the heretic genetic algorithm

I've been working on the theory that physical activity is the antidote to the glooms. This is partly based on scientific reasoning (endorphins and all that) and partly on my own subjective evidence. The upshot of it is, though, that I've upgraded my running plan to typically run about an hour instead of about 40 minutes. I've slowed down because of that, but not substantially, and I figured that the reason I wasn't improving my running was that I wasn't really stretching myself. So now I am.

I've also been on quite a few outdoor runs this month. I'd like to do more of those - it's just a case of finding somewhere to do that where I feel safe. Not in a mugged'n'raped'n'leftfordead kind of way - that doesn't bother me more than I think it should. Just in an avoiding little gits sniffing glue / drinking cider / giving me a hard time sort of way. Which does bother me more than it should, I know, but I was a fat hippy-goth growing up in a small rural town full of inbred chavs, and I still try to surreptitiously cross the road when I see gangs of teenagers.

I think I found somewhere, though. The road down towards Bristol neatly combines quiet (pedestrian-wise) and busy (traffic) and is pavemented and streetlit for miles, so I'll go for that. I also fixed up my bike and took the sprog out on it today with much success.

The sprog is a joy to be with at the moment - funny, energetic and full of hundreds of new words. He seems to enjoy everything I throw at him, and that is at least one reason I count myself lucky that I don't have to work right now.

I have some voluntary work lined up though - horticultural therapy and teaching gardening in schools. The latter could turn into enjoyable and child-friendly paid work. I also applied for an admin job for two evenings a month - triaging calls for the local NHS PCT, which might well be quite interesting. We'll see. I have a feeling of progression at least.

And the garden is getting fixed. I sorted out the allotment last week, and we've just finished dismantling the rickety old greenhouse. There's a hella load of lansdscaping to do out there, but at least I now have the space to do it. And once it' done, it's just a case of laying some turf down. All mucho work, but more short term gain than making plantings. And when it's done, it'll be safe for the child to just go out and play around half-supervised, which is a great thing in my mind.

One thing after another in the stable - after the stomach bug from hell, we now have the debilitating cold based virus from ... well... maybe the river styx. Who knows? Anyhoo, the only positive side is that I've lost about 5lbs, so crunching a significant poundage milestone. Yay puking, or something :/

Actually, it's nice to lose weight. At this point in my life, I'm not deserving of the extra poundage - I eat right, exercise well, and generally look after myself. But I haven't done that in the past, and so it goes. Anyhow, that little boost to my morale meant I did a far better run than the past fortnight's worth of slacking really merited.

Swam 30 lengths, and did an unprecedented 10 length run in front crawl, which I'm normally crap at. Guess practice makes perfect.

Ben went to the pool yesterday :)

I did a 5k run today :) Not in the calmest fashion, I have to admit, but I finished. Now I hurt, so I think that's probably pretty much enough of that until past-partum.

Unless anyone wants to walk really slowly with me round the Race for Life ;)

I've been doing lots of knitting. I have, in fact, turned into knit-geek. There's a little shop in Chipping Sodbury that supplies me with my fixes, and the gentleman that runs it is like an elderly Timothy Spall. One day I'll post pictures of wonky bootees, as for some reason I'm inordinately into knitting.

I went to Tai Chi this week for the first time ever, and next week I'm off to Yoga classes with Ben and Liz. I'm really looking foward to it. And I had a lovely meal with my ex-flatmates, and everything is extremely warm and pleasant. I watch a lot of Scrubs, and even cook occasionally.

Yesterday, we spring-cleaned my mum's flat. Oh dear god! Blech. *shudder*

And Monday after tomorrow, I'm off to Edinburgh for a few days. Has anyone been there and can recommend things?

Who would call their kid Drummond Bone? It's just cruel. Mind you, could have been Drummond Baice.

Anyway. Booked tickets to Amsterdam. Ran at lunchtime - about 4k, and I would have run it all, but for the bastard hill at the end. Never mind - one day I will conquer.

This time tomorrow I should be coming back down from Scafell Pike. Big grins :D

Had a good run with my brother today - decided to take it up a notch and run along the canal towpath in Stroud. Bit pissed off that he can run faster than me, to be honest, but did a straight (12 min x run, 2 min x walk) x 3.

It's good that he's a bit faster, to be honest, as otherwise I'm SO slow. Barely above a walking pace. Which is fine - my aim is to do the session, doesn't matter how fast. But it's good practice for going faster :)

Also ran out the earlier niggles of the day...

I did my Race for Life today - it was fantastic!!! Actually quite an emotional experience, and I ran it in 37 minutes and 30 seconds.

Down to 30 minutes next year, I think :))

And then I treated myself to a spiffy new technical tshirt (one that's self-wicking). And a new pair of hiking boots, which are fantastic!!! Cotswold Outdoor are absolutely crap at service, though - it took them about two hours to get my boots, and get them checked-out successfully.

But now I have some really snappy boots, that don't make my feet hurt. I'm kind of scared to wear them outside and get them all dirty, though....

OK, today is not going well.

My mum managed to elicit twice her due amount of money from me and my brother on Saturday. Which means she went on a massive bender for a few days. Which means she's now virtually incapable.

I don't actually care all that much. Except her mum (my gran) keeps phoning me every 12 hours in floods of hysterical tears, leaving messages for me to go up and help my poor mother.

Without wishing to sound heartless, I don't actually care all that much. Plus, I'm hugely busy and hugely exhausted.

I can't concentrate on my work with this going on in my ear all the time.

And I'm finding it increasingly hard to deal with one of my rpojects without telling the guy he's stupid. It's not my fault - he's driving me into the corner of no return.

Anyway. The weekend was good. I went walking and canoeing with d_ph4ze, which rocked. I did my 3 minutes upgrade to my running with little problem, and I blagged about £500 worth of garden design contract.

And yesterday I went to see my godson, who's all of teh cute.

Doesn't alter the fact that I'm knackered. Snore.

Capote.

Lied to a man in Kansas, just to watch him die.

And make a whole shedload of money out of it while having a good old whinge to the long suffering Harper Lee.

So a horrible man, but nonetheless a really good film. In other news, the running is going really well - I'm now on a 21 minute run/walk cycle, and really looking forward to it. I think I'd like to do other bigger runs, maybe even a marathon one day. It would be cool to say I'd run a marathon :)

Apparently (according to the Guradian on Saturday), 80% of the pollutants in the life of a piece of clothing come from its laundry, rather than its production. I found that quite interesting, especially as I'm a strong advocate of not laundering your clothes to excess.

If it doesn't smell, and it doesn't look dirty, why wash it? Except through some social notion of how often you should wash your clothes.

I also got my guide to the South-West coastpath through the post. Yay to Ebay. I can't wait to get out there and do some hiking :)