Madchester 2017...

[Grobi]

Sorry to hear that Zoot, hopefully next year!

[plummy]

OK Zoot - thanks for letting me know. As Peter says, maybe next year.

[Liefcat]

Sorry to hear that, Zoot - hopefully we will meet another year

[Paul Victory]

Sorry to hear you won't be coming Zoot.

I haven't booked flights or accommodation yet as I'm waiting to hear what the specialist says when I see him tomorrow. I think I might find it depressing to turn up and not be able to row (even though it would be lovely to see you all again) or, worse still, I might be tempted to row when I shouldn't!

Hopefully it won't come to that and I'll be back in full swing before too long.

Paul V

[plummy]

There's plenty of time for a bit of a recovery yet Paul. Even if you can't row, we could put you jointly in charge of the BBQ (assuming the UK weather is playing nice)....but then again, the rest of us might go hungry unless Peter keeps a close eye on you

[Liefcat]

Would be nice to meet you once again, Paul Best of luck with the recovery

As mentioned earlier, flights are booked for me - and certainly hope and think I will attend Though most probably with no erging from my side...

[Paul Victory]

There's plenty of time for a bit of a recovery yet Paul. Even if you can't row, we could put you jointly in charge of the BBQ (assuming the UK weather is playing nice)....but then again, the rest of us might go hungry unless Peter keeps a close eye on you

You know me so well!

[Paul Victory]

Would be nice to meet you once again, Paul Best of luck with the recovery

As mentioned earlier, flights are booked for me - and certainly hope and think I will attend Though most probably with no erging from my side...

Thanks Erik. I guess if there's two of us in the same boat....

[commodoreann]

Paul,
We too would like to meet you after all these years.
Today marks one week with a fractured arm but I should be healthy by Madchester and everything is booked.
Best of luck with your recovery.

Zoot,
Sorry you will not be in attendance. Perhaps we all can meet when Peter and I visit our daughter in LA.

Ann
(and no I am not rowing right now)

[plummy]

....so, that's potentially 4 people now looking after the BBQ! I'm sensing a conspiracy ....

[Paul Victory]

....so, that's potentially 4 people now looking after the BBQ! I'm sensing a conspiracy ....

What do you care? You're a lightweight! All you eat is lettuce and green beans.

[Paul Victory]

Paul,
We too would like to meet you after all these years.
Today marks one week with a fractured arm but I should be healthy by Madchester and everything is booked.
Best of luck with your recovery.

Zoot,
Sorry you will not be in attendance. Perhaps we all can meet when Peter and I visit our daughter in LA.

Ann
(and no I am not rowing right now)

OK, you've convinced me! Flights booked - arriving in Manchester Friday teatime, back to Dublin Sunday afternoon. Now I just need to book the Normanhurst.

See you in May!

Paul V

[plummy]

Cool! Peter arrives on Friday evening as well so maybe we can co-ordinate pick-ups depending what time you guys arrive?

[Paul Victory]

Normanhurst now booked! Flight scheduled to arrive in Manchester at 17:45 on May 5th.

[Liefcat]

That´s very good news for me, Paul

Not so good news for the hungry and BBQ loving ergers...

[Paul Victory]

That´s very good news for me, Paul

Not so good news for the hungry and BBQ loving ergers...

It's OK Erik - there's an easy solution. Just put me in the corner with a couple of bottles of wine and I won't bother anybody (apart from plummy, when I start singing).

[Liefcat]

That´s very good news for me, Paul

Not so good news for the hungry and BBQ loving ergers...

It's OK Erik - there's an easy solution. Just put me in the corner with a couple of bottles of wine and I won't bother anybody (apart from plummy, when I start singing).

Does that mean that you are not intending to drink any beer, Paul

[Jill]

What a pity Zoot, that you’ll not be attending this year, it would have been a great pleasure to have met you. Richard and I like to think that one day, we will have the opportunity to visit Ventura County and call in on Jack and Barbara for a cup of ‘ decent coffee ‘. Therefore Zoot … Never, say never … Enjoy your family get togethers.

Very sorry to hear about your broken arm, Ann ( did you slip on some ice? ) and best wishes towards a full recovery.

My overactive imagination has already gone into overdrive, picturing Peter as Errol Flynn, complete with the obligatory tights, fending off, with a variety of BBQ utensils, the ‘ Hamburger Hijacker ‘ … Whoever he might be … Okay. I’ll get my coat.

Very good news to hear that Erik and Paul will be coming.

