It was nice while it lasted, but it didn't take long for the "my cars bigger than yours" brigade to retake the roads as soon as the travel restrictions were slightly eased did it. Those few weeks when everything was closed were a real eye opener for what could be; The constant drone of traffic noise had disappeared, the air was cleaner and there were families with young children out cycling and walking on the roads, safe in the knowledge that they weren't going to be mowed down by someone in a mad rush to get to Tesco or KFC. How back to normal things are was bought into stark relief when I came across traffic mayhem on a small country road whilst out on my bike at the weekend. There were a good 30 cars abandoned on the verge, effectively blocking the road to traffic and causing chaos in the middle of nowhere. I don't think I've ever seen a car parked there before let alone 30 of them. So what was so important that half of Basingstoke had made the journey and dumped their monster transporters in the middle of the road? Well, it would appear that people are so short of things to do that a field full of poppies is now cause for an outing. I suppose if Costa is shut you've got to do something, but come on people, have we all had lobotomies whilst we've been at home? Taking your car out for a drive to take photos and mill around in a large group in a field gate in the middle of nowhere is hardly sensible is it? Not only is it another unnecessary car journey, adding to the pollution we seem intent on creating, but you've blocked the road and now you're stood around in a large group in clear breach of the social distancing guidelines. I'll grant you it's nice to get out in the sunshine and a field full of poppies is quite a sight. It didn't seem to be quite such an interesting sight in 2018 and 19 though did it? In fact the poppies have been there for the last few years and I've never seen a single person there before. But then again shopping centers and pubs have been open for the last few years, all normally far more interesting than fresh air and the countryside! It's not surprising that we had to be made to stay at home and couldn't be trusted to just do the sensible things is it. I'm just hoping that all the stupidity doesn't create even more problems and result in us being locked down even harder in the future! Whilst I'm on a rant, how about the difference between Footpaths and Bridleways and while we're at it lets throw Byways (BOAT's) into the mix too. I'll think you'll find Mountain Biking fraternity, that a foot path is exactly that; In England and Wales a path on which the public have a legally protected right to travel on foot. Therefore Mr Mountain biker (and I'll use that in the plural) there's no point in getting a shitty on when I don't get out of your way whilst running or walking on a foot path, your the one in the wrong and you shouldn't even be there in the first place. If you want to go mountain biking, find a mountain! I'll give you a helping hand here and tell you that the highest hill in Hampshire is Pilot Hill. Which, at 286m is still only a hill and not a mountain (the giveaways in the name). Or if you can't find a handy mountain how about using your bike on the tracks that your allowed on, all of which tend to be a bit wider than a footpath and will allow you to get past unobstructed! If you haven't already guessed, its been a bit of a dull weekend here, with nothing much happening worthy of note. I've made some good progress on the van, finishing off the under-sealing and treating some areas of rust around the drivers wheel arch which will hopefully put a stop to that before it gets too bad and needs major work. Other than that it's been more of the same old stuff, a few bike miles Saturday, a bit of running Sunday, lots of watering and pottering around on the allotment and the odd few minutes sat in the sun. The sooner the world gets back to normal and we can start having a few adventures the better, at least I'll have something to write about then!
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There we are then, another Bank Holiday under the Coronovirus restrictions done and dusted. It's a shame we couldn't just carry them forward, like unused holiday until this is all over and actually make use of the time. We could have just cracked on working and then added the extra days to Christmas as a big well done and thank you to the key workers who have kept the country running. It is what it is though and whilst I've not been up to anything interesting or special this weekend I have been busy. As I hinted at last week I've been trying to avoid tackling a couple of jobs on the van, mostly under the pretence of being too busy, but more honestly through fear of the work involved and of opening a Pandora's box of other issues. However, with the allotment petty much planted up, the fruit cage finished, the garage tidied up and the gardens looking after themselves for a few days, I'd finally run out of other jobs to do, so thought I'd better crack on. Actually, that's a total lie, I've not run out of other jobs, I've still got another million things I need to do and another lifetimes worth of things I'd like to do if I had the time, which I haven't. It's more a case that working on the Van needs some reasonable weather (It's no use trying to work in the rain) and I wanted to get this job out of the way in case they slacken the restrictions any more and I can actually make use of the thing. To that end then I've spent most of my Bank holiday laying on my back, under the van applying underseal and making a start on sorting out a few rust spots that are starting to develop. At the end of the day it's a 12 year old van so it's not surprising that it's starting to get a bit tired, but if I can get another couple of years out of it thanks to a bit of timely and judicious preventative maintenance it will have been time well spent. I can't think of many more horrible jobs though; There's a million and one things under the van to bang our elbows on, there's not much room, your laying on your back so all the drips, dust and rust particles go in your face and it's horrible gooey sticky stuff to apply in the first place! All great fun, and like most things incredibly satisfying when you can stand back and admire your handy work. Except it's under the van, so unless you want to lay on your back it's impossible to admire your handy work and it's never going to see the light of day again! Despite having had to wash my hair in washing up liquid, scrub my face with a scrubbing brush, and struggling to get out of bed this morning, I know it's a job well done so I'm happy! In other news, I'm glad I managed to get a couple of pictures of the roses in the front garden on Thursday morning. The "Old Cheese" bought me 5 small plants for my birthday a few years ago and it's taken a while for them to get established enough to look really good.
