classes!) my cousins, uncle and I found that there was a tango evening on still (this being really late in the night) and my two cousins Roberta and Fiona were asked to join in. Neither had done any tango before but they were really good, especially Fi who’d done dance before. The next day was horrific, hungover and feeling dead i had to get out in the air kick a footie around for a while before getting in the car with my uncle Alastair for the longest drive in the world all the way back home, through vicous rain and eventually to sunshine.

Running: Mon 16.07 30 mins *route unknown*. 2 times in France. Since being back in England: Tue 31.07 I did a hilly 27 minute run around the local streets of Sandhurst and Crowthorne. Wed 01.08 I did the Broadmoor and Devil’s highway route in 43 mins in hot hot 11am heat.

Running: (a brief resume)::
30.May:ELT (extended Long Toll); 1st.June:??; 4.June: WW (Walter’s Wood); 6th.June:River; 8.June:PO(Post Office – new route); 11.June:Stables; 13.June:River (36mins); 15 June:WW; Short Stables; 20.June: Extended River; 25th.June:Stables; 27.June:WW; 2nd.July:ELT (38 mins); 4.July:River (35 mins).

Played badminton for the first time in 7 months last night. I Fucking sucked. Personally I blame my new shoes, the new scorring system, that we were playing with feather shuttles rather than plastic ones… oh yeah and my knackered body after playing football at lunchtime. But all are excuses. Will see what happens next week.

I have not written on this blog for the whole month of June so far so now’s the time for some catch-up. Life is great. Still running a lot, playing footie, going to gigs, and so on. I will write more later but first I will tell you about today.

Running: absolutely throwing it down, as had done for the last 3-4 days, so ground was supersaturated and rivers of water were along the roads, paths and elsewhere. Steve, Paul and I did “Stables”, I left Steve on the decent, and Paul at base camp (the start) so had to keep going going going or Steve would (might) catch me up. Got supersoaked, only had shorts and a couple of t-shirts (red England shirt over HH base top) and sunglasses, latter really useful keeping water from eyes until woods where too dark. Final running through field soaked to bone and weighed my frame with soo much water it was challanging to run;)

Running: after a wet sodden weekend of walking in the Cotswolds with the family today was the first day back at work, first day back running since last Weds as I had to go out today. None of this football malarkey today for me. “Reverse River” in 37 minutes. Nirvana helped lower the time especially in the final run into work. Got a nasty sore throat but am drinking lots of fluid so hopefully will kick it’s arse and be fine soon.
What the fuck is happening with cycling recently? First the 1996 Tour de France winner Riis says he won the tour on EPO then multiple Green Jersey winner Eric Zabel admitted that he tried EPO in the 1996 Tour. On the +ve side of cycling: Mark Cavendish won his second stage at the Volta a Catalunya (a pro tour race) in another sprint gallop finish.

up at 7 on my day off. what the fuck? sunshine sprinkles through the open window to my left, and cat snoozes on the bed to my right, me: my eyes are just about unsprinkled of sleepy dust (after a toasty bath!) as I get prepped for a day in London. Yesterday after work went back to Marion’s where she cooked something French (mouyonne quiche!), plus M&S cheescakes mmm, then we met Rebecca and went to see “Science of Sleep” at the uni cinema. Great film, saw it in London in Feb after missing out on it when it was at the Cambridge Film Festival (do I need to tell you all these minor details?), and haven’t laughed soo much for ages. gosh, well not during a film, so. Intermixed with seriously fucked up french mind-thoughts there’s a love story going on. Between Gael and Charlotte. Caught final train back after a jar and some cheesecake (chocolate!) with Rebecca at the pub.

[update: caught train to London, went to Covent Garden found Aussie Shop and bought stuff, found a couple of Tea shops including the Tea Place in Neale Street, and bought lotsa tea, to Stanfords to buy the GR20 guidebook. Met with cousin Fiona for lunch off Carnabie Street (fantastic Thai meal!), then walked to Marble Arch and slept on grass knackered. Caught train to Cheltenham to stay night with bro. Watched Sympathy for Mr Vengeance in evo altho I slept through most of it... hahaha!]

Running: after playing football after work on Tuesday I went running on Wednesday: “Stables” in 32 minutes, solo, weather really good, bit too hot and sweaty, fast plodding really;)

After having a pint with Marion (we sat next to the canal in the gorgeous sunshine!) I cycled Marion’s bike (much too small for me – good speed however!)  to Tom’s house last night after work to watch champions league final. Tom cooked a fantastic dinner (sausage/pasta from Jamie Oliver – tres delicious!) with Cesar, Tom’s buddy (what is his name?) and Liverpool were not lucky this time around. Really shattered right now, almost slept through my stop on the last train last night, ugh. Holiday for 4 days from tomorrow!!! Going to the Big Smoke tomorrow, then Cotswolds for weekend.

First of all: Happy Birthday to my friend Christine! have a great day!

