The world is my gym

Lough Ouler, close-by hidden gem #swim #hike #run #cycle #love

They want to purchase more gym equipment. I cannot deny that exercise is good for you especially if your occupation is otherwise sedentary as is so often the case now-a-days, so I'm not exactly against such purchases. But I may have mentioned once or twice that I find and enjoy my exercise principally in jogging or hiking barefoot or cycling. They want to buy another rowing machine, but we have a lake half a mile down the road and it was only a few months back we got rid of a dinghy because no-one could see a use for it. They want another cycling machine, but I have two bicycles and there are others here, and cyclists come to this area from all around because of its beauty and its relatively quiet roads. We have mountains to climb, forests to explore, a lake-side which is often walk-able, smaller mountain lakes that you can swim in, all within walking distance. They want to buy another bar and weights, but we have many outdoor activities that require arm muscles like stacking logs, digging, mucking out.

With all this so close how could anyone want to spend good money on, or use, imitation exercise machines cooped up in a small room, except possibly in the dead of winter and in the unlikely event of a snow storm?

Instrument of torture

Tonelagee

Yesterday I joined The Others driving to the Wicklow Gap (471m) and climbing Tonelagee (817m), not barefoot because the previous Sunday I had dinged my big toe and and was thus being nice to it. The Others descended to Lough Ouler where two of them swam (the others had rather lame excuses), whilst I retraced my steps so that I could drive to meet them someplace beyond Lough Ouler, this arrangement to avoid The Others having to climb Tonelagee again on the way back.

Their route in nred

I duly parked along the Military Road and, whilst waiting, walked down to the stream that feeds the Glenmacnass waterfall and found my own place to swim.

This morning I woke as usual for this time of the year just before 06:00, enjoyed a lay-in for an hour (it being Sunday), then went for a run along the lakeside, having first bandaged my toe with red insulation tape. There is rarely any sign of All The People here at such hours, thankfully - because I like to be on my own at least some of the time. Although it was drizzling and a tad chilly the water was gloriously warm in comparison.

Now back, a hot shower and, afterwards, a mug of hot tea and a freshly baked blueberry muffin donated by my wonderful daughter in law!