Here's a top jape for you all. If you've got a dashboard warning light on, an acceptable fix is not covering up the light. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not still on. I'm pretty sure that you figured out that when you close you eye's, you don't become invisible, when you were about 2 years old, well the same applies here. What am I on about now, I hear you say. Well, the Bangernomics Peugot went for it's first MOT under my ownership last week, and to be honest I was expecting it to fail, probably on emissions if I'm honest. At the end of the day it's had a hard life, I'm the 7th owner and probably the only one that's ever changed the oil! It's been a runabout all it's life, and it's getting on now. I don't know how car years equate to people years, but if it's anything like a cat, it would be the equivalent of 119, so it's an old lady really, and an old lady that had a hard paper round and then spent her working life as a hod carrier at that. Anyway, what it actually failed on was no ABS light. What should happen is the ABS light comes on with the ignition to tell you it's working, runs through it's self test and then goes out. Or in this case, never comes on, hence the fail. Now, seeing as I'm too tight to pay someone else to fix it, I thought I'd best have a look myself, after all I'm supposed to be an engineer of some sort or another, and imagine what I found. Yep, you got it, some cheeky monkey has covered the light in question up with sticky tape and seeing as it failed the last MOT because the light was on, we could probably hazard a guess at which professional outfit did that can't we! So, now that I've fixed one problem, I just need to get the light to go back out again like it should. Hence a bit of head scratching and a lot of swearing over the last few evenings whilst I've tried to figure out how an ABS system works. A task that would be a lot easier, if any of the wiring diagrams that I've found matched the system in the car, and if it hadn't been played with before, by persons unknown. So far, I've found all the screws missing out of the fuse panel, the main plug on the ABS module broken and the Left rear brake shoe lining detached from the shoe. But not the source of the problem. I'll get there though, if nothing else I'm a persistent fellow and I'm learning at every step which is always a plus! Whilst I'm wittering on about making and fixing things, "The Emma's" been on a mission over the last couple of years to fatten up all the little birds in the vicinity and it seems to be working as she's got a right little bird restaurant going in the front garden. Since the completion of Project Patio there's been an increase in bird life out the back too, which when you consider that for the first 9 years that we lived here I don't think I ever saw a single bird out there has to be a good thing. Saturday morning whilst we were having a brew we stood and watched some Blue Tit's picking bits of the Apple Tree and "The Emma" said "If I got one of those stand things, like a shepherds crook, I could put a feeder out there for them too". Well, thought I, I've probably got just the thing in my treasure collection. So, one quick wander out to the workshop of wonders for a bit of ReBar left over from the allotment fruit net, start a couple of bend off using the plumbing pipe bender (not recommended as it chews up the formers) followed by a good heaving on with a bit of pipe in the vice, and would you believe it! Apparently, it's just the thing. Total cost probably less than a £5 for the bit of ReBar, or free if you consider it's left over from another job. Total time, probably less than 10 minutes, and I didn't even need to leave the house. Brownie points, 100, and another tool I never knew I needed, added to the list as it would have been even quicker with a proper bender. Now, that's a result in my books! I had planned on getting away in the Van Friday night, ready for a bit of cycling on Saturday, followed by a shorter trip up to Wendover for the weekends main event of the Wendover Woods Marathon. However, having pulled the Peugot apart Friday afternoon in an attempt to fidentify the ABS problem and then ended up replacing the rear brake shoes amongst other things, I'd sort of run out of time, and couldn't really leave the Peugot as it was. So, in true tradition, plans had to change. They didn't change that much though. As by the time "The Emma" dragged herself out of bed on Saturday morning (just before 9), I'd been up, had breakfast, stripped the back wheel hubs back off the Peugot to check that my efforts in the dark the night before were right, bled the brakes, adjusted the handbrake, put the centre console back in, tidied up, put all the tools away, washed my hands and was just brewing up, leaving the rest of the day for playing out. On the downside it was a bit of a grey and damp day, certainly not ideal for my planned cycling route which covered a lot of windy, hilly roads which in the damp conditions and covered in leaves would have been a bit of a slippery mess. So, plan B, or as I like to call it "quick, think of something else to do" was called into action and I grabbed the van and headed up to Wallingford for a few miles of walking on the Ridgeway path. And lovely it was too. The views from the top of Wallingford hill were as spectacular as ever, with the Red Kites soaring majestically over the surrounding countryside as majestic as they always are. The Autumn leaves lay thick underfoot in the wooded areas, bringing back memories of Conker hunting and childhood walks as I shuffled through them. The few trees that hung on to the last of their leaves, yellow and golden in the subdued afternoon light and the damp Autumn air bringing a