Running:  Played footie for 2 hrs hungover yesterday so not in the mood for much today so I did “Walter’s Wood” fairly slowly today. Friday I did “Stables” again on a post-football downer. What is up with running lately? Not enough sleep, bad diet, lack of variety, bad weather, lack of goals, too much football? Could be any of these excuses. There has not been anyone of my pace out running recently so it’s down to me to pace myself and choose how fast I want to go so; if I feel lazy I go easy or less fast than I could so I need buddies to go fast, or a new regime, to reinvigorate the running life. Will let you know how things change in the next weeks.

The weekend.  Juggling Thursday evening (for my cousin Tom) in the garden realise that I can just about juggle 5 still (managed about 30 catches max) then had curry with Chantal, Derek, M&D.  Went to see “Zodiac” at the cinema on Friday with Cesar. Saturday had haircut (at last!), bought shoes and clothes, then went to Cesar’s house to watch the FA Cup final. ManU lost to Chelsea in the worst fucking game of football ever, then the evening arrived. In the evening went to pub with Tom (Cesar’s housemate), Cesar, Rebecca (going to miss you not being at work brightening up the day), Bibi, and Tom’s friends Sam and Si, and girlfriend (Kelly). Long Island Iced Tea party so had to drink this. Yum yum nice drink! Had grreat evening got drunk went to Club, yeas. Sunday played 4-a-side footie with lads and almost died. Thought I was fit cos all the running I do but this was something different. High volume Repetitive sprinting, added to hungover dehydrated body and 1 banana brekki… scorred hat-trick enjoyed game yes!!! In afternoon chilled watching tv and so on. Footie kickups in garden in evo then bed.

First of all I’d like to make an announcement: I’VE FINISHED WAR AND PEACE!!! In under 2 yrs I have battled through the many hundreds of thousands of pages, through France’s unsuccessful battle with Russia. Fave character: Rostov. Really great book! Now have moved on to another Russian author: ”Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky (he’s just killed the old hag!)

Running: “Walter’s River” with Cesar. took us 45 mins, at his pace, was pleasant enough.   

Last week. After work on Thursday went back to Marion’s house and we cooked something fantastic with veg, prawns and Quinoa before going to see “Letters from Iwo Jima” at the cinema. Wow i really liked this film, much better from the Japanese perspective and really fealt empathy for the characters. They knew they were going to die, but how they dealt with this knowledge was quite heroic. Very moving, especially the radio message from Nagasaki, and full of wonderful moments. Marion’s housemates are great fun, little wacky and love to have fun. Watched some music videos including… Gym Class Heroes “Cupid’s Chokehold” which for 5 days has been bloody amazing… I’ve always got it on, making my ears bleed now but.!.
Friday: went running at lunchtime. “River” in 30-35 mins. Shite hot. Thought this route is 6 miles. Should we always believe the factss we are told? If so, bloody shit hot!!! Went out in Reading in the evening: Alejandro, Cesar, Marielle, Joanne, Dominika, Laura, and I. Started in Rising Sun, moved to other pub and got very merry, before going to Iguana Bar and rocking the dance floor! Shiet. Hungover bad on Sat am. Had agreed to goto Unk Stu’s for lunch with Mum. So had to gouge my brain into shape and go out then. Nice lunch. Took it easy on Sat eve: watched “Russian Dolls” which is the sequal to “Pot Luck” and although great second half no way near the original. Sun: horrible weather so had long lie-in. Went to cinema to see “The Lives of Others”, then went running in the evening: “Muddy Lane Lakes” 7.23 miles in 52 mins and got thoroughly soaked to the skin. After dinner I watched half of “Casino Royale” the 2006 James Bond film, then retired knackered to bed.
Running: Monday (today): another rain-fest, I did “Walters Wood” solo, there was only Paul and I out running today, everyone else too skimpy to go running in the rain. Paul did another route.

Running: Tuesday: “Stables” solo in the hard blast wind. Wednesday: “Extended Long Toll” effectively solo (only 3 of us: B + E took it slower than me), in the rain (drizzle). Legs felt heavy, especially thighs.

Went to cinema with Marion and Marielle last night, we watched “Flags of our Fathers”. Quite liked, the second of the diptych “Letters from Iwo Jima” is on Thurs so will be good to compare the representations of the US and Japanese armies, the way their homelands viewed the battle.

After dunking my old digital camera in a pint of cider at The Maccabees gig in Feb I finally got my arse into gear and ordered a replacement. Today it arrived at work and I very am happy! It’s a Canon Ixus 70 (replacement of the Ixus 55 which I drowned, but 7 mp instead of 5). Can use the old batteries, charger, memory cards and so on… It’s great. Now I need subjects to point my foto skills at. Roll up, roll up!!!

Busy Busy Week just gone. Starting last Monday I went running at lunch, just 4 miles stretching my left hamstring before, during and after the run cos it was really quite stiff and achey. In the evo after going for a few drinks with Cesar and Marion I went to see Reading vs Newcastle at the Majeski with Cesar. Reading won 1-0. Exciting game but Newcastle shudda equalised.

