Ola! Thanks for all the nice wishes for us to relax and enjoy our holiday. Just to state it explicitly, we very much are - it's lovely here - but we're taking our investigative journalism seriously too 
We skipped the morning ritual for the second morning in a row, and chose instead to have a leisurely breakfast. Having been here for several days now, we can see which bits of the menu are the same day-in, day-out, and which bits of the food get repurposed as parts of other dishes. For example, I think the breakfast sausages probably turned up again in diced form, in with some chick peas. But having seen how some hotels recycle dishes, it's certainly not a problem here, and it must be one of the big challenges of daily buffet catering. Better than just chucking stuff out, and I'm still looking forward to our meals. Very occasionally, something will have got a bit cold, but the vast majority is very good. If I have a dining gripe, it's that there are no drinks available with dinner (at breakfast there is juice, coffee, tea, milk etc), so you have to buy whatever you want to accompany your meal. So far we've turned up sloshing, so it's not been too much trouble to last the time it takes to truffle our food down.
After breakfast I went to sit in the booking queue (which was only about 10 people long when the sports dept opened), so we've got guaranteed places for wind surfing tomorrow
We sauntered over to the 50m pool, and I did 400m of pseudo-drowning whilst Katie waited for her 'Swim - Intermediate' class. Being an Olympic standard pool it has blocks and massive lanes, but my weakling arms couldn't haul myself out, so I had to wait for a gap and swim to the side.
My chat with Phil went well - we talked for about 40 mins - I can't recall it all here, but he's a lovely bloke, and has been here for years, so he's overseen the growth of a lot of the sports training. I'll try to put the details into another blog.
By the time we were done, Katie was pawing at the window with a tennis racket, and we dashed to the sports department to get one for me, then headed to 'Tennis - Beginners'. We learnt the basic forehand and backhand, and practiced with partners. I spent several summers as a teenager playing every day with friends, so I'm used to hitting the ball, but I've learnt about starting the forehand low and ending high over the left shoulder, and that I've not been using the right grip for backhands since forever. You need to imagine the side frame of your racket is the head of a hammer, and hold it as such. The left hand grabs on above it, and then you do the same low-to-high thing. Where I've always ended up doing massive back spin on my back hands, today I managed to get a few sizzling over the net. Really pleased!
Bread and cerrano ham for lunch, then we've got a bit of a break. Next up for me is tennis serving at 4pm, then an 8k off-road run just after 5. Laters alligators.
We skipped the morning ritual for the second morning in a row, and chose instead to have a leisurely breakfast. Having been here for several days now, we can see which bits of the menu are the same day-in, day-out, and which bits of the food get repurposed as parts of other dishes. For example, I think the breakfast sausages probably turned up again in diced form, in with some chick peas. But having seen how some hotels recycle dishes, it's certainly not a problem here, and it must be one of the big challenges of daily buffet catering. Better than just chucking stuff out, and I'm still looking forward to our meals. Very occasionally, something will have got a bit cold, but the vast majority is very good. If I have a dining gripe, it's that there are no drinks available with dinner (at breakfast there is juice, coffee, tea, milk etc), so you have to buy whatever you want to accompany your meal. So far we've turned up sloshing, so it's not been too much trouble to last the time it takes to truffle our food down.
After breakfast I went to sit in the booking queue (which was only about 10 people long when the sports dept opened), so we've got guaranteed places for wind surfing tomorrow
We sauntered over to the 50m pool, and I did 400m of pseudo-drowning whilst Katie waited for her 'Swim - Intermediate' class. Being an Olympic standard pool it has blocks and massive lanes, but my weakling arms couldn't haul myself out, so I had to wait for a gap and swim to the side.
My chat with Phil went well - we talked for about 40 mins - I can't recall it all here, but he's a lovely bloke, and has been here for years, so he's overseen the growth of a lot of the sports training. I'll try to put the details into another blog.
By the time we were done, Katie was pawing at the window with a tennis racket, and we dashed to the sports department to get one for me, then headed to 'Tennis - Beginners'. We learnt the basic forehand and backhand, and practiced with partners. I spent several summers as a teenager playing every day with friends, so I'm used to hitting the ball, but I've learnt about starting the forehand low and ending high over the left shoulder, and that I've not been using the right grip for backhands since forever. You need to imagine the side frame of your racket is the head of a hammer, and hold it as such. The left hand grabs on above it, and then you do the same low-to-high thing. Where I've always ended up doing massive back spin on my back hands, today I managed to get a few sizzling over the net. Really pleased!
Bread and cerrano ham for lunch, then we've got a bit of a break. Next up for me is tennis serving at 4pm, then an 8k off-road run just after 5. Laters alligators.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
I'm seeing Phil Price this morning, who oversees a lot of the running, swimming and biking activities at Club La Santa.
I've been compiling a list of questions to ask him. Please have a look, and let me know if you can think of some more good ones:
Questions for Phil Price
1) If someone comes here for a week or two, what sort of things can they hope to achieve in running terms? What's the most important lesson you can send them home with?
2) There's such a lot to do, and you mentioned that people often try to do everything in their first few days. Do you think CLS could do more to ensure people don't over-train?
3) How long have you been here, and how has the sporting element of CLS improved over that time?
4) The majority here are from the Scandinavian countries and the Uk - what does training in the heat offer for us cold 'uns, and does it help when we go back home?
5) What level of cycling equipment is available, and how often is it renewed / updated?
6) You mentioned running analysis - can you give me a bit more detail about what's involved and what will the runner get out of it?
7) If you were to come here as a guest, how would you get the most out of your stay?
8) We've enjoyed the morning runs, but it seems like the slowest choice is 6mins/km in most cases. Whilst we know plenty of runners who would enjoy these, what would you suggest to the runners who fall below this pace?
I've been compiling a list of questions to ask him. Please have a look, and let me know if you can think of some more good ones:
Questions for Phil Price
1) If someone comes here for a week or two, what sort of things can they hope to achieve in running terms? What's the most important lesson you can send them home with?
2) There's such a lot to do, and you mentioned that people often try to do everything in their first few days. Do you think CLS could do more to ensure people don't over-train?
3) How long have you been here, and how has the sporting element of CLS improved over that time?
4) The majority here are from the Scandinavian countries and the Uk - what does training in the heat offer for us cold 'uns, and does it help when we go back home?
5) What level of cycling equipment is available, and how often is it renewed / updated?
6) You mentioned running analysis - can you give me a bit more detail about what's involved and what will the runner get out of it?
7) If you were to come here as a guest, how would you get the most out of your stay?
8) We've enjoyed the morning runs, but it seems like the slowest choice is 6mins/km in most cases. Whilst we know plenty of runners who would enjoy these, what would you suggest to the runners who fall below this pace?
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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Sort of 1b: Can a single CLS stint be easily integrated into training for a specific event or is it more about a holistic way to improve your running generally?Dooogs
Can you sum up the ethos and essence of CLS in a sentence or two?
Have you considered changing the name to something that sounds less like a training camp for Father Christmasses?7:50am, 31st Jul 2013 -
Assuming that runners/cyclists who come here to use as a full-on training camp, how would you recommend that they adapt their training when they get home to get the most of the training benefits? After all most of us can't dedicate all day every day to training.SherryB7:58am, 31st Jul 2013
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I'm guessing they have more scandinavians at this time of the year as pretty much all of Scandinavia has July off as holiday. Be interesting to know whether they have more of a mix of nationalities later in the summerMH8:25am, 31st Jul 2013
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Can you please tell the man asking these questions to stop working so hard and remind him he's on holiday and should turn off his laptop and go and sit by the sea with a beer for a while.RuthB28:42am, 31st Jul 2013
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Do they offer any swim training for the 50m pool? Also is it possible to swim in the sea there and do they have any training for sea swimming? Can you hire swimming wetsuits?Little Nemo9:58am, 31st Jul 2013
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You've mentioned the morning group 2,3 & 5k runs in your blogs - do the coaches help on other sessions (speed work, hill work, etc)?Mushroom10:09am, 31st Jul 2013
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What Ruth said - don't forget to enjoy your holiday.HappyG(rrr)
Another Q: how would you sell CLS to a non-sporty spouse of a very keen would-be CLS customer?! I want to go tooooo! :-)G1:11pm, 31st Jul 2013 -
would they consider doing longer but slower guided bike rides. and a slower paced morning 5k would be much appreciated by many.runner duck1:52pm, 31st Jul 2013
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"can I put the cost of the holiday down to the business now I'm doing a work related interview?"The great dollop3:17pm, 31st Jul 2013
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You've not read back Ant, we're guests of CLS.fetcheveryone3:21pm, 31st Jul 2013
I'm having a lovely morning. I'm writing this in a cafe on the southern coast of Lanzarote, on a small beach that some wag has dubbed Playa Chica. Having experienced the volcanic detritus on the beach next to Club Las Santa, this beach is a real paradise. It's a popular dive site, and that's what brought us here today. Katie did open water diving a few years ago, and loved it, so this was an opportunity not to miss. I'm not sure what the charge would be if you we're starting from scratch, but we've paid €90 for two dives, where she'll go up to 18m deep.
As much as I like the idea of seeing the underwater life, I'm just a bit too nervous at the moment to do too much about it. I worry about panicking, and about how my lungs will cope, and what will happen if I get my jacket caught on a spindly killer fish. In short, I have a disaster movie mind when it comes to diving.
But... the beach is beautiful. It's about a quarter of a mile from a big shopping complex that includes a McDonalds - which tells you everything you need to know about this part of the island - but miraculously, it's not close enough to the tourist area that it's swarming with them, in fact there's a good mix of local people and divers, who are either under the water or sitting around waiting to go in. The beach is all sand, surrounded by clear green-blue sea, and protected by two crops of volcanic rock, which means there's a football field sized area of the calmest sea I've ever seen. Katie's diving instructor (who is a very nice lady called Steffi, who has lived on the island for 11 years) tells us that snorkelling on the CLS beach is not recommended, because the currents can be pretty strong. It's not so much of an issue on the south-east Africa-facing coast, which is one of the reasons why it's such a good dive / snorkel site.
There was a rival dive school on the beach, and I cheekily asked if they'd look after my bag (with iPad, iPhone and about 60 euros inside) - but they weren't up for that, so I ended up trying to choose the most trustworthy group on the beach, and left my bag with them.
The water takes a bit of time to get used to - but it's clear as well as cool, and even before I put my mask on, I can see dozens of fish swimming nearby. Eventually I took the plunge, and was rewarded with a host of lovely fish - in the bay alone I saw maybe 9-10 different kinds. I'm by no means the calmest swimmer, but with the snorkel enabling me to breathe at a rate of my choosing, I found that I felt amazingly calm. I even managed to swim out as far as the volcanic crop went, which must have put me in about 4m of water.
There's a snorkel safari that goes from Club La Santa several times a week (they were there at the same time), and it's €35 - but if you've got a hire car, or happen to blag a seat on the diving bus as I did, it's pretty easy to enjoy this place for nil pence, although the pretending-to-be-surly man in the beach-side cafe does cappuccino with an enormous dollop of cream on them, that are difficult to refuse.
Back at CLS now, and because we missed out on supermarket bread this morning, we treated ourselves to a chicken burger, which was pretty good, and washed it down with a San Miguel, hence I am unable to report on the track session currently underway.
With a pleasant ache in all the muscles we haven't been using until this week, and another busy day planned tomorrow (2 x tennis coaching for me, a 12k off-road run, and the possibility of an introductory yoga session) we're sitting out the rest of today's activities (although we may go along to see the entertainment tonight).
How are we doing in terms of answering your questions about this place? Please do shout out if there's an aspect we've not covered.
As much as I like the idea of seeing the underwater life, I'm just a bit too nervous at the moment to do too much about it. I worry about panicking, and about how my lungs will cope, and what will happen if I get my jacket caught on a spindly killer fish. In short, I have a disaster movie mind when it comes to diving.
But... the beach is beautiful. It's about a quarter of a mile from a big shopping complex that includes a McDonalds - which tells you everything you need to know about this part of the island - but miraculously, it's not close enough to the tourist area that it's swarming with them, in fact there's a good mix of local people and divers, who are either under the water or sitting around waiting to go in. The beach is all sand, surrounded by clear green-blue sea, and protected by two crops of volcanic rock, which means there's a football field sized area of the calmest sea I've ever seen. Katie's diving instructor (who is a very nice lady called Steffi, who has lived on the island for 11 years) tells us that snorkelling on the CLS beach is not recommended, because the currents can be pretty strong. It's not so much of an issue on the south-east Africa-facing coast, which is one of the reasons why it's such a good dive / snorkel site.
There was a rival dive school on the beach, and I cheekily asked if they'd look after my bag (with iPad, iPhone and about 60 euros inside) - but they weren't up for that, so I ended up trying to choose the most trustworthy group on the beach, and left my bag with them.
The water takes a bit of time to get used to - but it's clear as well as cool, and even before I put my mask on, I can see dozens of fish swimming nearby. Eventually I took the plunge, and was rewarded with a host of lovely fish - in the bay alone I saw maybe 9-10 different kinds. I'm by no means the calmest swimmer, but with the snorkel enabling me to breathe at a rate of my choosing, I found that I felt amazingly calm. I even managed to swim out as far as the volcanic crop went, which must have put me in about 4m of water.
There's a snorkel safari that goes from Club La Santa several times a week (they were there at the same time), and it's €35 - but if you've got a hire car, or happen to blag a seat on the diving bus as I did, it's pretty easy to enjoy this place for nil pence, although the pretending-to-be-surly man in the beach-side cafe does cappuccino with an enormous dollop of cream on them, that are difficult to refuse.
Back at CLS now, and because we missed out on supermarket bread this morning, we treated ourselves to a chicken burger, which was pretty good, and washed it down with a San Miguel, hence I am unable to report on the track session currently underway.
With a pleasant ache in all the muscles we haven't been using until this week, and another busy day planned tomorrow (2 x tennis coaching for me, a 12k off-road run, and the possibility of an introductory yoga session) we're sitting out the rest of today's activities (although we may go along to see the entertainment tonight).
