Balancing it All

I'm now considering going down to London next weekend, but the strangest things are going through my mind. I was meant to be going over to Gran Canaria this weekend and staying for a week, so I didn't really give much thought to the away game in London for the rugby. Then once I found out that I'm only going in a couple of weeks, I still didn't make plans. My team has been crap for most of the season, and until last weekend had only won two league games all season (since February). I've found myself making excuses for not going to games far closer than London, so just decided to watch it on tv. It's not just because we've been rubbish, it's also because I've discovered that I prefer participating in sport rather than watching it, but it's mainly because I just haven't been enjoying the games.

But since Sunday we've won two games, doubling our total for the rest of the season. We're scrambling towards safety and away from relegation. We've shelled out a world record transfer fee for a player who made a stunning debut last night, and I finally watched a game with a smile on my face last night.

So I'm thinking of going down to London, but the strangest things are weighing into my thinking. Firstly, money. I'm spending too much of it at the moment. That rules out staying down overnight really, which is a bit of a bummer with a 6pm kick off at a ground that's a fair distance from the city centre and the transport back north.

I've ruled out the train because it's expensive booking so close and the last train leaves too early for me to get back from the ground. Which leaves the coach or driving. The coach looks cheaper on paper, except that I'd also need to pay for public transport in London, and I'd end up spending time in central London and almost certainly spending money. The car is going to be more expensive, but it's door to door. But the veggie, public transport using me would feel a bit guilty about driving down to London alone and creating lots of pollution (I'm not so bothered about the chore of actually driving for 8 hours though).

The clincher though, possibly, is food and exercise. I may want to watch the rugby, but I also have runs to get in. 7 miles on Saturday and 15 on Sunday. If I drive, I can go for a run on Saturday morning before setting off, and do my 15 miler on Sunday, even if it's a bit later than normal if I only get to bed at midnight or later. I can also stock the car up with supplies for the journey, hopefully avoiding the temptation of eating rubbish as well as the temptation to spend more money. If I go on the coach I'll have to leave too early on Saturday morning to run first, and I'll get home at about 7am on Sunday morning (yay, the overnight coach home!). Which will make that Sunday run look a bit more tricky. I'll also have more problems carrying food because I'll be away for longer, I won't be able to just dump it in the car, and I'll end up in central London where I'll no doubt find something like Ben and Jerry's to indulge in.

So the healthy me says car, but I'm still not sure. I suppose the advantage of the car is I can decide on the morning whether I do want to go or not. I'll ponder for a little longer I think.