Monday 27th January 2014 to Sunday 2nd February 2014

Monday 27th January 2014
Up at 4.20am got Phil up, went back to bed. Got up at 5:40am took dog up town, got papers back for a bit after 6.30am.  Got missus up, got kitted up and went out for a three mile run - still very slow but progressing I think.  Got home from work about 6:30ish.  Tea, dog walking and ages spent on getting a tiny bit of flooring in the loft in due to overhanging bricks and little bits of wood to work round.  The good thing about the fit is that it's right square with the back of the bit of wood so in theory I can just cut a bit of wood to fit from the chimney breast to the edge. Another step closer to completion.

Good day on the solar generation front (for January) with about 4KWh generated (I think).  15.01 on the scoreboard today.

The bit of wood wasn't the problem but the overhanging bricks on the chimney were a right pain.

Tuesday 28th January 2014

Up at 4:20am but Phil up anyway so back to bed smartish.  Up again at 5:40, dog walked, paper fetched got back and heavens opened which was a bit of a pain as was all set up for doing another quick 3 miler - need an alternative strategy for when big rain stops play.  At least got into the office nice and early.   You may or may have not noticed but have stopped mentioning days without alcohol - I've not succombed but I have lost count - technically speaking subtracting 2 from 28 it must be 26 but I have stopped counting - a long way to go til April!  Goodish day at work.  Back home for 6.20. Tea then took dog walk got back and it was gone 7.30 so running a bit late for dog training lessons in Belper.  Got there a couple of minutes late but as the trainer always runs a bit late too it wasn't a problem.  Little dog was absolutely brilliant by far the best behaved dog there as she consistently is.  She was let off the lead and 'walked to heel' really well - she also 'fetched' treats which was a part of recall training and did the 'leave' brilliant - the secret is getting eye contact with 'leave', apparently.  

Poor lil dog all tired after training....

Wednesday 29th January 2014
Up at 4:20 got Phil up.  Back to bed, up at 5.40, dog walked, papers fetched back home and not raining.  3 mile run at 11:07 pace - still really slow carrying too much weight at present although am same weight as when did a very respectable Great North Run so not sure what it's all about - must be getting old.  Any way it's another run done - two out of three which is the Jantastic.me goal but am intending on getting this into habit - have done four three-milers in five days which is most consistent for bloomin ages. 

All this good work didn't come to much though - weighed in at Janine Hulme's group in Kingsley (not far from Stoke-on-Trent) and 2.5lb gain this week.  Well naffed off about that but will persevere - this seems to be the pattern for 2014, maintained at end of December followed by 7.5lb loss, followed by 1.5lb gain, followed by 4lb loss, followed by 2.5lb gain, this week.  Pi$$ed off and then some.  Persevere still want to get rid of another stone by April 

Thursday 30th January 2014 
Up at the crack to get Phil off to work, back to bed, dragged myself out of bed at 6am.  Dog walked, papers fetched off to work by 7.15.  Still miffed. 


Friday 31st January 2014
Last day of first month so only about 6 weeks to the 19 mile Grindleford Gallop and about 10 weeks to the Marathon training has started and done more running this week than for a long while (5 times in 7days is better).  This morning got up at silly o'clock to get Phil up and then back to bed, dragged myself out at 6am.  Dog walked, papers fetched, changed and out for another 3 mile run.  Back to base, showered, changed again off out to sorting office to pick up a package then off to work.  It's all go.  

Last 9 days running - all a bit over 3 miles
Saturday 25th Jan - 11:22 pace
Sunday 26th Jan - 11.:01 pace
Monday 27th Jan - 11:14  pace
Wednesday 29th Jan - 11:07 pace
Friday 31st Jan - 11:10 pace
Sunday 2nd Feb - 7 miles  - 11:37 pace

Consistently slower than I was - need to get this sorted pronto.

Saturday 1st February 2014
Hell's teeth - it's February all ready!   Up at 4am to wake the boy.  Back to bed for a bit. Dog walked and papers fetched.  Did a computer job extending a wireless network by using a home-hub router connected via an rj45 cable.  All good stuff.  No golf for third week running. 

Did some work on finishing off the floor in the attic.  Getting there slowly.   

Chip shop tea then tearing off to Derby with Lucy to catch "The Hobbit: the desolation of Smaug" defore it's gone - only one showing billed as starting at 18:45, actually started 25 minutes later.  Quite good. 