I say a few years, it must be about 3 or 4 years now, but every morning when I look out the window it makes me think of her. Four years of nurturing to reach full potential and then 1 day for the howling gale that's torn through the front garden for most of the weekend to undo all that work. Stupid weather, I don't know why we bother sometimes. Social distancing may have put an end to organised running but I'm determined to try and keep my "Marathon a Month" attempt alive. To that end, Saturday morning saw me lined up at our back door for the Second Basingstoke Socially Distanced Trail Marathon. Participants - Me (again). After the success of Aprils endeavours I'd lined up what I hoped would be a nice route, heading south out of town to pick up the Oxdrove Way before looping across and picking up the Wayfarers walk for part of the return leg. When you see 26 miles marked out an a map it's surprising how much distance you actually cover and this weeks route took me a fair way from home. "A faint heart never won a fair lady" though. So, pack a couple of Marmalade sandwiches for sustenance (no high performance gels today thank you), plenty of water in the camel back and out the house before 07:30 to make the most of the early morning peace and quiet. With a good 20 of the 26 miles off road, I wasn't expecting a fast run, more an enjoyable day out in the Hampshire countryside and to be honest I wasn't disappointed. With plenty of hills to provide those far reaching views over lush green countryside, mixed in with tight trails through wooded tracts, sunlit glades still loaded with Bluebells and a few long steady climbs thrown in for good measure there was more than enough variety to keep things interesting. Steady progress along deserted trails and minor country roads saw the half marathon mark come and go in under 2 hours, along with the lowest point on the route. Knowing that the majority of the next 10 miles is up hill is never a good feeling when you've already got 13 miles in your legs, but by breaking it down into smaller chunks it always seems a bit easier. Get to the top of this hill and we'll have a sandwich. Get to 20 miles and we pick up the road for a few miles, that's easier running. Get to 23 miles and it's all down hill to home. Throw in a bit of daydreaming, a bit of scheming and project planning, a bit of sightseeing and before you know it your back home with your feet up having a brew. Under 4 hours for the distance, a time I'm more than happy with and an enjoyable morning out. There's no doubt I could run the distance faster but where's the fun in that? It's not all about going balls out, sometimes it's nice to just watch the world go by, pause and watch the deer running or the Kites circling on the look out for lunch. There will be plenty of time for pushing the pace a bit once we get back to organised running, but until then, I'm making the most of what I've got and I've got a lot! Interestingly, despite the mapping software predicting the distance as being closer to 27 miles, it came out at bang on 26.2 miles from back door to back door, its almost as if it was meant to be! After Saturday's adventures it took me a while to get myself motivated Sunday morning, although "The Emma" was on an early shift so I was still up and about well before most people are even considering opening their eye's to make the most of the morning.
Once I finally got going, amid a few protestations from my legs, I thought I'd best make the most of the early morning sunshine and persuaded my tired old legs that whilst being a bit stiff, there was really nothing wrong with them that a few bike miles wouldn't sort out; And you know what I was right! The sun was shining, the roads were quiet (although we are definitely getting back towards normal traffic levels again) and it was good to get out and blow the cobwebs away. I didn't go far, just a cheeky 45 miles loop around the outlaying villages and was back home well in time for second breakfast. The early start left plenty of time for amusing myself with other jobs in the afternoon and whilst of no real interest, it's quite surprising how many little jobs you can get through, so in no particular order. On Sunday afternoon I:
Maybe it's not surprising that I tend to sleep quite well and find it hard to keep my eyes open after about 22:00! Some days you get up and all's good with the world and Friday was one of those days. I was awake early despite it being an Bank Holiday and lay in bed for a few minutes listening to the birds singing their little hearts out, contemplating what the day was going to hold in store for me, psyching myself up to fling back the covers and get the day started. When I finally finished cogitating and dragged my backside out of bed the sun was just coming up, bathing the world in the pastel colours that only happen at dawn and dusk, showing off the new day at it's best and hinting at what's to come. Now all the signing makes sense. If I was a bird I'd be singing my heart out too! A cup of tea, a bit of breakfast, another brew? Go on then just a quick one whilst I get my running shoes on, and then out the door. Despite the early hour it was already warming up, the sun shining brightly, gently raising the temperature and burning off the early morning dampness. Everything's quiet, most of the world's still slumbering. There's never many people out and about at 07:30 on a Bank holiday, but they should be, they're missing the best bit. Although, maybe on second thoughts we'll keep that to ourselves, if every one was up early it wouldn't be the best bit of the day anymore would it? When the day starts like that you can't help but smile, and as I set off, settling quickly into a steady pace, making my way along the well trodden footpaths leading out of town, smiling I most certainly was. It's a beautiful feeling, running in the cool morning air, listening to the gentle sound of your breathing and rhythmic beat of your feet on the ground as the miles pass. All set against the sound of silence. A silence broken only by the call of the birds as they go about their morning chores, calling their greetings as you pass, warning their neighbours that your on the way. Out of town and over the steep climb