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Wednesday 18 January 2012

Exercise prowess

Wednesday night is building into a bit of a tradition in Jake's house.  It's rugby training, it's collecting mud on as much of Jake as possible and then contriving to leave as much of the rugby pitch as can be knocked, rubbed and scraped off in Nic's car.  This is then followed by Jake clacking his studs along the pavement and into the Fish & Chip Shop to order saveloy & chips.  Errant chips and chip paper are then added to the mud and grass accumulated in front of the car whilst Jake, seated on plastic carrier bags, in a vain attempt to avoid mud becoming ingrained in the upholstery, gabbles and chomps the 7 miles home. Never buy a used car from Nic being the moral of the story.

Over the weeks this ritual has become a real 'family' experience.  However ... trump card played tonight. Nic & Philip went for a session in the gym!  After the Land's End to Dover ride, Nic has found her shoulders and neck are achy and stiff most of the time.  The request was for the gym to devise a programme to strengthen these feeble muscles - all the signs are that they may have done that. Lifting a pencil tomorrow may be tricky.  Anyway, the upshot of this was that Jake now felt the need to up the ante in the face of exercising competition from the adults

As Jake approached the car Nic could see the mud covered rugby kit and the sweaty scrum cap and Jake was talking to a friend very animatedly, all normal.  The car door opened and Jake was suddenly struck by the sight of Nic in her tracksuit, still pink after her exertions.  How could Jake keep the focus of attention on himself?  "Mum, I've really badly hurt my knee tackling someone!" and his right boot and the mud and grass that were helping to make his size 7s look more like size 10s, smacked down onto the car dashboard creating a spectacular mud shower onto the mat below.

Well done Jake, you have our attention now!
Well, it's early days but the team have been embracing their fitness regime this week. Nic and Jake took to the frosted fields for another of their jogging efforts. In their 3, sprint between two trees intervals, Jake was  consistently a few seconds quicker than Nic - oh to have speed in those muscles. Tuesday saw Jake experience rugby victory in inter-house competition (even if he came on as a winger?)
Nic and Philip that testosterone filled environment of a gym! Scary thought. Whatever next? Watch this space.

Sunday 15 January 2012

Bredon Hill Walk

bikewithJake was a team of one today - and it wasn't Jake. Jake decided against a walk  as it just didn't seem quite exciting enough after rugby was cancelled due to the frost. Philip, well he was just a 'no-show'.  So it was down to the sickly Nic to put best booted foot forward and march to the top of a hill.


It was a beautiful day to head for the top of Bredon Hill, crisp underfoot, with hidden sparkling jewels of frost in the lee of the land and a slight ivory haze softening the distant views.  

     The walk was from Kersoe via 'Fiddler's Knapp' to the 'Elephant' at the top of the hill and then back following a circular route.  Two hours fifteen minutes of gentle rambling interspersed by 5 minutes of listening to joyous, busy chatter.  A mixed flock of finches - always take binoculars - gossiped away in the tops of half a dozen trees.  The noise and sight of 3 earnest mountain bikers sent them whirring into the sky, probably close to 100 birds, momentarily lost in the glare of the sun.  Then, they swooped back to their canopy perches to resume their chat as before.

You see boys, you don't know what you were missing!