Sunday 2nd February 2014
Woke up knackered at 4am, got Phil up.  Back to bed, whiny dog so got up about 6:45 and took her out. Got back, got changed and got a slow 7 mile run done.  Shower and quick walk with dog then off to Uttoxeter to get flooring missus wants in dinning room.  Got back - Phil dropped me and dog off on the other side of Snelston and we walked back from there. 

 Then whizzed down to Lotty as had some more spuds to chit.  The IBC is full and overflowing and we've not got the water butts sorted out properly which is a bugger as one is full to brim.   Job for Phil next weekend I reckon (must get a couple of breeze blocks from Richard. 

Got back from Lotty and got on with finishing roof - there is a two foot by nine inch bit left and then t'is done. 


16/9

Monday 20th January 2014 to Sunday 26th January 2014

Monday 20th January 2014
Bed early last night and up reasonably late.  Good stuff.  Took dog up town and got papers.  Solar day today and the guys from The Renewable Shop arrived a bit before 9am.  Getting on for ten of them arrived as they'd got two jobs in the area so it was scaffolding up and then five of them went to the other job.  Nice bunch of lads though.  Lots of dog walks.  Lots of work done.  Tax return all but finished.  Bit of lotty planning.  Dentist at 1.45 for a filling, yikes I hate fillings.  All good stuff.  Went and got a load of seed potatoes for the lotty.

Tuesday 21st January 2014
Up early, dog walked, papers fetched, son woken and sent packing.  5 mile run (slowest ever). Back home and waiting for the sun people to arrive.

Invertor pre-connecting to the panels

The people that have installed it are called The Renewable Shop who funnily enough are now located just down the road from my mum and dad. Really nice people to work with, good price and know their stuff. Highly recommended.

Took little dog to dog training lessons.  She doesn't seem to be picking up the commands as well as the others BUT she is the best-behaved out of the three dogs on the course.  I'm sure she'll catch up.  We touched on recall tonight and the importance of when the dog comes to you part of the recall is that you take hold of her collar so that she knows it's to get control.  Must also remember that you only shout "come" once.  The trainer Amanda recommends using a long lead and if the dog doesn't come pull her in and still reward her.  We'll see.  Also to start using clicker for clicker training.  Think Lily was a bit tired yesterday as she slept all the way home so will use that in her defence!

Wednesday 22nd January 2014
Up early as usual.  Woke Phil up, went up town and got papers, walked the dog.  Over to Darley Dale to pick my wallet up which left on Sunday.  Took 50 odd minutes due to fog and being stuck behind some arse in a tracter.  Got to work for 8.30 still so didn't do too bad.   Missus has rung up and says the solar meter is flashing so we're in generation mode!  Reading at the end of the day was 2.114 or something similiar - not sure whether that means it's made 2 kilowatt hours-worth - I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens! Had a bit of a tidy up in the loft as well - have a cunning plan for flooring.

Forgot to mention went to group after work, 4lb off after the 2.5lb gain last week.  Very disappointed I was last week.  So 9lb gone in January so far but much work to be done.

Thursday 23rd January 2014
Up at 4am to get Phil off to work.  Back to bed.  Up at 5:50, dog walked, papers fetched into work for 8:30.  Everything running on rails.

Friday 24th January 2014
Up early. Dog walked, papers fetched then into the office for 7.30ish.   Leaving at noon as I've got an EPC being done and Tom Mastin from The Renewable Shop coming to do the solar handover.  Phil went out with his mates for a change which meant I ended up stopping up late waiting for the bugger to come home.  At 1am I went to bed.  The silver lining is that I got a ton of work on a data extraction project done and came up with a cunning solution to a problem.

Saturday 25th January 2014
Dragged myself out of bed at 7.20, knackered  but dogs need their walkies first thing, so the usual walk and papers done.  Was amazed to see people in the Costa Coffee at 7.30 and that the Co-op is open from 7.30.  Written a load of old-style basic code this morning to move my data extraction project along.  All done now. Ran a short 3 miler in the rain.  Awful weather to finish the day and no golf for the second week running. Good day for the solar system prior to the crappy stuff though:

Sunday 26th January 2014
Knackered, didn't get up til 7am.  Really crappy weather all day.  Took dog walks in between the showers, also got a 3 mile run in early doors.  Should have been a big run but not going to go further in this crappy weather.   Did some more work up in the attic, just a tiny strip of 9" down the length of the roof left to finish off.  Won't be long now.