towards Ellisfield, my breath ragged and heartbeat climbing to match the incline and my first sighting of a pair of Swallows this year. Flitting low through the hedgerows in search of breakfast, chasing endlessly, yet effortlessly around, another sign that warmer days are on their way. They seem to have arrived late this year, although I suspect that the lock-down has just kept me away from their normal haunts and I've just missed their arrival. Watching their antics as I continue to run is a welcome diversion from the climb and helps to keep that smile planted firmly on my face. As I run, I'm as free as the birds, crossing the miles as effortlessly as they do, moving in the way our bodies adapted to over the millennia we spent as hunter gatherers. Free from the worries of work and confines of the lock-down, alive and alert to the sights and sounds around me, feeling the contours of the ground as I slowly pass the miles. Onward, through the big dip at Farleigh Wallop, past the start of the Farleigh Wallop 10K and Farleigh house. Across the main road and onto the long downhill at Garlic Lane. The wild garlic's in full flower and the smell that accompanies me on the long downhill towards home is almost overpowering. As I arrive back home, slowing to a walk, feeling my heart rate subside and my breathing slow, the sweat from the mornings exertions dripping gently from the end of my nose to land at my feet, it almost seems a shame to stop, but there's other things to be doing today, not just running. There's a couple of hundred bedding plants to plant out, there's still digging and planting to be done on the allotment, there's grass to mow and bikes to clean. And when all that's done I've got plenty of other projects lined up to be getting on with. 10 Miles done then and it's still not quite 09:00, home in time for Tea and toast with "The Emma" and the whole day still to look forward to, I can think of worse ways to start the day! After a few bike miles on Saturday I was back on shank's pony Sunday squeezing a few more miles in. Luckily the weather forecasters were a few hours out and the morning was still pleasantly warm and bright when I set off. Trying to keep local while still getting in some decent miles is proving to be easier than I thought it might be and I planned to get a few off road miles in by running the route I last used in February for my "Marathon of the Month" effort. Back in February I ran the off road loop 3 times in torrential rain, within seconds I was soaked to the skin and my shoes and socks have never recovered. Today though I set off from home, adding the 3 miles each way to the ten mile loop as a warm up and warm down from the main event and the conditions were for more amiable. With the sun shining, the trails dry and the trees in full leaf it was a pleasant morning out and a great way to add another 16 miles to the years total! The weather forecasters weren't wrong either and by mid afternoon the temperature had dropped by a good 10 degrees with the wind howling round the house. Ideal weather for hiding in the green house and a chance to get the Tomatoes planted out, lettuces potted on into individual pots and a few other odd jobs wrapped up. All in all not a bad Bank holiday weekend then, maybe not as adventurous as I'd normally like, but on the plus side the allotments and gardens are looking better this year than they have for a while as I've actually been at home to spend some time on them! There's not much to report this week, the ongoing Coronovirus restrictions limit what I can be up to and there's only so much time I can spend wittering on about the allotment. I am starting to wonder how much longer the "Lockdown" is going to remain effective though. The number of cars on my morning trip to work continues to steadily increase, and from what I've seen when out running today, that appears to be the case at the weekends too. A couple of weeks ago I crossed over the M3 on my Sunday morning run and there wasn't a single car on the motorway. I've been the same way today, at around the same time, and there was a steady stream of cars, interspersed with the odd lorry heading South. It makes you wonder how many of those journeys being undertaken today are actually necessary? They didn't appear to be necessary 2 weeks ago, so why today? I really think the big mistake was releasing the advice given to the police regarding what is and isn't allowed. All the time the advice was don't go out, that's what people did. Now we've got "well you can drive to have a walk etc" that's what people are going to do, unfortunately everyone goes to have their walk at the same place and if we're not careful we will soon be back to square one! I have noticed that after this weeks rain the world seems a lot greener. Not in a save the environment way, but in the colour way. It's surprising how many shades of green there are, the roadside verges are a kaleidoscope of different hues, from the palest shades to the darkest tones, all washed clean by the recent rain and refreshed by new growth. It may all be plants that in any other environment would be classed as weeds. Alexanders, Cow-parsley, Nettles, Gipsywort and the plethora of other Roadside Plants, all of which are growing like mad at the moment and are all a slightly different shade of green. The roadside verges contrast well with the blue green hues of the Wheat and Corn fields and brighter greens of the newly opened leaves on the trees, providing a stunning display. It's all Green at the moment, but if were not careful we'll blink and the green will be replaced with the browns of summer and autumn. The changes of the seasons happen slowly, but at the same time so quickly, and unless you take the time to step away from your busy life, to stop and look, it can easily pass you by and you'll miss one of natures miracles! That's it for this week, I'm off now to have some allotment Rhubarb, freshly picked this afternoon and on my plate this evening. It doesn't get much fresher than that and as they say "good things come to those who wait" and I've been waiting for weeks for this!
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
March 2024
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