Christian Ainley my day to day

 Writern in the late 1960’s and based on the fictional the Flashman books are adventure books aimed at a mid teenage audience. There’s some mild violence and sex but nothing too offensive.  The character being borrowed from the bully in Tom Browns School Days, so in many respects it’s a sequel. What did happen to that bad egg at school? Well this author pens an adventure that takes him from being expelled from Rugby School to the Kabul uprising and Queen Victoria’s army being expelled from Afghanistan. Flashman is every bit the bully and cad as he travels, getting in to duels and of course encounters with women.  It’s a good adventure and for its time a well written book, does it hold up as well today ? There are some views and ideas which may be offensive to some but I’m sure were valid at the time.  It’s good and worth a read, maybe a summer read as it’s not to complex to read. Having been printed since the late 60’s there’s plenty of copies to be found in charity ...

  It’s my first rest day so it was out for a walk, first I collected my WeWards from around the estate then headed up Rowley path and around Blackpark. It was nice to see spring coming around.  The bumblebee pictured was so engrossed in the pollen from the daffodils I was able to get a good macro shot. As I went around I saw the small birds hoping through the hedges and shooting across the path.  I was able to find 6 golf balls so I guess there was some clear weather over the weekend for people to get out and play golf. It was a nice day out and it was refreshing to get some fresh air.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

It was an afternoon at the gym yesterday and I started of with the cross trainer on intervals level 14. It was good going and got the blood flowing. I got through 1.57km and 409 calories over 30 minutes. It was on to chest press on the Machine starting low at 20kg and working up to 33kg it felt good.  The gym was empty so I was able to do some cable flys on the main machine. It was 7.5kg a side going up to 12.5kg a side.  Inclined press next and just the bar to start with then adding 10kg.  Then it was the same but on decline. I did get a light head when I got up.  Wide press next and it was 26kg until failure.  It was a nice work out and it was home to watch the north London derby and an arsenal win.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  I’ve been working hard towards my team leader course and I’ve submitted units 5, 6 and 7 over the last week. I’ve got my feed back for 5 and 6 which I’ve passed.    I’ve got one more unit left to finish off before submitting it for marking then I’ll be finished.  I’ve really enjoyed the course, pushing to learn new skills and just having a project to work on. I’m going to apply for principles of lean management or business improvement next, it’s the same course with different names by different collages. It looks closer at kaizen concept and the theme of continually improving.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  It was out for an afternoon walk the weather held of while I was out, so I managed to stay dry. I collected my WeWards then up Rowley path, I know it’s a bit repetitive but it’s nice can quiet and I’m able to listen to my book rather than being by the side of a busy road. I managed to get a good 7 miles in and through a good chunk of the new book. It was only 3 golf balls and one range ball which I threw back on the course.  It was a nice walk and it was good to get out and have some fresh air. Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

 It’s a return to the gym today and it’s leg day. I started off with the cross trainer on intervals. 1.55km and 416 calories over 30mins. On to hack squats and the normal 57kg up to 67kg.  On to leg curls and 50kg up to 57kg. Leg extensions and the sands as curls.  Leg press and 50kg up to 80kg. It was good session all in all.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  I woke up early and finished off unit 7 and submitted it for marking, it was health and safety based but only 6 questions. Only one more unit to go before the course is complete, I’m not sure what I’ll do to fill the hole that’s left.  After some house chores it was out for a walk around the estate again to collect today’s WeWards and then up Rowley path. It was a lot less muddy today but the wind had a nasty chill. I did manage to get 6 balls for the spring stock. I managed to get in just as the rain hit hard.  It’s been a nice day in all, I’m pleased with my course progress and getting out. Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  I woke up early and did a little bit of course work I’m nearly at the end, I’m currently working on unit 7 of 8. As ER is on Netflix I had that playing in the background.  After pancakes because it is shrove Tuesday and the start of lent for Christians, dare you give up something for 40 days until Easter Sunday ? It was to the gym.  Rowing to start and I know I normally add a picture of the summery screen but the sensor on the only decent rowing machine was playing up. It was 30mins and 384 calories.  On to dead lifts and adding 20kg to a bar then another 10kg to finish off.  Oh to machine rows and starting with 50kg going up to 57kg Lat pull downs and starting with 50kg again and going up to 57kg it was low reps to finish as I struggled.  Reverse flys to finish and starting with 42.5kg going up to 57kg it was a struggle agin and finish.  It was a good session and slightly higher weight this week.  Have fun stay safe👍🏼

 Sunday afternoon was a walk around the estate followed by Rowley footpath after cutting in to it via Pinewood hotel. It was a nice walk and I finished of my audio book and started a new one, more to come soon.  Only two golf balls but the weather has been absolutely disgusting and I’m sure most of the golf course is flooded and hard to get round. Monday I had intended to go to the gym after work but instead it was finishing off unit 6 of my course on team leading, It was conflict management and delivering feedback, I managed to finish it off and submit it only two units to go !  It’s been a good couple of days, let’s see what tomorrow brings!  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  British cycling has evolved from the millennium to where it is now. it was an underfunded sport that was hard to break into. Slowly this changed and more resources were made available and a management team was put in place to drive success. They based themselves in the Manchester velodrome and recruited the best young riders from around the country.  Steve Cummings entered that program to become an Olympic cyclist for Great Britain, Steve is a great cyclist but by his own admission he’s better suited to long road races rather than punchy Olympic short races on a velodrome. This book covers the start of his career through to his specialty of getting in to the break and riding solo for the win.  With in this book he gives an insight into team sky and team GB as well as the other teams he’s ridden for, he doesn’t hold back an where there were problems he holds his hands up.  It’s a good sporting biography sand if you know an aspiring cyclist then they’ll enjoy it. It ...