How are we doing in terms of answering your questions about this place? Please do shout out if there's an aspect we've not covered.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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Entertainment... somewhere at home I still have a single with a song that you may know off by heart tomorrow..."at La Santa, La Santa, La Santa Sport..."Helegant9:40pm, 30th Jul 2013
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Just caught up with these blogs. Glad you're enjoying it. La Santa is my happy place... been there 3 times and going again in NovemberRon Burgundy Never been in summer, is the pool still freezing?!!9:44pm, 30th Jul 2013
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Aarrgghhh thanks Helegant... got that song stuck in my head again nowRon Burgundy9:45pm, 30th Jul 2013
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The fun pool is pretty cold to get into. As for the lane pool, I think it might be a bit warmer, but my only experience of it so far has been getting in quite quickly at the start of the aquathlon.fetcheveryone6:51am, 31st Jul 2013
Time to continue where I left off. The morning stretching before the run is more like a ritualistic event than the usual 2-3 calf stretches I don't usually do before I go for a run. In exercise terms, performing a synchronised 'copy-the-instructor' routine is not something I'm used to, nor something I'd imagined I'd enjoy. I spent the first few minutes making stupid self deprecating comments to Katie, but it wasn't long before I felt a bit more comfortable and concentrated on copying. I think a lot of this is to do with the large Danish / Scandinavian contingent. They really are a wonder. For a start, they all seem to be fit - but secondly they just get on with it. There's absolutely no feeling that they're giggling at anyone else's expense, it's all so much nicer than the 'oi oi saveloy Brits abroad' approach to holidays.
The warm up is 15 minutes of stretches that feel like they're getting every part of your body in turn. There are some slightly complicated bits (I've never been very coordinated when it comes to anything like dancing or music), and some weird bits where everybody suddenly claps, but (with the benefit of two days experience), I'm starting to look forward to it as part of the day.
The warm up ends, and there's a procession over to the track where the groups split up to do various runs. At the lower end of the scale, there's a 3k walk, but the default option seems to be a run of 5k at 8mins/mile. There is occasionally a slower group (about 9:30/mile), but that seems sporadic. So far we've not seen a massive amount of scope for slower runners, but once you've done the local circuit it's pretty hard to get lost. As our group ran round, we probably went past about 10 runners going in the opposite direction, so even if you do have to run at your own pace, there are people about.
The surfaces are a bit of a mixture - there's a very flat block pavement on sections of the 5k, but on other bits it's just a very crude road surface that means you've got to keep your ankles working, and makes it hard to get a rhythm at times. There are some other routes on offer, including an off-road, but we've not tried those yet. Whilst I can tackle a 5k on road pat 8mins/mile, the off-road one was reputedly at the same pace, so I might have to build up to that.
The run is policed by one of the CLS 'Green Team' (like the red coats of my childhood, but without the smell of B&H). They are mostly all British or Danish, and they have little flags on their badges so you can see which languages they speak. Our first day guide ran a metronomic 8min/mile pace, and we stayed near him, coming home in a two-year 5k best for Katie
The coolness of 7.30 had become the warmness of 9am, and with a brisk 5k in the locker, we were both sweaty (we're getting through a 5l bottle of water every day, not to mention the coffee and San Miguel).
Breakfast time is quiet. It's £200 for half board, or you can pay €12 for adults or €6 for kids each day. (Dinner is €17 for adults, can't remember the kids price). The breakfast room is about 30% occupied, and there's lots to choose from. I'll do a picture blog of it tomorrow, which will be quicker than me describing it all. We happily stuffed ourselves with as much as we wanted. The only slight downsides about the breakfast is that the fruit juice is a bit limited (machine serving concentrate), and the cappuccino machine serves pre-sweetened, which is NOT ON But we've settled for having Americanos with a bit of milk.
On to sports booking. As I think I've mentioned, you have to be pretty quick / regimented to get onto stuff. We've had our first experience of missing out on a session (wind surfing), which was a bit disappointing, and maybe there should be some way for the people who turn up to get boosted up the list for the next session (they do each session a few times during the weekly cycle). You need to put some work into studying the timetable of classes, competitions etc, and working out what will fit.
I'm in a bit of a time warp - as I write this, we're nearing the end of our second full day, and already it's a bit of a blur. On Sunday I ran in the morning, and tried squash for the first time (the game, not the fruity alternative to water). I was put on a court with a Danish man in his forties, and two teens - and we went through a few drills, like practicing serving to the back corner of the court, and then learning good form for the forehand and backhand (a bit counter-intuitive to where my cricket feet wanted to go), and playing a few basic rallies. It was friendly and fun, and it's given me something I might just want to try when I get back home, although that WILL involve me "going to play squash darling", which I'm not sure I'm quite ready for.
We also took a wander out of the resort to the sea, which is a hundred yards away. As beaches go, it's nothing like Barry Island - it's all volcanic shale and large bales of mysterious sea weed on the shore line - no option for sand castles. We took snorkels (available for free with your CLS equipment token) and had a bit of a look round - it's reasonably clear, and although its all quite rocky, and the waves make it hard to keep your balance in between snorkels, there were some nice shoals of fish to watch, including some very dark ones with brilliant blue patches on them.
Today was our morning ritual, in which I did a bit better at learning some of the moves, followed by the 5k run. Same route as yesterday, but Katie went to the pool this morning, so I ran at my pace. And of course, I started off thinking I would just keep pace with the 8/mile guide, but there were a lot of runners who peeled off the front of the pack, and eventually I was one of them. I was averaging about 7:40 at 2.5 miles, and trying to hold on. Eventually a Danish lady who'd been on my shoulder came past me, and schnurdled something at me in Danish. I said something like 'youredoinwellkeepgoing', and she yelled at me again to keep going. So the last bit was sub-7, and I've now put aside any thoughts of needing to do speed work for the rest of the week.
We stuffed our faces with breakfast, and made our way to make our daily bookings (I'm hoping to try kayaking tomorrow, and there's a 12k off road run later in the day. Can't remember really, been drinking wine). Then a daily trip to the shop for a big bottle of water and some lunch supplies. We've set ourselves a lunch budget of €10 a day. A loaf is 1.35, and a pack of ham is a couple of euros. Another lunch time saving can be made by buying a litre of San Miguel for 2.50, instead of €3 for a 330ml bottle in the bar.
As added punishment this afternoon, we signed up for a 200m swim followed by a 3k run. There were about 50 people doing it, in the 50m pool. It was good fun, in the same way that all races are good I.e. in retrospect. The swim was a bun fight, with about 7 people in each lane, and my arms are so rubbish that I had to wiggle over to the side to haul my blubber out of the pool. In fact, the only person I beat out of the pool was an International sports coach But he got his daps on faster than me. The run was nice, and I chased the coach for most of it. I think I was starting to close in on him, but then he stopped to encourage his kids, so I whizzed past. I'm still counting it as a win
I'll sign off for now, 'cos the sun is going down and I'd like to post this and spend some time with Katie, as she'll be 18m under the ocean for most of tomorrow morning. The sun is down on another day, and all is well, except for my shoulders, which complained at being strapped in my tri suit, and have protested in a lovely glowing lobstery red. Ta Ta for now.
The warm up is 15 minutes of stretches that feel like they're getting every part of your body in turn. There are some slightly complicated bits (I've never been very coordinated when it comes to anything like dancing or music), and some weird bits where everybody suddenly claps, but (with the benefit of two days experience), I'm starting to look forward to it as part of the day.
The warm up ends, and there's a procession over to the track where the groups split up to do various runs. At the lower end of the scale, there's a 3k walk, but the default option seems to be a run of 5k at 8mins/mile. There is occasionally a slower group (about 9:30/mile), but that seems sporadic. So far we've not seen a massive amount of scope for slower runners, but once you've done the local circuit it's pretty hard to get lost. As our group ran round, we probably went past about 10 runners going in the opposite direction, so even if you do have to run at your own pace, there are people about.
The surfaces are a bit of a mixture - there's a very flat block pavement on sections of the 5k, but on other bits it's just a very crude road surface that means you've got to keep your ankles working, and makes it hard to get a rhythm at times. There are some other routes on offer, including an off-road, but we've not tried those yet. Whilst I can tackle a 5k on road pat 8mins/mile, the off-road one was reputedly at the same pace, so I might have to build up to that.
The run is policed by one of the CLS 'Green Team' (like the red coats of my childhood, but without the smell of B&H). They are mostly all British or Danish, and they have little flags on their badges so you can see which languages they speak. Our first day guide ran a metronomic 8min/mile pace, and we stayed near him, coming home in a two-year 5k best for Katie
The coolness of 7.30 had become the warmness of 9am, and with a brisk 5k in the locker, we were both sweaty (we're getting through a 5l bottle of water every day, not to mention the coffee and San Miguel).
Breakfast time is quiet. It's £200 for half board, or you can pay €12 for adults or €6 for kids each day. (Dinner is €17 for adults, can't remember the kids price). The breakfast room is about 30% occupied, and there's lots to choose from. I'll do a picture blog of it tomorrow, which will be quicker than me describing it all. We happily stuffed ourselves with as much as we wanted. The only slight downsides about the breakfast is that the fruit juice is a bit limited (machine serving concentrate), and the cappuccino machine serves pre-sweetened, which is NOT ON
But we've settled for having Americanos with a bit of milk. On to sports booking. As I think I've mentioned, you have to be pretty quick / regimented to get onto stuff. We've had our first experience of missing out on a session (wind surfing), which was a bit disappointing, and maybe there should be some way for the people who turn up to get boosted up the list for the next session (they do each session a few times during the weekly cycle). You need to put some work into studying the timetable of classes, competitions etc, and working out what will fit.
I'm in a bit of a time warp - as I write this, we're nearing the end of our second full day, and already it's a bit of a blur. On Sunday I ran in the morning, and tried squash for the first time (the game, not the fruity alternative to water). I was put on a court with a Danish man in his forties, and two teens - and we went through a few drills, like practicing serving to the back corner of the court, and then learning good form for the forehand and backhand (a bit counter-intuitive to where my cricket feet wanted to go), and playing a few basic rallies. It was friendly and fun, and it's given me something I might just want to try when I get back home, although that WILL involve me "going to play squash darling", which I'm not sure I'm quite ready for.
We also took a wander out of the resort to the sea, which is a hundred yards away. As beaches go, it's nothing like Barry Island - it's all volcanic shale and large bales of mysterious sea weed on the shore line - no option for sand castles. We took snorkels (available for free with your CLS equipment token) and had a bit of a look round - it's reasonably clear, and although its all quite rocky, and the waves make it hard to keep your balance in between snorkels, there were some nice shoals of fish to watch, including some very dark ones with brilliant blue patches on them.
Today was our morning ritual, in which I did a bit better at learning some of the moves, followed by the 5k run. Same route as yesterday, but Katie went to the pool this morning, so I ran at my pace. And of course, I started off thinking I would just keep pace with the 8/mile guide, but there were a lot of runners who peeled off the front of the pack, and eventually I was one of them. I was averaging about 7:40 at 2.5 miles, and trying to hold on. Eventually a Danish lady who'd been on my shoulder came past me, and schnurdled something at me in Danish. I said something like 'youredoinwellkeepgoing', and she yelled at me again to keep going. So the last bit was sub-7, and I've now put aside any thoughts of needing to do speed work for the rest of the week.
We stuffed our faces with breakfast, and made our way to make our daily bookings (I'm hoping to try kayaking tomorrow, and there's a 12k off road run later in the day. Can't remember really, been drinking wine). Then a daily trip to the shop for a big bottle of water and some lunch supplies. We've set ourselves a lunch budget of €10 a day. A loaf is 1.35, and a pack of ham is a couple of euros. Another lunch time saving can be made by buying a litre of San Miguel for 2.50, instead of €3 for a 330ml bottle in the bar.
As added punishment this afternoon, we signed up for a 200m swim followed by a 3k run. There were about 50 people doing it, in the 50m pool. It was good fun, in the same way that all races are good I.e. in retrospect. The swim was a bun fight, with about 7 people in each lane, and my arms are so rubbish that I had to wiggle over to the side to haul my blubber out of the pool. In fact, the only person I beat out of the pool was an International sports coach
But he got his daps on faster than me. The run was nice, and I chased the coach for most of it. I think I was starting to close in on him, but then he stopped to encourage his kids, so I whizzed past. I'm still counting it as a win I'll sign off for now, 'cos the sun is going down and I'd like to post this and spend some time with Katie, as she'll be 18m under the ocean for most of tomorrow morning. The sun is down on another day, and all is well, except for my shoulders, which complained at being strapped in my tri suit, and have protested in a lovely glowing lobstery red. Ta Ta for now.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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ta ta! have a lovely day tomorrowrunner duck9:28pm, 29th Jul 2013
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~claps suddenly~GregP10:40pm, 29th Jul 2013
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Hope you have a lovely dayNess7:07am, 30th Jul 2013
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Have a great day. So envious.Lalli7:13am, 30th Jul 2013
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Sounds fab actually. :-)GHappyG(rrr)11:08am, 30th Jul 2013
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If you bump into a couple called Alex and Sarah out there, say hello. They run for my running club (Abbey) - just seen some photos from this morning's Aquathlon on FB from Sarah.rf_fozzy
Hope you're enjoying it!1:44pm, 30th Jul 2013 -
I'm also pretty uncoordinated in things like dancing and music.ChrisHB4:57pm, 30th Jul 2013
Morning folks. I'm sitting in my running kit at 7.45 in the morning, waiting for the morning run people to start gathering around the pool. They do a bit of stretching / warming up, then they go off at 8.15 and do what sounds like a 5k off-road route. I spent most of yesterday wondering just how comfortable the morning heat would be, but on the evidence of one day, it's actually beautifully cool right now.
We made it safely off the flight yesterday, and wandered out of the airport to the taxi rank. We asked the driver how much it would be to CLS and she said about €32-33 (she was right). There is a CLS bus (with a timetable on the website), but on the day we flew, there was only one bus, and it was scheduled to coincide with a later flight, so it would have meant hanging around in the airport for over an hour. The bits of Lanzarote that we saw on the ride are certainly interesting. It's a mixture of pretty flat, with some very impressive volcanic mountainous bits. To say it's a bit bare and rocky is (a) a bit of an understatement, but (b) an over-simplification. The fact is, this place is only here because of the volcanic activity, and it's fascinating to see how the people have worked out how to live with the land. There are lots of man-made terraces, constructed in dry-stone lava, to enable hillsides to be farmed and habitable. In fact, working with blocks of lava seems to be a skill in itself - there were lots of interesting bits to look at where people had made the most of the rock.
The journey took about half an hour, and pretty soon we were deposited with a cheery goodbye on the forecourt of the hotel. It's a nice open reception and the receptionist spoke better English than me. We got a magic pink pass to grant us half board meals, two key cards, a map of the resort, and directions to our room.
