A SMALL LIMP ROUND SWAVESEY & (Abstinence)

Sunday 2nd Feb 2014

I say a limp, because since last weeks blat along Fleam Dyke, I have had a return of the calf twinge.
So rather than really tear it, I have been very good all week keeping it iced and stretched and all manner of medical shit like that.

So it was to be a gentle stroll (no running) to have a bit of a look at the flooding Fens.

Swavesey is a good location to start, because it is an easy route out towards Needingworth or Fen Drayton.

Snowy White - Bird Of Paradise

The map is to give a rough idea of where I went.

I am guessing this, since I did not bother with maps, but knew roughly where I was going to go, give or take the odd flood or 10.

So I kind of went out this way, and kind of detoured.

Even when not flooded and in sun, the walk round here are quite nice.

The advantage of today was 3 fold.

• It was Sunny
• It was very wet
• Not so many people out

I say not so many.
Luckily I got there after the Cambridge Hash, or it may have proven awkward
Especially after they bulldozed the already muddy paths into a frenzied quagmire.

But enough of that.

We parked up near the pub and with idiot young pup Hamish on a lead (for the safety of all) we headed off to the track.

I had not made my mind up at this point where to actually go, so we went kind of the wrong way, which is why we had to walk about a km later along the GUIDED BUSWAY to pick up the track I really wanted.

Which brings me to the BUSWAY.

Fucking great signs saying do NOT walk or ride on the busway.
Buses running in both directions about every 30 min I guess.

We stayed on the wide but rather underwater in places track that runs parallel.

Quite a lot of fucking idiots on foot and bikes cycling along it.

What? You cannot ride through the fucking puddles.

So after a while, and after crossing the road to Over we went along and then off rightish to follow the track out to the Ouse.

This follows the river on one side and fields on the other.

OR at the moment, A Fucking Great Lake on all sides.

I met a bloke briefly walking a spaniel, who said

There were COWS in that field the other week.

That'll be the one.
Can you spot the Cows?

Actually it looks like this from every place you look more or less.

I am not going to describe much else.

It was quite beautiful out there today.

Except for under foot.

Underfoot was WET

Where it was not wet it was VERY VERY WET

Where it was not that wet it was THICK OOZY SLIPPERY SQUELCHY MUD

In fact in places it was so muddy, that a foot deep 20 metre long puddle was a joy just to get the crap off the trail shoes.

YES I had shoes on not wellies like most people

YES I had bloody wet feet

They are dry now.

OK, maybe not the shoes.

So some photos .... 

 View across the fields (WET)

All fields.
They are swans.

In fact, there was a fantastic array of water birds out today.

 This large trunk by the edge was bobbing up and down in the wind.
See the short video at the end

Two short videos in one of the windy flooded Fens today

Towards the end, I stupidly (remember the calf issue) tried to run on tip toes through a particularly long puddle.

Bearing in mind that I had already been slipping and sliding on it for ages anyway.

And the fact that my feet were already bloody soaked 

(so what the ***k was the point of running through it eh..)

Now running puts a strain on the calves.

Running on tip toes puts added strain on them.

Running on tip toes in slippery wet muddy puddles puts even more strain on it.

I felt it go again.

Just like last week when I was trying to get along Fleam Dyke in the Thunderstorm, when it went again.

So it is all my fault.

A weeks worth of recovery buggered up in a second.

I will ice it again, and NOT try running on it for at least 3 weeks.

Biking and walking appears to be ok.

It may be longer than 3 weeks if I have to go and have the knee operation on the cartilage on the left knee (second time for that one).

But that will depend upon the insurance coughing up.

I have said it before.

My BODY appears to be rejecting me.

Fair play, most people have.

So what will next week bring.

I am thinking I may have to go and earn some money.

AND That's a Bastard ....

On top of that, I have decided to do a bit of an alcohol DETOX.

So far the next month, maybe a bit longer, once I have cracked it
(OK, NOT THE TGOC, that is IMPOSSIBLE)

I have decided to go ALCOHOL FREE.

And I don't mean FREE ALCOHOL!

I mean NO ALCOHOL

Yes I know.......

But why???

Well, to be honest, I was just drinking too much.

Alcohol can be subtle like that extra biscuit

It just creeps up on you.

One day you are 3 stone overweight.

One day you are drinking 30+ units a week.

Neither is good for you.

I have already cracked the weight issue.

I was only 2 stone over, BUT that was 2 stone too much, and that is gone.

Now I have NO IDEA how many units a week I was doing.

It varied.

But after a long tough day/week, it is so easy to hit a glass or 5 of something.

When that something is spirits on occasions that ain't good.

So, to preserve my insides before it is too late, I am going on an alcohol free sabbatical.

I will let you know how it goes.

I am ONLY on day 2 and the fact that I want a drink reinforces that fact that 

I should definitely NOT have one.

It has to be done!