Tuesday: Running: 5 miles solo “Walters Wood”. Watched Champions League round Tom’s house with other blokes from work. Dire game but happy that Chelski lost on pens and Liverpool went through to the final on 23-May.

Weds: Running: 6 miles solo “Reverse River” pain in the arse to get up the flint path but felt better in general than on Mon/Tue. Watched second Champions League semi-final round Cesar’s house. Bad bad awful game. ManU piss-poor and AC Milan go through to meet Liverpool in the final.

Thursday: Football. Played lots of loose passes but did some attacking. So-so game. Went to beer festival in evening!

Friday. Hungover and knackered went to pub at lunchtime, then after work for 1. Watched rest of Old Boy. Went early to bed.

Saturday. I drove to Cheltenham to visit my brother. Watched Manchester derby. ManU beat City in abrasive non-exciting game. Go 8pts ahead of Chelski. Go to see Cinematic Orchestra w/The Nextmen at the Jazz festival. Incredible time, only wished that I had drank more so that I could dance to The Nextmen because they were awesome!!!

Sunday. Saw Spiderman 3. Really enjoyed it. Lots of choices for the young 4-legged octoped, tale of revenge and recrimination and darkness, of forgiveness and betrayal. Watched Chelski lose title by drawing with Arsenal 1-1 (both sides could have won it in the final 5 minutes) then drove back home. Read some of War and Peace then went to bed early-ish.

Today: was going to go cycling with some friends but weather = shite and we agreed to do it another day. Cooked chocco cake from Mum (her birthday today: Happy Birthday Mum!) did food shopping and now trying to finish off War and Peace.

Running: Not today Got up at 7am but still felt twinge in left hamstring so didn’t want to risk agrivating it. Is this okay?

Cycling: after running to the train station (if you can call it running, and it bloody hurt) I find out the train (to Brighton) is late. Wait on the platform reading my book – “Big Sur” by Jack Kerouac – and keep on waiting. Realise it ain’t gonna come so I walk back up the hill to home. Find out that Ellie is home and go cycling with her, Alex, Henry and M&D. Great to see her, and was good to go out cycling too. Did a few sprints and fast sections but I’m really too fast to be doing that with this company;) Good to talk, gorgeous day out.

Running: tried another new route today:“The Other Side”. Never run on the South side of the river so this is what I did: down the hill, along the river bank until Mapledurham lock, turn right and keep going until hit A329, turn right and follow A329 on pavement until Pangbourne, turn right and continue over bridge, then up up up the hill. I managed to keep going until I got back to Pangbourne (about 5 miles in) then had to stop running because I had bad stomach cramps and I would have exploded unless I stopped running. Walked the remaining distance arriving back at work just in time for a meeting.!.

Distance: 7.25 miles. Time: 1hr 10mins.

After work I walked along the river with Alejandro to Tilehurst and then went drinking with him and his flatmate Jo and got slaughtered. Yipeeee!!!

Running: “Reverse River” solo. Went out too fast, suffered on the uphill flint-path and managed to get back okay but not speedy after this. Time?? Dehydrated since drinking last night with chums from work while watching the ManU vs. AC Milan Champions league semi-final 3-2!!! And not drunk much this am. Need to eat more fruit/veg in am, drink the water before going running next time:)

Running: Long Toll (btw: what is the difference between this and “extended long toll”?) faster than I’d planned. Steve’s fault. He was doing a fartlek session which I didn’t know at the time so I dug really deep and caught him up. Shudda gone slower but a challenge is a challenge right;) 5 (?) miles in 37 mins.

… I too got up bloody early and went running! This morning I drove to the Look Out where usually my running club (sandhurst joggers) do their Sunday morning long run. Ahah. I knew it was the marathon this morning so I wasn’t sure that anyone else would be there from the club – NO – but I had a plan of a route that I could do myself. Until I met another runner by the name of Paul. He usually runs here on a Sunday (either with SJ or Bracknell Forest Runners) and I joined him for 7 miles of single track. I will never know the route but I did occasionally recognise places that I have been through before. Got back after about 50 mins, where BFR were warming up for their run (they meet at 10, SJ at 9am). After driving home and getting showered I turned on the TV coverage of the London Marathon to see Zhou win the women’s race, and a little later Lel win the men’s race. It’s still going on, the fun runners (haha!) are still struggling through the record heat (max of ~25C) as I write this. Will find out tomorrow how well Paul and Liz from work did. 7 miles of off-road singletrack running in ~50 mins.

Running : “Mapledurham” is a new route that Mike and I ran this lunchtime for the first time. The Route is 6.71 miles and it took us 51 mins. The temperature was hot and it was a good even pace (although if I were doing it solo I think I would have gone faster.) Average Pace = 7.36 min/mile.

