End of the world weather

Will it ever stop raining? urrgh! at this rate I will be banished back to the school until August. Mind you, thats not so bad if Saturdays lacklustre board performance is anything to go by. Ok, so - Saturday night I wrapped monkfish fillets in parma ham and poached them for six minutes before sealing them in a frying pan. mmmm. And, in other fish news, if Horace Boldock is too far to travel for fishy fulfillment, the restaurant Catch (above the old Thyme - now Artisan restaurant) in Crosspool have a fish counter from which fresh fishies can be procured. Expensive but worth it.

 

Sunday brought with it a sore head from a mere two cans of guiness and inspite of alka seltzer, it wouldn't shift. The rain had set in for the day, but I only wanted to run and I quite like the rain when running. The honey monster arranged to go to Meadowhall to return something, which gave me more time than I planned, so I sent out a few text messages and arranged to meet Ed at the works. When I have a bad head from drinking, I find that one of two things will shift it - sweating or lard. As lard is most definately off the menu until I am back to a fighting weight, it had to be sweating. Climbing doesnt involve proper sweating and climbing with a hangover is nearly pointless, then a masterplan hit me : I could run to the climbing wall!

 

Took 30 minutes to run the 4.5km and I felt normal by the time I got there, so it seemed to do the trick. Works was rammed. Good to see JLS and the Barrett, Nige and Helen, Jon and of course the muscles from er, buxton - Ed. Travs and Mike Lea were climbing, Ryan turned up, as did Dribble. Much merriment, not much sendage. I flailed about, failing on almost everything. Theres a new bit of board which replaces the hanging slab in one of the middle rooms. I wish they would get rid of that awful stepped roof. I hate stepped roofes.

 

The amount of people there reminded me of the importance of friends in climbing sessions. Dont know whether its borne out of the desire to show off or whether its a social thing, but I think it makes a big difference. I was still rubbish but suspect that running and consecutive days climbing contributed to that. Proceeded to do that really irritating thing that people who have had a week off do where they keep harping on about how they would have done such and such a problem last week, but they have had a week off etc. Mike lea pipes up 'I thought you were supposed to be strong' after a particularly pitiful attempt on a problem I probably would have flashed. Mentally reprimand myself for whinging and flail some more. Sometimes I am scared to have a week off, as I hate coming back from it. But rest is the most important part of training, and its probably key to pushing through the next level. Its just galling when you were going well to be stepping back. I suppose the long term gain may compensate for the short term loss.

 

It will be the show off that hates to be rubbish in front of his peers. The master cares not what others think of his performance. Bear that in mind and you will go far young grasshopper...