The weather finally appears to have caught on to the fact that it’s actually December hooray! The cold and crisp (but sunny) days are here and hopefully to stay for a while – this is what winter is about (well that and large dollops of snow of course).
With the weather being so good I simply couldn’t resist taking my bike for a spin around my Gowerton loop this lunchtime. The 14.06 mile route took me 57 minutes and 11 seconds at an average speed of 14.6 mph and a top speed of 21 mph. The only downside was that when I returned I could hardly feel my fingers and toes – now I know why the serious cyclists wear foot muffs! Still it was lush to be out and away from the office 
After not doing anything much in the way of exercise last week, I thought I’d best start this week off on a more positive and energentic standing. So come lunchtime, I mounted my bike and headed off on my own little ‘Gowerton loop’ of 14.05 miles. The first thing that struck me – no it wasn’t a pedestrian – was the force of the wind, which thankfully was behind me on the way back! My journey took me 56 minutes 58 seconds in total, at an average of 14.7 mph and a 21.5 mph top speed.
Hot on the heels of putting up the Christmas deccies at home, I managed to convince my colleagues in work that it was about time we put the office decorations (well tree anyhow) up – in an attempt to raise spirits (Monday’s are never good in our place!).
As you can see from the picture above I succeeded in getting my way. Although it has to be said it’s one of the lamest office Christmas trees I’ve ever seen!
With the clock ticking towards Christmas day – it’ll be here quicker than you think – we decided to start packing some of the pressies tonight. It’ll save us some time nearer the big day and also make our Christmas tree look all the more ‘real’. The biggest problem we face of course is deterring DDWT Junior from wanting to open the presents on the QT when our backs are turned!
Calling all cyclists – don’t forget to vote for Sustrans’ Connect2 in the People’s £50 Million Lottery Giveaway.
Connect2 is a UK-wide project that aims to improve local travel in 79 communities by creating new walking and cycling routes for those everyday journeys. In terms of south west Wales, this would mean valuable funding for improving the cycle link at Afon Tawe bridge, Clydach and Gowerton, Penclawdd and Crofty. There are many similar projects throughout Wales.
So PLEASE vote now and help improve the already amazing cycle paths and routes in Wales.
I had a pleasant surprise today to see that this very blog had been given a mention on the British Heart Foundation blog – as a result of my ramblings about the Swansea Santa jog.
You can read the article for yourself here, but better still why not take part in one of the many BHF events and raise some money for a worthy cause.
I’m glad to report that DDWT Junior returned to school today and although he’s not back to his normal 100% self – he asked to go himself! It does seem however that lots of his classmates are suffering with similar illnesses as the class number has dwindled to less than 10 this week.
We took the opportunity this morning to see how tall the little fella is now as well – partly because he also seems to be displayed the classic symptoms of growing pains. Anyway he now stands at 107.5 cm or 3ft 6′ – which seems to me to be quite tall for someone who is 46 months old. But what do I know.
For the 2nd time in as many weeks DDWT Junior had to miss his appointment for his MMR jabs due to having a throat and ear infection. It also meant he wasn’t in school – along with a lot of other children from what we understand, who are all suffering from one ailment or another (predominately colds). Hopefully the antibiotics that have been prescribed will do the trick and he can get around to having the jabs sometime soon.
Hot of the heels of yesterday’s Santa jog, I took to the road on my mountain bike today and headed off down to Bracelet Bay and Swansea Marina for a 13.08 mile spin. The ride lasted 52 minutes 9 seconds at an average of 15 mph and a top speed of 22mph. The conditions were ok on the whole apart from the patchy drizzly rain – although the biggest difficulty (obstacle?) I encountered was that of pedestrains. Why do they always seem to veer towards the direction and line you are taking – even when walking towards you in some cases! It’s been a while since the last ‘issue’ with people walking, but today could have seen at least 2 nasty collisions due to people being unaware of what is going around them.
With Christmas shopping in full flow for most people it seems, I was rather bemused to see a large billboard poster on one of the side streets off Pentrechwyth Road in St. Thomas (Swansea) featuring a huge advert for the St. Davids shopping centre….. in Cardiff! I understand why it’s there – an attempt to draw shoppers away from Swansea no doubt – but I’m surprised that the various retail business groups in Swansea aren’t up in arms about it. Maybe they haven’t seen it yet? Perhaps I’ll tip the South Wales Evening Post off about it
I decided to go a bit further for my lunchtime ride today and as a result headed off up to Gowerton along cycle route 4. I didn’t do the usual ‘loop’ at the end of it, opting to cut it short (‘cos I was knackered!) instead. Still I managed 12.73 miles in 50 minutes 5 seconds at an average of 15.2 mph (my top speed was 22.5 mph) so it was a useful workout.
It’s quite funny really as everytime I do the Gowerton ride, I pass Dunvant rugby club and with that comes memories of playing rugby there years ago – in the days of the Heineken leagues (remember them?). One occasion sticks in my mind to this day – scoring the solitary try for Tenby United in a 40 odd point drubbing and then reading about it in the South Wales Evening Post on the Monday! Not that it was a great try or anything (it was a merely a case of crashing over from a line-out 2 yards out) but it was just weird seeing it in there.
Whilst I was getting plastered with muddy spray from the bike, DDWT Junior et al were dining in Frankie & Benny’s down the Morfa. From what Mrs DDWT tells me they all (Nanny Brown included) had a nice time wondering around B&Q checking out the Christmas decorations and dancing/musical Christmas toys. Wish I’d have been there rather than in work!