Running: “Reverse Stables” quite quickly! Cooler than on Monday, with a bit of biting wind. I hate oilseed rape but there are many many fields around here where I have to run though/past. Sure it looks great: all bright yellow and energising. But the pollen/smell gets into my sinuses and gives me a fucking headache. Ran down the hill and along the road – realised was going really quick and had dropped Mike and others long ago. Took it easy on the hill and stepped it up a little on the route back to base. 5 miles in 30-35 mins.

Running: easy recovery after yesterday’s long run, 5 miles in ~40 mins. Actual distance and time may vary! “Walters Wood” was the route and i felt good this afternoon having done the run in comparison to the morning when I was sloggy.

Film: I went to see “The Blades of Glory” after work this evo. Wanting a no-brainer entertaining comedy that’s what I got. Averagely funny, quite entertaining. Okay film.

Running: Sunday is (now) the day when I do my “long run”. I ran the route that I used to cycle back in the days when I cycled with my parents and family friends every Sunday. A lot of running along along pavements before hitting the woods where there is a mixture of trail and dirt-path. Route: “Lookout 10″. This is the furthest I’ve run since the 1/2 marathon last summer (Norwich 1/2 marathon) and the second furthest I’ve run EVER. Woot!!! Distance: 10.03 miles in 78 mins. Pace:7m48s / mile. I ran this as an easy/moderate pace where I went quicker on the hills, especially the final climb back to my house:> This evening I am quite knackered. The weather the last couple of weeks has been exceptionally warm/sunny and today was no different. I thus left home at 1845. Cool/cold and a fantastic sunset.

Running: Hard, fast, scorching. Decided to this week’s Hard Run today, when I did the “River Route”. Same principle as the EZ run but if I have to ask “am I going fast enough?” then I probably am not and force myself to go faster. Hahaha! Great fun. There is a good side to this torture, however, and that is I have to look at the same things for a shorter period of time. That long dragging stretch of road-running now whizzes past, and so on! Since getting back: the thighs hurt, and walking down hill from work I noticed that my ankle/shins were hurtin. Like shin spints but just when I was going down hill.

Running: second day in a row, today’s run was a medium paced new route which is a mish-mash of two other routes so I’ll call ”Banshee wind”. Has it all: roads, tracks, woods, fields, views of river and hills both up and down (of course!), I reckon we covered at least 6 miles in ~50 mins. For the first hour after getting back I was not feeling good, the stomach ached and the mind throbbed. Now, a couple of hours later, I still am a bit warped but I gradually am getting to feel better. Rahaha. There is a rest from running tomorrow. I will play footie instead A different type of exercise. More sprinting and sudden changes of direction needed. The other two quarter-finals of the champions League are tonight but I won’t be watching… unless I am stranded in Reading and the only option is to go to the pub and watch footie, haha! In a few I will walk down the massive hill and catch the train to town and watch “Sunshine” at the pictures. Adios Amigos!

Running: One thing that I have noticed after looking back at my running journey (i started running Aug 05) is the lack of variety, if I go out running then I go as fast as I can. Today I tried something different. I purposely tried to run slowly, taking it easy, if I had to ask myself “am i going too quickly?” then I was indeed and I slowed down a bit. What is the purpose of this you may ask. I have been reading “The Competetive Runner’s Handbook” by B. Glover and S-L. F. Glover and even though I admit at this stage I am far from the fastest runner in the town it does have excellent advice to all runners, including me. I’ve read a few chapters so far and I get the message that if you mix your training up, thus keeping it interesting, then your running benefits, as do your race times. It also recommends more days per week, and an increased per-week mileage. So this is what I will be doing. From 3 times a week to 4, then see how I feel before increasing further. Obviously now that I have done an “easy” run I will have to do a “hard” run. Whoa hahahaha! What fun this will be!!!

ManU thrashed, demolished, annihilated, took apart, erased… Roma 7-1 tonight in the quarter-final of the champions league.! What an exquisite game, one of the best I’ve ever seen. Goals from attack, defence, mid-field, all-over. And such class too, not just “goals” (as scorred by mere mortals) but divine wonder goals (the kind gods dream about scoring). Chelski also manage to sneek through. Two out of 4 Semi-Final berths are taken by English teams, can Liverpool fill a third tomorrow when they play the home-leg versus PSV (having won the first leg 3-0 in Holland)?

I am going to Sziget Music festival in August.!. 8 days of mutherfucking excellent music, great beer and cheep sunshine, did I say 8 days? In Budapest Hungary in the sun, with 100s of bands, woot I cannot wait! Sziget 15

Monday: running; first half of “Walters Wood” really good, then I couldn’t be arsed and so let Steeve catch up overtake and put 10m into me. Caught him and won token sprint at end. He’s not a sprinter, he did well to catch me, but today my bones were slower than the silver wind.

At work a new person started in our lab, a girl no less, so mebe life will be a little more interesting in the 9-5. TBH it’s been a long slog since Jan: too much work, too much stress, not enough fun.