I've read a few comments likening the hotel to Butlins, but I can honestly say, having spent many family holidays at Somerwest World that this is nothing like it. If you want a more direct comparison, think of the young Anakin Skywalkers home, before he went off and did all that Jedi stuff. Big white walls, strange windows in unusual places, and seemingly a different route to get from one place to another for every time you go anywhere. As far as I can see, everywhere is clean and tidy, and there seem to be an army of cleaning staff wandering round the place.
But anyway, we're on our way to our room. Up in the lift with our 15.6kg bag, and along Av. Volcanes (so much here is plate-tectonic themed), and we walk out to a beautiful view. There's the fun pools, which are being enjoyed, but not rammed, and beyond it the windsurfing lagoon, and beyond that a rocky/ sandy area, and then the sea. Frankly, it's lovely.
Having seen some replies on Twitter, it looks like we've got one of the nicer rooms in the hotel, overlooking all of the above (I'll have to check what it's listed as). The accommodation is basic, but completely fine for us. There's a living room, with a corner devoted to kitchen stuff, a bedroom with twin beds, and a shower/bath thing. If we're playing 'spot the flaws' then I'd have to point out the little tumbleweed of hair behind the bedroom door, and the trail of TINY insects that were busy fetching something from the sink and taking it home with them. Following a family holiday in Tenerife I was expecting to have seen a dozen cockroaches by now, so the tiny things (smaller than ants are pretty cute. I call the big one Bitey). At the back of the apartment, there's a small private patio with a washing line and a table and chairs. We didn't realise straight away, but we also have our own table and chairs at the front. As I said, I suspect we have been upgraded a bit.
The other thing we noticed pretty quickly is that the majority of people here are up for doing stuff. There's no cheesy person running around the pool with a clipboard encouraging people to get involved, the people are just getting on with it. In fact, you could just sit by the pool and do sod all, if that's what you wanted. From our table, we can also see 'The Lawn' - an astro turf area where they do various aerobic / pump / calms stretching / mentalist activities (the instructor did three mentalist classes in a row), and there are dozens of people getting stuck in. There are lots of people wandering around in exercise gear. Being a bit body-conscious, one of my worries was whether I'd be surrounded by elite athletes, but the reality is that there are people of varying standards here. The majority look fairly fit, but there are decent number who are just enjoying being active without being in any way ripped. The point is, that most people are up for it, and it's infectious.
The booking system seems to be a bit of a bun fight - they publish a massive list of classes, instruction, competitions and 'try this' sessions for each day, and you can book them up to two days in advance. The inside track on this is that lots of people will book to give themselves choice, and then go do something different when the time comes. So there's a waiting list system, and apparently it's not uncommon for most of the people on that list to get a place.
That's me for now. The 5k morning run is done, and we're just about to have lunch. More on the running, and the food soon. Watch out for Katie's blog at some point too. I am also booked in to learn how to play squash this afternoon
Oh and, I'm meeting the running coach, Phil Price on Wednesday morning - and I'd like to have some sensible questions to ask him, so if there's more you'd like to know, please comment. He's also looks after the bikers and swimmers, so if you want to know more about that, fire away.
We made it safely off the flight yesterday, and wandered out of the airport to the taxi rank. We asked the driver how much it would be to CLS and she said about €32-33 (she was right). There is a CLS bus (with a timetable on the website), but on the day we flew, there was only one bus, and it was scheduled to coincide with a later flight, so it would have meant hanging around in the airport for over an hour. The bits of Lanzarote that we saw on the ride are certainly interesting. It's a mixture of pretty flat, with some very impressive volcanic mountainous bits. To say it's a bit bare and rocky is (a) a bit of an understatement, but (b) an over-simplification. The fact is, this place is only here because of the volcanic activity, and it's fascinating to see how the people have worked out how to live with the land. There are lots of man-made terraces, constructed in dry-stone lava, to enable hillsides to be farmed and habitable. In fact, working with blocks of lava seems to be a skill in itself - there were lots of interesting bits to look at where people had made the most of the rock.
The journey took about half an hour, and pretty soon we were deposited with a cheery goodbye on the forecourt of the hotel. It's a nice open reception and the receptionist spoke better English than me. We got a magic pink pass to grant us half board meals, two key cards, a map of the resort, and directions to our room.
I've read a few comments likening the hotel to Butlins, but I can honestly say, having spent many family holidays at Somerwest World that this is nothing like it. If you want a more direct comparison, think of the young Anakin Skywalkers home, before he went off and did all that Jedi stuff. Big white walls, strange windows in unusual places, and seemingly a different route to get from one place to another for every time you go anywhere. As far as I can see, everywhere is clean and tidy, and there seem to be an army of cleaning staff wandering round the place.
But anyway, we're on our way to our room. Up in the lift with our 15.6kg bag, and along Av. Volcanes (so much here is plate-tectonic themed), and we walk out to a beautiful view. There's the fun pools, which are being enjoyed, but not rammed, and beyond it the windsurfing lagoon, and beyond that a rocky/ sandy area, and then the sea. Frankly, it's lovely.
Having seen some replies on Twitter, it looks like we've got one of the nicer rooms in the hotel, overlooking all of the above (I'll have to check what it's listed as). The accommodation is basic, but completely fine for us. There's a living room, with a corner devoted to kitchen stuff, a bedroom with twin beds, and a shower/bath thing. If we're playing 'spot the flaws' then I'd have to point out the little tumbleweed of hair behind the bedroom door, and the trail of TINY insects that were busy fetching something from the sink and taking it home with them. Following a family holiday in Tenerife I was expecting to have seen a dozen cockroaches by now, so the tiny things (smaller than ants are pretty cute. I call the big one Bitey). At the back of the apartment, there's a small private patio with a washing line and a table and chairs. We didn't realise straight away, but we also have our own table and chairs at the front. As I said, I suspect we have been upgraded a bit.
The other thing we noticed pretty quickly is that the majority of people here are up for doing stuff. There's no cheesy person running around the pool with a clipboard encouraging people to get involved, the people are just getting on with it. In fact, you could just sit by the pool and do sod all, if that's what you wanted. From our table, we can also see 'The Lawn' - an astro turf area where they do various aerobic / pump / calms stretching / mentalist activities (the instructor did three mentalist classes in a row), and there are dozens of people getting stuck in. There are lots of people wandering around in exercise gear. Being a bit body-conscious, one of my worries was whether I'd be surrounded by elite athletes, but the reality is that there are people of varying standards here. The majority look fairly fit, but there are decent number who are just enjoying being active without being in any way ripped. The point is, that most people are up for it, and it's infectious.
The booking system seems to be a bit of a bun fight - they publish a massive list of classes, instruction, competitions and 'try this' sessions for each day, and you can book them up to two days in advance. The inside track on this is that lots of people will book to give themselves choice, and then go do something different when the time comes. So there's a waiting list system, and apparently it's not uncommon for most of the people on that list to get a place.
That's me for now. The 5k morning run is done, and we're just about to have lunch. More on the running, and the food soon. Watch out for Katie's blog at some point too. I am also booked in to learn how to play squash this afternoon
Oh and, I'm meeting the running coach, Phil Price on Wednesday morning - and I'd like to have some sensible questions to ask him, so if there's more you'd like to know, please comment. He's also looks after the bikers and swimmers, so if you want to know more about that, fire away.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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I've saved this to Evernote to read later. Consider yourself thought of fondly. Carry on.GregP12:40pm, 28th Jul 2013
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Having been to club la Santa 3 times I can say its z great place would love to back again: )enjoy the holidayMay1:07pm, 28th Jul 2013
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Phil is a really nice, honest guy. He's genuinely interested in what your up to. Remember the wellness centre - try and bag a pass if you haven't got one or invest the 18euro for 3 days. I would also recommend a pool bar sandwich for lunch. You will get sick of the sight of the lagoon 5k run so venture along into la santa village or head out the other side. I do love la santa. With you on the ants though - first time they freaked me but next time we were ant freeLouLou1:12pm, 28th Jul 2013
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Sounds good...and I look forward to hearing more.:):)Garfield1:18pm, 28th Jul 2013
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This is all very "a place in the sun", in a good wayemdee1:32pm, 28th Jul 2013
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Ah the fond memories. And glad not to hear it being slagged off for being ugly. The Anakin analogy suits it. Enjoy.Lalli4:22pm, 28th Jul 2013
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Yes, sounds like you have been upgraded to me. Lucky you! Enjoy!Vicksta5:07pm, 28th Jul 2013
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you have been upgraded - i've coveted those rooms the couple of times we've stayed there!runner duck
i found the booking system worked well. i'd go out for the 8:15 run then potter along to the booking office to book the next lot of activities. easy peasy8:10pm, 28th Jul 2013 -
do the 5k every morning and enjoy it. Did an 18min PB on my last day there once in a different life. Also enjoy shopping in the mini-mart store. Also please list every elite athlete you spot (from all sports).The great dollop2:37pm, 29th Jul 2013
So we're two hours into our flight, with another two to go, and so far everything is going ok. The 4.30am start was not too bad, but leaving the dog was a bit sad, because he did a great job of knowing exactly what we were up to. But he has 20 mugfuls of biscuits to eat before he sees us again, and hopefully he'll get plenty of walks at the kennels.
The forgotten list so far:
My debit card
My working headphones
We treated ourselves to the meet and greet parking, which was fairly painless (£75 for the week), although neither of us remember much about it. Got through all the serious bits (Our bag was 14.6kg, so we threw some more paperbacks from our hand luggage into it, which took it over the limit, but they didn't seem to mind)
From then on, it seems that the function of an airport is to start preparing people for being squashed together into tubes. Once you're through security, the shops crowd in on you from every angle, until you're almost forced to buy things, just to make room. The diversity of the people is fantastic to watch. All travel places are like this I think (although National Express terminals have their own special flavour). Lots of people from everywhere, with all sorts of stories, brought together for a brief moment, before going on their way.
Despite a last-minute wee putting us towards the back of the boarding queue, we managed to get seated together - but there was an Indian family of three wandering up and down the plane trying to find a way to sit together, and my lovely wife suggested we volunteer to move, so she's at the front and I'm at the back. But both feeling like we did the right thing, and looking forward to a whole week of togetherness (which is very rare, even when we're at home).
The plane represents the height of toothpaste capitalism. Quite aside from the fact that we can all taste our own knees, the cabin staff seem to have endless rounds of things to sell. I've probably been on fewer than 10 flights in the last 20 years, but things seem to have advanced a great deal. The booze trolley is just one of many, including the food trolley, the toy trolley, the euro lottery scratch cards, and a range of pressure washers, steak knives, and ab toning machines.
Right then, that's me for now. I might listen to a right-ear only version of some of my favourite songs, or read my book, or wander down the aisle to see Katie. Pip pip.
Addendum: we're here safely, but that's for another blog. Both of us ended up between couples who didn't want to sit right next to each other, and then proceeded to pass stuff to each other the whole flight.
The forgotten list so far:
My debit card
My working headphones
We treated ourselves to the meet and greet parking, which was fairly painless (£75 for the week), although neither of us remember much about it. Got through all the serious bits (Our bag was 14.6kg, so we threw some more paperbacks from our hand luggage into it, which took it over the limit, but they didn't seem to mind)
From then on, it seems that the function of an airport is to start preparing people for being squashed together into tubes. Once you're through security, the shops crowd in on you from every angle, until you're almost forced to buy things, just to make room. The diversity of the people is fantastic to watch. All travel places are like this I think (although National Express terminals have their own special flavour). Lots of people from everywhere, with all sorts of stories, brought together for a brief moment, before going on their way.
Despite a last-minute wee putting us towards the back of the boarding queue, we managed to get seated together - but there was an Indian family of three wandering up and down the plane trying to find a way to sit together, and my lovely wife suggested we volunteer to move, so she's at the front and I'm at the back. But both feeling like we did the right thing, and looking forward to a whole week of togetherness (which is very rare, even when we're at home).
The plane represents the height of toothpaste capitalism. Quite aside from the fact that we can all taste our own knees, the cabin staff seem to have endless rounds of things to sell. I've probably been on fewer than 10 flights in the last 20 years, but things seem to have advanced a great deal. The booze trolley is just one of many, including the food trolley, the toy trolley, the euro lottery scratch cards, and a range of pressure washers, steak knives, and ab toning machines.
Right then, that's me for now. I might listen to a right-ear only version of some of my favourite songs, or read my book, or wander down the aisle to see Katie. Pip pip.
Addendum: we're here safely, but that's for another blog. Both of us ended up between couples who didn't want to sit right next to each other, and then proceeded to pass stuff to each other the whole flight.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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Let me guess: Ryanair? (The list of things they're selling sounds all too familiar.) Since it's such a long flight, you must be going further than I normally do though. Looking up where Ryanair goes that is that far away would be cheating, so my guess is Gran Canaria? -- In any case: enjoy!SpicedApple8:13pm, 27th Jul 2013
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Ah yes, couples who leave one seat between them, hoping no one will sit in it. I didn't realise they were also so rude to not move over one when someone comes along needing a seat. After two passes, I think I would have offered, in a strongly suggestive way, to swap seats with one of them....but then I'm not well known for my subtlety.Wine Legs
Have A FAB holibob.9:25pm, 27th Jul 2013 -
excited for you guys, enjoy !!McNewbie10:38pm, 27th Jul 2013
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Air France have allocated seating. Cuthbert (then 1) was on my knee. Mr LF was with his big sis and mummy (presumably so they could care for him). Cedd (then 3) was on his own at the opposite end of the plane. And then the cabin crew tried to bollock us for sitting in a more reasonable arrangement......leaguefreak8:41am, 28th Jul 2013
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What WL says. Couples like that are so inconsiderate - the opposite end of the spectrum from what you two did, which was lovely.paul the builder3:56pm, 28th Jul 2013
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disappointed that the blog title didn't live up to my imaginationChrisThePuma3:28pm, 3rd Jan 2014
Up at five tomorrow morning - so even if I went to sleep now, I still wouldn't get my eight hours. But I'm TOO excited to worry about that. Looking forward to our longest time away together so far, and hoping we'll be able to stay in close enough touch with home not to worry. FaceTime, Skype And Viber are all installed and ready.
Stephen has just been for his last proper walk - he chased another dog around a big bush about twenty times before he worked out that he could jus turn round and run the other way. Little dog is staying with her uncle for a week, and Steve is clearly missing her, but it's a lot more peaceful here as a result, even if he's a bit more wide-eyed than he usually manages.
