Should Know Better

Frankie Boyle is a comedian (and a good one even if he is a bit harsh) and its always good to have a couple of beers before a comedy show, so I head off to the pub in Warrington with a very old pal Craig, not realising that this pint might just change a few things......and I promise this was an early doors sober idea and.....

It seemed like a good idea. Craig is claiming 17 st and an inability to motivate himself to get fit, I’m claiming 16st and a bit worried about the weight effects of not smoking. Only one thing to do then...climb Kilimanjaro. What we actually know about KJ is its in Africa, is bloody high and some girl who used to stalk Marc almond once climbed it. Still you shouldnt get into too much detail.

So with a smile on our faces , (well mine as it turns out, Craig sat crossed armed and fell asleep four times through the show) we set out on our grand plan…..with a slight detour for 3 extra beers and a kebab on the way home...its early days yet.

Inspired by the grand plan. Sunday pm and hangover receding, a walk down the Dingle (it’s a real place! Not a TV creation) with my good lady Pam, seems like a good plan. Only, one wrong turn results in a perfect landing at the pub for another three pints. The fitness thing may have fallen into the old trap of 2 steps forwards three steps backwards.

So all planned and sorted ...bring on June 2010, or NOT.

The most useful plan of the week was ‘to plan walks up mountains around other events just in case they become a bit dull.’ Oh the level of thought that goes into pre KJ (its now official shorthand) training is that we should start walking up some mountains and lose weight,

So armed with this I decided to plan a walk. And then asked Craig how he was fixed……
SEE BELOW –total commitment to the cause.

The hills is a bit more difficult short term.

The weekend after Hanoi Rocks is FA Cup 6th round weekend and it looks like I have 2 good tickets for the England Rugby at Murrayfield coming for the saturday as well. (You can have the second ticket if you fancy it.) Ideal solution sees the Boro playing on the sunday which allows attendance at both.

If the Boro are playing saturday I'll probably go to that and skip the rugby. Roseberry topping could be done on sunday, although I've got 2 games of 7 a side lined up at the moment.

If the Boro get knocked out or are playiing Sunday I'll go to the rugby at Edinburgh, but we could go up Arthurs Seat, that big rock in edinburgh .Its not that big, but its a start. We'd have to get there early though if we want to do it pre-match on the saturday.

Sat 15th March - I'm in London overnight for the Arsenal game. Come down if you fancy it.
Sat 22nd March - I'm in Bulgaria
Sat 29th March - Free this weekend, but I think you are in America.

Sat 5th April - Possible, but unlikely. Its either Man Utd at home, the Grand National or the FA Cup Semi final. If we get knocked out and Man Utd are still in, I think I'd rather go to the National, but the Sunday would be a possibility for somewhere over your way.

Sat 12th April - I'm off to Spain. Incidently the Spanish Cup Final has been confirmed for Madrid on Wed 16th April. I'm planning to fly form Barca to Madrid on the morning of the game, returning to Barca on the thursday morning. So if you fancy it we can meet you in Madrid or you can stay with us near Girona from as early to as late in the week as you like. Its only about 50 miles from the French border so the Pyrannees must be somewhere close.

Sat 19th April - Fly back from Spain, just in time for Bolton at home, but the Sunday is a possibility for hills.

Sat 26th April - Sunderland at home. I dont think the Sky fixture changes have been announced yet for this weekend, but this must be a possibility for a sunday/monday kick -off, leaving saturday free.

Sat 3rd May - Portsmouth at home. We could do Roseberry Topping pre-match with an early start, it would be light then. Or even somewhere with a late post match start. I could be in the lakes for 7pm, we could meet up, walk for 2 hrs, camp out and get eaten by werewolves or bogeymen.

Sat 10th May. This could be the one. We play Portsmouth at home on the sunday in the final game of the season, so what we should do is meet at Wasdale Head camp site in the lakes on the friday evening. Go to the pub.

Saturday, go up Great Gable then go to the pub. Sunday drive home in time for the match.

Sat 17th May - Nothing planned yet, so we could climb another mountain.

Sat 24th May. - I'm in Cardiff for the Heinekin cup final. Could possibly do Snowdon on the sunday, but I'll have a hangover and Tom with me, so it might not be the best of ideas.
Thats about it apart from the Euro championship games, although I've heard that they have some quite decent hills over there. Anyway, see what matches up with when you are free. I'm beginning to understand why climbing Everest is such an achievement now. If Christchurch had been involved in a cup run, Edmund Hillary would still be at base camp now.

Brilliant planning, but not much in the right direction.

Anyway I'm not that easily dissuaded

So with an Ian Hunter gig already planned in Manchester immediately after a tough away game at Liverpool. (Tough in the must drink more beers sort of a way), we are now planning an assault on Rivington Pike near Bolton the following morning. I was very pleased to note that on one website this is considered a ‘moderate walk’ so that’s got to be healthy.

Having now committed to a real hill, I thought I’d best make a small effort, so having set out from home on Sunday 17th I managed an hour which included a walk through Hillcliffe, admittedly downhill but no-one owns up to putting their feet down when they manage to scramble the first 10 metres or yards in old swimming pools. When did they change the width of swimming pools and was this costed in to the whole decimalisation process? Anyway I managed to walk up Red Lane on the way back and nearly overtake the old bloke with the limping dog. I suspect he was a Sherpa.