Have you heard of “The Knife”? Electronic awsomness. they’re here: the knife

have new strides! I finally succumbed to the fact that the first ever pair of running strides were worn, wonked and bruised and needed to be replaced. It was a sad day. Boo hoo. Haha. Right, on Tuesday after work I went to the local running shop and bought a new pair of running shoes and some new socks, and Wednesday was my first ever run with them in the big bad smelly world.
Weds: for the first time in 18 months I stode out in a new pair of running shoes, there was a huge difference between these Nike Air Pegassus and the ones that have travelled through Europe (i took them on holiday with me last summer!) and run many hundreds if not thousand+ miles. There was more cushioning, more bounce and I felt higher above the earth that I strode on. For the first 3/4 of “River” route I kept pace with Luc but then I slowed slowed and crawled along, energy and capacity for further fastness had evaporated, replaced with chaffing and slowness. Bright day, quite warm, breezy. Good run all in all.
Have spent the last 2 days installing and streamlining M$ Vista (the latest version of Windows). I love it so far. It looks a hell of a lot better, it feels cool. There have been teething problems, for sure, but these have been surpassed and now I am very happy. Huzzah!!!

Monday: Shoes are really dying, causing feet to hurt. Time for a replacement. We did “Stables” and it was a bloody nice day, nice change from the wintry return of last week. Shame it was this route but good to be outside running :>

Friday: legs like lead weights all morning before the run, like heavy weights during the run and in the afternoon after work I could hardly walk up the hill to home. I ran “Stables” on my own (the others are running in tomorrow’s (Sunday) Reading half-marathon so had the day off) but I did see Roger who ran the same route but in the other direction. I felt that I had more energy for the final hill compared with recent efforts and felt good when I got back. It was quite cold in the wind and overcast and cool throughout.

cycled up the hill on Monday and I could not fit the running kit into my bag so I didn’t go out in the freezing cold bitter wintry lunchtime. Tuesday I walked up (and down the hill) and yesterday (Weds) I went running! We did “Extended Long Toll” and I did an extended version of this as I got ahead of myself and took a different (longer) route! In the wind it was bloody chilly but in the shelter the air was warm. Today (Thurs) I played footie with the blokes at work. We lost, damn!

Looking out of the window (I am doing a lot of this recently!) all I can see is good weather (sunshine, blue skies, green grass, chirping birds and so on!) but I hear that there is going to be some snow. Looking at the five-day forecast Mon and Tue promise snow and cold temperatures. We have been living in a heatwave since last Friday.

Not running today, too painful after playing football (for the first time in >2 years) with the blokes from work at lunchtime yesterday. I will try to go out on Sunday. Weds: new route:: half “River Route” and half “Walters Wood” (i think I added the Walters wood extra bit myself – I was running solo and there was no one to tell me where to go!) I cycled up the hill from Pangbourne Station to work on Weds morning. ~1.5 miles 10% up up up. Really not the thing I want to ever do again (subject to change of heart!) but worth it for the ride home!!! Almost crashed into a car because I was going so fast: flying round a bend and a group of cars were stopped, waiting, to pass a parked car… need better brakes, better gears and a better bike. Huh.

For the now and here spring is with us, the blossom on the trees, the birds and the flowers are all fighting for audio and visual supremacy, warm bloody warm gorgeous days sunny and blue skied and perfect. I love spring!

Running – Last Friday we did “Walter’s Wood”. Today (monday) we did “Stables” and I really pushed it. Without the two undone shoe lace stops I would have gone faster but. Ground really drying out, mud gone and can grip the earth again. In t-shirt and shorts, really gorgeous day out there and soo warm out of the brisk wind along the base of the hill.

shite I am here inside and writing, whereas I should be outside – not writing – and enjoying the fine fine day. Adios Amigos. O.

Running this lunchtime almost killed my soul. For the last couple of running sessions my will to go fast has been somewhat lacking, legs aching heart tired brain cannot be arsed. I’m a much better runner imho when I am running solo. I think that this is the reason for the above problem. How do you people work around this problem?

Today we did the “Reverse River” route, the weather was bloody spankingly marvellous: warm in the sunshine and breezy in the shade, the mud still sticky along the river path. First half of the route easy fine then the uphill, down and parallel to the river towards the bottom of Death Hill was not good. Im okay if there are not people with me, ahead of me… I can go my own pace and not think about what other people are doing, that gets on my tits. 5 Miles in ~40 mins.
Last Week::: Fri (reverse river) Weds (super bloody wet running through rivers of fire would have been easier but less fun, it was great fun!!! Walters Wood route). Spring is here, the flowers are out and the cheeping birds are producing food (babies, chicks) for the awaiting death eaters from above the handsome Red Kites (there are loads of em!) but there there is a shitload of water in the ground still, the river is almost flooded. I need some new running shoes, I’ve had the current (my first pair of running shoes goddamnit) Nike Air Pegassus for 1.5 years. Shall get some new shoes once I have moved house – need lots of wonger for first month, deposit and such… this will leave me skint for a while.

