Morning run: 8°, 10:04, legs heavy, knees stiff. We prayed Lauds with Fr Yaro Walker: Margaret set to work on a column that will appear in tomorrow’s ABC website while I read more Newman. It’s Nate… | Continue reading
You wouldn’t have guessed by the way the day turned out, but this morning started at a nippy 3°, making the air less breathable (well, equally breathable, I suppose, but less agreeable to the lung)… | Continue reading
Rainy morning, so the decent temperature of 11° soaked into a chillier feeling. Warm-ups just barely limbered up my limbs, and ‘getting out of the drizzle’ didn’t provide enough motivation to speed… | Continue reading
For a long time I had been putting off the purchase of a Bluetooth speaker, even though one would be very handy in this wireless world. I might sit in the garden, or the dining room, or even go ups… | Continue reading
I didn’t think to write during the day, so a quick overview. Ran my mile in 6°, no breeze, 10:14. Participated in Mass from St Benet’s, Kentish Town. Worked on the Easter Sermon that I (perhaps ill… | Continue reading
Chilly morning again, but my legs were more limber. No breeze, 3°, and a mile in 9:59. We’re having a simulated Saturday breakfast instead of going to our usual brunch at Queen’s Lane. Though… | Continue reading
Morning continues less chilly, 6° with no noticeable wind. My legs were reluctant — again, the lifty-uppy bits that connect the thigh to the torso voted firmly against anything but the most cursory… | Continue reading
The estimable Revd Dr Canon Alasdair Coles (there should be an ecclesiastical office that confers that ‘estimable’ honorific; perhaps for parish clergy with earned academic doctorates or summat) of… | Continue reading
Not so cold this morning — 5°, light wind — and although I was generally limber, I felt some resistance from the lifter-upper muscles in my thighs. The morning run was 10:05. I had some tidying up … | Continue reading
Just to perpetuate the unfunny joke, the temperature descended to 0° this morning (-1° when I woke up). The air was still, so the cold didn’t bite the way it has other mornings. I warmed up effecti… | Continue reading
Woke up at 5:30, got ready for my morning run, warmed up. This morning it was 3° but without a breeze, so if felt much more reasonable (the BBC Weather app said that it felt like 0°, but I’m sure i… | Continue reading
Still arctic in the morning: 1°, with harsh breezes, felt like -2° according to the BBC. My limbs were in rebellion for all the warm-up; it felt as though I had never run before in my life (‘What a… | Continue reading
Somehow I got into the habit of writing these entries retrospective to the day after things actually happened, so beginning now I’ll write about the actual, you know, day advertised in the title of… | Continue reading
A mostly calm, pleasant day. I worked on my reading patience, puttered about the internet, cleaned up some pens that had been waiting for my attention since term time, and Margaret took a long afte… | Continue reading
Yesterday went satisfactorily. I had college admin work to do, a staff meeting (by Zoom) and various follow-up errands. I didn’t have much time for reading — those FB and Twitter threads abou… | Continue reading
A fine day, with Margaret availing herself of her exercise day by taking a promenade to South Park, where she encountered (but did not come within safe distance of) a dear friend. I continued worki… | Continue reading
One has no hesitation in correcting somebody whose age (a child), or station (such as a student), or lack of pretence to expertise render them entirely dependent on more learned interlocutors for s… | Continue reading
How strange it is, I wish I could describe it, to stand in a house which was so much to me, as that house was, and it so different, and I so different! Whatever good there is in me, I owe, under gr… | Continue reading
Yesterday went somewhat more gently for us. Margaret is working on a jigsaw puzzle on loan from our neighbours, I sent off the EBR entry-ette, I worked on cultivating my capacity to read for longer… | Continue reading
Yesterday was a cabin-feverish (not COVID-feverish, thank heaven) sort of day. I tried to get some practice long-reading, but that didn’t go anywhere; Margaret got some writing done, but we w… | Continue reading
The Prime Minister has looked at our practice and has decided that the whole nation would benefit from emulating us. From now on, all Britain will be confined to quarters (as it were) except for on… | Continue reading
