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July's Journal
September's Journal
31/08/2025
August started with Rel, her mum, and I (again!) in the Lake District visiting
their relatives. We had a lovely time, and the weather wasn't too bad either.
Back at work for the week I took it easy exercise-wise to be full of energy
for Rel's 100 miler the following weekend. While she started running at 07:30
on the Saturday morning, I took a succession of trains, the Underground, and
more trains to get to Bearsford, and then walked a few miles to get to the aid
station (and adjacent pub, for dinner). While I arrived at about 19:00 and had
dinner, Rel didn't arrive until around 03:00 in the morning. This meant I had
to amuse myself/stay awake/doze fitfully in a chair for a fair while. It didn't
matter as once Rel had arrived with her previous pacer, had been fed, watered,
and generally made to look after herself, we were off into the night. Head
torches on we made steady progress, and were done by 10:30ish. 27 hours and
change after she'd started. An amazing achievement for her first (only?) go at
the distance. She wasn't over the moon with the time, but very pleased to have
completed it. The weather was hot on the Saturday and Sunday during daylight
hours so I'm definitely not sure I would have been able to do the same thing.
Maybe one day, before I'm too old...
We got a lift to the train station in Ashford and then trains home to mine,
where I could look after her a little better on the Monday (although we both
had to head into town for eye tests). Of course, the following weekend Rel was
back off on her travels (for work). This time to Zambia. I went to Manchester
for what I thought was a normal weekend visit, but ended up staying almost a
week as my mum got pneumonia (again) and was in hospital. This meant it was
sensible for me to be around to keep my dad company until she was released. I
brought my laptop with me, so I was able to do a decent few days of work,
which was helpful. When I got back I was immediately into the office for a
demo/presentation from a company... which we're probably not going to go with,
despite sort of really needing their product at this point. No money in the
kitty these days, disappointingly.
When Rel got home from Zambia, rather than coming to me from the airport, she
went home and I got a train up to meet her at the station and spend the
afternoon and night with her before an early train journey home again for work
after the bank holiday Monday.
Then it was just a short week of work before Rel was back down with me, this
time we her bike in tow so that on the Saturday we could start our first mini
cycle adventure in the 'wilds' of Norfolk. Kings Lynn to Fakenham on the
Saturday, Fakenham to Norwich on the Sunday, and Norwich to Lowestoft (stopping
short of Great Yarmouth after some thought) on the Monday. Other than 30
minutes of rain on the Monday, we had great weather (a little windy sometimes),
and no bike issues whatsoever. That took us into September!