Weeknotes 2024-17

This has been the first week of stricter enforcement of the “three together, two wherever” (ie at least three days in the office) policy at work. It’s mildly annoying, but at least it’s not too far and I’m colocated with people I actually work with. It must be very irritating to people forced to make a long commute to sit in an office full of strangers, each on their own Teams calls. More to the point though, and more on-brand, it indirectly provided this week’s tale of incompetence. Having decided to take advantage of three consecutive days in the office by leaving my laptop in my changing room locker rather than lugging it in and back on my bike every day, I thought I might as well leave my jeans there on Tuesday too, given that I only needed running gear to go out in the evening. Only when I got home did I remember noticing early in the day that my car key was in my pocket, rather than in its normal place on the kitchen table. Fortunately I managed to scrounge a lift to Felixstowe for training.

On Wednesday I got a train to Norwich to see Jim Bob at the Waterfront. There was no support, just one set with just Chris TT on piano, then a second with the full Hoodrats band. A very quiet crowd by Carter standards, and no bubble machine from Mr Spoons during Touchy Feely at the end, but a great night of Carter and solo tunes nonetheless.

I managed (just) to wake up and drag myself out of bed to run for coffee on Friday. I even put some effort in on the Strava segment through Christchurch Park, and surprised myself by recording my fastest time. Garmin’s also marked it as my fastest 1k, which makes for a very flattering time given how downhill it is.

Inspired by that, with no Sunday racing to provide an excuse, and with my usual parkrun run & chat partner working a Saturday shift, I pushed myself on Saturday too, and managed my tenth-fastest parkrun, second-fastest on that course, and second-best age grade. Then a long slow run in Sunday’s drizzle to really finish my legs off.