Hello!

Wow. 3 months of silence from my good self. Its been a varied few months, with the biggest variant being how shit things have been ranging from pretty shit to totally shit.

First thing was the new job. Well I was well and truly shafted here. I quit after a month as I had basically been employed to do telesales for the wankers. I had not sold anything in a month and everything I had been told about the job was a load of balls. It was the first time I have ever quit a job and felt I had no other choice. I was being performance managed out of the job after only 4 weeks so I beat them to it. It felt quite liberating at the time and I have had a great time with the kids but the financial burden is just too great now. I have had to yield and start work for the anti-Christ on Monday i.e Phones4U! I will be commuting to Carlisle again probably via train or bus and its a job which is a start. I am starting out as a basic sales consultant so have nbow worries apart from selling which I know I can do so I am quite looking forward to it. I have had tonnes of interviews for other jobs but have had no luck at all which had also been a bit demoralising but at least I am on the way now.

Second thing has been my health which has been pretty poor of late. The GP thinks I may have Crohns disease or something similar but I am not thinking about it. The biggest accelerant is booze so I am off it full stop at present. Very strange!!! I am struggling with tiredness at the moment but this could be down to not being at work as all the days seem to blend into one currently. I am also having to eat small portions more often instead of pigging out on large meals. This I can handle so again I'm not overly bothered.

Third thing is climbing and biking or the lack of to be more precise. I ha vent been climbing in well over month and ha vent been on the bike in about 3 weeks. This has been down to feeling ill, so ill I didn't want to do anything. I am hoping that as time goes by I will start to feel better and the lack of booze has got to be helping, surely! I have made the decision to run the Keswick half marathon next year so I am starting training for that as soon as I feel better. Not sure how I am going to get on as my leg suffers with impact after the car crash of 2001. I am hoping that starting gently and building up will make it bearable.

The only up shot from the last few months has been the time I have been spending with the kids which has been great! That and the fact the beastmaker is finally up and ready. Not all doom and gloom but the last few months have not been the most enjoyable of my life.

Whats going on?!

Well it has been well over a month since my last visit to my blog....

....And what a crapy month or so it has been. First problem was being drafted in to provide managerial cover in Barrow. This meant driving down 3 times a week, doing 130 odd miles per day for the benefit of Mr Orange. What a waste of my life. I had zero psyche due to the life being sucked out of my by the travelling, it was horrendous.

On the upside though, I have now finished work for Orange, FOREVER!!!

I start my new job tomorrow and can't wait. I will be commuting to Carlisle for a while but after that I will be mainly working from home under my own speed. Combine that fact with a nice VW Passat company car and a fuel card and I am happy! The other major, major bonus is I now have every weekend, bank holiday and Christmas off. Happy bloody times. I should now be able to get into a good routine where climbing and biking are involved which simply must happen.

The last month has been rubbish in terms of exercise. I was going well on the bike until the Barrow saga began. I have not managed any climbing really at all. I was at St. Bees yesterday but was SO weak its unthinkable. I have managed to kick the smokes though, 2 months since I last had one. I said I was going to give up when I got my bike, and I have done this. I had something to aim for. I'm gonna do the same now I am starting a new job.

Fingers crossed I can do what I hope to do. We'll see.

Things have been going well of late. I finally got my new bike last week and it was worth the wait, it's great. I have biked to and from work 6 days which is a total of 56 miles. I'm really enjoying it, it is so good to have something to focus on. I will have completed 7 days no smoking by this time tomorrow which is also good. Beer consumption is down massivley as well, shit a brick, I'm moving slowly towards a healthy lifestyle. This is serious!

Climbing wise I've not done much, bit of pull up training but mainly been absorbed in biking. I am aiming to get out tomorrow to either St. Bees or the cobble. Not fussed where I end up as long as I'm out.

Well then. Tonight was really my first proper night trying to fight the demons! No booze, and exercise were the order of the day. Mission accomplished so far with 30 pull-ups and 40 sit-ups done in about 25 minutes so I am fairly pleased. Not a huge amount but a good little shock to the system none the less. It's weird to get the burn back, a kind of nice tiredness where my arms are spent. All good.

The rest of my evening has been spent doing the horrendous daily tasks faced by most of us. Dishes, laundry, cooking and cleaning. It's soul destroying some times. I also had the great task of sorting the recycling out. Lovely. All done though and bagged boxed up ready to go.

Oh well another day out the way, feeling ok and intending to have an early night.

I'm starting to think I should rename this blog "Try and get strong before dying".

I have not been climbing in well over a month since a trip to Mungers with Ry. My bike hasn't turned up yet from Halfrauds and I am turning back into a bloated, lazy shit bag. I'm pretty pissed about this to be honest! I haven't been able to purchase my Beastmaker either. It was supposed to be my birthday present from my other half but it hasn't materialised yet. In fact it was the lamest birthday I have ever had! Total presents: 0. Nothing at all. Cue the violins for me! I did get a nice meal I suppose but all I wanted was a Beastmaker!

