Health and Comfort
Entry posted by caldrail
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I had thought that today I would venture out into the wilderness yet again, pack on back, braving life and limb in the Rainforests of Darkest Wiltshire. If you intend a journey out of doors it's always wise to consult the weather reports and make an informed decision on whether the trip is worth the trouble. I know that sounds extrene - it is only the grassy downlands of North Wiltshire and that's fairly local to where I live - but all the same it's suprising how harsh conditions can get up there and I'd rather not get caught out.
As it happens, my plans were dashed by a weatherman who clearly knew I what I was up to. He smiled joyfully as he warned of the huge band of rain due to cross England today. Light rain or showers I can cope with well enough, but having to trudge miles through heavy rain? Discretion is the better part of valour.
Now some of you might be saying "Not exactly Sir Ranulph Fiennes is he?"
No, I'm not. Neither are you in all likeliehood. There again, people like that are driven to push the boundaries of human endurance and so forth, whereas I go hiking for fun, fresh air, and what remains of my personal fitness. Thing is though, whereas the risk and significance of my wanderings are so much less than famous polar explorers, in a sense I am doing it for the same reasons. I do want to push my physical limits (a little bit anyway) and I do want to come home believing I've traversed the wilderness, such as is available in modern Britain on my doorstep.
What I don't want to do though is overtly risk my health and safety to the same degree, and that's really what marks out the difference. Life is all about risk isn't it? Do you drive a pillow-protected city car on regulated roads at legal speeds or a full on grand prix car with a carbon fibre crash cell and only a plastic helmet to ward off debris on the track as you steam forward at nearly two hundred miles an hour? Do you go home tonight to faithful Muriel and the kids, or try it on with that blonde secretary in a mad hormone driven rush to obey basic instincts?
Ultimately it's your own choice of course. Each of us has a personal limit to the amount of risk we accept into our lives, and often that goes hand in hand with your confidence. Truth be told, going onto the downs during a downpour isn't really that risky (I did go up there once during a blizzard - Fiennes fans please note), but ye gods what a miserable way to spend the day. In any case, I have another health reason not to disappear into the wilderness today...
Heathy Eating of the Week
I blame tv adverts. No, I do. They keep on showing happy smiling people enjoying life to the full and looking so healthy you grit your teeth at the sight of it. So passing the cereal shelf at the supermarket I stopped at the boxes marked "Fibrewheat Brownflakes"
Shall I? Shan't I? Oh what the heck, lets do my health a favour... Sixty nine pence for a box of cereal can't be bad...
In the early hours of this morning, I discovered how healthy my bowels had become. Three times I've made a desperate dash for the loo and... Oh no... not again! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to log off now....
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