Bye Bye boat and Birmingham

I woke on Saturday morning, feeling slightly fuzzy headed after attending the birthday bash of Anomaly. Why did my calf muscles hurt so much? My mission for Saturday was to go and see my little dinghy...it had been sitting there, un sailed and sad and forlorn and finally I had found someone who was interested in purchasing her!


I trundled over to the tranquillity that is Rutland Water, relieved to get some fresh air after being surrounded by smelly dancing people the night before. I pulled my little boat out from the undergrowth and felt guilty by the clumps of moss forming on the buckles!

After removing the green cover (it should be blue!), and swatting off the sleeping wasps, I scrubbed her down with a big bottle of Muc-Off and a giant sponge, (trying to be brave in front of my potential purchaser with regards to the spiders scattering in all directions). Once rigged she looked marvellous, and the wind was pretty perfect for sailing…unfortunately I am still yet to invest in a dry suit and the prospect of capsizing in a summer wet suit, with hangover, did not appeal to me.

Not sure if I have sold her, but she looked mighty fine!

Exhausted and caked in mud I returned home to find we were then nipping off on the train to Birmingham to go to the Christmas Market. One frankfurter later and a trip down a helter-skelter, a few purchases and was ready to get home, feeling a little bit more Christmassy!

100 fight Kumite (oh my god!)

For children in need the Karate club, where I have been a member for a year, do a 100 fight Kumite (Kumite (組手) means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learnt from the kihon and kata.)

It dawned on me in the morning what I might be possibly letting myself in for.  It was quite possibly the most physical thing I have ever done.

We arrived at the club for a quick warm up, and then the first fight started...I hoped that my yellow belt would shine out and speak out to some of the fighters (she's newish - please be gentle), but within minutes some stranger had kicked me in the chest and whacked me in the nose.  Realising that different types of karate (and there were some kick boxers in the mix) have different belt sytems and may not be aware that a yellow belt does really mean that I am not overly confident at blocking, punching and kicking.  I decided for self preservation, to start each fight with the following statement "please be gentle with me, have only been doing karate for a year" at which point I may receive a punch to the side of my head...I ended up getting a standard response too "nooo, you be gentle with me", as the black belted person in front of me did a jump turn back kick...

The whistle kept going and I soon lost count, it was then announced we would have a drinks break but only 25 fights had passed...I have never been so hot.

Finally, at 9.20pm, we finished.  I won two raffle prizes, one being a gum shield that I think may come in handy for next year's 100 fight kumite...if I dare enter it again!  I was a bit a wuss for the last 25 fights I think my challenge next year would be to keep the momentum up.  I drove home shaking but pleased that betweeen this and the kick-a-thon the week before we had raised over £1000.

This is towards the end, had to take helmet off as I was so hot

I think I am about to pass out - rather than bowing to my sparring partner

I've finally cycled more than 17 miles

Well, its been a while coming but I have finally cycled more than 17 miles.  The plan was to join two routes, but as I completed the first route - which is the 17 mile one...the rain started to pour.  I thought, as I passed my front door...do I keep going or stop?  The thought of simply stopping made me feel like I hadn't accomplished my challenge (well I know its not that far to some cyclists out there who do 70 miles a day but to me it is!)  Despite being completely soaked, water dripping off my bike helmet...I was determined to keep going.  To extend the route I thought I would add my trip to Baggrave Park but the prospect of the hill back up to Ingarsby filled me with dread!

Instead I decided to turn the corner and head straight down the A47, a nasty, fast road but fast for me too as I hit 29 mph towards the villages of Bushby and Thurnby.  So here it is, the evidence:

Not quite sure what to do next???