Yesterday went largely as one might have expected. In the afternoon, Josiah and Thomas checked in. We read, wrote, watched a film (Timescape a time-travel film with an interesting twist, but Jeff D… | Continue reading
It is cold. I know, I can’t blame the coronavirus for that, but honestly, it’s 21 March in England and the temperature this morning was 1°. Spring officially arrived Friday. We would not be asking … | Continue reading
After some to-ing and fro-ing, we’re going full-on self-isolation. Margaret has a cough that’s probably just her seasonal allergies or a cold (cough isn’t as dry and persistent as COVID cough is su… | Continue reading
In home all day except for my morning run and an afternoon walk with Margaret. I cleared some email obligations, did some administrative odds and ends, and tried to ease myself into reading mode (a… | Continue reading
Yesterday, Margaret and I eased into the recommended isolation by working from home, taking care of a couple of errands (groceries and the wine shop), and by Margaret’s visiting a non-quarantined f… | Continue reading
This morning begins my participation in Corona World. Margaret and I will be based at home for the indefinite future, venturing out for necessities but primarily keeping to ourselves. I’ll still ru… | Continue reading
I should have anticipated change in the administrative arrangements here at the University, but I had thought that once the undergraduates were gone, our theological students would trudge along for… | Continue reading
Frosty morning, my knees felt a bit twinge-y and wobbly at the beginning, 1°, 10:15 on the shorter course. | Continue reading
Not trying to run hard today for the first half mile; 11°, breezy, 10:48. | Continue reading
By all means think positive, hopeful thoughts, and certainly do whatever you can to minimise the effects of this plague; console, comfort, and treat anyone who’s been infected or is at risk. But it… | Continue reading
7°, slightly shorter course, no particular feelings of tightness or limberness, particular shortness of breath, or anything else — just another mile, 10:10. | Continue reading
I remain mystified at the range of difference in my experiences of running when I run the same mile every day. Why isn’t the experience more consistent? Of course, I’d love it if I were faster and … | Continue reading
It’s a bit odd, waiting for the seemingly inevitable announcement that Oxford is closing, that we all are to self-isolate, that there will be no library access for the foreseeable future (yup, that… | Continue reading
10°, gusty breezes, still only 10:33. | Continue reading
I love the picture of Thomas Aquinas that emerges in the recent post from the New Liturgical Movement website (I know, RC traditionalists, yet important for me to keep an eye on for developments th… | Continue reading
I felt better this morning — it was 5°, clear, and my limbs were loose and mostly strong (I had some early twinges in my knees, but they faded quickly), and the same 9:59 as yesterday (short course… | Continue reading
Stiff, cold, 6°, but a surprising 9:59 on the short course. | Continue reading
3°, but muscles still tight. 10:21. | Continue reading
Both yesterday and this morning, temperature around 0°, muscles stiff and tight, and times of 10:40 and 10:31. | Continue reading
I felt as though I was tight, not really opening up or stretching at all, and the air was crisp-cold and my breathing was laboured, but the timer says 10:05 (though is is approximate due to some wr… | Continue reading
After making much of my week’s daily runs, I missed the last three days due to (a) a short holiday in Wells and (b) pure rubbish weather plus a late-ish sleep yesterday morning. This morning, on fo… | Continue reading
About four years ago (?), I began skipping rope in the mornings. At first, I just went through the motions — simply turning the rope over my head and jumping once or twice exhausted me. I skipped r… | Continue reading
4 degrees, legs a bit tight, 10:31. | Continue reading
I’m going to the GP this morning after Morning Prayer for a look into my ear, which has been popping ever since the holidays. I flew with a head cold, and the ascent out of Indianapolis caused me a… | Continue reading
Heavier, more blustery winds than I’ve experienced on the ‘official’ storm days. Consistent light rain, 11°, 10:17. | Continue reading
I took some extra time limbering up this morning, which paid off. I felt much more loose-limbed than I did yesterday morning. The temperature is all right, about 11°, but the winds are strong and g… | Continue reading