We've been putting stuff in the bag, and standing on the weighing scales with it. I think we're going to be within our limit, but we're prepared to don a few more layers and eat some of our flip flops if necessary.
We ran today - 1.7 miles with the dog (can't wait til he's capable of doing a bit more, but we're taking him out on a short loop with plenty of grass, so he learns how to run with us). Then another 1.5 to round Katie up to 3 miles, then another 1.8 for me just because I fancied it.
Last minute trip out to get goggles for the pair of us, and retrieving the snorkel and mask from the loft.
I have three books to take, and I'm hoping we'll spend a massive amount of time doing enough nothing that I can get through them all. I've got the final two thirds of Cold Comfort Farm, Catch 22, and Betty Blue. I also have Fuzzy Thinking by Bart Kosko, but that might stay in the suitcase as it's a twenty year old book describing the fascinating new world of fuzzy logic - so he's taking his time a bit. It was good twenty years ago though.
My brain is now completely empty. That didn't take too much effort.
Stephen has just been for his last proper walk - he chased another dog around a big bush about twenty times before he worked out that he could jus turn round and run the other way. Little dog is staying with her uncle for a week, and Steve is clearly missing her, but it's a lot more peaceful here as a result, even if he's a bit more wide-eyed than he usually manages.
We've been putting stuff in the bag, and standing on the weighing scales with it. I think we're going to be within our limit, but we're prepared to don a few more layers and eat some of our flip flops if necessary.
We ran today - 1.7 miles with the dog (can't wait til he's capable of doing a bit more, but we're taking him out on a short loop with plenty of grass, so he learns how to run with us). Then another 1.5 to round Katie up to 3 miles, then another 1.8 for me just because I fancied it.
Last minute trip out to get goggles for the pair of us, and retrieving the snorkel and mask from the loft.
I have three books to take, and I'm hoping we'll spend a massive amount of time doing enough nothing that I can get through them all. I've got the final two thirds of Cold Comfort Farm, Catch 22, and Betty Blue. I also have Fuzzy Thinking by Bart Kosko, but that might stay in the suitcase as it's a twenty year old book describing the fascinating new world of fuzzy logic - so he's taking his time a bit. It was good twenty years ago though.
My brain is now completely empty. That didn't take too much effort.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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Have a great timeVelociraptor9:57pm, 26th Jul 2013
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Have fun : )May10:03pm, 26th Jul 2013
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*waves* Have a lovely holidayBintmcskint10:06pm, 26th Jul 2013
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Lucky you - have a great time.Seratonin10:21pm, 26th Jul 2013
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Enjoy, try not to think of it as work.Diogenes11:20pm, 26th Jul 2013
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Have a great time!:):)Garfield6:41am, 27th Jul 2013
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We'll try not to run this place into the ground too much in your absenceFunky Chicken6:56am, 27th Jul 2013
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Have a great time.Ness7:11am, 27th Jul 2013
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Don't forget to send a postcard. Have a great timeminardi8:16am, 27th Jul 2013
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Let's trash the place!paul the builder12:49pm, 27th Jul 2013
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OK what time does the party start?Oysterboy2:19pm, 27th Jul 2013
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Catch 22 is a good read...Tazsedai1:51pm, 28th Jul 2013
I've done some intervals
The original plan was to go out yesterday, but Monday night was all thunder bolts and lightning, very very frightening - with lots of bed switching and making sure that the dog wasn't working his way through the bookcase. It turns out he doesn't give a cr*p about thunder - I came downstairs and found him lying on his back like a starfish. Arnie would have tunnelled through the wall and got under the covers with us, so that's an improvement.
I'm making some progress with 'Cold Comfort Farm' - but it's taking a while to get used to the oo-arrr speech of several of the characters. I can't agree with the Times quote that says it's "The Funniest Book Ever Written" - but I'm carrying on with it, and some of the descriptions of things are beautiful.
Intervals then. 5 x half a mile, with 2 mins recoveries. They felt harder than last week, but because there were five, then when you've done the second one you can think "once I've done this next one, I'm more than half way". It felt like I slowed down over the course of the five - but the splits are good:
1) 0.5m - 3:28(6:55/m) 68cal
2) 0.5m - 3:29(6:59/m) 67cal
3) 0.5m - 3:28(6:57/m) 67cal
4) 0.5m - 3:29(6:58/m) 65cal
5) 0.5m - 3:30(7:00/m) 65cal
Next week we'll be at CLS, and there's a track there - so if (a) I get up before it gets too hot, and (b) there aren't any bigger boys, then I might go with 3 x 1 mile or something like that. But I've no idea how running is going to feel when I get there. Oh and, this isn't meant to be another blog where I talk about CLS, but I've got the chance to speak to the running coach there, and ask him some running questions. Got any?
In other news, I've managed to get some nice Salomon hydration backpacks for the August giveaway
Right, time to get scrubbed, then back to work.
The original plan was to go out yesterday, but Monday night was all thunder bolts and lightning, very very frightening - with lots of bed switching and making sure that the dog wasn't working his way through the bookcase. It turns out he doesn't give a cr*p about thunder - I came downstairs and found him lying on his back like a starfish. Arnie would have tunnelled through the wall and got under the covers with us, so that's an improvement.
I'm making some progress with 'Cold Comfort Farm' - but it's taking a while to get used to the oo-arrr speech of several of the characters. I can't agree with the Times quote that says it's "The Funniest Book Ever Written" - but I'm carrying on with it, and some of the descriptions of things are beautiful.
Intervals then. 5 x half a mile, with 2 mins recoveries. They felt harder than last week, but because there were five, then when you've done the second one you can think "once I've done this next one, I'm more than half way". It felt like I slowed down over the course of the five - but the splits are good:
1) 0.5m - 3:28(6:55/m) 68cal
2) 0.5m - 3:29(6:59/m) 67cal
3) 0.5m - 3:28(6:57/m) 67cal
4) 0.5m - 3:29(6:58/m) 65cal
5) 0.5m - 3:30(7:00/m) 65cal
Next week we'll be at CLS, and there's a track there - so if (a) I get up before it gets too hot, and (b) there aren't any bigger boys, then I might go with 3 x 1 mile or something like that. But I've no idea how running is going to feel when I get there. Oh and, this isn't meant to be another blog where I talk about CLS, but I've got the chance to speak to the running coach there, and ask him some running questions. Got any?
In other news, I've managed to get some nice Salomon hydration backpacks for the August giveaway
Right, time to get scrubbed, then back to work.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
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I like odd numbered intervals for that very reason - one more of those and I'm over half way.Bintmcskint11:45am, 24th Jul 2013
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I misread your penultimate sentence and spent quite a long time trying to envisage a salmon hydration backpack. The penny dropped eventually but it was embarrassingly slowly. (That said, a salmon hydration backpack is a pretty fab concept, I think. Amusingly useless!)the vicious chicken
Have a lovely holiday next week12:31pm, 24th Jul 2013 -
Yeah, ditto bint and you re odd number intervals. CLS running coach: does training in heat help with racing in heat? Physically (you become able to regulate heat better or something) or just psychologically (you've survived it before)? Or not at all.HappyG(rrr)
Your "thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening" start is same as a santababy FB post. Great minds? :-)G1:26pm, 24th Jul 2013 -
Have a fab time.Helegant7:01pm, 27th Jul 2013
The man from Sports Tours International has had a look through some of the questions from my last-but-one blog, and has provided some answers. I'll paste them here, but of course I'll still be doing my own investigative work, so just because they say it's all wonderful, doesn't mean I won't be giving you my opinion too
They've also made an offer for Fetchies. "Travel before 30/9/13 and book before 31/7/13 – save £100 off the cost of an apartment for a week. Not combinable with any other offer and applies to only full apartments, not twin to share bookings. Cannot be used against existing bookings." Call 0161 790 9890 to book and tell them you want the Fetch discount. If you like.
So here are the questions, with answers from Sports Tours:
Q: Is it the kind of place that could support a family as a family destination (kids clubs, activities etc), and is relaxing for non-runners, or would all the sweaty sporty types just annoy everybody else who isn't trying to train?
CLS IS IDEAL FOR FAMILIES THERE IS SO MUCH FOR KIDS TO DO THERE. clublasanta.co.uk
Q: Is there a bar? Does it serve beer, or protein shakes?
YES THERE ARE A FEW BARS
Q: I heard it was a bit tatty round the edges these days, but then aren't we all.
THE NEW BUILD IS ON SCHEDULE FOR OPENING IN 2014 AND MANY OF THE EXISTING APARTMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN RENOVATED. SOME OF THE EXISING FACILITIES HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TOO WITH LOTS OF NEW EQUIPMENT AND PLENTY OF HIGH TECH KIT TOO!
Q: And do they do other sports? MrsC likes sailing and windsurfing and tennis. My kids are 8 & 5 this year. Is there stuff for them like sporty childcare?
OVER 30 FREE SPORTS ARE INCLUDED!
Q: We'd also heard it was a bit 'gulag-style' on the accommodation front. Up-to-date info would be welcome.
IT’S MUCH NICER NOWADAYS, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT 5 STAR LUXURY. NEXT YEAR, THE NEW APARTMENTS WILL CERTAINLY BE A MAJOR STEP UP FROM WHAT GUESTS HAVE BEEN USED TO.
Q: And what's the food like??
THERE ARE SOME NEW RESTAURANTS ONSITE. WE WERE THERE 3 WEEKS AGO AND THE FOOD HAS BEEN IMPROVED GREATLY. THE NEW FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER IS FROM A FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, SO THAT SHOWS YOU THE DIRECTION THE PLACE IS GOING.
Q: I want to try convince Mr Ness he'd like to go so could you check out the facilities for non-running partners. For example, what are the gym facilities like? Ta.
TOP CLASS EQUIPMENT! ONE OF THE NEW RUNNING MACHINES COST OVER €10,000!!!! LOTS OF OTHER TOP QUALITY KIT, ESPECIALLY IN THE GYM OR IF YOU’RE INTO CYCLING.
Q: How many apartments have they now done up? What's the time scale for doing up all of them? Will prices go up once renovated? How is the 5 star hotel development Coming along (they were stuck at a planning stage for a long time). Have fun!
QUITE A FEW OF THE APARTMENTS HAVE BEEN RENOVATED NOW. THE PROCESS STARTED TWO YEARS AGO AND WILL STILL RUN FOR ANOTHER 18 MONTHS OR SO. PRICES FOR WINTER 2013/14 ARE CURRENTLY LOWER THAN LAST WINTER – THERE’S 20% OFF THE BROCHURE PRICE CURRENTLY AND ANOTEHR £100 OFF CERTAIN APARTMENTS AT SPECIFIC TIMES. THE NEW SUITES HAVE A DIFFERENT PRICING STRUCTURE AND ARE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT UNDERSTANDABLY FOR THE EXTRA QUALITY, ALTHOUGH NOT AS MORE EXPENSIVE AS YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. SUITES ON TARGET FOR OPENING April 1st 2014.
Q: I'd like to get an understanding of the quality of the accommodation. Are there different levels of accommodation and what are they like? Food quality and what's around the resort, outside its walls.
YES THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ACCOMMODATION, AND THE SUITES WILL TAKE THE LEVEL OF ACCOM HIGHER. THERE WILL STILL BE SOME BASIC APARTMENTS FOR PEOPLE TO USE AND KEEP THE COST OF THEIR TRIP DOWN. FOOD HAS IMPROVED GREATLY – THERE IS EVEN A GOOD STEAK AND SUSHI RESTAURANT. THERE’S NOT MUCH DIRECTLY AROUND THE RESORT – THE VILLAGE IS A 10/15 MINUTE WALK DOWN THE ROAD.
Q: Is it full of noisy kids or a more adult place?
IN SUMMER HIGH SEASON AND PEAK HOLIDAY DATES, THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES. OUTSIDE OF THIS PERIOD, IT’S MAINLY ADULTS OR GROUPS.
Q: May be hard for you to guage but is it the kind of place that someone could happily go to on their own and if so are there quieter corners where you can escape kids?
YES
They've also made an offer for Fetchies. "Travel before 30/9/13 and book before 31/7/13 – save £100 off the cost of an apartment for a week. Not combinable with any other offer and applies to only full apartments, not twin to share bookings. Cannot be used against existing bookings." Call 0161 790 9890 to book and tell them you want the Fetch discount. If you like.
So here are the questions, with answers from Sports Tours:
Q: Is it the kind of place that could support a family as a family destination (kids clubs, activities etc), and is relaxing for non-runners, or would all the sweaty sporty types just annoy everybody else who isn't trying to train?
CLS IS IDEAL FOR FAMILIES THERE IS SO MUCH FOR KIDS TO DO THERE. clublasanta.co.uk
Q: Is there a bar? Does it serve beer, or protein shakes?
YES THERE ARE A FEW BARS
Q: I heard it was a bit tatty round the edges these days, but then aren't we all.
THE NEW BUILD IS ON SCHEDULE FOR OPENING IN 2014 AND MANY OF THE EXISTING APARTMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN RENOVATED. SOME OF THE EXISING FACILITIES HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TOO WITH LOTS OF NEW EQUIPMENT AND PLENTY OF HIGH TECH KIT TOO!
Q: And do they do other sports? MrsC likes sailing and windsurfing and tennis. My kids are 8 & 5 this year. Is there stuff for them like sporty childcare?
OVER 30 FREE SPORTS ARE INCLUDED!
Q: We'd also heard it was a bit 'gulag-style' on the accommodation front. Up-to-date info would be welcome.
IT’S MUCH NICER NOWADAYS, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT 5 STAR LUXURY. NEXT YEAR, THE NEW APARTMENTS WILL CERTAINLY BE A MAJOR STEP UP FROM WHAT GUESTS HAVE BEEN USED TO.
Q: And what's the food like??
THERE ARE SOME NEW RESTAURANTS ONSITE. WE WERE THERE 3 WEEKS AGO AND THE FOOD HAS BEEN IMPROVED GREATLY. THE NEW FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER IS FROM A FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, SO THAT SHOWS YOU THE DIRECTION THE PLACE IS GOING.
Q: I want to try convince Mr Ness he'd like to go so could you check out the facilities for non-running partners. For example, what are the gym facilities like? Ta.
TOP CLASS EQUIPMENT! ONE OF THE NEW RUNNING MACHINES COST OVER €10,000!!!! LOTS OF OTHER TOP QUALITY KIT, ESPECIALLY IN THE GYM OR IF YOU’RE INTO CYCLING.
