I don’t think I’m too late.. am I? It’s hard to tell. One computer is on UK time and the other is on Aussie time and I’m on hippy-time (kinda like Hammer-time without the parachute pants).

Anyway, I can’t get you the real thing, but here is something for you once you’ve made a full recovery.

Cats ARE evil. Like me.

iPods may be the sexiest consumer device ever invented but they can be scratched quite easily – apparently – I had mine in a case with a screen protector since almost day one. I found a much sexier solution, however, in the form of The Invisible Shield.

This stuff is used to coat helicopter blades!

The guy at work who mentioned it has it covering his iPod Nano and said “it was a PITA to get it on but once in place it’s tough as nails!” and then proceeded to hit his Nano with his keys to demonstrate the fact.

It’s not just for iPods either. It can be used on other mp3 players, HRMs, Laptops, PDAs, cycle computers, etc. and if they don’t have a version already, they will customise one for your device at no extra cost. (No, I don’t work for this company, I just like the idea).

Some piggies rob a bank, confess to the crime, do time and then stay on the straight and narrow forevermore? OR

NSW police start ‘arresting’ criminals rather than ‘investing in’ criminals?

Neither. It’s an ingredient in one of Tescos “Healthy Eating” sandwiches!

Sure, it’s low fat and the rest, but I never would’ve associated “reformed bacon” with “healthy”.

I have found a solution to the problem of artificially sweetened cordial: Old Jamaica Ginger Beer. Just like my old man I’ve become a bit of a ginger beer nut. It’s more expensive than cordial, but it tastes way better and has SUGAR in it! Yay!

In other gastronews, I preferred the soy Yorkshire puddings and Leo cooks a mad, mad roast beef! 😀

I want to ride my bicycle..

I finally got back on the bike and rode into Courier Systems to get the form I need to hassle them about being underpaid. For almost a month off the bike I didn’t notice any issues and I felt my speed was comparable. Perhaps a slight reduction in weight means I don’t need as much effort to crest hills or perhaps the spin classes have maintained the riding legs?

I must’ve looked odd to the locals, wearing only summer kit and riding in the “just a little nippy” weather. Gets dark at 4:30-5pm now. Off the bike my skin was red from cold. So long as you keep moving (fast) there’s no problem though (don’t puncture!).

with Tam when it comes to run reports (or the actual running), e.g. Dancing in the Storm or RR: Endeavour 500km Summer Challenge but I can use them for inspiration.

I never liked the idea of “not winning”. I rarely did TT’s. A Personal Best didn’t count near as much as if I was first across the line.

This has changed since I arrived back in London, after my cycle tour. The bike sits in the loungeroom and I find myself heading out into the cold to run rather than to ride. Given that I hated running such a short time ago, I really can’t explain the change. Different country, different conditions, different attitude – perhaps undertaking a different sport doesn’t seem so odd? Wait.. what am I saying?! Get me my roadie!!!!! 😉

Where was I going with that? Oh yes, PB’s. I know I am slow compared to everyone else that has ever run. I’ve seen suits, laden with briefcases and laptop bags, running towards departing trains faster than I run seriously. The thing is, not racing against anyone means I can happily take pleasure in bettering my own times, regardless of the fact I am not a ‘weedy stick-bandit’, um, I mean.. ‘serious runner’. (The anti-runner in me lives on!).

I wasn’t going to run tonight, evidenced by the fact that I’d just scoffed two egg-custard tarts! (So nice!) Then the guilt kicked in (Sheila) and I decided I should at least try to do something active. I hadn’t done anything since the double Ealing Run Loop (EARL) on Monday. Even Wednesday’s Spin class was too scary to face with my legs as trashed as they were. I’d jogged to the gym last night (Thur) to see if they were still sore. They were.

Tonight I didn’t give myself a tester, I just put the shoes on, put the arm-warmers on and left (Yes, I was wearing other clothes too!). I noticed no immediate pain and for some reason I was going much faster than my usual starting pace. Being a big lad who doesn’t have a background in running I am in constant fear of injury. It doesn’t stop me doing stupid things if I’ve set my mind to them, but it does mean I err on the side of caution most of the time.

Tonight I just went out harder than normal. I blame Tam. Sometimes, she actually makes running sound like.. dare I say it.. fun. 😉

The first part of the run is the dodgiest. The streets are dark and the footpaths over here are shockingly uneven. I trip regularly when walking so I’m super-careful running. Doing a “Superman” and landing face-first on the concrete (ala Croydon!) or hitting a pile of wet leaves, sliding out and rolling an ankle aren’t high on my list of things to do. I slow down going up the rise in front of Northfields tube station, duck around some turning cars and then continue past a smokey pub, actually glad I’m doing this rather than sucking down another pint or five.

Now I’m feeling the fast(er) start – I have to slow down. It’s different to the bike. On the bike I know my body much more accurately. I know I can go all out and probably not hurt myself. Heart rate limits me more so than my legs. Running is the other way around – my legs fail me well before my heart and lungs do. If I ran flat out, I’d probably be on crutches for the next month with all kinds of joint, tendon, ligament, blah, blah, damage. No fun, so I deep breathe to kill my stitch and try to ensure my legs aren’t getting too beat up.

The third quarter is nicer. The road I follow goes past two sides of a square-ish park which means I can see across said park, perhaps a kilometre ahead, making it feel like I’m on the home stretch much earlier than reality dictates.

I think about Dancing in the Storm and how her words paint a lovely picture. A picture that is nothing like what I see and how I feel now!

