Action Girl
he decision is made and communicated. I'm staying. I'm feeling a bit more positive about sticking to this job for a while longer now I've actually been in the position where I've had to think about what I actually want out of my career, so I suppose it's been a good thing in a way. Still, I'm glad that it's over and I can get back to normality.
Part of that normality seems to involve planning more sporty things to do. There are loads of things that I've often planned to do but never got round to, but this year things seem to be coming back together. I'm quite surprised how I'm taking to this action girl lifestyle.
1. White Water Rafting - done.
2. Sky diving - in the pipeline. My parents know the people who run the sky diving place on GC (in typical Spanish multi-sport crossover fashion the family also run a dive shop). My sister and her boyfriend have said that they want to try it before they come back to the UK in autumn. I wanted to do a charity parachute jump last year but it was the week before Berlin so I decided against it. My sister and her boyfriend both have birthdays over summer, as do I, when I'm out there at the end of the month. So, my parents have suggested getting in touch with Paco to see how much they'll charge for all three of us to do it as a combined birthday treat. I let out a little shriek when I got the email from mum suggesting this. Of course I'm up for it!!!
3. Rock climbing/abseiling. Not only did I find a weekend course for beginners, but I found someone who wants to do it with me! So it's booked, paid for and happening in July. I wasn't even filled with horror when I read the email which suggested wearing something like running tights to do it in, because I'm so used to wearing lycra now that it holds no fear. I also own an increasingly large selection to choose from...
4. Cycling. This has been on the to do list for a couple of years. When I first started this I decided that my reward for reaching goal would be a new bike. When I was at uni 10 years ago I used to cycle a fair bit. I've not really done it since though, and I somehow don't think that the bike I used back then (which was the bike my mother used when she was at university) would cut it. But bikes aren't cheap (particularly not when you add helmet, lock, lights and everything else you need to the list of things to buy), so I've never quite got round to it. Recently I've been getting more and more tempted to do it though. I've seen that even running to work is quicker than getting the bus half the time, so imagine how fast cycling would be, not to mention being good exercise and a good use of time (using previously dead commuting time to work out). It would also get me a step closer to having a go at triathlon, maybe next summer. (That wasn't the original reason for wanting a bike, but it seems to have slipped onto the list of things I want to do). However, I look at bike specs and it's all far too technical for me to understand, and utterly confusing. I don't want anything ultra expensive, but equally I don't want something that's so horrible to ride it will put me off for life.
I've decided that the bike will be this year's birthday present to myself (remember The Jeans from last year? I still wear them all the time, and they were fantastic value for money ;)). My grandparents usually give me a bit of cash, so if I put that in the pot and then top it up with my own money I should be able to afford something decent. Hopefully I can get used to commuting on it over summer, then when it starts getting colder and wetter in the autumn I'll already be hooked and won't end up stashing it away never to be used again.
So, top of the list of things to do this weekend (apart from running the local half marathon, which will just be a minor distraction...) is to get myself to the Proper Bike Shop and see if they can explain what I need in words of one syllable.
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I think it's time for a call out to Edinburgh peeps. Dietgirl and Lainey, I mean you in particular, but anyone else in Edinburgh/Scotland is more than welcome. I'm coming up in your direction soon! I've got my number (3408) through, and my club vest (purple, says Kirkstall Harriers on the front, I should be the only person wearing one) is ready and waiting to have it pinned on. Way back when I started planning this marathon thing, I suggested seeing if we could arrange a little meet up while I'm up in Edinburgh for the marathon. I've had two basic ideas - one is to meet up on the afternoon/evening of the marathon itself, either near the finish (Musselburgh) in the afternoon or back in the city centre later on. The other is to meet up for lunch on bank holiday Monday somewhere when I'm less likely to be feeling ill and incapable of doing anything other than lying in a darkened room, which is what happened in Berlin. I have a flight booked from Edinburgh to Madrid late afternoon/early evening on the Monday, but I think I only need to be at the airport at about 4 or 5pm (must get round to checking times...). I will have my car with me, so can (with appropriate directions) make it to wherever is easiest to meet up. Let me know if either idea works for you.