Q: How many apartments have they now done up? What's the time scale for doing up all of them? Will prices go up once renovated? How is the 5 star hotel development Coming along (they were stuck at a planning stage for a long time). Have fun!
QUITE A FEW OF THE APARTMENTS HAVE BEEN RENOVATED NOW. THE PROCESS STARTED TWO YEARS AGO AND WILL STILL RUN FOR ANOTHER 18 MONTHS OR SO. PRICES FOR WINTER 2013/14 ARE CURRENTLY LOWER THAN LAST WINTER – THERE’S 20% OFF THE BROCHURE PRICE CURRENTLY AND ANOTEHR £100 OFF CERTAIN APARTMENTS AT SPECIFIC TIMES. THE NEW SUITES HAVE A DIFFERENT PRICING STRUCTURE AND ARE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT UNDERSTANDABLY FOR THE EXTRA QUALITY, ALTHOUGH NOT AS MORE EXPENSIVE AS YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. SUITES ON TARGET FOR OPENING April 1st 2014.
Q: I'd like to get an understanding of the quality of the accommodation. Are there different levels of accommodation and what are they like? Food quality and what's around the resort, outside its walls.
YES THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ACCOMMODATION, AND THE SUITES WILL TAKE THE LEVEL OF ACCOM HIGHER. THERE WILL STILL BE SOME BASIC APARTMENTS FOR PEOPLE TO USE AND KEEP THE COST OF THEIR TRIP DOWN. FOOD HAS IMPROVED GREATLY – THERE IS EVEN A GOOD STEAK AND SUSHI RESTAURANT. THERE’S NOT MUCH DIRECTLY AROUND THE RESORT – THE VILLAGE IS A 10/15 MINUTE WALK DOWN THE ROAD.
Q: Is it full of noisy kids or a more adult place?
IN SUMMER HIGH SEASON AND PEAK HOLIDAY DATES, THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES. OUTSIDE OF THIS PERIOD, IT’S MAINLY ADULTS OR GROUPS.
Q: May be hard for you to guage but is it the kind of place that someone could happily go to on their own and if so are there quieter corners where you can escape kids?
YES
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Sooooo... it's hot innit.
My boy is away for a fortnight, which pretty much sucks donkeys - but I've been able to catch up with him every day, and he's having a nice time, and that's the most important bit. Here he is doing tag rugby:
We spent all of Thursday together, as I was a parent helper on the school trip to Conkers. There was less vomit on the bus than I'd expected, and it was nice to see that other seven-year-olds can be just as mentalist as my boy. We made paper (which seems to involve using a lot of paper), and sat around eating ice creams whilst the children slid down extremely hot metal slides. I spoke to his teacher whilst they were all running round, and he says the boy is the best creative writer in his class At the moment, all his stories end with 'And then they all had a ginormous party'.
Last time I blogged, I mentioned Club La Santa - that's coming up this weekend (but if you're contemplating robbing my house, don't, 'cos (a) it'd be really annoying, (b) I'll delete your training log, and (c) six foot teenager is incredibly creative and would make Macaulay Culkin look like an amateur.)
I've made a note of all your questions, and I'll make sure I answer as many as I can cover during the week. So far, we've just had a bunch of confirmation emails to print out and take - and all we've done is try to work out what sports we'll try out when we're there. I know we didn't have to pay for the accomodation and food, so we've probably skipped a few steps, but it's seemed pretty painless so far. Our first challenge is coming though - we have Ryanair flights that come with a 15kg allowance between the two of us. There are only so many bikinis I can wear
I did intervals! I spent a day or two writing a blog for the Guardian describing intervals for noobs (I'll publish it on Fetch next month, but they're going to use it first). And it got me going - I did 10 x 400m with 60s recoveries on a shady bit of route 51 - they were nicely consistent - all between 1:45 and 1:49, and it looks like I got my HR up into the 85% bracket, which (as far as I understand) is where they need to me. It's made me realise that I can improve the graph options for interval sessions! And I think tomorrow I'll aim for 5 x 800 (2 min breaks?). My mileage hasn't been massive, so I might not need to do them - but they've been fun.
And back to the blog title (free bun if you spot the reference). This weekend I've been putting down a new floor in Katie's treatment room. We had a cream carpet in there, and it was showing up every mark, and wasn't very treatment-roomy. So now it's cashew oak, and I got to play with a pneumatic nail gun. After Saturday, I don't think I've felt more tired in a long time. On Sunday morning I felt as stiff as I used to after the first day of the cricket season (traditionally my first day of exercise since the previous September). Bending down is hard, gripping things is hard, and I have two lovely blood blisters on my left index finger where I twatted it with a mallet. But putting that aside, I really enjoyed it. I like doing wood stuff. Plumbing is very messy and continues getting worse until you get it exactly right. Electrical work isn't too messy, and if you get it wrong no-one makes you clear it up - they just make you lots of strong sweet tea. But carpentery is a lot more peaceful, there's no hurry, and all you've got to focus on is measuring accurately, and cutting the right bits off. There's a final bit of trim to go on, and I've set myself a time limit of approximately 15 years to finish it off.
Don't forget to enter this giveaway: http://www.fetcheveryone.com/book-theartofrunningfaster.php
Right, that's me for now.
And they all had a ginormous party.
My boy is away for a fortnight, which pretty much sucks donkeys - but I've been able to catch up with him every day, and he's having a nice time, and that's the most important bit. Here he is doing tag rugby:
We spent all of Thursday together, as I was a parent helper on the school trip to Conkers. There was less vomit on the bus than I'd expected, and it was nice to see that other seven-year-olds can be just as mentalist as my boy. We made paper (which seems to involve using a lot of paper), and sat around eating ice creams whilst the children slid down extremely hot metal slides. I spoke to his teacher whilst they were all running round, and he says the boy is the best creative writer in his class
At the moment, all his stories end with 'And then they all had a ginormous party'. Last time I blogged, I mentioned Club La Santa - that's coming up this weekend (but if you're contemplating robbing my house, don't, 'cos (a) it'd be really annoying, (b) I'll delete your training log, and (c) six foot teenager is incredibly creative and would make Macaulay Culkin look like an amateur.)
I've made a note of all your questions, and I'll make sure I answer as many as I can cover during the week. So far, we've just had a bunch of confirmation emails to print out and take - and all we've done is try to work out what sports we'll try out when we're there. I know we didn't have to pay for the accomodation and food, so we've probably skipped a few steps, but it's seemed pretty painless so far. Our first challenge is coming though - we have Ryanair flights that come with a 15kg allowance between the two of us. There are only so many bikinis I can wear
I did intervals! I spent a day or two writing a blog for the Guardian describing intervals for noobs (I'll publish it on Fetch next month, but they're going to use it first). And it got me going - I did 10 x 400m with 60s recoveries on a shady bit of route 51 - they were nicely consistent - all between 1:45 and 1:49, and it looks like I got my HR up into the 85% bracket, which (as far as I understand) is where they need to me. It's made me realise that I can improve the graph options for interval sessions! And I think tomorrow I'll aim for 5 x 800 (2 min breaks?). My mileage hasn't been massive, so I might not need to do them - but they've been fun.
And back to the blog title (free bun if you spot the reference). This weekend I've been putting down a new floor in Katie's treatment room. We had a cream carpet in there, and it was showing up every mark, and wasn't very treatment-roomy. So now it's cashew oak, and I got to play with a pneumatic nail gun. After Saturday, I don't think I've felt more tired in a long time. On Sunday morning I felt as stiff as I used to after the first day of the cricket season (traditionally my first day of exercise since the previous September). Bending down is hard, gripping things is hard, and I have two lovely blood blisters on my left index finger where I twatted it with a mallet. But putting that aside, I really enjoyed it. I like doing wood stuff. Plumbing is very messy and continues getting worse until you get it exactly right. Electrical work isn't too messy, and if you get it wrong no-one makes you clear it up - they just make you lots of strong sweet tea. But carpentery is a lot more peaceful, there's no hurry, and all you've got to focus on is measuring accurately, and cutting the right bits off. There's a final bit of trim to go on, and I've set myself a time limit of approximately 15 years to finish it off.
Don't forget to enter this giveaway: http://www.fetcheveryone.com/book-theartofrunningfaster.php
Right, that's me for now.
And they all had a ginormous party.
Click here to suggest fetcheveryone's blog for today's highlights.
Comments
-
YAY for the new floor. Glad you cleared up less vomit than expected. On my daughter's coach outing last week, there was one child sick on the way there and one child sick on the way back. And it was apparently my daughter both times!SherryB2:08pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
That'll teach me not to pin you down.KatieB2:20pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
floor looked pretty damn good, hats off. :)ginormous is great word, i am going to use it every day this weeksantababy2:40pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
Enjoy yourselves! Ryanair luggage limits lend themselves to creative packing, make sure you wear your heaviest running shoes and hats and shorts etc, layer it up baby! At Toulouse airport last year they weighed everybody's hand luggage before letting anybody through security, it was a total pain in the bum!fleecy2:46pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
I'm taking it as read that you slipped in a quick freedom parkrun around Conkers whilst you were theresLickster3:16pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
You're a better man than me - intervals AND DIY. Double well done. Have a fab hols. (hint: creating a full site search feature would be a great way to relax in the evenings after hard training during day?!) :-)GHappyG(rrr)3:27pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
I have a question about your holiday. Hubby wants to know if he would hate it, being a bloke that doesn't do lazing by the pool or running and stuff! Is there a golf course and is there anything to amuse a 3 year old? Thanks and please have a lovely time.Elsie Too3:35pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
you need to blog more, you make me smile!mulbs4:11pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
Looked like a good job, flooring is a satisfying job.Diogenes10:10pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
nice of you to be explaining intervals for me in a national paperMcNewbie hope you and katie have a fab time, good luck with being creative with the packing (15kg?! ridiculous!) 10:17pm, 22nd Jul 2013
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Just wear everything you want to take. I do the love the idea of all stories ending in a ginormous partyCarpathius11:16pm, 22nd Jul 2013
-
But ... won't that be 15kg hold and 2x10kg hand luggage? All your suncream and pointy things in the hold bag with bulky stuff and lighter packdownable stuff (and sandwiches) in the carryons. Find your lightest suitcase as well - mine vary from 3kg to 6kg (so that's like a third extra using the light case) though in fact I usually take a backpack which is under 2kg. Have fun packing and happy holidaysDvorak
10:54am, 23rd Jul 2013 -
Sorry for making the old carpet mucky. I did wipe my feet when I came in. Honest.The Teaboy3:36pm, 23rd Jul 2013
About Me
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!Blog Archive
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2024 (39)
April (9)
Night Races - Can you help?
Sifting Chunks: Gradient versus Pace
Audible Free Trial - You get free audiobooks, I get five quid!
A donation from JH
Andy Townsend :-)
GCU50: Citizen on Patrol
Fetchpoint: The Game - Where I'm Headed
Fetchpoint: The Game - a consultation
Heavy Roller please
March (11)
I can eat fifty eggs
Oscar the Grouch :-(
If a Fetch fails in a forest...
Trialling a new weekly update email
Lasting Power of Suspicion
Fetch Virtual Challenge 2024 *bunting*
Swittle's Funeral
Cadence
Tea & Trails Podcast
Down to my last pen
A bench for swittle
February (8)
The Lightning Struck Tower
Swittle
Cholesterol
This year so far in pictures
Three Noahs
Fetch is as strong as you make it.
100k - what do I need?
Paywalls are BS: I'm on a podcast!
January (11)
Chasing Round Numbers - A Cautionary Tale!
MOTM - Decision Made (and a competition for EVERYONE!)
MOTM - a chance to rethink
Training Home Page updates
How much walking will I do?
Training Plans - Further Updates
Training Plan List
Butter Police
Why no app?
Useful Chat!
Festive Fetch Calendar - Winners
2023 (136)
December (6)
Nearly forgot...
Jam today
Removing another bit of Google's invasiveness
Fancy an extra challenge over the next 12 days?
Chewie, we're home!
Two tips for today's advent challenge
November (13)
Spammy McSpamface
40 days and 40 nights
EfM confirmed!
New Training Log Beta! 😲 (aka Change Is Not Good)
Escape from Meriden
Waiting for your training?
Route of the Century?
I didn't know I owned a nutcracker
Design our anniversary shirts/vests!
Holiday Reading - plenty of fiction :-)
Swimming in a metaphor
Hello
Off World
October (11)
Fl'update
To think I tried to mop it up!
Vote Please: How many F'Laps will you try to do?
F'Laps 2024
Long Run
So it still needs a name...
Front Garden Ultra?
The Boy is a man!
Festive Fetch Calendar
Creative K's
Signs
September (7)
Training Edit Screen - time to ditch it...
Stock check
The Doctor K Cup - October 7th!!!!
Removing the training edit screen
A Happy Applecart
Happy 19th Birthday!
Forgotten pictures
August (14)
Just in case
Weekly Total Hours
Dim Brys Dim Chwys
All hail our robot overlords!
Your local parkrun
Fool on the hill
Survey Follow Up
A survey?
Did you know?
I made a thing
VC Day
FBI Agent
What keeps you going?
Be careful what's in your paste buffer (and July training update)
July (13)
Delight
Respecting your eyeballs since 2004
Hot Stuff, coming through
Ocean Colour Scheme
18 years, 10 months, 13 days and counting...
Ooof #fail
Our listings need you!
Pics from the end of the swim
A whispered, half-remembered dream
Try the Heatmap!!!
Teaser
100 Running Words (and my June summary)
July Virtual Mile
June (8)
Last Big Swim
I can't be the only one...
Which is the real me?
#EveryoneDay
The legendary sixth samosa!
WSW Main Page Layout Changes
May Summary (contains swimming!)
Hoodies pre-order closes at 10am
May (17)
A new WSW challenge
Tagging images
Hoooooooooooooodies!!!!!!!!!!!
Another Sweatshop Competition
Did you get an email?
Fifty Years Ago - Part VIII
Fifty Years Ago - Part VII
Fifty Years Ago - Part VI
Help on a slippery slope
Fifty Years Ago - Part V
Fifty Years Ago - Part IV
Fifty Years Ago - Part III
Chuck-off: Round 2
Not my king?
Fifty Years Ago - Part II
Fifty Years Ago
And that was April
April (10)
Centurion Safari!
Sheep treats (and a routes feature)
And I’ll sail her up the west coast, through villages and towns.
15,746 places to 💩
Track Your Blood Pressure
A couple of quick fmail updates
Rusty Metal and a Cycling Grudge Match
Please help me kick the fmail tyres!