stillness to the world at large. I always enjoy the Autumn, despite being the end of summer, the shorter days and the feeling of decay and lethargy that it brings. On a day like today, when it's still warm enough to be out without getting cold, it's not raining and there's no wind, it's still pretty special! Just on the off chance that anyone's waded through the drivel above and is still actually interested (or still awake), I suppose I'd better mention the weekends main event, the Wendover Woods trail Marathon. A cheeky wee number, consisting of 4 laps around Wendover Woods which sit on the edge of the Chiltern Hills and unsurprisingly for the area is a bit hilly! Now, I've got some memories of being forced to run up this very hill during my initial RAF Trade Training, at nearby RAF Halton and I can tell you that they're not particularly fond memories. The thing that really sticks in my mind is it being very steep and spending most of my time blowing out my arse whilst the PTI berated us all for being too slow! If nothing else, today proved that my memories are correct and some of todays route was pretty steep. I've obviously got better at running, and fitter than I was when I was 18 though, because there was significantly less blowing from my nether regions today than back then, which can only be a positive thing. Now, as I mentioned at the start, todays course consisted of 4 10Km loops, with some pretty steep climbing and descent . The Marathon started at 08:30 and after an excellent nights sleep in the van I was ready and raring to go. Oh, Ok, I was stood shivering in the cold morning air, wishing we could just get it over and done with! I didn't have to shiver for long though, as after a quick race briefing we were off, and off pretty fast too! There was no messing around today and the guys on the front set off at a fair old pace, too fast for me, but not to worry, it's still a long way to go and lets see what happens over the first few miles. As often seems to be the case, once I'd warmed up a bit and the pace had settled down a bit, I started picking up a few places and by the time we finished the first lap I was up to 7th or 8th and seemed to be holding my position without too much effort. One lap down, 3 too go and as I started the second lap, so the half marathon runners were released right behind me. Within seconds any sense of position was gone, as the faster 1/2 runners started coming past. This could end in tears if I start trying to keep up with these guy's, they're only going 1/2 the distance and trying too keep up is a sure hiding to nothing. Run your own race and ignore everyone else, was the mantra of the day and by the time I'd completed my second lap I hadn't noticed any of the other Marathon runners come past, so had to assume I was still holding my position. Lap 3 then and I'm feeling pretty good considering this is my second Marathon in 8 days, possibly not the best race planning, but it's not all about winning, it's more about having fun as far as I'm concerned! By the end of lap 3 I'd started catching the first of the Marathon back markers and was settled into a steady and sustainable pace. Last lap then and a chance to thank the marshals for their efforts and encouragement over the previous laps as I went past. Without their giving up their time to marshal, none of this would be possible, so a few words of thanks is the least I can do. Steadily pushing on, focus on the next backmarker, close the distance, a few words of encouragement as I pass and onto the next one. If nothing else it gives me something to focus on. Coming up to the 23 mile mark, I catch sight of someone starting to close the gap behind me. That's not good, I'm pretty sure that I've not slowed down, but maybe I have? Within seconds they're lost in the twisty turns and trees behind me, all I can do is keep pushing on and hope they don't catch me at this late stage. Mile 24 and it's all up hill from here, but not far to go now. Drop the pace on the steepest bit's. but keep pushing on, I can't let the guy behind catch me now. At mile 25 I get a bit of a surprise when I spot a runner wearing a 100 Marathon top in front of me, they're unlikely to be a back marker, could it be that I'm going to catch someone in front instead of being caught? As the hill flattens slightly, I pick the pace up a bit, and slowly, almost imperceptibly, the gap is closing. I'm not sure if there's enough time to catch them before that finish line now though. 300m to go and I'm almost with them, there's nothing to lose now, I might as well throw caution to the wind and give anything that's left. 200m to go and I'm right behind them. I can't bring myself to just blow past though, and as I come up behind I say "come on buddy, don't let me get you at the line, push"! and the race is on. As soon as he hears me, he picks up the pace and I have to give it all I've got to keep up and slowly pass. I'm still not sure If I can hold him off for the final 100m though and I'm pushing as hard as I can, with 26 miles in my legs. I can hear him, pushing equally as hard just over my shoulder, but with only a handful of meters still to go I know I've got him! Coming over the line in 3:39:37 was good enough for 6th place from the 90 finishers, beating my last minute competitor by a whole 3 seconds in the end! That's a pretty good result as far as I'm concerned, my second marathon in 8 days after last Saturdays 40 mile Ultra and a total of 120 miles of running in the last 15 days certainly gives your legs something to think about.
Yep, I'm more than happy with that!
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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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