Have you heard of a band called Herman Düne? Neither had I until I read the fantastic Plan B Magazine. They are (after many listens I like the second half of their latest album Giant) According to their myspace site they are “Surf/Folk/Grunge”. whatever. It’s great!

Larsson!!! Is God. Just scorred his last goal for Manchester United. ManU 1-0 Lille (agg. 2-0). Could this lead to 4 English teams in the last 8? Noooooo… Arsenal are 1-1 with PSV thus losing 2-1 on agg and, with the away goal, effectively 3-1. That’s it ManU through, Arsenal out. Fantastic.

okay, shit this is the second time I have sat down to write this post. the first was wiped out accidentally (my fault) when I re-booted following a software install (finally succumbed to the charms of wmp11; when i get vista – a big WHEN due to Dell’s lack of speed on the upgrade issue – i will have to have wmp11 so i’m getting used to it sooner rather than later. ho-hum). Shit bricks.

Last night there was a lunar eclipse (i.e. Sun :: Earth:: Moon) the only light that gets to the moon is filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere so it is often a different colour than usual, last night the moon was “blood red”. In times gone, way back when people didn’t have tvs and internet,,, before football was invented, before electricity, etc… talking hundreds of years (possibly!) here, people believed that the “blood moon” was a signifier of forthcoming death, destruction and chaos. What did they know? Choon in for more (possibly apocalyptic) updates.

Football: yesterday I went to the pub (the White Swan in Sandhurst) to watch the Liverpool vs. Manchester United lunchtime premiership game. ManU looked like they were going to get spanked but, thanks to a few kind refereeing decisions and a fortunate late late goal by John O’Shea, we walked away (except for Rooney who kinda hobbled away thanks to a Carragher studding) with all three points and a short-lived 12pt lead at the top of the premiership table over the southern london russian scum Chelsea. In the evening kick-off Portsmouth were beaten 2-0 by above mentioned scum taking the lead down to 9pts with Chelski now having played 1 game less than United. Reading (my “local” team) were beaten by the Scum of Arsenal 2-1. I’m going to see Reading again* in 2 weeks when they play Pompey (Portsmouth) at the Majeski (home).

*I say “see reading “again”" because I saw them last week in the 5th-round FA Cup replay against Manchester United. Reading went 3-0 down inside 7 minutes. They could have wilted and got beaten by a much larger score but no, they stuck in and got reorganised and set about slowly beginning the massive task of trying to score at least three goals. They almost did it, thanks to their perseverence and ManU’s lack of concentration, losing 3-2. The atmosphere at the Majeski was tremendous and it was an excellent game, very exciting, but it was a shame that Reading were asleep for the first 7 minutes. ManU now go through to the quarter-finals and face M’bro away on the 10th of March.

Today – ~5 miles in ~45 mins (reverse long-toll, got very lost but made out of woods alive; next time I take a map;)).

Last Week: Fri – River Route; Weds – Stables; Monday – “flat woods”.

in the middle of the night I write this. For the first time in 3 weeks I went running (at lunchtime) and now I am feeling fucking knuncked. In the ferocious wind, in the howling gale, the rain was blown forcefully into our souls (and faces). Yet this didn’t dampen our minds, nor darken our spirits, because we were out running and little else mattered. Of course it was bloody difficult to stay upright, with the slippy sloppy mud (result of supersaturated earth from last week’s snow and rain) and buffeting wind. Feeling as though I needed to blow away 3 weeks of cobwebs I strode ahead of the others on the “Flat Woods” route and promptly got lost, eventually doubling back after losing Steve at the 3/4 point and then going through some of the earlier section of the route and making it back just after Steve and Dan (but before the others). I reckon it took me 45 mins to do the 5-6 miles (highly approximate!). Fantastic to get out again

• Self Esteem (lifehack)
• Get up, Jump up (lifehack)
• Amazing Dans.Photo – Taiwanese Photographer (flickr)
• Taipei (flickr)

tony parsons’ mirror column

England have just beaten a soggy Australian cricket team in the second match of the One Day Triangular Tournament Final in Australia, and thus WIN the Final 2-0!!! We have gone from being on the losing end of a 5-0 thrashing in, and thus losing, the Ashes less than 2 months ago, to handing out a 2-0 thrashing to the Auzzies, huzzah. We RULE!!!

