Hay has decided to engage in the Couch to 5k scheme, whereby you gradually ramp up a bit of running to the stage where you can do 5 kloms. She's managed to do it in just over a week, but she's built like a whippet to start with and will, I'm sure, exceed the 5k many times over in the next few months. In fact, I'd lay bets on her doing a marathon at some stage next year.
However, that said, she has developed something called runner's knee, which may not bode well, and has booked a physio session to ensure it's not systemic. She's probably just overdone it a bit.
Being slightly competitive, and despite asthma and COPD, I though I'd give it a go in a very specific and limited way (as they say in political circles these days), especially after one of our AirBnB guests said he'd lost 5 stone simply by taking up running and not changing any other aspect of his life.
I can't run for toffee and detest running at the best of times as my lungs simply can't cope with the demand; however, last Tuesday I managed 1 mile with a rest half way, and on Thursday I managed 2 miles with a rest half way. That was repeated Sunday morning and I repeated it again this morning - it's becoming easier with each outing and I now find myself almost looking forward to a run.
It's having a benefit in other areas - I have had a knee problem for about a month, which I attributed to either age or an injured ligament (although I have no idea how I might have injured it), but it has disappeared completely.
I'm trying to eventually aim to manage 2 miles without a rest and doing that 3 or 4 times a week. Along with my press-ups and arm weights, that should suffice to keep me alive a bit longer than my dad, who died at the relatively tender age of 86, although it was cancer that took him away. If I can squeeze another 30 years out of this body and make it to 96, I'll be more than pleased. The speed at which bio-science is progressing means that by then I may be able to buy myself a totally new body, if I start saving now.
Just some quick asides on the p-bike.
Firstly, I suspect the heavy clutch may possibly be due to the cable run to the clutch lever not being straight enough - there's a rather severe bend, which I will try to eliminate. I'll also over-lubricate the sheath. I believe it is possible to adjust the clutch spring, but a lot can go wrong. In any case, I've ordered a pack of 5 new sets of clutch and throttle cables - cost £18.
Secondly, I'm not really happy with the chain tensioner and have ordered a spring-loaded tensioner that fits over the clutch actuator plate - cost = £12.
Thirdly, I'm having dangerous thoughts about electrifying either a Johnny Loco cruiser, or a tandem...
The Johnny Loco (above) is quite a rare bike - only 200 were made - and very expensive, but it looks cool and robust. I'm keeping my eye out for one at the right price and in the right place. The fact it has only one gear makes it a simple bike to work on and gears are relatively immaterial to a P-bike or E-bike anyway. However, ideally I'd want a beach cruiser with disc brakes, although it would appear beach cruisers have only one gear as standard.
Stop Press: I've found a Johnny Loco look-alike (Huffy Cruiser) about an hour away in Shaftesbury, which I hope to collect sometime this week.
It's being sold through a mental health charity, so the proceeds are going to a good cause. No disk brakes, but eminently suited to a 250W, road legal conversion for Hay.
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