16/6.5

Monday 13th January 2014 to Sunday 19th January 2014

Monday 13th January 2014
Odd starting the post on a Monday but as Jantastic.me is running Monday to Sunday I might as well stick with it.  Goal is to do three runs a week, last week did WED, FRI and SUN - steady 3 mile sorts of runs but a start.  We'll see what this week brings but will be stepping up at least one of those runs.

Got up at 4.15am to get Phil going.  Back to bed then up proper at 5.45am,   dog walked, papers fetched, in the office for just gone 8am.   Everything running on rails so far.



Tuesday 14th January 2014
Up at silly o'clock to get the boy up.  Then up proper at 5:50am dog walked, papers fetched.  Then a three mile run. Slow but not bovvered.  Fetched a parcel from sorting office for the boy before getting to work a fraction late for a change.  Still, everything going well.  Went over to Blythe Bridge as one of the project trialists had an issue with kit.  Got that sorted.  Back home for 5.15,  Took dog quick walk then up to QEGS for Lucy's options evening.  Think she knows what she wants to do - got til start of Feb to get it all agreed.   By 7.30 was off to Belper for Lily's dog training lessons.  She's the best behaved dog in the session but not the best trained so we have some catching up to do.  Still learned some more drills for the pooch.

To get her doing the lie-down you sit on the floor with your knees raised and your Lily dog to the right of you.  You put a treat in your left hand and show her then put your left hand beneath your left knee, little dog should then crawl under your knees from the right side, let her have the treat and say down, praise her and do it again, and again, and again.  Soon should be used to the word and can leave out the knees!

Also, learnt a drill for stay, get a chair put three mini-treats on it, let the pooch see the treats, use another treat to get her sitting a small way from the chair (you have to be between chair and dog in case dog goes for treats ahead of schedule) - you say stay and if she's good she will get three treats.

All about endless repetition at this stage.  Also learning how to get her to walk without pulling - need to get a shorter lead first.

Hound, exhausted from high-intensity training session

Wednesday 15th January 2014
Up at the crack of dawn to make sure the lad got off. Then up at 5:50 to take dog up town and fetch papers.  Sort of good day in theory at work although plans didn't quite come off in terms of processing time.  Some good results though with a case in Northern Ireland.  Went to group after work - 2.5lbs on which is a kick in the crackers and no mistake.  Expected better but still trying best to make every day count.  Not had a drink for a fortnight.

Thursday 16th January 2014
Up at the crack, same m.o. Up at 5.50, Dog walked back home for 6.45.  Gave a chap directions for 24 Hour Petrol at Prestons - twice now in the last five days, must be a little gold mine.  Then did a three mile run stopping off at the allotment to have a quick look make sure everything tickety boo.  Into the office for a bit after nine o'clock due to traffic lights everywehre.

IBC is filling up at a rate - shows what crappy wet weather we're having!

Friday 17th January 2014
Up silly o'clock.  Dog walked, papers fetched. Into work for just after 8am.  Meeting with National Field Manager and so it went.  Lots done, pleased with progress on a data extraction project.  All good stuff.  Golf Course is shut so looks likely that there will be no golf this weekend.

Saturday 18th January 2014
Up silly o'clock.  Had hot water bottle on the dodgy knee overnight and it seemed feel a lot better this morning Took dog up town and fetched papers. Little dog jumped out of my arms in paper shop onto some mugs but didn't break anything thank heavens.  Did some of my tax return - two more things then the bloody thing is done.  Took wee dog a 3.7 mile walk round Snelston and back - bizarrely coming back past the little wood after Sides Mill Farm I spied a wheel trim which turned out to be one that had fallen off Phil's car.

 So the trims I got him which he didn't like got exchanged in to a nice track pump for me!  Rest of time was spent working on the loft floor.  Another board down and a space made to move everything from roadside to driveside so solar folks can come in and do their stuff. Did I mention no golf, never mind.