Yesterday I went to London to see “The History Boys” at the Wyndham Theatre (near China Town). It was the best play I have seen this year, it was so funny, clever, unpredictable, exciting! I chose to sit in the cheepo seats, soo high up at the very back of the theatre that got initial vertico cos the stage soo far down. The play, written by Alan Bennett, was about a group of 8 superbright 18yr-old boys preparing to take the Oxbridge entrance exam (after completing their a-levels, potential oxbridge students (up until the 1970s) went back to school for a term to prepare to try to get into Oxbridge) and the play dealt with this, the possible homosexuality of their teachers and “the boys”, with clever interaction between the cast ensamble. The head teacher was more of a business man, concerned with buzzwords, management, he didn’t give a fuck about the actual learning, just the results and the figures. There was a battle between the new teaching methodology (employed by the new “Oxbridge Graduate” teacher) and the old (as taught by their ancient General Studies teacher). Plus there was a not-so-bright kid, who wrote everything down, for contrast.
Disco to drop Ivan and Co at end of 2007

Here is a quote:

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.
- Thomas Szasz

What is up? Up before 8am on a Sunday morning but when the eyes open yer just have to get up, have a shower, then turn the computer on and type a Sunday morning blog post. Yeeeeeehahahahaha. ^-_-^

Widgets. This is concerned with this blog’s development so let your eyes glaze over if yer aren’t a development nooger. The widgets are not working, i want to install a flickr gallery link and the widgets are the easiest (only?) way of doing this. Seems that the JS is not working, should be installed in the latest Wordpress update/upgrade but its not grooving yet.

Update:How to Fix the Problem (update the widget plugin)

Fuji Rock 2007 (pre-reg from Friday, costs ¥32,800, till Feb 18^th).
An enormous dump of snow is now slowly melting. Woke up this am to find 10cm of it. Made me happy, cos I love snow wonderful snow.
England are the worst team in the world. We suck. Cannot play for shit. But we knew that. Where is the passion, where is the class, where is the will to fight to win, the fight to score goals???

weds lunchtime and am really feeling like getting out and breathing. The sky is perfectly crystal blue and the air suffocatingly cold, sunshine glistens off the leafless trees while the birds and flowers shiver and wait for spring to arrive. I’ve not been running in well over two weeks; first of all because I was chronically unwell, then i had a nasty cold and (thus) couldn’t breath for shit, finally the excuse was the “couldnotbe arsed” wildcard, but the power of that is finally waning and I will have to get my skank in gear or I will turn into a slow fat genie but without the bottle. So what is the solution? (1) Badminton this evening; (2) New Running Shoes; (3) Running on Friday… AND

Remind me that I’ve got to get the LCD Soundsystem mp3::: “North American Scum”::: Pounding Bassline. ingreatness welive.

It has happened, I don’t know how but it has happened. Indy, alt, decent… whatever you want to call it,,, it has returned to the cool. Klaxons are number 1 in the album charts, replacing The View. How the fuck, and when the fuck, did this all happen? Should we take interest in the charts NOW??? Does it matter? Mika is still number 1 in the singles (that should be re-named “the mp3″ charts?). Thanks to Grace for giving me a copy of Just Jack’s “Starz in their Eyes” and some juicy chinese music. You are a star!!!

Appears that there is one more gorgeous person in the Family that I have yet to meet. Have you seen Jennifer Hudson? Wow she is hot hot heat! Like Kate Hudson and Rock Hudson she shure is the fucking bacon, yum yumm yummm!!! Jennifer Hudson’s Homepage, wiki page, <-=->

Guardian Music Blog

listening to deerhoof and liking it much! I’ve gone through a faze of downloading every band that I hear is good (in nme, in the newspapers, on the radio online and so on!!!) and then have not really had the time to listen to much of it (other than the stuff that I put on my mp3 player). There is much much much more than I can ever listen to but I am doing my very best this evening to listen to a good % of it

So far I’ve listened to the Noisettes’ “What’s the Time Mr Wolf” (yup, great stuff!) and now I’m onto Deerhoof’s myspace collection. deerhoof (myspace).

After the Klaxons gig I had half an hour to kill before the train arrived so I got NME. Used to read it every week, my god how has it changed. Where it used to be full of long insightful articles about the latest new music, now it is full of cranky short (50 word max) pieces about the cool bands. What a waste of paper. But what else is there for decent coverage, something decent to read? There is Plan B (arty, wordy and a free cd with every issue!) and drowned in sound (yes this site looks real good actually!) and wire (if you like bands that’ll never get heard by anyone else).

Went to Reading to see “Notes on a Scandal” this morning. Really excellent film. Dench and Blanchett deliver mesmerising acting masterclasses and its an intriguing story. Picked up a new pair of black converse boots and then hotfooted back home to catch the first rugger game. Sooo dull and boring that went to sleep and missed France annihilate Italy 39-3. But I did see England return to their World Cup winning form with a resurgant Jonny Wilkinson scorring 27 perfect points, Jason Robinson scorring a try and Scotland being destroyed 42-20. Days like these can never come often enough.

manu beat pompey 2-1 in the 4th round of the fa cup thanks to the magestical subliminity of Rooney.

