Health and Safety

L offers up the opportunity to revive the long neglected routine of the pre-cycling work out, which has served me so well in the past. This time, on the grounds of my health and safety, and also the fact I quite enjoy it, I don't turn her down.

Just as I'm about to leave it starts to rain and quite heavily. I decide to brave it anyway and put on my waterproof jacket. Seconds later it has stopped and I have to take it off again. Ride goes well, I’m sure my warm-up helped. The rain seems to have made the weather very humid. Half an hour after arriving at work and I haven’t managed to stop sweating yet.

I've stolen L's bag and have got my swimming kit but I've forgotten to pack a lock. This means I'll have to carry over the big heavy lock that I keep at work. That'll totally mess up my attempt at a PB.

Doggo is benefiting from the fact that when we defrosted some liver from our freezer we realised that it went out of date in July 2005. Even we didn't dare eat it and we usually eat anything no matter how out of date it is. We usually just add more spices to hide the rancid taste. However once cooked the liver looked fine, Doggo certainly seemed to think so.

The start times for the Mansfield Triathlon have been released. First start is 8.00, last is 11.36, I’m off at 9.30. So fairly mid-table. L asks if I could drag my time out to finish around 12:00, so that we can have lunch. No problem, I’ll just go round twice.

I look at who else is on start time. They're all in the 40-48 age group. Old gits. Then I recognise one of the names. It’s the chap who I had a 'duel' with in the Clumber Duathlon. I didn't really notice him but as soon as he finished he came up to me, shook my hand, and congratulated me on a good race. I hadn't noticed we'd even been racing. I'd been too preoccupied with the audacity of some of the people on Mountain Bikes and of course the women who'd had the gall to overtake me on the bike. Well I'll certainly notice him this time. He can consider his card well and truly marked. I just hope he's not been training for this day to exact his revenge.

Looking back at the stats, I trounced him by nearly a minute and half in the first run but then our bike and second run were almost identical. His transitions were much better than mine. Hmmm. There's an unknown factor here. Basically if he's a good swimmer, I could be in trouble. L says she hopes he loses count of his lengths. Bless her; perhaps my competitiveness is rubbing off on her a touch.

In the evening L at pilates and I cycle straight to the pool. I share a lane with a girl, a chap, and the right arm of the guy in the next lane. For some reason his lane isn't wide enough for him and he has to keep flailing his arm into my lane. He hits me in the face twice and on the back of the head once. The chap in my lane is a pain and keeps stopping but the girl is worse because she doesn't. So I have to keep going without taking a break because I'm not stopping unless she does. Worryingly she alternates strokes and we keep almost exact pace with each other, which means her breaststroke is pretty impressive. Then she starts to catch me up. She's just showing off, presumably because she can. So I get out.

Get home. Quick drink and a sports bar before I take Doggo on the park for his promised ball season. I've been complaining to the council again about the park because despite the renovations, which are good (although they appear to have been abandoned half-done, I assume because the money ran out), all the weeds, nettles, and foot high grass still makes the place look like a tip. Well tonight someone's done some weeding and we have nicely trimmed grass, although it’s a shame they couldn't pick the cuttings up.

Just as Doggo and I get down to the lake, a park attendant in a land rover truck hurtles down the narrow track between the lake and the ha-ha, doing his bit to destroy the environment. We throw ourselves out of the way, to safety. He doesn't acknowledge us; he was too busy singing along to whatever was on his Ipod. Ah, Health and Safety don't you just love it.

At home, L cooks up a Burmese curry which is served with pasta. Odd combination but very nice.

Later in bed L puts down her book and says she's going to snuggle up to me but I think she falls asleep before she manages it. Bless. I finish reading and turn out the light, ready to go to sleep but then she cuddles up to me. Oh dear, she's playing with fire. It's post-watershed but I can't resist easing her onto her back to test the water. I'm not in trouble yet, so I take the plunge and continue. I decide its best that I make it a swift one, as I'm sure I'll get the blame for this in the morning.

Mission accomplished, L can get some sleep now, but it seems I've awoken the animal within and she seems quite up for it now. It'll be my fault when she can't get up in the morning.