Part of that normality seems to involve planning more sporty things to do. There are loads of things that I've often planned to do but never got round to, but this year things seem to be coming back together. I'm quite surprised how I'm taking to this action girl lifestyle.
1. White Water Rafting - done.
2. Sky diving - in the pipeline. My parents know the people who run the sky diving place on GC (in typical Spanish multi-sport crossover fashion the family also run a dive shop). My sister and her boyfriend have said that they want to try it before they come back to the UK in autumn. I wanted to do a charity parachute jump last year but it was the week before Berlin so I decided against it. My sister and her boyfriend both have birthdays over summer, as do I, when I'm out there at the end of the month. So, my parents have suggested getting in touch with Paco to see how much they'll charge for all three of us to do it as a combined birthday treat. I let out a little shriek when I got the email from mum suggesting this. Of course I'm up for it!!!
3. Rock climbing/abseiling. Not only did I find a weekend course for beginners, but I found someone who wants to do it with me! So it's booked, paid for and happening in July. I wasn't even filled with horror when I read the email which suggested wearing something like running tights to do it in, because I'm so used to wearing lycra now that it holds no fear. I also own an increasingly large selection to choose from...
4. Cycling. This has been on the to do list for a couple of years. When I first started this I decided that my reward for reaching goal would be a new bike. When I was at uni 10 years ago I used to cycle a fair bit. I've not really done it since though, and I somehow don't think that the bike I used back then (which was the bike my mother used when she was at university) would cut it. But bikes aren't cheap (particularly not when you add helmet, lock, lights and everything else you need to the list of things to buy), so I've never quite got round to it. Recently I've been getting more and more tempted to do it though. I've seen that even running to work is quicker than getting the bus half the time, so imagine how fast cycling would be, not to mention being good exercise and a good use of time (using previously dead commuting time to work out). It would also get me a step closer to having a go at triathlon, maybe next summer. (That wasn't the original reason for wanting a bike, but it seems to have slipped onto the list of things I want to do). However, I look at bike specs and it's all far too technical for me to understand, and utterly confusing. I don't want anything ultra expensive, but equally I don't want something that's so horrible to ride it will put me off for life.
I've decided that the bike will be this year's birthday present to myself (remember The Jeans from last year? I still wear them all the time, and they were fantastic value for money ;)). My grandparents usually give me a bit of cash, so if I put that in the pot and then top it up with my own money I should be able to afford something decent. Hopefully I can get used to commuting on it over summer, then when it starts getting colder and wetter in the autumn I'll already be hooked and won't end up stashing it away never to be used again.
So, top of the list of things to do this weekend (apart from running the local half marathon, which will just be a minor distraction...) is to get myself to the Proper Bike Shop and see if they can explain what I need in words of one syllable.
----------------------------------
I think it's time for a call out to Edinburgh peeps. Dietgirl and Lainey, I mean you in particular, but anyone else in Edinburgh/Scotland is more than welcome. I'm coming up in your direction soon! I've got my number (3408) through, and my club vest (purple, says Kirkstall Harriers on the front, I should be the only person wearing one) is ready and waiting to have it pinned on. Way back when I started planning this marathon thing, I suggested seeing if we could arrange a little meet up while I'm up in Edinburgh for the marathon. I've had two basic ideas - one is to meet up on the afternoon/evening of the marathon itself, either near the finish (Musselburgh) in the afternoon or back in the city centre later on. The other is to meet up for lunch on bank holiday Monday somewhere when I'm less likely to be feeling ill and incapable of doing anything other than lying in a darkened room, which is what happened in Berlin. I have a flight booked from Edinburgh to Madrid late afternoon/early evening on the Monday, but I think I only need to be at the airport at about 4 or 5pm (must get round to checking times...). I will have my car with me, so can (with appropriate directions) make it to wherever is easiest to meet up. Let me know if either idea works for you.
posted by YP at 8:01 PM
2 Comments:
Oh! It's nice to know I'm not the only one wanting to start commuting on bike this summer!! We have to cheer each other on!
Consider talking to your company about the Cycle To Work Scheme, which is the most tremendously jammy scam - and get something really nice...
7 or 8 speed hub gears, standing dynamo lights (solidlights for example), a foska skeleton cycling jacket (the scheme covers safety gear, locks etc too). Mmmm.
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