Sunday 19th January 2014
Up at the crack to get Phil off to work.  Then dog walked. Then slow 6 mile run.  Knee is not right but been putting a hot water bottle on it overnight and so far so good, it's feeling okay.  Back home, in bath.  Up the loft.  Load of tat down and off to recycling centre - more tat down including two very old tellys and back down to recycling - looking a bit better up there now more tat gone.  Jantastic.me updated with the necessary three runs.  In Feb will increase it to four with more mileage too I reckon.   Went to Lotty and banged a load of silicon on the IBC where the pipe goes into the tank - should mean it'll hold water right the way up to the gutter, pretty much!  Over to mum and dad's for a top tea - dad's got a loft-ladder too that will come in handy once all flooring completed which should be next weekend all being well.

16/10.5

Sunday 5th January 2014 to Sunday 12th January 2014

Sunday 5th January 2014
Up at 4am to get Phil up. Weather is wierd this year - yesterday it was hammering it down with rain, today it's frosty as anything.  Bizarre.  Anyway Lily got lots of walks. Went to Aldi to do some shopping.  More walks.  Telly. Bed.  Not as good a food optimising day.  98 days to go til London Marathon and no running for two weeks, yikes.

Monday 6th January 2014
Up at 5.40.  Dog walked early doors. Papers fetched.  Into the office for just after 8am.  All good stuff. Got home a bit late - asked to do a presentation the following day.  Good.  Worked that up and answered a number of emails.  All going well.  Dog walked.

Tuesday 7th January 2014
Up at 5.40.  Dog walked, papers fetched, son off to work.  Into the office for 8:13.  Presentation handouts done and presentation tweaked.  Have had delivered some pipe fittings for the million water butts have got - only ordered yesterday and already received.  96 days to London Marathon.  Little Lily's dog training beginning tonight in Sunny Belper.  Lily was the best behaved hound at the training although there was only a little competition in that field - a lab called Willow and a little pug called Gizmo.  Need to change my ways with her it would appear but am expecting good stuff to come from it.

Wednesday 8th January 2014
Up at 5.40.  Up town with dog to fetch papers - realised I'd not got a penny on me so finished walk, got back home.  Got Phil up then went first run of 2014 to fetch papers.  A slow 3 miles at 10:40 pace but it's a start. http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/283922331/7469884

Another day, another presentation - our Financial Director David was 60 so we made sure he had a suitable send-off!
    
Went to Hollie's Whitemoor group after work lost 7.5lbs - making them count! Got rid of Christmas Gain with interest now need to really knuckle down and concentrate on avoiding junk, booze and focus on building up the running.

95 days to go til London Marathon - got to make them count!


Thursday 9th January 2014
94 Days to go - make 'em count
5.45 - struggled to get out of bed this morning although was in bed for 10pm - sleeping better with the no-alcohol regime.  It's going well.  Dog walked, papers fetched, in the office for just gone 8am.  All good. did some web-work for charity started off my fund-raising for London Marathon with a £10

Friday 10th January 2014
Up at 4am to make sure the boy got up and off to work which he did bless him.  Got up at 5.50, had to drag myself out of bed.  Took dog up town to get papers.  Got back.  Did a 3.2 mile run in 36 minutes (although stopped to drop off a prescription and for traffic a few times and anyway it's not a sprint it's a marathon I'm training for so just leave it, alright?).

Red sky in the morning - shepherd's warning!

Nice crisp morning, bit slippy in places, no injuries, 94 days to go.   Picked up some paperwork from Hollie in Belper on way into the office. All good stuff.  Well after nice weather all day the shepherd's warning proved to be accurate as it decided to persist it down while getting wood in to do the loft floor.  Such is life but we got a start made and that's what counts.

Saturday 11th January 2013
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched and back home for 7.15.  Waiting for the boy to wake and we'll get on with the attic all being well.  Golf at lunch time.   92 days until London Marathon and not even set up for fund raising yet.  Golf a bit poor - but weather nice and where do you get views like these other than Derbyshire?

Sunday 12th January 2013
Most unusual I know but I'm going Sunday to Sunday this week as I'm doing Jantastic.Me and it runs Monday to Sunday.  Set myself a goal of 3 runs a week and this morning got it done.  Just 3 and a quarter miles but it'll do.  Mission accomplished for this week it's a start. Been up in loft last two days putting a floor in ahead of solar panels coming.  All going well.

Lily Dog's not bothered about the cold!

16/8