Who’s Got Time For Work?

It’s the Wheelie Big Breakfast in Nottingham today, part of national cycling week, where cyclists get a free breakfast if they pedal down to the Market Square. I see there’s free massage on offer as well, no idea why but perhaps I should go with my shoulder.

Unfortunately as the event does start until 8am I can’t go and get to work on time, so I send L by proxy. She grabs a Breakfast Grab Bag for me. It contains an orange, a bottle of water and a council supplied trans-fat pastry. Healthy, not. Who knows how far you need to cycle to work that out of your system.

L didn’t bike there either; she walked, which doesn’t say much for their cycling strategy. She told them that cycling to and from work was a horrible experience because the roads were too busy, the one way system too complex and the cycle paths too poor. She wasn’t the only one complaining. Perhaps they ought to keep their heads down in future.

I pop out to the pub at lunch to get some carbs for tonight’s race. Carbs and sausage, Yorkshire pudding, mushy peas, chips and ale. Who knows how far I need to run to work that out of my system.

It’s been a cracking week of sport, typified by today. The BBC don’t have enough radio channels to cover it all and we don’t have enough radios in the office anyway. Murray is through at Wimbledon and now Isner and Mahut are back on court slugging it out. Their epic first-round contest is already the longest game in tennis history and it isn’t over yet. The match was locked at 59-59 in the final set last night when it was suspended because of bad light. They started it the day before. 10 hours and still counting.

Score flash: Isner 62 Mahut 62.

Meanwhile England are getting the better of Australia in the one-dayers and at the World Cup Italy are making England look good and being beaten by Slovakia. Who’s got time for work?

Score flash: Italy 0 Slovakia 2. Yay!

Score flash: Isner 65 Mahut 65. Tense.

My car is in for its MOT and Service today. It passes with flying colours. That’ll be £260 please the mechanic says. How much! but you said it didn’t need anything doing. Nothing is so expensive these days.

Italy get a goal back but then Slovakia score again, it’s 3-1. The Azzurri are going to be following the French home... meanwhile...

Score flash: Isner 68 Mahut 68. Will this never end.

Final Score: Italy 2 Slovakia 3. You have to laugh.

Hang on, it’s ended. 70-68 well done John Isner.

I feel weak after all that, plus a lot lighter in the wallet but I still have to get myself around round two of the Nottingham Grand Prix at Rushcliffe Park, a mere four miles tonight.

Despite my body falling apart around me, it goes well. 6.15 for the first mile, then surprisingly an identical 6.15 for the second unless my watch is broken. Then, err, 6.15 for the third, spookily consistent. It goes a bit pear shaped in the last mile though, 6.58. Not quite as quick as 2007 but my quickest since. God knows what I was on back then. My position is exactly the same as on Tuesday. Shoulder ok, but that blister is back.