Day off work

 I enjoyed having a day off work and what better way to spend it than getting out on my bike.

The plan was to go up to Buxton via the High Peak trail and then back by the Monsal Trail.

However, the best laid plans and all that. After 20 miles my legs were just saying no and I used my head and didn't fight the signals. I'm not in the best place at the moment health wise and I expected too much from myself.

It started off well, I was trying out some new gear and the temps were perfect. Cromford canal was in full autumn mode and was a pleasure to ride next too.

The issue came after 7 miles when the Via Gelia started. The Via is an 8 mile climb, not steep but long. By the time I got to the High Peak Trail, I was Knackered and my legs and HR were telling me how unfit I am.

I cut the ride short after 20 miles and decided to blitz down the road to Winster and back home on the White Peak trail to Matlock and back.

I had a pitstop at the Wharf at Cromford for a coffee and a piece of cake.

The new gear was a great success, The Rapha Jacket is well worth the money, as is their long sleeved top. I also tried out a pair of DHB Bib-tights, again a great success.

In the end the ride ended up being 44.58 miles long, 19 miles short of my target. I need to gain my fitness back before I go for Buxton again.

Re-visit the blog

 I've lost count of the number of times I've tried to breathe new life into my blog. It was started in an era before social media and was mainly for friends and family.

Social media as definitely been the death of blogs and the main reason I stopped post on my blog. However, I'm growing very disillusioned with all of social media.

Twitter - Now off the platform after 15 years on it. The day to day racism, killings, bullying videos and the shite that comes out of Musk's mouth make it too much of a toxic platform.

Instagram - What's the point?

TikTok - Never been on it, never will.

WhatsApp - Use for most personal messaging and for work.

Messenger - Use for FB Marketplace and for my wife who like the platform rather than WhatsApp.

Facebook - Use on a weekly basis, good for keeping in touch with far flung friends and family, interests and marketplace.

I will try to post more on this blog, and now I have a new laptop I'll try...

Trearddur Bay Hotel

I've stayed at the Trearddur Bay Hotel before and relished the chance to return as I'm on business in the area.

The hotel is on the sea front with the main beach a few meters away.

Check in was easy and my room had a sea view.

The restaurant wasn't too busy but then again it was a dark cold night in December.

A Grey Day, Off Work Ride

Because of all the events I've worked at this year, I have managed to accumulate loads of lieu days.

This is all well and good but when you're busy at work it can be a struggle to take them. Anyway, today was a lieu day and it would have been rude not to get out on my bike.

The weather was grey, very grey! Temps were at around 6°C but I dressed quite well for the conditions. 

I managed to get 37 miles in using the NCN from Derby to Long Eaton and on to Shipley. I devoured a cream scone at Shipley Park Cafe, a blueberry and lemon flavored one, outstanding...



I felt pretty good all the way around and only began flagging at the 30 mile point, roll on the weekend so I can get out again.

New Year Blues

 I'm always a very positive type of person and encourage others to be the same.

For some reason this year just hasn't gotten into groove for me, I can't put my finger on it but something isn't right.

Work is stupid bust and there are issues with some accounts that are beyond my control, so that's not helping. Being approached over the break from another company to take a job with them also didn't help, it was on my mind all over the holidays.

The ongoing Covid 19 pandemic is definitely not easing my mind any, we've booked to go back to Thailand at the end of July this year and that uncertainty is also an issue in my head at the moment.

My weight is a little up which is extremely depressing. I though I'd got the weight maintenance sussed, I weighed myself this morning and I was 84kg, that's as heavy as I've been for a year and I'm not happy about it. I really don't want to go back into full Keto regime, it takes over your life and interferes with your exercise regime. I'll monitor it for another week and see what I need to do. I want to be 80kg to go back to Thailand in July.

Blood sugar is ok, not perfect but I've just come through Christmas and it is what it is.

So far as fitness goes, I'm actually flying at the moment. I can't remember feeling so fit on a bike, I went out yesterday with the Bike Club and even though it was a short ride I was up at the front all ride. I've set myself the goals of beating 2021 mileage (2450) and to ride 100 miles in a day.

Hopefully this is a temporary malaise and I lose a few kilo, the weather improves and I win the lottery...

Samsung S20

 

This is my 10th year with Samsung, Before this I've had a Galaxy S2, Note 4, S6, S7, S8, S10 and the one I'm using now is the S20.

To some up the review "Disappointed"!

I got the phone in March 2020 just before the Covid 19 Lockdown kicked in, previous to that I had the Samsung S10 which up to that point had been my favourite phone.

What let this phone down is the obvious little improvement over the S10, in fact I believe the camera isn't has good. The camera is the main reason i buy a phone, I hardly use the phone as a phone but I do use the camera on my bike rides a lot.

I've had issues with over heating, crashing and have had to send the phone away twice for it to be looked at. Also my work phone as been upgraded to an iPhone 7 which is a good couple of years behind my Samsung, but I'll be honest I'm enjoying using the iPhone more at the moment. Little things like Apple Car play seems to be better than Android Auto, this can be the car more than the phone, But!!!

