Here we go then, the start of 2021 and time for some new adventures. Normally the 1st January is Knacker Cracker day (the stupidest, but most fun running event of the year), unfortunately, along with just about everything else, Covid's put a stop to that. It's a shame then, that Covid didn't put a stop to the local war re-enactment society's attempt to replicate great battles of World War One with endless salvos of fireworks last night. I was sorely tempted to nip round this morning with the angle grinder and big drills to get my own back when I got up at cold O'clock. Luckily though I had better things to do! What can be better than a bit of revenge, I hear you ask? Well, if I can't go cracking my Knackers I might as well make use of my time and start the year as I mean to go on with a bit of socially distanced marathon running. 26 miles on New Years day. I think you'll find that's what Bank holidays are made for! It was far too cold to sit at home and I'm far too tight to put the heating on, so I was out the house just as it started to get light, onto deserted, but bitterly cold roads. A heavy overnight frost and low laying mist ensured that it wasn't likely to warm up any time soon, but well wrapped up, with multiple layers, it was a lovely morning to be out and about. With no real route planned I pushed off along the quiet roads towards Odiham, thinking that staying on the roads would be better than the muddy trails and tracks, with the roads being a bit less slippery than the paths and fields. All correct assumptions on my part, but by Jove, running on the roads is boring! One foot in front of the other, with nothing to distract yourself. No puddles to jump over, no holes to avoid, no gates or stiles to break your stride, just easy plodding along! I've not been this far on the road for a while, having done all of last years long distances off road and I must admit that it's not something that I'm in a rush to repeat. Needs must when the Devil drives though and 26 miles on the road is better than no miles, and a fine way to get the new year off to a good start in my humble opinion. 3:56 for 26.5 miles in the cold's certainly nothing to shout about, but it kept me warm for a few hours, burned off a few more mince pies and made room for the bacon sandwiches that greeted me on my return! I'm not saying that it was cold in the week, but I went out for a few easy walking miles one day in the week and got caught out when the weather took a turn for the worse and I wasn't prepared for it. I'd got up to a bright and crisp, frosty morning and thinking it might be a bit slippery out left the bike at home. With the sun shining I'd wrapped up warm but left the waterproofs at home. You'd think I'd know by now that that's a school boy error. 5 Miles from home and the sky's opened with heavy wet snow. Within 10 minutes I was soaked and cold. By the time I finally got home I was so cold that I had to get "The Emma" to release me from my trousers as my fingers wouldn't work! Let that be a lesson to me. No matter how close to home, or benign the weather looks, you never know what's coming! As I mentioned the other day, after a few cold days out in the van I've decided that heating is required, so it's time for a new project. The insulation I added during the initial build does an admirable job of keeping the temperature bearable, and if your just coming in and going to bed it's fine in any weather. It's when you get back cold and wet with no way to dry your wet kit, that it's a bit of a bummer, so I've acquired a cheap and cheerful diesel heater, courtesy of those masters of knock off products (China) and our friends at E Bay. There's plenty of space under the van floor so that seems the logical place to mount it. Unfortunately, being a non standard installation it's going to have to be a make it up as I go job, not that, that's ever stopped me before. First things first then and we need some way to mount our heater. A bit of thinking whilst out running and were off. I'll get some paint on it this week, not that there's much chance of it ever drying at the moment and then have a look at getting it fitted. Unfortunately, fittings going to require the removal of the front seats and floor covering, so in a bit of irony, I need it to warm up a bit before I can go much further!
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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
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