Billtalstadion

This summer is expected to match last summer, in terms of heat. This is sadly a reminder of the global warming that we are experiencing. This past week was pretty eventful. On Wednesday I received a visit from my father and brother, Jim & Jimmy. After they had arrived we went on a mission with a rental car. 3 months ago, I smashed my tv screen with a basketball during a balance exercise. It was still usable because the speakers still worked and I had learned how to navigate blindly to the Youtube app in order to get my music going to accompany me on the Gehbarren, and since Claire and I don't watch that much TV, it wasn't that urgent to replace. Since Jimmy and Da were going to be here with a rental car, why not use that opportunity? They would leave on the Friday so I figured why not utilise the car as much as possible? So then I thought, since the weather was reasonably nice, why not make our way to the Billtalstadion, which is the local football (soccer) pitch and running track. Claire and I used to use the running track for interval training when we needed to train for something, and we had recently been using it to attempt to walk laps with my cane. Now I had my dad and brother to drive me to the running track and see that I wouldn't come to any harm while I attempted to set some records. I noticed on Strava that my first attempt at 400m on their track took 01:45, but I had recently got that down to under an hour.











We managed two sessions, one each, on Thursday & Friday, wherein I broke, then re-broke my record as follows:

https://www.strava.com/activities/2467739042
https://www.strava.com/activities/2474799827

Not only did I break my speed record. Previously, I had been taking three breaks (I'd stop my watch) to get around. I had taken that down to firstly two and then one single, solitary break. As you can see I'm back on Strava, feel free to follow me, and give me kudos where appropriate.





On Friday, Pops and Jimmy left after a very productive and fun few days with pleasant summer weather. On Saturday, it was time for a visit from my good friend Cathal McCoy of First Dates Ireland fame, expect a guest article from him later this week. On Sunday, Cathal, Claire and I (with trike) took a chance that the Billtalstadion would remain open on the lord's day and thankfully we weren't disappointed. Although my GPS line suggests I had actually walked 600 metres, officially my current 400 meter record remains at 45:34. Next Saturday, I can make my way to Aschaffenburg, hopeful of being in a position, after 2 weeks of intensive walking therapy, to knock some time, and even that remaining break, off the lap.











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