Christmas came early this year

It was a rare treat to have Claire visit me in San Diego for the weekend and as can usually be expected plans were cut short by work! However we managed to spend a lovely 48 hours together before a sad farewell at the dock side. The sun went down and we pushed off to sea leaving Claire waving to us on the dock.

All statistics can be manipulated.

I hear from the best wife that 13.2 of the miles discussed previously, were actually run by her when she completed a half marathon in London sometime in October!
If anyone else would like to borrow the watch for long distance running events this will help to make me look really tough in the coming months.

Boring Training Statistics

In my attempt to start climbing out of the lower levels of the SMFL* and to earn the right to wear tights without embarrassment, I have been in training. What usually happens when I do this is, the boys and girls at home start to step up a notch too so although I am fitter and stronger than before I still pale into insignificance and remain somewhere down in Division 3.

The 4th of December will mark 2 months since I foolishly entered the silly French running thing and also the start of my campaign to be fit enough for it. To impress you with my nerdy enthusiasm for my new gadget here are my statistics for the period.

Calories Burned..37,587
Calories eaten today about 30,000 (food on board is very good!)
Average heart rate in beats per minute.. 141. According to Dai this is not enough and I must surely be close to death. However my maximum was 193 beats per minute. (You should have seen that carrot**!)
Total Ascent 31,866 feet
Total descent 32,209 feet
Total number of miles run 234.05
All of that in 44 hrs of training. Gosh I am tough aren't I!! No actually but I am making a good effort and it feels good to have a focus while I am away.

* SMFL or Sussex Men's Fitness League, a fictitious league comprising of most of my friends and a select bunch of local girl guides all of whom can beat me in sporting prowess. Your level in the league is pretty much just decided on by me. Seems fair

** Carrot. This is a fit young woman, normally with a very nice arse, wearing something to compliment it, while also running. A joy for any man to follow in any event or on any day of any week for that matter. Usually known as a carrot for it's ability to motivate the male runner into keeping up, (so to speak) at a respectable distance behind anyway.

Situation Goes Pear Shaped.

As per usual when arriving into the United States of America from a foreign port, we were welcomed with open arms... Well, fire arms actually and although we were greeted we were certainly not welcomed. The three armed customs officials had all been on board at least once, if not twice in this past year and the familiarity was totally lost on their humourless demeanor. One of these officials must have had the body mass index of a large hippo! As he sat down I was worried about his gun. I winced a little as the gun became enveloped in the folds of his body fat. Guns just make me a little nervous, especially when carried by professionals such as these! God only knows what would happen if this bloke wanted to use it.

Next is the US agriculture, (complete with guns) they inspect the ships fridges for non USDA approved meat, foreign fruit and vegetables. Any garbage that we have collected on the trip between the last port and arrival must also be inspected. We are wise to this these days, so we make sure we use anything up, fruits are juiced veggies are used up because if you don't, these guys basically make you chuck it. It must then be thrown into a large garbage sack, marked foreign garbage and collected by a special truck that probably takes it to the same tip as the rest.

The next day the truck comes. There were two Mexicans (probably illegal workers) and three armed men to make sure we threw six avocados and 3 bags of cardboard and food packaging that was our complete complement of garbage from the passage. The laugh of it is that the avocados that we will buy in the shop up the road to replace the contaminated foreign ones, will probably also come from Mexico!

A Sunday run

I will be sad to move on from Mexico. It has taken a while to suss out the area. My Sunday morning runs have taken me into some remote and beautiful places. This weekend I took a picture of one of the sand tracks that I have been taking. You can just see the road stretching into the distance. The first day I came over this hill I was unsure of where the road would end up. It ends up at another hill with another remote road and then another.
California will not be the same however and it will take some time to discover the trails. Soon though we will be in Hawaii and I have been taking to some guys in a club called 'HURT' (Hwaian Ultra Running Team) and hopefully they might show me around. Lucky me!

Real Men Wear Tights

I have even bought a pair for myself but I am worried that I might not be man enough to wear them.
While in the French alps this summer I was slightly inspired by the upper echelons of the Sussex men's fitness league (committed tight wearers) Who after running/walking over 200kms in a few days and during that distance went up hill for a staggering 18-20,000 Meters! They were still able to run over the finish line and then, not happy with that in itself started to dance as well!
The long and the short of it is that I have foolishly entered an event next spring called the Eco Trail Du Paris and am now in training... In my eagerness to fit in, I have purchased tights, a lightweight rucksack and the piece de resistance a cleaver GPS watch that is astounding me daily. I have been testing this with my gadget savi mate, Dai who is confusing me with his seemingly extensive knowledge on the beats per minute of my heart. I will have to see if the tights make a difference!

But Now it is time for work

So here I am in Mexico. Everyone continues to believe life is all sun sets and gin and tonic for me so might as well keep up the illusion. It has to be said that occasionally life at work can be good. No one can actually work 24 hours, seven days a week, so on the odd occasion between work we are lucky to be able to enjoy our surroundings. I know that it has been howling a gale and raining all weekend in England, so in order to cheer you up, here is a picture of the beach club near to the boat that we are able to use.

checking in

Hello... A whole month has passed since arriving back at work. This is a good time to reflect on my time off at home. In summary 'Very Good' seems to do the trick. Lots of time with Mrs P junior and a trip to California and Nevada including the Canyon and Las Vegas. I also made a trip to the Alps with some members of the Sussex men's fitness league. Basically to watch a few of the division one boys show off quite a lot. Meanwhile Dai and I found very uncomfortable places to sleep and drank some wine! I also spent lots of time generally in and around Sussex, friends, family, some sporting activity and some drinking of beer. All good stuff.

And then he flew to Mexico

My arms are killing me....

Deer Mountain on Purpose

While I have been away at work this time, I have made every effort to stay in shape so that I can keep up with at least one or two of my friends (and my wife)when I am next home. I am very disappointed to hear that, as soon as they have seen that I am having a go, they try that little bit harder! Re doubling their efforts so that they can continue to hang on to their precious positions in the Sussex Men's Fitness league. David, even ran up the steep side of the South Downs, SEVEN times in a row! This would be the Sussex equivalent to completing the Grouse Grind.

Well my friend, you had better get out there and pop up the side of those Downs another 14 times because I went up to the top of Deer Mountain yesterday for a second time in three days!