Mrs FB ticked that box on her 40th birthday rowing in a Four. Then got banned from the members area as she was wearing a pair of culottes rather than a dress - they were a very baggy pair and looked like a dress but they still wouldn’t let her in. When you saw what some of the ladies were wearing with skimpy revealing dresses you could say she was somewhat “fucked off”!
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Go to the pub.
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I lived with a guy a Uni that wrote a book about riding that: ‘Dividing the Great’. I really should read it, as I know both of them that rode it (John x2); although I’ve not seen either of them other than FB since the 90s! I think they rode that not long after graduating.
I’m going to buy it online. Thanks for the reminder.
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Interesting, I’ve been thinking about this a bunch over the last week or two, and on Saturday was listening to a podcast where the person being interviewed mentioned “don’t let an opportunity become a trap”.
Got me to thinking about the things I say I want to do, but don’t do. Work is often the excuse, but it is just an excuse. I’ve never asked to take a month off to hike the GR5… shit the bed, what if they said ‘sure, go for it’?! As it turns out the Alaskan ski tour camp trip that I was looking at going on would have suffered at the hands of the covids, but that’s not why I didn’t book it.
Why have I not done more of them? Why do I struggle so much with motivation and consistency (not just over the last year, but in general). Drunk Iain ordered a GR5 guide book (in spite of saying ‘no more books about exercise, or guide books’ not 2 weeks ago) and a bivvy bag (I already have a lightweight tent that I don’t use, so why did I think a bivvy bag was necessary?)
Anyhow, I have been thinking about ‘adventures’ that can be done in a weekend/long weekend, and relatively close to home. Some ideas currently include…
- Hike the Vanguard Way in a weekend (East Croydon to Eastbourne - what good adventure doesn’t start in Croydon?!)
- Cycle the Kennet and Avon Canal (Starts near my parent’s and I’ve got friends in Bristol to see at the end. Would probably need to get my single speed to work with some kind of knobbly tyre to get it to work. Or buy a gravel bike!)
- Maybe walk from my house (SE London) to my Parent’s house (Between Reading and Basingstoke)
- Paddy Buckley over a long weekend?
I don’t really know exactly what it is I want to do, but I know it’s not this. I have a strong feeling of dissatisfaction/apathy at the moment, and I’m the only person who can break that. It’s easy to blame things beyond my control meaning I can’t hike the JMT, or the GR5, but I’d do well to think about the opportunities that exist and/or can just be made up nearer home.
A big part of it for me is ‘finding your why’. I don’t seem to be able to clearly define that, and I think that’s part of where my motivation fucks off to. Maybe that’s a reason to subscribe to the whole ‘Discipline = Freedom’ thing, and just get it done; it’s not really a plan I’ve had any faith in before, but maybe there’s something there… just get started.
I know I feel better when I’m fitter, but when I lose it I seem to lose it hard, and struggle to get off the sofa again. And I seem to be incapable of doing the shit that will make me less likely to pick up the small injuries and to lose it again… maybe that’s one for the discipline thing?
This has turned into something that’s not really on the topic of this thread. Maybe one for the rant thread?! And that has contained a woeful number of podcast/motivational references. Sorry about that!
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The doormen at the Stewards Enclosure take great pleasure in turning people away who don’t meet the dress code and the shops in Henley make a lot of money selling emergency outfits 
I’ve never really seen the appeal of Stewards - the bars are hidden away so you can’t watch the racing with a drink in your hand. Remenham Club is a much better option - the dress code is less rigourous, you’re surrounded by actual rowing people rather than folks who are just there for the social season and you can enjoy a drink while watching the racing go by.
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I have done this, very achievable over two days with an overnight bivvy.
Actually probably do-able in 1 day when its not busy.
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I raced HRR 5 times before I finally hung up my oar - 3 Thames Cup 8s, 1 Wyfolds 4- and 1 Brit 4+ 
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Are you near an airport?
Couple of times over the last few years I took a few days off work & just hopped on a budget flight then ran/hostelled/ refuged from the airport for a few days.
EasyJet Bristol Geneva, Jura mountains, Refuge Gralet, round trip 3 days:
EasyJet Bristol Glasgow, West Highland Way, Rowardennan and Glencoe YHA, bus back to Glasgow Airport, 3 days:
Difficult to do right now, but I’m definitely planning to do more of these if and when the world opens up again. Really easy to organise & do if it’s just you.
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Thanks! This is exactly the kind of thing I’d like to get better a Just Doing. I’m 45 minutes from Gatwick, so can’t complain about that.
Don’t much like flying (not a fear of flying, just don’t like it much), but I can get out of my own way on that.
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this is very much what i’d love to do when the kids are a bit older.
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I’m working on a post strict lockdown version… between rules being relaxed a bit in the UK and proper international travel becoming viable again.
I’ve a few weekends in the spring where Mrs MC is away on various hen do’s etc, and my plan is to load up my bike with full bikepacking kit, jump on a train to somewhere random and spend 3 days riding home, wild camping in any bit of hidden space I can find… not as exotic or exciting as Nick’s trips… and probably quite a bit colder… but sure it’ll be fun still!
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I’ve kayaked some of it; looks absolutely rank close-up!
I’ve paddled a chunk of it in my kayaking days. It’s really quite dull for most of it.
Ok, now 3 years have passed.
Anyone ticked off any of their big goals yet?
(Still not me)
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Remind me, what were my goals? Defo been to a pub 
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You may also wish to add “master scroll up functionality on phone” 
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Yeah, nowhere near getting any of those done! The Audax would be the most likely; most local to me and cheapest to do! Gets massively over-subscribed though.
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Covid got in the way and my goals were fairly vague as I re-read them above.
I am going to cycle over (some of) the big Alpine passes in about 6 weeks - not on the Raid Alpine as I thought but on a ‘Classic Cols’ trip which actually covers more of my tick list (AdH isn’t on the Raid for example).
NC500 is very much still on the radar, LEJOG maybe too as the boy gets bigger and retirement becomes a more realistic short term goal.
Raid Cymru Mk2 is already planned (6 days, 600 miles by a totally different route to my first trip) but was too nervous about doing it during covid. I keep saying maybe next year.
So progress but no big cigar 
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Everesting is now a “look at me” “thing” - so that’s out.
Pennine Way still intrigues me, but I got homesick in Mallorca after just 4 nights, so not sure that’s really doable.
Welsh 3000s is deffo still there 
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Still fancy the everesting thing, just keep it to myself and maybe report back on here
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