Well would you believe it? When the festive season is in total full swing, you just need extra motivation to force yourself to the gym. In my case I most certainly don’t need an excuse like “it’s the festive season”, but it is a great one right now, so I’m having it. It has also recently been a bit less convenient to use the gym, as they are in the midst of a refurb, and are doing various rooms one at a time so as to keep the place open and going. For the last two weeks the changing rooms have been closed, so you have had to use the swimming pool area to get changed instead – not the greatest hardship in the world, but it has meant that (as the swimming pool is small) there isn’t always a locker. This means you have to change and then go back outside to your car with your bag, in your shorts, when it is -4 outside, which isn’t funny.

Anyway, having been out every night this week (did I tell you that it is the festive season:)), I decided that yesterday, Saturday, I should go. So having battled with the crowds briefly for a few Christmas pressies, I turn up, and the car park is nicely quiet. In fact there are about six cars there, and I smile and think of everyone battling the Christmas hordes, and march in thinking that I will have all of the gym equipment to myself. I even smile and think I can fall off the treadmill again without anyone laughing at me. I get to the reception desk, and the girl there (who seems to know everyone who comes in, apart from me – maybe I should go more often?) tells me that unfortunately the gym is closed for refurbishment until the 4th January. What!! She does tell me that the pool is open, but as I have no swimming stuff that is about as much use to me as a chocolate firegard, and so I turn around and go back home.

So this is terrible, just when I need to go to the gym I can’t! It is only eight weeks to go to Kilimanjaro (62 days to be precise, I just counted), and for slightly more than two of those weeks, I have no gym to go to. Looks like I need to do some proper walking, and so i resolve to walk instead of drive to the pub the very next day – belting plan, it is the festive season after all………