  It’s back to the gym and cross trainer to start on intervals, I didn’t push too hard after two tough days. 1.54km in 30 mins. Cable tri pull downs with a bar 16.5kg up to 28kg.  Over head tri pulls starting with 20kg up to 28kg Rope pull downs starting with 16.5kg up to 28kg  Some bar presses staring with 15kg up to 30kg. The tri machine next starting with 50kg up to 58kg it was a struggle.  Wide chest press to finish starting with 19kg up to 30kg and back down to 19kg. It was a good session.   Gave fun stay safe 👍🏼

  I woke up early and while having a nice breakfast of granola and yogurt I worked on the next unit on the leadership course. Equality, diversity and inclusion. I worked through the first half of the unit and decided to get out and have some fresh air.  It was a nice long walk up to Windsor and then up the long walk to George III statue and back into town. It wasn’t a pizza express today but an adult happy meal from McDonald’s for the Friends toy. Today it was a Ross to go along side Chandler from last week. I came home and finished off unit 5 and submitted it for marking.  A nice day all in all let’s see how unit 5 gets on. With my poor grammar I’m unlikely to get a plagiarism strike.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  I’ve completed half of the Principles Of Team Leading course. Unit 4 has been marked and I’ve passed only 4 more to go.  In all honesty it’s a bottom weighted course with the first two units having 40% of the questions.  But it’s progress and I’ll soon be looking for my next project or course to study.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

 It was back to the gym today and a leg work out, I try to get legs in every week if nothing else. It was  rowing to start and 3844 meters in 30 minutes.  On to hack squats and 57kg up to 67kg it felt ok and I should go up next week. ( if I remember ).  Leg curls next and 41kg up to 61kg  Leg extensions 40kg up to 65kg  Calf raises 40kg up to 50kg.  Abs crunches 57kg up to 75 kg  It was a good workout, the leg press was tied up so I could get on as one is broken. I’ll add it to the next session.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  In the early nineties the average speed in the Tour de France was 28kph by the late nineties that had risen to 35kph, what caused that shift, better training, lighter equipment or new training regimes. Well all those things made small margins but the truth was a sport that had been surrounded by drugs and cheating had found a new edge in cheating and taking performance enhancing drug that could raise performance by 20% that was the hormone EPO . Where there downsides, yes blood so thick you could die in your sleep a ban from the sport or criminal conviction if found in France. It didn’t deter professional cyclists and if you look at the records most of the names have been struck because of drug use.  Tyler Hamilton was a trusted lieutenant of Lance Armstrong at his peak and in this book he takes you behind the scenes as the USPostal team comes to dominate the Tour de France. The ways in which they used drugs and how they beat the system of drug tests and scrutiny.  A re...

It’s my second rest day and I woke up early and got down to study straight away. I’m currently on unit 4 having passed the first 3. Unit 4 is a significant milestone as it’s half way through the course.  I worked through the morning and had break for breakfast and for lunch. I managed to get through half of unit 4 today.  After lunch I needed some fresh air so went for a long walk in the rain, it was up Rowley path and around the lake in Black park before coming home. Only two balls today, I guess the poor weather is keeping the golfers away. I don’t blame them as all the fields and footpaths are flooded and without boots it’s hard going.  I managed to get just over 9 miles and felt better for it, tomorrow it’s indoors and the gym.  It’s been a nice day.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

    At the beginning of January Netflix dropped a new murder mystery. A young woman is found murdered in the forest and over the next six episodes it unravels the story.  It’s a little bit of a slow burner as the story builds. Which is probably best suited to a slow Sunday afternoon binge. The cast is good Jon Bernthal plays the county sheriff who’s the lead on the case and his a vested interest in its progress. Tessa Thompson his costar delivers a great performance too she is trying to pull everything together.  I have to say I really enjoyed how the film was directed, the use of light and how the frames were shot the angles, it was very good and I hope my photography can reach that level !  It’s a good mini series that’s worth a look, after watching Dopesick with its multi layered story line this was a bit pedestrian.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  It’s to the gym today and they’ve actually repaired some of the faulty gym equipment so I could do a full leg workout.  I listened to the overlap because they had Paul Merson on and he’s a character. Starting with cross trainer it was intervals on level 14 and it felt good. It was 1.62km and 30 mins.  Hack squats to start and my usual 57kg to start then up to 67kg it felt ok.  Leg extensions starting at 42kg it felt light so worked up to 65kg maybe it’s the new cables.  In for leg press and starting with 50kg and up to 80kg it felt good I could probably go higher next week.  Leg curls to finish and again starting 42kg and up to 65kg again.  It was a nice session, I’m glad the machines are fixed. Let’s hope they stay that way.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  Since the early 2000’s the united states has found its self in the midst of an opioide crisis. Crime levels had reached unprecedented levels and big pharma was recording billions of dollars in profit.  Dopesick looks at the origins of that crisis, from the incentivized sales team who are primed to aggressivly push doctors to prescribe it to patients for minor to major health conditions, opiodes where the answer.  Only when there were large amounts of addics who would go to any length to get their hit did the problem really come to the fore.  Now I have to confess I'm not a big Michael Keaton fan, I watched Birdman in the cinema and walked out. But in this he's actually ok.  It's a fascinating look at big pharma and how it's had an effect on society at large. Its also a lesson that was learned the hard way. Have fun stay safe 👍