Monday, February 02, 2009

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

It's not snowed properly for a couple of years around here, so imagine the excitement when we awoke to this.

The girls rushed out onto the village green to celebrate school closure and I allowed myself a lie in as the whole of southern England appears to be doing much the same.

For those of you who are interested in the geography of these things, I'm now sat in the large picture window of my office (to the left of the picture, above the double garage doors) typing my blog.

Old Thatch is gonna have a bit of snowman activity this afternoon I think.

Another reason for sleeping in was that I'd taken my first drink (or, to be strictly correct, my first few drinks of 2009). Colin - who's also had an alcohol free January - and I met in the pub last night and downed a few to toast the eleven months ahead. Forgive the quality of the iphone photo and the fact that it was taken by Westy who's obviously got a bad case of the shakes.

So what news this week? I've not really been keeping you up to date with my writing, have I. Latest is that, frankly, it's been tough but I'm coming through it. I'm still working on the treatment and structure of the story I want to tell before committing to a screenplay. Needless to say, that story needs to go through several passes to get it right. I found myself floundering a little recently but have re-grouped and applied a secret formula to my writing sessions which is enabling me to come up with some interesting new angles on the whole thing. Hopefully, after this pass... I'll have the thing ready for writing the script. I'll keep you in the loop.

A good week training, capped off by my ride yesterday in my first ever organised cycling sportive, an organised ride for club cyclists on the public roads. There were fifteen of us from Team MK and I surprised myself by cycling strong for an average of 19.6 mph over 70 miles, in very strong winds and snow showers, completing the course in just over 3.5 hours and coming fourth overall out of the whole field and second Team MK cyclist overall. All that too at an average heart rate of slightly less than 75%. There's a long way to go yet, but the seeds of my cycling improvement are slowly being sewn.

So:

Monday Impromptu day off. Totally knackered.
Tuesday 50 mins, 1.9km endurance swim session, 45 mins, 5.6 mile Tempo run
Weds 50 mile wet and windy hilly bike ride with Graham, Olly and Rob (Team MK), easy 20 minute run off the bike
Thurs 45 mins 1.9km endurance swim session, 45 mins interval (IM, Mara and 10k pace) run session
Fri 50 mins 2.45km swim session (drills and endurance), 45 mins tempo run
Sat 1 hour 17 mins slow x country run with Mark K
Sun 3 hr 32 min, 70 mile Bike Ride, 19.6mph average followed by 35 minute run off the bike

Total time training this week: 13.37 hours

Swim 6.25 km
Bike 120 miles
Run 32 miles

Last week's movie quote was from MURIEL'S WEDDING and was spoken by MURIEL, played by TONI COLLETTE. The link was that Toni Collette also appeared in The Sixth Sense. Well done Westy for getting it.

Have a crack at this:

"Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."

Film, actor and link please.

Speaking of movies, I saw only two last week. One was rubbish - 'Untraceable' - some serial killer on the computer thing. The other was sublime - Darren Arranofsky's THE WRESTLER, with Micky Rourke rightly nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. I think it's gonna be tight between The Rourkester and Frank Langella. See the movies... let me know what you think.

Until then I must leave you... I have snowment to build and stories to tell...

'Good night, you princes of Maine... you kings of New England'

3 comments:

M said...

Hi Jev
having recently had my 40th in Londinium and been treated to a VIP night at the Wyndhams where we watched a fantastic Twelfth Night (Jacobi), I have been all over Shakespeare since...that qoute has gotta be R and J, have to say as much as its a chicflick shak in love has got to be a fav of mine...sad I know

all the best

Mark

H said...

Yup that sounds like R & J to me too, Baz Lehrman's version is it? Can only think the link is an Australiam one, Toni Collete being from Oz and Lehrman too. Leonardo DeCaprio was Romeo but can't remeber Juliet's name was it Helen (something or other?) that's as good as I can do I'm afraid petal.
Old Thatch looks simply idyllic covered in snow :) Love to all and great result on't bike :) xxx

Westy said...

Sorry to bugger up the pic of your glorious return to ale with Colin- I'm going with Leo Di Caprio when he reckons his girlie's brown in Baz Lehrman's Romeo and Juliet- only guessing that Baz directed Muriel's do da

Cheers

Westy