Tesco open in Beijing Tesco in China’s Capital

“How do women work?” we men do often wonder… How Women Work

good luck in the ultraworld!!! A

who is in this year’s celebrity apprentice

Hillow, its Friday evening and I am at home ill as painfully and pitifully as can be. Two days of non-stop sleep and I’m getting bloody tired of it. Notice the new theme, much improvement upon the last ones but not 100% liking everything it offers. Expect changes;)

Last weekend I was in Cambridge and had a wonderful time! I love the town and have excellent memories of it, I met the most wonderful and enchanting clever and amazing people, but I had to move away for good doesn’t last forever and one has to experience different places, meet different people and so on… Gyu-Hyun and Lena are still living in my old house, I stayed there 2 nights going into town on Sunday to buy tea from Seoul Plaza (Korean supermarket) brunch at Cafe Carrington and a reflective stroll back along the river Cam before going back into town with Gyu-Hyun to meet up with Christoph and watch the Arsenal vs. Manchester United game at The Avery. The Gunners beat us 2-1. Saturday we went to The Avery to watch Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0, then to the cinema and watch Rocky Balboa which we thought was bloody entertaining but (surprise surprise) a little far fetched.

The rest of the week. I went running on Monday, we ran the “River” route and apart from having to walk up one hill (if we ran we would have slipped over because the mud was soo slippery) and I won a sprint finish for second place – Luc having finished a couple of hours before us;) I’ve watched a couple of DVDs: “Wasabi” and the fantastic “Run Lola Run”, and the disgustingly nasty (but excellent nonetheless) “The Proposition” and the sad “Grave of the Fireflies”. Gotta go and see Babel, Blood Diamond, and Notes on a Scandal. Not to mention the Oscar nominated films that I missed when they were first out in the cinema.

This weekend I am lucky to be visited by family (3 cousins and uncle and auntie) from Germany/Belgium (they’ve just moved from Germany to Belgium). I’ll recover from this illness, have my hair cut, go to the shops and also to the cinema.

All the Best!

Calm down, hold your horses, mind the gap and batton down the hatches … outside today was an exceptionally windy day. We were sent home from work at 1530 because it was so windy (to give us more time to get home, and it wasn’t really safe at work either). This blog is currently undergoing a refit as I try and work out what the hell I want to use it for, get the hang of wordpress themes, learn PHP (if I really want to make it shit-hot) and play around with the CSS. So if it keeps on changing don’t worry, you have still got the right place for my blog.

This weekend I am going to Cambridge for the first time since I moved out last summer. My former housemate Gyu-Hyun is moving back to Korea next month and I am going to visit him. Today after work I bought a superslim sleeping bag (it’s designed for use army use in tropical jungles so it is very light (700g!) and small but will not be of any use in the outside British winter but will do for visiting people allowing me to travel light). I’ll have my haircut after work tomorrow, and by god it needs cutting! Two months since I last had a chop and its getting really long.

yes. I went running this lunchtime. and for the first time this year I didn’t kill myself doing it. There were only four of us due to the torrential rain in the morning, and a clash with the re-scheduled swimming club, but it was good fun. Never run this route this direction before, always finished with the killer hill up from the Thames… we started with that, then a steady flow along the flat parallel with the hill before diving into the woods for a non-stop killer hill run before a flat muddy field mud-skate hobble back to base. The air was warm and the sky blue.

In the ultraworld the beatles are still scribbling in their mindless sleep. I finished “Sputnik Sweatheart” by Haruki Murakami last night, started “A Tramp Abroad” by Mark Twain, right excellent book that was… and it featured cats! Love, longing, loss, friendship and rejection… kept guessing how it would end and blown away by the ending, not what you’d have thought, or me.

right, first of all i know it is already the 13th of jan and i have not written here this year but i have been bloody busy… so.

Happy New Year! Right now I am in Cheltenham, visiting my brother and working up the energy needed to go into town and see the place (Rob needs his sleep and is sleeping). I got here remarkably quickly last night, after realising that no-one was leaving in the right direction from work to give me a lift to the station I stomped down down down the muddy sharp steep tabogan run hill that takes one from work to the river, to the station in a mile of very un-flat walking… after I crossed the river I realised that if I continued walking I would miss the train so I sucked in a deep lungful of river air and bombed it (ran) to the station… bursting lungs and cascading anti-overheating juices aside I made the train with a few milliseconds to spare. Yes!

The journey, via  Didcot and Swindon, arrived only 2 hours later and I missed most of it because I was playing with my new laptop. I watched the first half of “Thankyou for not Smoking” and did a few other things.
Last night. Rob cooked a fantastic curry and we watched “Ong-Bak”. WOW what an awesome film; I watched it Thu too, but I had to watch it again with the bro as the fight scenes are the best that I have ever seen, sometimes grusome but mostly jaw-droppingly dazzling.

I got this laptop, a dell inspiron 1501 (my first laptop, and first new computer in 8 yrs!) on Thursday. Yup!

Welcome you wonderful people, I am very happy that you stopped off to look at this first posting of my newly born blog, what will go here, I have a few ideas but now is not the time nor the place to share them. Hah. My eyes are sore from too many hours in front of this computer diddling and daddling with bits and bobs of website and blog development. I’m listening to RadioActive, a New Zealand radio station that I have grown attached to for the last couple of years since stumbling upon it somehow… It is fantastically excellent… Right now I must bid you an excellently good night and hit the sack for much needed rest. Until next time. Andrew