As for me, I need to muster up the courage from somewhere, if I’m going to take part in the racing. My ‘ technique ‘ will probably produce an abundance of and from bystanders … Yeah … Most definitely.

Despite these apprehensions, I’m looking forward to meeting old and new friends and enjoying, I hope, plenty of ‘ nattering and chattering ‘. Oh. And some good grub of course.

Jill and Richard

[Grobi]

My overactive imagination has already gone into overdrive, picturing Peter as Errol Flynn, complete with the obligatory tights, fending off, with a variety of BBQ utensils, the ‘ Hamburger Hijacker ‘ … Whoever he might be … Okay. I’ll get my coat.

Jill, do you mean like this?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/09/ ... 34x784.jpg

[Jill]

Peter, it’s a well known fact that Robin Hood kept the company of some very merry men. Therefore, you could definitely be on to something, especially, as in this case, the definition of the word merry, is slightly and good - humouredly drunk.

[Paul Victory]

Does that mean that you are not intending to drink any beer, Paul

Only if we run out of wine, Erik.

[Paul Victory]

Sorry to hear you won't be coming Zoot.

I haven't booked flights or accommodation yet as I'm waiting to hear what the specialist says when I see him tomorrow. I think I might find it depressing to turn up and not be able to row (even though it would be lovely to see you all again) or, worse still, I might be tempted to row when I shouldn't!

Hopefully it won't come to that and I'll be back in full swing before too long.

Paul V

I just thought I'd give a quick update on my visit to the specialist. i arrived on time, but had trouble arranging parking due to some unhelpful staff in the hospital. Anyway, after I got everything sorted, I was told my specialist had been delayed but would be with me shortly. When the time finally came to see him, I was told he had been called out to a medical emergency and I would have to re-arrange my appointment. The earliest appointment I could get was for next Wednesday, February 1st.

In the meantime, I have booked my flights and accommodation for Madchester, so I'll be there, even if I'm no longer erging. I had planned to stay off the erg until after I had spoken to the specialist and I've only done just over 12k this month (sorry! ). But I'll do the IRL before month end as it's only 1 minute. After all, how much damage could I do in one minute?

Anyway, as I'm not erging, I decided I should do more walking and I got the idea into my head that a brisk walk would be good for weight loss. So I did two laps of a nearby park on Tuesday with arms swinging and basically going as fast as I could without actually breaking into a trot. Not the best idea I've ever had! I covered 7.08 miles in just under 95 minutes, but I've been all aches and pains ever since.

Enough of this idle chitchat! See you all in Madchester (I hope).

[Liefcat]

Very frustrating to wait for your specialist, Paul, especially since you already had an appointment. Hope you get the news, and that it is good news, tomorrow Really good exercise to walk, but can feel harder than one might have expected, when you first start...

Got my news today, you can read about them on the 6:20 thread, and although a bit un-expected I´m still determined NOT to erg this year at Madchester...

[Liefcat]

Hope you got an answer from your specialist, Paul - and that it was a good one

Dave is so kind to make a reservation at the Normannhurst for Saturday night! (For those interested and concerned, I´m arriving at T1 Saturday 11.50 am - and leaving Sunday at 1.20 pm)

Looking forward to seeing you all

[Paul Victory]

Hope you got an answer from your specialist, Paul - and that it was a good one

I had a very inconclusive visit to the specialist yesterday. he's a very nice man and we had a wide ranging chat about beds (I think buying a new one may go a long way towards curing my back problem), holiday homes, erging and exercise in general. He went through my MRI scan with me and had a look at the exercises the physio gave me to do (he recommended I keep doing them) and he told me that an injection in my lumbar region might help, but he didn't feel it was necessary at this time.

He suggested I give it 5 or 6 weeks and see how I am then. In the meantime, it's OK to resume erging as he doesn't think it will do any damage to my back. Basically, I can do as much erging as I want to do, based on my level of pain tolerance. All very woolly and I haven't been on the erg since I saw him, but I'm thinking of doing a few meters tomorrow. I'm finding it very hard to summon up the enthusiasm - I guess I've just got out of the habit of regular erging.

I think it's a question of trying to establish a new routine, but I now realise that a large part of my motivation was trying to be as competitive as possible and setting new SBs (or even better PBs) and I'm finding the fact that I'm currently nowhere near that level somewhat disheartening.

Anyway, this month's IRL may be a good opportunity to find out just how much fitness I've lost (both physical and mental), but there's no way I'm going to be able to do an 'eyes out' attempt.

Paul V