Onset of Summer Watch. Have you got Onset of Summer? +fmail!
Premium?
March (10)
And that was March
Try the new fmail system
Can you help my boy?
Tell A Friend?
Some Sweatshop Competitions
Sign up to our 2023 Virtual Challenge
Review: FORM Smart Goggles
UTMOST vs Treadmills
33,258
Embranglement!
February (13)
And that was February
This year's Virtual Challenge
What does Points make?
Automatic Everything Collector
Peaky Finders
FAO Fitbit users
My favourite training graph
You've got this.
Coffee Survey (for my stepson)
Access all the tips
Tiny Usability Changes
Cod science
Hot Tips
January (14)
Monthly Infographic Bug Fixes
No, but really...
Have a play with the monthly infographic
It's not ready yet, but...
Introducing Fetch Premium
Help me design a new Monthly Infographic...
Still following?
Fettle
Definitely Not Betting
Do you follow? (plus burp chat)
Advance warning for stalkers!
I'm back (and the Fetch LS, SS and NS shirts preorder is open)
Attention Fitbit Users
Review 50 albums in 2023 (badge!)
2022 (144)
December (8)
Treasure Hunt Day 1 - the best gift
Important updates to the Fetch Relay
Introducing the Fetch Relay 2023
Who Am I? (Solved, thanks) And How Am I?
Confessions :-)
12 Days of Christmas Treasure Hunt
Chewie, we’re home!
A few pics from the Foffice :-)
November (24)
Yesvember - Day #30 (and Festive Fetch Calendar Eve!)
The Fetch Festive 160.934 :-) [Yesvember #Day 29]
You'd better watch out... (plus Yesvember Day #28)
Brace Yourself (and there's one spare bobble hat!) and Yesvember - Day #26
Hats in the post! Plus Yesvember Day #25
Look what arrived!
Yesvember - Day #24
Training Graph Manager - usability update (Yesvember Day #23)
Yesvember - Day #22 - Cheating?
Last chance to enter the Advance Performance comp
Yesvember - Days #11 thru #14 (plus Jumpy Boy)
Weather on the training home page watch. Have you got weather on the training home page? (Yesvember - Day #10)
Oh, and... it's Yesvember - Day #9
Another bit of the internet fenced off
Yesvember - Day #8 - taking steps
Yesvember - Day #7
Yesvember - Day #6
Yesvember - Day #5
The curse of swimming GPS
Yesvember - Day #4
The Les Mis effect
Yesvember - Day #3
Yesvember - Day #2
Yesvember - Day #1
October (15)
October gives way to Yesvember!
Anyone fancy a threeway?
More thoughts on races
Racing, post-pandemic
Contracts exchanged!
Competition Time!
Last call for Flobble Hats
A record year for swimming?
Woburn Lido
Order your Bobble Hat! If you like.
I appear to have entered a race! (plus new Garmin import queueing system)
Eric the Eel
Get your hobbit on
The Doctor K Cup: Saturday 8th October!
I felt the touch of the kings and the breath of the wind
September (16)
Take This Bus To Cuba
Fetch Bobble Hats
Trumpeting
Training View tweaks (switch maps, game overlays, mile markers)
Training View tweaks (and a play button bug fix)
A long ride and a cold swim.
Play Button
UTMOST Wava & Bike Division Rebuilds
New UTMOST leagues for cyclists and WAVA fans
The Doctor K Cup
Chance encounters
Do I ditch our Facebook stuff?
A keeper, from my feedback inbox...
Ultra distances - update
Adding ultra distances to Fastest Fetchies league.
Try the new Training Groups pages
August (11)
Training Groups Update - Coming Soon
Garmin Queue Issues
Donations without reference numbers :-)
New Elbow Laws
No longer the 3398th fastest Fetchie over 10k!
Pulling counties into league tables
What was I thinking?
County Champion?
Just bear in mind that you asked for this.
Wahoo and Coros users
How to make half a million quid (batteries not included)
July (6)
Club Listings
Book giveaway :-)
Updated Race Portfolio
Updated Targets Page
Exactly ***1*** Spare Ladies L Cycling Jersey
Search All Blogs :-)
June (10)
Imagine you could search all the public blogs...
Banking Scandal at Fetch Towers!
7pm on Baker Island #everyoneday
#EveryoneDay - Sunday 26th June 2022
Spare Challenge Coasters
The North West Passage
Feature Request Voting - Know Your Limits!
UTMOST Division 8: YIKES!
Shepperton Weight Gain Programme
UTMOST Division 9! Sub-50 10k :-)
May (16)
Four hours left :-)
Division 10: No hope of escape?
Book giveaway :-)
Division 11: No place left to hide
New HR Analysis
They're here! Well, not exactly *here*, but...
A quick Darth Mode update
Darth Mode! And a few biscuits for the hyperdrive.
Division 12: Two hours of pushing broom
Dark Mode: Beta
PB Potential? Fancy a quickie? ;-)
Division 12: Running Out Of Road?
Thank you everyone!
Making UTMOST moves :-)
Do you want a Fetch shirt?
I did my UTMOST :-) (plus new sharing infographic)
April (7)
Today's plan
NEW UTMOST BADGES!!!!!
A plug for some races
Raspberry Pavlov
Win a book :-)
United Colours of Cross Training
A little Streetview adventure
March (11)
The lockers are a pound.
Advice for Gym Noobs!
Feedback made easier
#EveryoneDay June 26th 2022
Fetch Virtual Challenge 2022 🎈
Thanks Chunky: parkrun routes!
Sniffer Dogs
Yikes!
Fetch Cycling Jerseys - Update
Route Plotting tweak
The Crow: A Pipedream!
February (7)
Fetch Kit Spares
Updated Race Listing Pages
Introducing Rundle!
I appear to be training for an OWS event!
Fetch Cycling Jerseys!!!
Does you wantz free shoez?
Post Office tomorrow - kit spares
January (13)
Updated Flanci Design (now with more Fetchness)
Badge Collection Graphic!
Updated elevation trace
Book Lists :-)
Updated sharing infographic - do you like it?
Spare Fetch Kit
Badge page refresh / feature requests
Flanci / Fetch Leggings
New Badge Pages
New hill badges
Join me on my fitness journey!
Are you the farmer?
Blog every day challenge - finishers
2021 (187)
December (14)
Book List
Ten years ago today...
A big slobbery elephant snog.
If you don't like hills, this must be getting tiring :-)
When does a hill end?
Hill finder - prototype v2
Hill Finder - prototype
2022 Targets
Chewie, We’re Home! Happy Fetch Independence Day!
Embed badges, plus a new badge :-)
Updated people page
Seeking map
Streak Watch
The new Fetch buffs are here…
November (23)
Almost there...
The Fetch Library
Update your thread titles
Ascent dissent
Mute a thread
Shortcuts
Training Import Queue
I fell off (but not really!)
Croeso i Fetcheveryone. Ydych chi'n siarad Almaeneg, Swedish neu Eidaleg?
New mobile nav
Last call for shirts
@
Just a trim please
Brought to you by wind power
300 miles later
Golden Ticket Shocker!
Banjobax (aka KOG)
Home and Away kit preorder - with long sleeve option
A little competition - win a copy of Daniels' Running Formula
Garmin testers - thanks
Add your grub stops!
Points Of Interest: Grub Stops
Garmin-owning testers wanted
October (19)
New home and away shirts and vests
Benchmark league - a few more updates
Benchmark league table
Hill areas
Preorder is now open!
'b'uffs then
Necktube design #1 & #2
Buffs (well, neck tubes)
Report dodgy GPS stuff
An apology for people who follow my training
New cycling and swimming badges
New Conquercise Feature: Grids
Sprouting a tiny biking antler :-)
Have a try of the cycling gradient analysis
Struggling with my big ring
Cycling: gradient vs pace
A question for cyclists
For Doctor K
Shan't.
September (14)
New comments (FID 1212)
Forum post previews
Garmin imports with a snippet more info
Gallery upload options
Golden Tickets
"No need to panic donate", says Williams
Forum Quotes
Spoiler Alert!
20th of March and all that.
Have you signed up yet?
This bit of crappy Upminister nearly cost me my f***ing life.
A guide with no pages
To steal a catchphrase from a wise lady...
Multiple choice polls
August (11)
Pre-Race Training - Updated
A connection!
New Member of the Month sponsor
Best Weeks - bug fixes
Your Best Week Ever
Rainbow Kit - preorder is open
Age Bests - filtering out the mistakes :-)
Sign up, sign up, for the Doctor K cup
A message from my lovely wife ❤️
Another batch of rainbow kit?
Spares: Event Clips, Swim Hats and a few rainbow tops
July (10)
A bunch of site goodies :-)
Hello kitty
Holy Simmering Mercury Batman!
Settings
A heart rate question
Sleepy Shuffle?
365 graph
Slipping on ma noob shoes
Meatronomes
World's Sexiest Bridges
June (11)
Benchmarks - a *tiny* little improvement
Race Leaderboards - some small improvements
Race Finder - Update
Up there ^
Routes - more updates
Last call for FE Event Clips
Server update
Minor code problem
Some little updates to your route list
Feature requests - two years on!
More than just a rainbow
May (8)
Rainbow Kit - update on delivery time...
Fetch Ron Hill Cycling Jerseys
Pre-order your rainbow kit now :-)
Jimi Hendrix vs Run DMC
The return of parkrun - a poll
Something in the woodshed...
Default to walk
A tour of the Fetch Office
April (11)
Instabanned :-)
I has Instagram
Fetch Event Clips
FERC
Castle Challenge Coaster!
My chess rating
Jab - symptom watch
This just in...
REVIEW: XMiles selection box
Let FE pay for your coaching qualifications :-)
Castle Challenge - A Quick Blog
March (18)
The Fetcheveryone Castle Challenge
Running vs Cycling Cadence
Fetch vests and shirts (and swim caps)
Elevation vs Follow Roads
£500 of England Athletics courses up for grabs!
TomTom users
Music by year: 1993
10k Analysis: Part 7 - Length of Training Runs
Music by year: 1992 (plus some 1991 additions)
Bot sniffing win :-) plus daily blogger count!
User profiles
10k Analysis: Part 6 - Training Pace Again
Time to update your injuries :-)
User profile - sticker button.. EDIT and race standard
More user profile adjustments
User Profile tweaking
Cute story of the week*
10k Analysis: Part 5 - Training Pace
February (17)
Year on Year mileage comparison
Elevation graphs
It's all kicking off in chess club!
Music By year: 1991
10k Analysis: Part 4 - Weekly Training Habits
Tagging virtual races
Chasing rainbows
Rainbow Shirts
Lance!
Blog writing improvements
10k Analysis: Part 3 - Accuracy of human predictions
Music by year: 1990
Smacking bots
29 slices - my seven days of dinner
10k Analysis: Part 2 - Age and Performance
Pass it on
10k Analysis: Part 1 - Distribution of best 10k times
January (31)
January
Mobile Usability Team Helping All Fetchies...
Salmon Ramen Recipe :-)
Salmon Ramen (for TBR)
Backup dog
The best GPS watches in the world... volume 1
Pick it...
People who liked...
Obscure bugs
Zen & The Art of Heart Rate Training
FIT file import - temporary issue
Keep the change, ya filthy animal
The honeymoon is over
Dirty data
Mobile Usability
Oops
Readership!
Stay sticky
It's Hip To Buy Squares
Related Threads - Exposé :-)
The Batshit Association
Jobs
Tag Team
Feed the monster!
An ad for Fetch Chess Club :-)
Estimating VO2Max
Three little birds
A not uncommon swelling
Church Mouse January
Honey, where's my super suit?
Not here.
2020 (128)
December (6)
Blog A Day 2021?
9 years ago today
Chewie, We're Home! Happy Fetch Independence Day :-)
Be Prepared
Becoming an effluencer
A few Fetch Mugs left
November (10)
The Festive Fetch Calendar is back!
FIT file import
Mugs!
Thank you, mysterious Fetchie!
Chess
UTMOST in the age of COVID-19
This'll cheer you up for sure...
Lost in translation?
Annual Infographic... updating now.
In theory...
October (11)
Training Plan Analysis
Mini plans with the training plan
5k with The Boy :-)
Welcome to tomorrow
Thank you
Become tradeable!
Pre-Race Training Volume
Doctor K Cup Week
Last orders
Advice for a friend
Trader Makeover
September (6)
The shop is open!
Hoodie Colour!
New Fetch Hoodies
A big up/holler!
VO2max
A benchmark derailed by GPS data *nerd*
August (8)
10k analysis
Officially a Sheepy Shuffler!
Pi Watering
Pre-order Avoid Everyone Face Masks
I got sent these...
Other sites? :-O
Benchmarks - an infinitely configurable set of ladders.
Try the monthly infographic :-)
July (10)
Update on Monthly Training Infographic
New Infographic
Monthly Summary (with a little tweak)
A quick Garmin update
Open Water / Wild Swimming Database
Avoid Everyone - spares
OWS Locations
Thread-level search
New Sharing Graphic & New Pastures
My first lamp post
June (16)
Replacing the Who's Training page
Combining some pages
In pursuit of the Gridmaster Ultra
15th Anniversary Kit - Spares
Shoelaces
A new How To video
Training Plan Updated
Black Lives Matter
Avoid Everyone Spares + Second Batch
Wikipedia page
Another YouTube video for sharesies :-)
Getting data to Fetch from **other places**
Feature Voting - some further updates
Feature Voting - speeded up
Another How To video - this time, Conquercise
Fantastisches Tweeten
May (13)
A video for sharing
Bees!
Fetch Introductory Zoom Presentations
A promise to all Fetchies
Fetch Virtual Weekend: Replacement Bus Service
How has Fetch use changed?
Fetch Weekly Virtual Races
Zoom Meeting - Thursday 9 til 10am
WAVA Standards Update
WAVA Standards + Poll
Fun with Age Grading :-)
New Badges Day
The test shirt fabric has arrived :-)
April (14)
Zoom Podcast - watch the video
What is WBC?
If you did the free Amazon trial...
Some small amends (and shirt version)
Pre-orders open
I was only joking, but...
If Fetcheveryone did lockdown merch
Site outage - Thursday 16th April 11pm
On exercising responsibly
My Sports Quiz - how would you have scored?
Your creative thinking required
WBC My Favourite Teacher (a bit later than the deadline)
Updated Training League
Server Downtime, Thursday 9th 00:01BST to 04:00BST (and thank you!)
March (13)
New Fetch Game: Hide and Seek
Free trial of Audible
Do you have a good memory?
