Thu - Woke up at 4am, thinking what had I forgotten to pack? Nothing. But got up and checked in online. Went to Ritz gym before work for 1 hour cycling on a spin bike, worked up a good sweat and left feeling energised. Soon brought back to earth with filling in budgets at work. Blues show/buffet at Dilly tonight, then off to airport around 11:30.
Wed - Felt exhausted, must have been having to be sociable with my guests. Normal work day and in evening checked I had packed.
Tue - 20 mins swim. Took Pascale to lunch at Coco's then the famous Tree of Life and No 1 Oil Well experience. Then off to drop off at airport, and dash back to catch choir. Decided that I won't be able to perform in the concert due to not attending enough rehearsals.
Mon - Picked up Pascale and friend from airport in morning. Spin booked up so did solitary cycle at Ritz gym for an hour after work dinner with them at Trader Vics. We started outside, then it thundered and lightening and rained so we went inside. Very pleasant evening.
Sun - 6:30 at parking after bridge 1 on the Durrat highway to meet up with J, I and M from work. We then cycled to the coast to Al Dar to the end of the jetty, down to Durrat for a food stop at the Alosra there and to sit next to their 'beach' to eat it, then back to car. Wind variable, overcast yet hot. I felt good and powered back. 59km.
In the afternoon went to Saar Cinema to see Iron Man 2 (thats as exciting as it gets on a cloudy blustery day in Bahrain). A load of tosh, but it did keep me awake. The best bit was the trailer for Gladiator 2 aka Robin Hood with Russell Crowe reprising his Maximus role.
Sat - Feeling much better this morning. Up at 6:15 and over to Awali. R. was feeling too well, so we had a 20km recovery cycle round the desert to the Golf Club and a bacon and egg butty. Wind was the same as yesterday, cloudy and threatening rain. Spin/Abs tonight.
Fri - Full of good intentions, I had stated the night before I was going to do 100 miles. So up and out at 5:10. It was cloudy and spotty with rain. Riffa, Alba and down the highway to Durrat. Average speed 28kph due to tail wind. My back had a slow puncture which I pumped up twice but checking at Durrat I heard the valve stem was hissing and had come away from the rubber, so changed tube no probs. Then it got grim cycling back into the strong headwind it was also still cloudy and dusty (so not too hot). I was clearly not going to do 100miles as I was pushing hard with the legs all the time. Pulled into the Golf Club for a bacon butty (usual yummy) and recovery. Started well again down the highway to Zallaq, but that was just being fooled by it being downhill. Hamad Town was head down and push hard into the wind. T 112km in 51/2 hours. Now feeling absolutely knacked.
