Janathon Day 2: Cycle -17.9 miles; Time - 1hr 29 min; Weather - coldish, greyish, faint signs of a weak sun.
It is amazing how wintery the landscape looks at the moment; even more bleak than when covered in snow. Everything is brown, bare and beaten down, dead looking - except of course it isn't. It is just the time of the season and soon things will grow again. One of the joys of exercising outdoors is a closer appreciation of seasons. Life is not meant to be all sunny uplands or relaxing, warm days in verdant pasture. You have to endure the biting cold winds and bleak landscapes to fully appreciate the good days.
The Guardian ran an article comparing the relative benefits of training outdoors and indoors. Although there was nothing clear cut about the findings as both offer scope for a good workout, the fact is the author enjoyed the outdoor sessions more.
"Martyn Standage, an expert in motivation in health, exercise and sport, was most interested by the fact that on the days when my exercise had been done outside, I used more energy through the rest of the day.
Standage said this fitted with studies that suggest working out in the outdoors leads to a greater feeling of vitality – physical and mental energy. Some studies suggest that this vitality is primeval: human beings have inhabited urban rather than natural environments for a relatively small number of generations."
An advantage of the bare landscape and stripped trees is that the birds are more obvious. On my ride today I saw yellowhammers in the hedgerow, various tits (I will have no talking at the back and remarks that one of them was riding the bike) and most excitingly a female that shot out of a field right by me so I could clearly hear the sound of her wings flapping (like running your fingers down wooden venetian blinds).
Today's picture is a complete surprise. I cycled down this lane a coupe of months ago and never noticed planes. In short time they seem to have installed some tent-like hangers and turned an ordinary field into a landing strip. When I took the photo all my attention was focussed on the planes (especially the nearer one, which was taxiing at the time) and I completely missed the giant chair. What is that about? I only noticed it when i downloaded the photo and am completely puzzled. I think I will have to go back to check it on my next cycle ride.
4 comments:
Glad to read you're able to cycle and walk without too much grief, HK. One of the "athons" as they might become known wouldn't quite be the same without you!
Hope you make a strong recovery and are soon showing us the way running should be enjoyed.
Some very odd goings on in that field! lol ... Thanks for sharing this post. I can relate to the vitality after having been outdoors thing. For the last two days, having been for long(ish) walks outside, I've been feeling great!
giant chair makes me think the planes are but toys! watch out for really large folk if you go back there.
Oh dear, Iliketocount said 'the athons' in such a way that it seems there will be more and more until we are doing a 2012athon! Hmmm, Olympic year, might be a good idea...
I can hear that bird as I read, lovely observations. We had a long tailed tit in our garden the other day, never seen one before, so its flash of pink was a delight.
Post a Comment