After the last time going away to look at a sim tray issue I decided that I will look elsewhere for my next phone, I think Apple are still too expensive although the rest of the family use Apple so that would be an advantage to buying one would have that as an advantage. The other phone I'm looking at is potentially the Google Pixel 6 when it comes out. People have said that the android experience is a lot better with a Google phone, so I will be looking at it.

Or I'll not bother changing and get a sim only deal and save a load of money.

Try to Blog again 4.0

 I've tried so many times to get this blog up and running again.

Its just so easy now to post on social media and let everyone know what's happening. What you don't get in a post are details!

So from now on I'm going to try again to post about stuff I find interesting and had photo's to the blog.

I've looked back at my blog and the memories it brings back are so much more accute than anything that is put on Twitter and Facebook.

So here goes.....

Low carb diet, heaven and hell..

Since January 1st I’ve decided to do something about my diabetes this year, it’s been 10 years since being diagnosed. In that time I’ve had a couple of go’s at trying to help myself, but I’ve generally relied on the medication I take and watching semi closely what I eat to control my diabetes.
I read a report on the UK diabetes web site about going low carb and how this doesn’t have to be an horrendous diet.
So I tried it, they recommend having under 130g of carbs per day plus some exercise to begin to control your diabetes. Obviously, I took no notice no notice and have been eating between 60-80g of carbs per day, one day I only managed 30g. Looking back now, I went to far..

What I ate since then as generally been very good, I cut out all bread, rice, pasta, alcohol and some fruit and veg. I was amazed at some of the things I had included bacon, plenty of chicken and fish, more of certain veg than ever and some things like yogurt which full fat was better than low fat due to carbs in them.

Breakfast was usually porridge, which is high in carbs but is an excellent slow release energy food, mixed with raspberries and strawberries and an amazing zero maple syrup from Skinny Foods.

Lunch as been a real issue, working on the road I eventually stopped with sandwich meal deals and got on tins of tuna, chicken pieces, zero jelly and zero soft drinks.

Dinner was the highlight of the day, steak, tuna steak, chicken, prawns with veg and occasional potato. Better than I’ve ever eaten.

I’ve produced a plus and minus of the experience.

Plus +
Eating well
Not eating crap and sugar
Lost around 8kg
Lost 2” off waist and chest
Sticking to something

Minus -
Missed all the nice, but unhealthy foods especially chocolate and cake
Missed beer
No energy, a real issue
First two weeks, felt very unwell.
No exercise due to low energy
Limited in restaurant
Spending a fortune on new cloths

I was going until the end of January, but my body is sort of used to everything now and I’m sort of carrying on at least until I get my results of my diabetes check in a few weeks. Maybe not as crazy but I’ve still not had any chocolate and despite finishing dry January I’ve only drinking about 10% of usual weekly alcohol. I’ve not eaten bread, pasta or cake either. Trust me I really want to but I just look at the carb total and put them back.

I’ll let you know the results of my check up and also the effect of adding exercise to the regime this week.

Samsung S10

Back in Feb I treated myself to a new Samsung S10 mobile phone.

This is the first since coming back to the UK I've bought a phone out of contract. Basically the list price was £799, I got £289 to exchange my S8 and £32 from a cash back site. the total for the phone was £478 plus I also got a free pair of the new Samsung Ear Buds worth £149.

Put this against the £30 per month I'll save going down to a sim only contract and basically I'm quids in, it also gives me more freedom to go with any provider.

The plus's of the Samsung are many:

Three camera's on the back, superb wide screen option

No notch for the camera

fingerprint sensor in the screen

Great battery life

New Android operating system

Good tie with my Samsung watch
Definitely more interactive than any other phone I've used

Waterproof
Dual Sim
SD Card up to 128GB

Downside:

You wouldn't want to drop it, glass back very expensive

Took a while to get rid of some of the in built pre sets

That's it really.

The pictures it takes are amazing, the wide angle feature and the super slow mo are great photographic tools.

Ratings

Performance 8/10

Battery 8/10

Value 8/10

Am I glad I bought it? Yes...

Derby County Ladies Football Tournament 2019

Elizabeth and I had a great day yesterday. During the day we attended the U12 Football Tournament put on by Derby County Ladies.


In the five round robin games, Belper Sports won 3 and drew 2, this put us in 1st place going in to the semi final. In the semi's we played Coalville Ravens. Coalville are a very physical side and at the end of full time then extra time it was 0-0.

Penalty shootout it was, this Elizabeth's 2nd penalty shootout, the first she saved an all important penalty. Against Coalville, it was 1-1 after the first set, then 1-1 after the second round of pens, our Midfielder scored to make it 2-1 and then Elizabeth saved their 3rd penalty.

and breathe......

In the final we played Derby County, they really pressured Belper for the first 5 minutes, but in the 2nd part of the match Belper scored a superbly worked goal and just controlled the rest of the game. WINNERS....

It was great to see the girls enjoying themselves.

In the evening it was their Football prize presentation, its always a good night. the girls all receive a trophy for the work they've done through the season and there are three awards from the manager, Players and most improved player.

Brilliant day, brilliant evening....