A weeks worth of activities plus the Gower!

So last week on Monday I went home, got changed and then Welsh Chris came and picked me up and took me to the Riverside gym. We did something called "Body Pump", which was an instructor-led class involving various weights and cheesey music. The work out was good, though, was quite knackered afterwards.

Chris dropped me off at my parents after that and I went in and had some tea - salmon with carrots, marrow and boiled potatoes.

When I got home I looked for my football boots and shin pads (for the next day's training), but I couldn't find them anywhere. Well, I found one shin pad in the attic - but that was it. I hadn't used my footy boots since I moved into my house in 2003, so there was also a possibility they might still be at my parents.

I asked my parents to look and luckily my Dad found my boots in the garage, so I went round and picked them up on Tuesday morning before work. I also picked up some self-inflating airbeds for the Gower trip, which when I put in the boot of my car I noticed my other shin pad in there - so I had all the kit necessary for football training after work!

At lunchtime I thought I would have something substantial, so that I wouldn't be hungry later during footy practise, so I had a vegetable risotto with cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes.

I was aching all day, due to the weight training the night before, so was slightly relieved when I turned up for football training and the session had been cancelled (as the reserve team had a friendly). At least I know I have my kit ready for tonight now!

I went home and opened a tin of tuna, which I mixed with some philadelpha cheese spread and some cheese and herb dominos pizza dip (which was in the fridge) and ate in some pitta bread with salad.

Then I got changed and went to the gym. I had quite a light session, as my legs were still aching, but felt quite good afterwards. I weighed myself and was 100kg on the nose. Considering I ate before I came out, means I am probably around the same weight as I was last week.

On the Wednesday morning, I was aching even worse than Tuesday. I managed to crawl somehow to work and, later that day, was pleased to find lamb lasagne on the menu in the canteen. I had this with courgettes, sprouts and carrots. After that, I then had a vegetable broth with a bread roll. I was nice and full after that.

After work, Sarah came down from Surrey and we met up with Michelle and Mike to go out for a meal at the Swan in Tockington. This pub is renowned for their pies, so I duly ordered a very spicy beef pie (the demon devil pie). Mike recommends the beef and stilton pie, so I may have that next time.

The next day was roast dinner day in the canteen and the meat was baked ham. A tasty meal including stuffing. As Thursday was the last working day of the week for me, I met up with Mike and Beaton at the Black Sheep for a few beers.

After work I went to the Orchard with Mike, Gibson and Boz and waited for Sarah to arrive. When she did we had another drink and set off to Asda to pick some stuff up for the Gower trip.

After buying beer and food provisions (coming to the sum total of £111), we went back to the house and got packing.

Well, Sarah got packing - I just cooked tea (ham and cheese Asda pizza and some garlic bread). I also prepared some pitta bread filled with asparagus tips, salad (with balsalmic vinegar) and mushrooms for the impending journey.


The Gower Trip

Friday
We got up on Friday morning nice and early and Sarah drove me to the Gower. We followed Welsh Chris, his missus Sarah and Marcus to the Gower. I ate the pitta bread on the way and tried to sleep. There was some mad traffic on the M4 into Cardiff, but the journey wasn't too bad.

Once we arrived at Hillend campsite in Llangennith, I payed for 4 x tents for 3 nights (coming to a sum total of £216) and then we set about finding a spot in the already busy campsite to pitch the tents.

It took ages and didn't help when we began drinking. We eventually managed to erect all the tents (partly thanks to Welsh Sarah keeping us going with cheese and ham rolls).

We explored the dunes and kicked the ball out for a bit and drank lots of booze, while we waited for everyone else to arrive. Details in my head are sketchy, but I think Tank and Carly arrived shortly before Mike, Michelle and Kathryn (that is apparently how you spell it).

I ate some tins for my tea, although a few days of eating these hunger breaks things (cold) kind of got a bit boring after a while. Mike had a stove and earned himself some happy camper points by making lots of cups of tea - as well as bacon sarnies for everyone on Saturday morning.

Friday night was quite sophisticated, as we finished the evening with various cheeses and port. Tasty.

Saturday
On Saturday morning, I had an all day breakfast in a tin (another hunger break thing) for my breakfast when I got up and some tinned fruit. I washed this down with a can of stella.

The weather on Saturday was a bit brighter and I did get a little sunburnt, Carla and Lee arrived and we all went down to the beach. I had a swim in the sea and we played American Football on the beach. My team got completely hammered and only scored one touchdown. It would have been two, but a lethal tackle from Lee sent me bundling over in the sand just before the end zone.

We got back to the campsite and I was feeling hungry, but luckily Sarah had gone shopping and bought lots of barbeque stuff. Mike was chef and sorted us all out with burgers, sausages and baps and stuff. All very tasty.

One of Welsh Chris and Marcus' mates, Dan, arrived on Saturday and he put his tent up and we all went to the empty car park and played rounders until it got dark.

When we got back to our campsite, Bud had arrived and got his tent up. We all then armed ourselves up with beer and other alcoholic goodness and headed into the dunes for some night time dune partying..

Sunday
On Sunday morning, everyone went to the site's greasy spoon for a fry up. I missed the chance as I was still asleep, so in the afternoon I went up there with Sarah and Bud and had a vegetable lasagne. It was extremely tasty, but that may have been because I hadn't eaten any real food for a few days..

When we got back to the camp, everyone was talking of walking to the Worms Head hotel for a meal and some drinks. It was a long walk to get there, but the food looked nice. As Bud and I had just eaten, we had to watch everyone else eat and just drink ourselves. By the time everyone else wanted to go, we were not moving from the pub and ended up staying there a lot longer.

We had some food (me the lasagne and Bud the ribs), before trying to make our way back in the dark.

All dunes looking the same at night, we were lucky to bump into a couple of Welshies who showed us the way back to our site.

Monday
Yesterday morning, Bank Holiday Monday aka Lee's 30th birthday, we all packed up our tents in the morning and then went to the greasy spoon for breakfast. I had a very tasty fry up.

It was quite filling, but as luck would have it, a few people left certain items on their plate. I don't make a habit of mopping up the leftovers usually, but I was bemoaning my missed opportunity of using the toast to make a fried breakfast sandwich with mine - so I used this chance to have a leftover sandwich.

Using leftover rounds of toast, mushrooms, bacon, beans, fried egg and hash browns I created the masterpiece (thanks Michelle, Welsh Chris and Welsh Sarah!!)

It was quite a messy experience, but a tasty one.

Sarah drove me home in the afternoon and we arrived back in Bristol in good time.

In the evening, we met up with some of the Gower crew (Welsh Chris, Welsh Sarah, Mike, Michelle, Carla, Lee and Sarah and I) along with Tony and Terry and went to the Bradley Stoke and had a meal.

I had the salmon and it was right nice and kind of healthy.

Today
I was back in work and was really knackered all day, didn't sleep great last night (must have been the comfy bed..)

Had a canteen meal for lunch, a reasonable attempt at a lamb curry with rice, naan (albeit a lame one) and some coconut shavings and chutney.

After I had wolfed that down, I had a soup and roll. It was pea and ham flavour, but I only found one peace of ham. It was kind of like watered down mushy peas - but still quite tasty.

I should be training with Greyfriars tonight, feel quite knackered - but I've certainly been constantly kicking a ball around all weekend, so might be alright.