To be more precise: Mountain Ramblings Three
This break away has added benefits and bonuses that I never
expected.
Already I have experienced the self imposed bereftness I
felt I needed. Haven’t finished with it
yet. It must come naturally. But I have
been pondering too. Ponderings of the
naval about ponderings of the future, the past and the now.
I have also found this little sojourn has given me the
opportunity to acquire new taste buds otherwise never to be experienced. As well as that this little break has given me
the opportunity to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of sleep inducing
products. I have pondered and given deep
thought to physical and psychological factors relating to health and fitness -
for others, and even for me. And dare I
say it; there has even been some bird watching, no butterflies, too jolly crisp
down here for a butterfly. And best of
all, whilst doing all this I have found that I have unexpectedly taken myself
on a retreat for altitude training.
Rose from the sleeping bag this morning and produced a blood
nose. How odd. How did that come about? me wondered. Ah ha! .. the logical brain in me responds,
you’re at altitude! You are a whole
couple of hundred feet above sea level and have been for 36 hours, that’s equivalent
to some mountaineer being at Base Camp.
So hang around for another couple of days to acclimatise and soon will
be able to venture higher.
Not to take this altitude benefit for granted, the populous
of this little town will soon have the sight of that funny lady who’s staying
at the end of town flogging her way around the streets and streams of the
bustling town of 20. Flogging is
literally that. My wretched knee is
giving me one hell of a problem to overcome.
It does not like being used at all and on yesterday’s walk around town I
noted how much I walked like a woman with a soon to be needed hip replacement. The little jaunt on the mountain bike wasn’t
favoured by the knee either. Bugger the
surgeon who stuffed this up.
Still nothing I cannot work on to help it – once I actually
to get working on it. Some specific
exercise strengthening for the rest of the body would help. When I get around to it. There is still much pondering and naval
gazing to do that takes preference.
Mind you, the extra weight I am carrying cannot help. Last night’s evening meal was yet another one
of the culinary delights from the Hawkes Bay.
Spicy Tomato & Meatball Soup, a la the Watties factory. The night before it was the extra smokey
baked beans, taken to clear the other problems one can have when
travelling.
I noted on the label of the 535gm Spicy Tomato &
Meatball Soup can that it had 3½ serves per can. Must be a Jesus can I thought. One must open it an out pours a gallon of
soup, and maybe the bread to have with it.
Well, I went through that 3½ serves within a four minute period. Plus all the bread slices to accompany it
which did not come poured from the can but from the dried up bread scraps I
brought from home.
On typing this I did go fetch the can from the rubbish and
reread the label a little more closely.
It says 3½ serves … of veg per can.
The label also tells me I could find “the diamonds” (true), but seems
the diamonds self expired on 30 April 2013.
So I missed out there. Where were
the diamonds then? Did they actually
dissolve in the can on the 30th April? Could they perhaps reconstitute internally
and be ‘passed’? I ramble. But I do wonder what delight I shall treat
myself. And I know that my stability is
less that great at this point in time.
Therefore the concept of applying for jobs and having interviews where I
will be asked questions on how I am at the moment and whether I consider myself
suitable for their particular position – well it certainly begs the question of
do I wish to lie to people? I
don’t. I am not stable. I am insecure, frightened, grieving and completely
unreliable. I cannot possibly know what
it is I can do in paid employment where those factors would not end up creating
a difficult situation for them, and me.
With some soul search, some encouragement from experts in
various fields, I have decided that I will turn to that which I know best and
do best. I will help others achieve
their sporting goals in whatever manner my skills and knowledge can do.
I do not see this as
a long term permanent situation, but see it as a ways and means of
getting me through this next eight, nine to twelve month period when I know
that I will be clear headed enough and experienced a good year of life on my
own to be able to figure out what/how/where and who I need to be to make myself
financially secure.
Besides, there is nothing I enjoy more than seeing someone
enjoy the results of their physical successes – whether it be just getting them
to pedal on their first bike for a revolution or two – or managing to finally
swim a length of the pool – or finally overcome that long term running injury
they have had – or improving the past times like never before – or finding that
touching ones toes can actually make a different to your cycle success …. Or
breaking that 3½ hour barrier in a marathon or 11 hours in an Ironman is
possible … I could go on.
I do love people and I do love sharing my experiences and
knowledge with people if it means it will help in some small way.
There is nothing more satisfying that to see a satisfied
look on someone’s face after they have completed something they may not have
done without encouragement.
Ah, what a great way to earn a that next can of Spicy Tomato
& Meatballs.
And that’s what it boils down to. I need to earn some income to put food on my
table. And that brings me back to the
start of my ramblings. Once I get myself
over this desperate week of self time I will be working very studiously in finally
placing together everyone’s’ goals and programmes and place in motion my own
annual planner that focuses on ‘my athletes’ … ‘their goals’.
For those ‘athletes’ who are a little out on the edge at the
moment due to your coach taking retreat, fear not. I will be back. I need to be back, I need to put food on the
table and if it is more of the Hawkes Bay tinned culinary fare, so what! – it’s
food – and it has 3½ servings of protein per can.
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