May already...?

Hello, yep I haven't really been here.  But not for bad reasons, life is good. And full!

My head has either been deep in an essay about Climate Change and how international responses to it cause as much harm as they are trying to alleviate (4000 words), or getting the classic car ready for its first hillclimb.  Oh and learning PR and how to write work press releases, and taking time to workout at the fitness studios which are my third home.

And now its May, and all my essays are in so I only (ONLY!) have revision to do for my exam on June 12th.  I haven't even set out a revision plan yet and do seem to have perfected procrastination. 

We did our first hillclimb of the season last weekend, Alex's very first time.  It's so good having something fun and challenging to do together, which is competitive but also mutually supportive when we achieve another 10th of a second off our time!  

I had to have my photo taken with the British Women Racing Drivers' Club sticker and the badge on my suit, in order to claim points towards their championship, so here it is for your amusement.  Mad hair day :)

This evening I did my first sailing club safety boat duty, and tractor driving (to launch/recover the boats) for three years.  I'd forgotten how much of an upper body workout you get with the tractor, it's 1964 and wouldn't know what power steering was if you mentioned it! 

It was a beautiful, if chilly, evening out on the river and it was good to get out and think about something else.

AWOL but still here in spirit!

Where have I been?  nowhere, just feeling uninspired to discuss any burning issues... I've also been distracted by going to the fitness studio regularly, and preparing the Imp for my first speed hill climb which is this Saturday (that's motorsport, not hill-walking).

Re the fitness studio, I have been working hard and have managed to shift quite a few centimetres; at the  moment I am going 3-4 times a week usually straight from work, for 30-60 minutes.  It's been great over the summer and I've had quite a few classes alone ie. personal training, while everyone else was taking summer holidays!   It's going to become more of a time-management challenge in a couple of weeks' time when my new package of Open University materials arrive for the new year and I have to fit that in as well....

Talking of which, I have not posted since I got my results for this year, a Grade 1 pass Distinction which I was (of course) over the moon with. I'm feeling all fired up for next year which is Crime and Justice and will be pulling out all the stops!  I'm halfway through my degree now and just starting level 3 so it's going to get a bit harder.

As for the hill climb, I think I'm ready, the Imp is as ready as it's going to be thanks to my untiring mechanic Mr H (yes I have helped him with some stuff as well).  The forecast is dry which is a relief for my first event, since rain makes it a completely different kettle of fish.

I'm hoping that once my studying starts again I will have fingers itching to share my opinions, thoughts and discussions with you... it will be making the time to post that will be the issue!

J.

What's around the corner?

We went to watch a hillclimb in Devon again on Sunday, at the venue where I will drive for the first time at the beginning of September.

Mr H and I got a ride up the course in the back of someone's car (not at competitve speeds!) and it was so interesting to see how different the road looks from a driver's eye view, as we'd only seen it from a spectator viewpoint.

I think that psychologically my barrier is going to be remembering that there will NOT be a car / person / animal around those blind bends.   In normal driving, one never goes on a road where there is no risk of something lurking out of sight - even a seemingly deserted lane holds that inherent risk. On a main road there could be a bicycle or pedestrian, or a vehicle stopped or broken down (with no red flag waving as a warning to stop).  After the crash of course my psyche is constantly on the lookout.

So I will need to over-ride my natural caution. Maybe having to concentrate on taking the right line and getting the gear changes smooth and in the appropriate place will help?

Here is a lovely picture of our Imp (the car I will be hillclimbing) outside a motor museum in Dorset - "Regular or Super, Sir?"