Today is the day though. The day for change. The day I kick my own arse into gear and stop the rot. I have just been sent a picture message of me and the mrs. Jesus Christ I have more chins than a Chinese telephone book. Seeing my big fat head has made me accept I am so far out of shape it crazy. So things need to change, effective immiediatly. There has been way to much excess in the last month, far to many excuses to be lazy and drink beer. The next drink for me will be the Keswick beer festival on the 7th of June. Until then I will be dry. The pull up bar will be getting used as opposed to ignored and my attitude to it all will be positive. I read daily the pages of UKB and wonder why I never have much to say. The only reason is I haven't been climbing and have subsequentally lost the desire.

It will return, and I mean it this time.

Oh bugger.

I have what may be a problem. An old injury has arisen and it bloody well kills. I broke my femur and pelvis in a car crash back in 2001 and I have had no trouble with it for ages until the last few days. I am getting excrutiating pains in my leg and hip. It feels like it is gonna pop again and walking is hard work. I am hobbling about like an old fella and it is pissing me off in a big way. I was hoping to get out this week but if this carries on I am going to have to pay the quacks a visit. I know exactly what they will say so I'm almost inclined not to go. They will just give me some painkillers and send me on my way. So as a result I am back to sitting on the sofa drinking beer. Could be worse!!!

Some times it seems as though everything and everyone conspires against you. Yesterday and today are perfect days to be out somewhere but various things have stopped me. The biggest issue was the car failing it's MOT which has left me without transport and a few £'s worse off. Ry and Andy are currently at the Bowderstone and I am sitting in Kwik Fit waiting to get my car sorted. Balls!

I am off to the North East tonight for work and am looking forward to catching up with my old mate Ben. When we used to work togther at Cotswolds we had many a fine session climbing and when he moved away I lost my main climbing partner. He is running the London marathon this month so there won't be any beers drank but it will be good to catch up. I'm taking my boots with me as I may get a chance for some climbing at some point.

It's hard work trying to keep up with this blogging business!!!

Not massive amounts of stuff been happening recently. I have actually been getting out more than I thought I would and have enjoyed a few great sessions at Carrock Fell. Me and Ry spent quite some time trying to find a really cool niche that Ry had previously climbed some time ago. When we did finally find it he could do the moves but no longer had his confidence cap on for the height element. He'll get it next time I'm sure. I did quite a few little problems and enjoyed myself loads.

The purchase of the Beastmaker has gone on hold due to the car failing it's MOT. Gutted. I will be making a purchase at the end of the month though.

Well I've not posted for a while due to various reasons. First and foremost by Grandad died so I've been spending a lot of time with my mum. That's a different story though which I won't bore folks with.

The other reason is I have been training!!!! Had a fair few wall sessions with some good gains noticed and been beasting he pull up bar loads. I'm feeling loads better and still positive about things which is great. I'm off to the wall tonight with the Jigga man who has been making some tips on food groups and stuff that will help my progress.

Got a day off tomorrow and with the weather as good as it is I am hoping for a quest out somewhere. I had a trip to the stone last week and forgot what a cruel mistress she is. Basically I got spanked on everything but I'm not down about it. I just need to keep training and keep going. It will all come back soon.

Another positive is I will have a new mountain bike in 6 weeks time courtesy of the cycle2work scheme. Happy days! It's a mint full-susser and will help no end with my fitness levels.

So all is good, I am happy. Which has felt rare recently.

Day off today

Well I have decided to just chill tonight and watch the football. Feeling a bit drained after a shitty day at the office. Spent some time trying to sort my laptop out and put some tunes in my phone, job done.

Think I'm gonna nail the pull up bar tomorrow night now I have had a break. Only one more day in the shit pit and then two off so hoping to get out somewhere, maybe St. Bees again as it was great.

Well I had a pretty decent session at the wall tonight.

Managed to do two full length and two half length traverses of the main wall which is a big improvement from where I was a few weeks back. I could only manage half the distance then so very pleased with progress. I have decided that Mondays will be stamina training which was always my weak point. I will dedicate Thursdays to doing a variety of stuff, mainly trying to keep up with Ry which is going to be very hard. The boy is flying and was burning people off the other night.

I have also managed to keep off the beer tonight! This is a very good step, I know its only one night but its a start. Most of my evening after the wall has been spent trying to get my new wireless router from Sky to work. The biggest problem is my laptop though, it is fooked. Thankfully I have a cousin who is very handy with all things computer related so will get him to sort it.

Day 1

Well I have decided to start a blog to mainly assist myself getting strong and hopefully amuse any poor soul who chooses to read my ramblings.

Off to the wall with the Jigga man tonight feeling positive and renewed about resurecting my climbing career. I had a lovely day at St. Bees with a non climbing friend who wanted to try the sport we all live for.

(Also managed to get the pull-up bar back up so beasting myself on that everytime I walk past it)

I am going to attempt to keep this blog going as I am determined to get back to the standard of climbing I used to operate at. Fingers crossed anyway.