I think how sick in the head Tam must be to enjoy this “running” thing. I think about how much stick I gave her and others for doing this to themselves. Then I think about what I am doing, laugh out loud at my idiocy and run faster! 😀

I thought about beating my PB once I’d had the fast start but then gave that idea up once I’d got tired and slowed down. I now check my watch and think “perhaps I can beat it by a little bit”. I’m into central Ealing now and I run faster simply because people are around to see me – don’t want to look too slow. There’s lots of footpath traffic on Friday night so I check over my shoulder and run in the bus lane or on the road whenever it’s sensible to do so.

My stitch has left me but my legs are hurting now. I pretend the pedestrians are a home-straight crowd and push myself harder. Diving across the road and through the Green I note my breathing sounds like some kind of steam engine (can steam engines mis-fire? :D). I up the pace further, knowing there is only one more road to go..

BEEP! Stop the clock. 35.44.

“Awesome!”, I think to myself, as I keel over and try desperately to inhale that lovely gas mix we call “air”.

“That’s (inhale) gotta (inhale) be about (inhale) a minute (inhale) under my (inhale) previous best (inhale) time. Sweet!”

I find my way inside, sit down and some time later check my diary for the last PB – 38.30. Hey, better than expected! A 2min 46sec improvement!

Runner? No, not yet, not even close. This could all stop, soon as I get my hands on a road bike and race license. But, at least I can type “run” now, without feeling a strong urge for self-harm.. hang on.. running IS self-harm! hehehehe See? I haven’t changed that much! 😛

Public transport via google

I actually imagined/dreamed/wondered about this concept just a day or so ago. Surprise, surprise, today I found out it was a reality on their new Gmail RSS feeds.

I was using the TFL Trip Planner to work out some travel plans and wondered why no one had combined Google Maps with London bus routes and suchlike. Essentially, I’m curious about where my bus goes, but I want Google Maps to show me. With timing information I could know when and where I’d be, given a departure time. Combine this with store address info and I’d know how many times I could listen to “I’m too sexy” before I had to hop off at Richer Sounds to buy that new stereo..

Check out what they say anyway. It’s only one town now, but it will grow..

Anything that will make using PT quicker and easier is a Good Thing(tm).

BTW: I don’t actually have a copy of “I’m too sexy”.. yet.. 😉

www.google.co.uk – phenylalanine

www.google.co.uk – aspartame

www.google.co.uk – saccharine

I went looking for cordial at Morrisons (Safeway) last night and I had a specific goal – to find a cordial that didn’t taste like artificial sweetener. Thinking of Australia and the vast amount of lovely sugared Cotties, Kia-Ora, etc. I figured “no problemo!”.

So did I succeed?

Barely.

Almost every cordial/squash in this rather large supermarket is made by a single company – Robinsons.

“Surely they have normal, sugar-sweetened cordial in their range, right?”, I mused as I browsed.

Bzzt! Wrong!

Out of maybe thirty different cordial varieties (most from Robinsons), I found perhaps three that were not artificially sweetened. Ribena and two “High Fruit” drinks, which are basically fruit juice concentrates, were it.

Not a single, “normal” cordial lived on the shelves. I grew up drinking Diet Coke, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, I can’t stand that artificial sweetener taste now. Diet Coke is barely passable, but in cordial.. bleh!!!

I have a rough idea of what sugar does to my body, but what are phenylalanine, saccharine and aspartame doing??

There’s quite a large amount of “anti-sweetner” websites out there, which is just a touch disconcerting! Sure, it could be all nutter, conspiracy theorists, but where there’s smoke…

(there’s hippy and a box of matches? :D)

In other food news, Waitrose supermarket has come up with the goods! The best iced coffee I have found in this country is sold by them. It has a name like “Columbian Iced Coffee” and I think it is their own brand. A 1L clear-plastic bottle of this loveliness costs about ?1.30. Although not an Ice Break or Farmer’s Union, it is far and away the best iced coffee I’ve found here.

Waitrose also appear to be the only store that stocks Vegemite in jars larger than the piddly 115g variety. A 230/235g? jar goes for ?1.99 Beaut!!

TIM TAMS – NO CONTEST!

Penguins are like the cheapass, home-brand version of TimTams. They just can’t compete.

You can eat them, if that’s all you’ve got, but you’ll be thinking about Tim Tams.

Tim-Tams have thicker, nicer chocolate, softer and nicer biscuit and a superior filling.

Sheila says: “Penguin is a wannabe TimTam! The biscuit is dry, brittle and cheap and the chocolate is not as thick and creamy. The filling tastes like sugar and cocoa – far inferior to [a] Tam Tam’s filling.“

Oz wins, hands down. Bring TimTams to the UK!

From www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com:

“the mighty Penguin offers a more of a satisfying mouthful and its greater bulk elevates it from treat to a snack.“

So, they are giving it credit for being heavier?! Obviously they’ve never heard the expression “quality, not quantity”! Fools.

More opinions can be found here, but these freaks eat Tim Tams with tea so they are obviously idiots. 😛

We lost one of the household showers yesterday, so the seals (*makes seal noises*) could be re-done.

Luckily, on the same day, I also proved that I can wear clothes to the gym on 4 separate occasions, soaking them through with sweat and not washing them, before they start to emit noticeable odours (unlike some other “stench creatures” in the house :P).

The flipside is that I can only wear clothes in the Super-heated Office(tm) for a day before they stink. Explain that one Doctor Karl! :S

I’m sure it was nearly 30degC in the office yesterday! No wucking funder I couldn’t concentrate!

Okay, this is a total lie, I’m still tired and grumpy and this job is doing my head in but I’m into denying my feelings so la la la happy joy joy la la..

I think for my next job I’m going to try dish-washing.