New Opt-In for Fetch Miles
New Badges for Fetch Miles
The Fetch Five: Don't Let CV19 Win!
Amending event dates and notifying of cancellations
A green light comes on over your head, and you can get on with life
Most Popular Shoe Brands 2019
A review
Android: Session I
Compare Your Training
Book Now to avoid disappointment :-)
February (10)
Imports from Suunto, Fitbit, Polar and TomTom.
Plot A Route - mobile improvements
Happy tugging!
Something to play with
Adding A New Feature
February Treasure Hunt
Server Downtime
Miles = Smiles
Build Your Mile
Pop Will Eat Himself: Update
January (11)
Clarence the Cadence Kitten
Trim your trails :-)
Seven Day Leaderboard
Let's try that again
Some minor blog amendments
Try the new Forum Search Prototype
Pop Will Eat Himself
A card from HowFar?
Thank you HowFar? (Statement, not a question)
Take the red pill
Climb every mountain
2019 (134)
December (7)
The Christmas Poem
Where your treasure is...
Listen to the dog breathe
Chewie, We're Home
Thursday's Challenge
Which GPS?
Fetch Shop (of sorts)
November (12)
The zeroth challenge
Polar users - auto import
Calling all Polar users
Mobile Optimisation
Calling all Android users
Did your ads disappear?
Pin that sucker down :-)
Easier tagging
Category now editable from VIEW
Kit now editable from VIEW
Working towards tagging
Manual Add Training bug
October (16)
Boring Cricket Blog
Books Part 2
Books :-)
42
Training tags Part 2
Training tags
Let's Jazzercise
My precious
Cricket Week 4: Footage :-)
Forum Training Threads
Benny Neutrino Returns
Cricket Week 3: Wingardium Leviosa!
Benny Neutrino's Filter Tips
Cricket Week 2
Continuing Amazon Affiliate Saga
In case you haven't seen...
September (11)
Updated: Spare Anniversary Kit
Affiliate links
I did a cricket!
Fetch365 - enjoy responsibly
Filth
My dear old things
Buddies vs Follow
Server Invoice Day
Our new MOTM sponsor
Fetch Power!
Race Listings: Please Read
August (5)
Everyone *rainbow*
Almost there...
Quick blog
Country Badges
A new set of badges
July (6)
Pre-orders open
Anniversary Shirts v2
Fetch 15th Anniversary Shirts
Fetch Fest 2020
Shout Outs
Missing imports from Garmin yesterday
June (13)
Who Squares Wins: 64 screenshot
Who Squares Wins: 64 Player Edition
Training summary - older pages
Training sub-menu rejig
Try the infographic
Steady Edina
Annual Summary Infographic
The height of daft things
The training summary - the morning session
The training summary - a wordier blog
Try the annual summary thing
How to listen to the Fetch Podcast
12 month summary mega-graph!
May (15)
£79.99 off the bottom line
Competition
parkrun reviews - now with routes
Fix It Friday; Project Joker Week 2; and some shout outs.
Fetch Kit Cupboard Sale
The bonus ball
Project Joker - Week 1
Fix It Friday
A quick update on the server
Fetch 15th Anniversary Kit
There is a good service operating
Oof.
In case you're wondering...
Trouble auto importing from Garmin?
Fix It Friday: Stuff that came to me in dreams
April (12)
Feature Voting - now with virtual badges :-)
The moment of triumph!
New Feature Voting
Fix It Friday: What would your horse be called?
Marathon Pacing: tyre-kickers required
Fix It Friday: Back to Basics
Podcast Poll
Fix It Friday: The League Of Everyone
Dom, dom, dom, I've got DOMS, I've got DOMS!
Crouch, Touch, Pause.... longer pause... what am I doing again?
Training Log - Update
Site Update: New Font
March (15)
Fix It Friday: An Endless Mission
Naming and faming :-)
2nd in my age category!
Fix It Friday: Brought to you by Surprise Inset Day
New training log
Route Matching - Ready :-)
Fix It Friday
What's your unit of measurement?
Ciderthon competition
Fix It Friday: Stroopwafels of Doom!
Route Matching - Update
This week's cool list
Me in the river
Big Fetch Miles 2019
Fix It Friday: Fingerprints!
February (13)
A Maths Challenge
Fetch Legends: Activate!
Whose coat is this jacket?
Fix It Friday: The Fix Awakens
Joining the awesome list...
Fix It Friday
Naming and faming :-)
Fix It Friday - Monthly Summary
Training Month Summary
Podcast Q&A
If you can't read this, don't panic.
*redsaber* The force is strong with these Fetchies!
Fix It Friday *bluesaber*
January (9)
Some shout outs :-)
Fix It Friday!
Podcast Ep 3, plus some naming and faming :-)
Fix It Friday
Fetch Chaos
Oooh! Second chance Berlin trip! And new subbers, podcast episode, and Trader.
My week of running
Naming and faming - this week :-)
Naming and faming :-)
2018 (138)
December (8)
A Christmas Message (in podcast form)
Rungeon :-)
Hey, Everyone!
France Trip Vote
Happy Fetch Independence Day
Actual free trip to France (incl. flights)
Litter
Sombrero's Lovely Cards
November (14)
Hoodies + other spares
Spare Fetch Kit
Festive Fetch Calendar 2018
Avatars
Book Giveaway - Can We Run With You, Grandfather?
Fix It Friday
Bedford Harriers Half - place offered
Updated Kit Bag
Family Fortunes :-)
Any adidas experts out there?
No Fixes Today - just two challenges
Big Fetch Mile Cardiff
Fix It Friday
Festive Fetch Calendar 2018
October (14)
Hello landlubbers
Embedded polls
Member of the Month
Fix It Friday
Spare Fetch shirts and vests
Abingdon
Fix It Friday
My Fetch Mile
One thing's for sure, we're all gonna be a lot thinner.
Fix It Friday - 'Ave It!
Automatic route matching
Automatic route matching
One last reminder for those cycling jerseys
Fix It Friday - Forensics and User Experience
September (14)
Fix It Friday
Server Downtime 2.30pm 26th September
Never Again
Fix It Friday!
Handling your weirdness
Cards ordered :-)
Just wondering...
Fix It Friday :-)
Try the Fetcheveryone Tutorial
40 days and 40 nights
Fix It Friday
ARION insoles - review part 1
Fetch Shirt - Black Ones, and sizing
Shirts and Vests Pre-Order
August (14)
Fix It Friday
Blog Height squished
Site Outage Last Night
New Mobile Nav
Fix It Friday
New feature - how you doin'? :-)
Sunflower spread
Fix It Friday
A new pre-race mileage graph
Fetch Social: Draycote Water September
Fix It Friday: The Supermarket Analogy
A run with _andy :-)
Suunto 9 Review
Fix it Friday
July (5)
Fix It Friday!
Five Get Wet In Devon
Big Glasgow Weekend - Part 1: Gies A Cwtch
Tom Williams Interview - Final Part
Glasgow Big Fetch Mile Results and Pics
June (17)
Abingdon Week 17 - P&D Booster rockets
Interviewing Tom Williams: Part III
Walking League (and one just for Nellers)
Follow Roads - continued
Week 18 in the bag
Tackling turds
Abingdon Marathon Training: Week 18
Interview with Tom Williams - Part 2
Server
Five Questions (ready for serious answers)
Kick some tyres for me
Interview with Tom Williams - Part 1
Five Questions
Follow Roads saga
Google maps progress, plus Abingdon plans
Training Summary - Infographics
Who Squares Wins - ranking update
May (10)
Training log maps converted
More mapping updates
Who Squares Wins - The Wizard's Hat
De doo doo doo... another one bites the dust...
Invisible changes
Silverstone 10k
Three year throwback
Why your support makes the difference
Some high mileage Fetchies
dryrobe winner
April (14)
Interviewing Tom Williams
Swimming Caps!
#finishformatt
New batch of shirts and vests
You make big mistake my friend
Fetchpoint
Glasgow Big Fetch Mile announced
Two tickets to the Running Awards
Pics from Dudley Big Fetch Mile
Notes for London Marathon Fetchpointers
Results from today's Big Fetch Mile
Who Squares Wins - prototype board
Attention London Marathoners!
New game - coming soon
March (9)
Intervals, Solidarity, Swimming and Fmail
Ready to give the new fmail a try?
More on fmail
New fmail system
Win a dryrobe :-)
For jabberknit...
Updating the Training Home page
Pics from Bedford Big Fetch Mile
Sledgends :-)
February (13)
Buffs On Sale
Big Fetch Mile Bedford
Vlog :-)
Marathon Talk
Important GDPR stuff - PLEASE read
A page of historical importance
Vlog :-)
Road Rash, Marathon Prediction and T-Shirts
This :-)
Capturing the dog
It's BACK!
Enter Wilmslow Half Marathon
An advertisement
January (6)
Local Fetchies - Opt In
Revealed: World's Best Shoes
How I chose the Big Fetch Mile venues
Big Fetch Mile 2018 - Venues & Provisional Dates
Try adding an image to your training entry
Mileage Targets 2018 - Update
2017 (147)
December (12)
Mileage Targets 2018
Thank you
Brownie Recipe :-)
Phew
Fetch Hoodies + Buffs SALE Update
Chewie, We're Home
Fetch Hoodies SALE - what's left
Fetch Hoodies! SALE!!! (and Buffs available too)
Chewie, We're Home
Sharing pics
Fetch Jingle Mile Cambridge photos
Glorious Failure: Bedford Harriers Half Marathon
November (20)
Serpents, hamstrings and inversions
A special anniversary approaches...
Hamstring and prototype updates
Training Log Prototype - Today's Improvements
Red Venom sale
For what it's worth...
Training Log Prototype - Update #2
Training Log Prototype - Update
Big Fetch Mile - venue hunt
RT for a Garmin
Training Log Prototype - To Be Fixed
fetcheveryone.com/amazon
The Weekly vLog (by me)
Thanks :-)
New Training Log Prototype - Available Now
Thanks for following
VLog - footage from the Cardiff Big Fetch Mile
Big Fetch Mile[s] 2018
Win a place in the Surrey Half
I vont to scan your barcode.
October (12)
Big Fetch Weekend :-)
Fetch Mile Results
Festive Fetch Calendar :-O
Calling Parkers everywhere!
In which I decorate a cake.
Regent's Park Fetchie Discount
Elevation in colour
"I didn't come here to walk to Sparta!"
New elevation info
Chicken Ballot-ine, with a side order of beef
New training log headers
Ballot day tomorrow - help needed
September (19)
Weekly vLog - COCONUTS!!!
River Thames Half Marathon
The lollipop update
On failing gracefully
Doctor K Day
Fetch Kit Sale - Updates
Weekly vLog
Fetch Kit Sale
Training Log View Update
Fetcheveryone Weekly? Vlog?
Fetchie Race Discount - Regent's Park 10k
Training Log Tags - Live
Training Log Tags
Weekly vLog - Derby Mile, and a pause to salute the legendary Doctor K
24 hours later
Doctor K donation page
Doctor K
Fetch Weekly vLog
Derby Mile - tomorrow!
August (8)
Race Prices; and an alien earworm
Straight outta Cromford - the Fetch Weekly vLog!
A Fetch vLog! With prizes!
Quick search location for sharing
New WAVA graph
Weird FIT file thing
Back from me 'olidays :-)
Linking race results to training log entries
July (12)
Race Pricing - crowdsourcing
Appdate for Android and iPhone
Inhalers
Fetch Mile - Cardiff?
Bookends
Race listing omelette
Coding and town planning
Please review your races
A2B winners
Motivational Sounds - the final 10
Two more Big Fetch Miles? :-)
Bedford Fetch Mile Results
June (19)
Big Fetch Mile
Motivational Sounds
Fetch fug - updated design
Fetch fug (available at the Fetch mile)
I've done the naughtiest thing ever.
Donating Blood - my Vlog
Fapp In the App Store :-)
Can I kick it?
A***biscuits
This just in...
For Bean
Your app status is Waiting For Review
A2B
Fetch Caps
Garmin Communicator Plugin
Fetch App - strong and stable testing
HTTPS is here
Fetch App progress
https access to the site
May (14)
Fetch App
Apostrophes
[Untitled]
[Untitled]
Site down at 11pm
Round and round the garden
Try the new home page layout
Server down tonight @ 11pm
Browser testers wanted
The Big Fetch Mile!!!
Site *NOT* down tonight. [cough]
Bluffer's Competition - Winner
Bedford parkrun timelapse
Return of the cap
April (8)
Fetchpoint (London and Milton Keynes!)
Base camp, VMLM
Bronze!
Just for D2
Off to the awards
Bloodvlog
Hoodies - it's on!
Updated Training Home Page
March (6)
'Train' page
Project Joker
Hoodies and Londons
Hands up, hands UP! Draycote Water 10
Bluffer's Competition
Project Joker
February (12)
Draggable?
Running Awards shortlisted
Route Plotter now with OpenStreetMap
Plan for Bluffer's comp
Update to Route Plotter
First update to the route mapper
For Angus
Virtuous Circles
Competition coming soon
Race Guide Ads
Club La Santa vLog
Fetch Fixtures
January (5)
Word Clouds
Buckets Ready
New Home Page
Do me a favour...
Limited Companies, filing accounts, that sort of thing
2016 (128)
December (11)
Festive Fetch Calendar - Winners
Festive Fetch Calendar - Winners
Five Years Ago Today
Pantsfest! May the stains be ever in your favour!
#FEXIT
Photoshop SOS
Attention: Fitbit users
Bedford Half 2016
Luton Fetchmob: Breaking Point
Vote Fetch!
Breaking news: Paris Marathon
November (21)
How to end a LiveChat.
Define wrong
TomTom Runner 3 Review - Any Questions?
Deliveryman
Movember: Project Beard: Day 24: Beardraggled
Festive Fetch Calendar 2016
We're gonna be in the Hudson
Hey Chiefy
I've written summat
Going Postal
A special mention
Training Log Beta
Spare Hoodies
Updates to Training Beta
Movember: Project Beard - Day 8 (The Seven Day Itch)
Vote for Fetch
Training Log Detail View - Some Changes
Aberdeen University Study
Consultation V2
[Untitled]
Fetchpoint - October Winners and November Prizes
October (16)
Alien nuggets!
Keeping a tight lid on the biscuit tin
Training Log Beta
100 Running Words
Pssst....
Fetchmob, December 3rd
Where to mob?
Little things
That All-Time Mileage League
The sudoku that keeps on giving.
Sub-25 for 1km :-)
Fetchmob - December 3rd
New Training Log Preview
Fixed the overlap...
Why the new training log isn't ready yet...
vLog
September (12)
Doughnut or Donate
Training Log - Sneak Peek
Fetch Shop Sale! Old stuff clearout!
vLog!!!
The consultation system...
Garmin support for timezone info
The GMT/BST/Timezone problem
Training Log Consultation...
Training Log - Consultation
Fetch Social Runs
Subscriber shirts, vests and hoodies, and determination.
Fetch Voluntary Subscriptions
August (3)
Ze Gryndylows! My first #OWS :-)
Testing Fetchpoint exclusion zones
Fetchpoint scoring system
July (7)
Conquercise Prize Draw?
Fetch Games: Checkpoints (and what's wrong with them)
More owls...
Your Favourite Fetch Game?
Even More Utmost Than Before...
Chiswick!
15 days later...
June (10)
Five days on...
[Untitled]
A quick thank you...
What do you think?
If you'd be so kind...
Poised
Which watch?
Run Bedford 10k
Import from a TomTom
Attention TomTom users
May (10)
Race Distance poll
An ungainly fish
A five year plan
What Club La Santa can learn from parkrun
Cream Me Up, Scotty
Greetings from Club La Santa
And a quick poll...
Club Charter
A poll about intervals
More owls!
April (11)
Robin Hood and his Merry Dad :-)
Warning: Dull - some screen res stats
Responsive Design Update
For all you marathoners
A Poll
Fetchpoint
Ditching the forum categories?
Moving to Responsive Design
Sandy 10: Be Kind To Horses
Owls!
For Adam and Jamie
March (11)
Bacon Smoke!
Benchmarks Update
Bath - Race Report
PB!!!!!!!
An annoying eight-year-old.
Let's Cook and Cut and Paste :-)
Let's Cook :-)
RIP Gramma
Book Winners
Dog farming
Site header update
February (5)
Book Giveaway
Pi Club
Pi Project Update
Because I'd like to check the blogging badges are working...
Crapruary
January (11)
Snooker Freak
Badges - Another Update
Unlockable Badges - Update
Unlockable Badges
TomTom Runner 2 Review
Gallery updates
Snowball coding and Fetch Unlockables!
Achievement Medals - what do you reckon?
Run The Sum
2015 Book List (and a bit of a review / plan)
Festive Fetch Calendar - Winners
2015 (175)
December (7)
Red Red Wine
A Poll
Gis a job!
Bedford Half
REMEMBER!!!
Vote for Fetch
Now you've hopefully got the idea...
November (13)
The Festive Fetch Calendar
Don't get excited or anything...
Slightly Dismal Friday
Pre-order your Fetch Buff now :-)
A message from our sponsor
Dr Fetch will see you now
Only the grumbliest, achiest chocolate... :-)
The Stanford Experiment
Buff Design
Snugs - Review
Love, Commitment, Support
The pre-wedding blog!
Good morning Fetchers, good morning Everyone
October (9)
Monthly Totals
Did you write a blog yesterday?
The First Rule of Web Server Maintenance
The gain line
Fectch
The zipper challenge!
Sugar daddy
Now in colour!
Competition Time!!!
September (14)
Teach your kids (or yourself) to code
Sticky Training Choices
Goodies: GetMore water and the Alcatel OneTouch Watch
Shirt size guidelines
This nearly made it...
Subscriber Shirt Design
I've got wood!
Humbled
New Beginnings
Some more questions answered
Swimming
Some responses to your comments
Standing on the shoulders of Fetchies
Funtleks
August (8)
24 hours in the south
24 hours in the north
Fetchies Assemble!
Thank you
Better knowledge than riches
Fitbit Urge
The villainous Mr Fetch!
Uncomfortable rear
July (8)
Why don't you play Conquercise?
Another week of strange training
Book Giveaway - Winners
GPS Reviews
Criteria for reviewing a GPS
Auto-bike-detector :-)
Win some bookses :-)
Half Way!
June (13)
Time Lapse Clouds
TomTom Bandit - very QUICK first impressions
My wings are like a shield of steel!
Running plus Cycling update
Embarrassingly...
Stalkers Paradise!
Recommend me a bike :-)
Holy Steamrollers Batman!
Rest day (no such thing)
Sqveeeeze!
We will now imitate the flight of a goose :-)
You made me ink! Snorkel safari :-)
Good morning from CLS :-)
May (10)
Club La Santa :-)
The AWESOME Power of Fetchies!
Home Insurance Shaftage :-/
Editing Forum Posts
The Future!
Some London Marathon stats
Walking On The Moon
Hardest parkrun?
New found wisdom
Week 1
April (11)
Marathon vLog
I owe some hugs!
And that concludes the voting from the Danish judges
Adventures in geocaching
Your video clips wanted!
Jelly with no spoons
Random Ultra
Suncream in my eyes - a review of 'Running and Stuff'
Books what I've read this year
Measuring the effect of wind
Wind Roses
March (18)
Watching the tide roll away
A great week of running!
Happy Jigs Wisdom!
Mobile Fetch
I don't do this very often...
Breathless Optimism
20 miles yesterday
This Week's vLog
Decision Trees and the sub-4!
Democracy Street
Mayan Maths
Bath Half (at last)
Still a chicken
Costume Drama in Bath
TomTom importing
Updated 'Train' page
Zonked
Nearly
February (29)
Pheasant
An Unexpected Journey
Wind picking up...
An unplanned kit alarm
Race Pace Test
2nd place
Week ends
Bounceback
Barking carrots
Bedroom pizza
Top of the mountain
Blogs get the mobile treatment
Supersonic Katie, and a marathon pace question
Back home
Racing parkrun ;-)
Unblocking the sink
Start in Darkness
Some times I'd like
Mobile Site - Forum Section
All-Time Leaderboards
Batteries
Sword fighting
PB Attempts
Duct tape and WD40
Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants
Lessons
Shoe horning
Training vLog Week 13
Big February Project
January (35)
Cake, invalidated
Small sips
LiRF, award shortlist, beginners, books, boy.
Dog Available :-)
Cutback
New Recipe Section
Lazy
Another threshold run
New Beginnings
Blah
But far more importantly...
Fetch Beginners Programme
Give it a go :-)
Training vLog - Week 11
Threshold Run (a running blog)
Long day, short blog
(Lack of) Pump Action
A thread to follow
This Boy Can
Local Leaderboards for Checkpoints
Choking.
February 18th
Godzilla!
The Travelling Checkpoint Salesman
Acorn Antiques
Bearing Up
Deleted Bridges and Dodgy Lasers
I'm Batman!
Healthy and Appy
Punch O'Clock!
The plan, then.
Ten mile toes
On Parliament
[Untitled]
Bold Claims, and a Challenge for 2015
2014 (262)
December (9)
A trip to Wales (vLog)
Christmas Messages from Fetchies
Various
FERC London Marathon Places - Draw
It's gone in my sock...
Festive Fetch Five
This Week's Training
To the Post Office!
Training vLog - Week 4
November (12)
I Am Groot!
Slightly Dismal Friday
Week 3 - in which I nearly drown my wife!
I said yes :-)
Free Daps! aka Test GORE-TEX® footwear this winter!
Training vLog - Week 2
More chances for VMLM entries
Marathon Talk
My first training vLog :-)
Second place?
In :-)
Questionnaire about personality traits amongst runners
October (16)
Adidas API
Horseplay minimiser
Running with the big dog
Flat and Windy
Who'd like to test the Garmin API then?
Advantage Borg
Deal?
Jumble
Milk Tray Reps in the Rain
Geneva
Quote
Hatfield 5k, and some other running thoughts
Site layout changes
Vote for Training Plans
Maths help
3-2-1
September (8)
A quick device poll
Garmin Connect API
Cake at the lake :-)
Empowering Women
This Week's Training
Tick :-)
Article help
First outing with the Harriets
August (7)
Book club and Harriers
A treasure trove for bookish types
What I did on my Summer Holidays
Local decoration
The Fisher King
Mojitos and no mosquitos!
Cake-athlon
July (26)
James Mason
Missing Week
Camping View
Wild Camping
Quick
Transalpine Race
In brief
Urgent! Pair of runners wanted!
Fetch Kit Available to Pre-order :-)
Fetch Anniversary Kit - Preview
API and FAK!
That dog has a puffy tail
More books
Reverse Moses
Zombies vs Plants
Shovel required
Nightfever
Dayfever
Catcher in the Rye
My sister the psychologist
Drink your strong limey drink
Keep me in the loop
Bread knives, hedgehogs and the dog in the night time
Whoops
Pinteresting
Q&A?
June (34)
Checkpoints video
Walden
Happy boys and giggly imps
Spring loaded
Elbow grease
Fetch 10th Anniversary Kit
Fetch YouTube Tutorial - Race Guide
Finding the Library folder on a Mac
Stoat!
Sonic screwdriver
Live wires
Wiring help needed
Garmin Express Experiment
Scalded sloth
Garminge
Potching
New Forum Layout
Further updates to the blog layout
New blog layout
First woodpecker
Beastin' parkrun
Pantoball
All was well
USA! USA! USA!
Marking Territory
The People's Poet Is Dead :-(
Holy Water
Throwing shapes
Life moves pretty fast
Recursion is beautiful
Win an OS Explorer / Landranger map of your choice
Intervals with a Suunto Ambit 2S
Tick
Economy done two ways
May (31)
[Untitled]
Vorsprung Durch Lego Technic
How do I liberate my boy from his XBox?
Questions?
Life in the Woods
Lazy
MovesMissed
Intervals with a TomTom
Electioneering
[Untitled]
Tree fluff
More camping
Zen and Camping
Not eaten by bears
Bear food
Camping List
Camping Venn Diagrams
Floppy dog
Routes but not Rathbone
Illustrator wanted
Masking
Highlights
The Cosmic Ballet Goes On
Silverstone 10k :-)
Quick one
[Untitled]
Superhuman snooker
Dogturdflagman
Numbers!
Whittlin'
Chapter 1
April (29)
King Bin
Quiet day on Feedback Mountain
Listing
42
Go directly to parkrun. Do not pass Godzuki.
A day in Wales
[Untitled]
Spanner
The Lost Diadem of Fetchbook
Falling asleep in my dinner
Egg
Sofathon
God gave rock and roll to you.
Sugar Mule
Not bad, consid'rin.
Tinkering
Can U Dig It?
A weekend in Wales
Looking forward to Oliver!
Thank you, and more App talk
RIP Nan
Blah
Appy
Pyjamas at both ends.
Thump. Saturday has started.
Sore tum :-/
Zombies aside... first impressions of the new TomTom
TomTom Runner Cardio Press Event
Am I pregnant?
March (31)
Cornflakes Cornflakes Cornflakes Cornflakes Cornflakes Cornflakes Cornflakes
Sandy 10
#bedfordhappy
Me on YouTube
New graphs live
Follow the dot
Only the best for the Captain's table
Mrs Diahann Wagner is GOING HORNY
Sport Relief Win
Hot dogs, quick blogs
Toton Sidings
A sign!
Owen Farrell visualisation technique
Kebabs!
Booster fails to ignite
Myton Rugby Run (5 Miler)
Rugby before rugby
Sweetcorn antidote
Custard factory
Pooped
I did some intervals :-)
Speed work?
Many things
A bit cabbagey here.
Angry Wasp
Minty
Rainbow's End
Core Dump
Bath Half (in detail)
A quick overview
Down to business in Bath
February (28)
Made it to Bath
Unexpected hugs
Slider
I like to go a-wandering
Spring cleaning
Tongue-lolling
Because We're Worth It
I don't know what!
Thanks Jim
Enough now
Clearing the pipes
Crouch, Touch, Pause...
Medication, that's what you need.
Symptom Tour
Hello FBI
Dazed day
Why I'm an optimist
Mobius birds
Snotty knuckles
In this house...
Retch Everyone
Carrots
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
Ultrahalfmarathoner
Angry Birds
Belching
Clarkson averse
Good day :-)
January (31)
*bunting* *cake*
Bigger Boys
Zombies!
Pretending to be Saga Norén
Waiting for the AA
Ship shape
Readthrough
Technology takes you further
Love Garden
Cushions
High Heel Striker
Bit of a rubbish one
Ta
Hot Re-fills
Coding Grinch
An august prediction
Some Running Goals for Q1
Wipe-clean dog
Breaking it down
Snakes and Ladders
Bigger Ponds
Drink Your Weak Lemon Drink
All in All
Panning the pancake
Does JK Rowling own a dog?
Back to the kitchen table
Steve Davis shoes
Pigs on a water slide
Sloshing
Protocol
19 books :-)
2013 (29)
December (3)
Oh...
Engine Management Light
Hannibal Vector
November (3)
Speed skating
Stew-pendous
Cool Hand Grandpa
October (3)
Bookish
Minecraft Cake
Random dump
September (2)
Blog by Email!
Catchup blah
August (3)
Big Green Caterpillar
Questions answered - final CLS blog
Last Days at Club La Santa
July (10)
A nice morning of swimming and tennis
Please Read: Questions for a sports coach
Snorkeltastic
Hitting the straps
First Impressions at Club La Santa
Mile High Blog
Clocking off
For the second week running...
Another Club La Santa catchup
The Floor In The Plan
June (3)
Club La Santa
Bulk Uploading, and win a book
FERC Charities 2011-2012
March (1)
Bath Weekend
January (1)
Meet Steve
2012 (39)
December (2)
Tired Now Boss
Bath - Week 14 + Foodbank
November (3)
White Level Reading
Bath - Week 15
Bath - Week 16
October (2)
Onwards!
C'mon Dave
July (1)
RIP Arnie
June (2)
Rub some bacon on it
18 weeks
May (9)
Techy not tetchy
Time for a techy blog
Time to walk the dog
Stevington 12k
Properly coldy
Still a bit coldy
New blog design live
A bit coldy
Blogs Redesign
April (2)
Easter
SERIOUSLY LORD FETCH, SORT IT OUT
March (8)
A long run up
Running Tick
Weekend
Sport Relief Mile
Back once again
Swimming sweetcorn and other vegetables
Joy Rides, Sticks and Medals
Training Tip
February (9)
And...
Katie, ICT, and some more MySQL
May The Ground Force Be With You
Functions
Well done Batman.
Optimisation Crossword
Snow Days
Gallery, and parkrun
Pleased
January (1)
There Are Some Really Sexy Girls On Fetch
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