Togged out for Thirteen

Today hasn't been all that bad. I've minimized time spent surfing the net, and playing computer games. I've also managed to force myself to prepare stuff for the next few days ahead.

I had a different Wednesday schedule today at work, and got back earlier. On the way I stopped off at Matalan and got a thermal top for running. Matalan's proving to be my store of choice - they sell reasonably good stuff at cheap prices, and if you aren't bothered about brands, it's good value for money. The only thing that annoys me is that you are always asked for a "Matalan card" when you make purchases, and the staff make it sound like you can't pay for what you buy without such a card. What exactly does a Matalan card entitle you to? If you want to exchange an item you bought, the store has it on record that you bought the item. It serves the same as a paper receipt, which you also get, and which can also be used for that purpose. There are no membership points or discounts with a Matalan card. It is one of the most blatant forms of data collection I have ever seen, and I always shop without one because I know the staff can sign you in as a "Guest" if you don't have such a card. Increasingly, though, they are forcing people to quote their surname and postcode before payment without a card, and they try to extract your details off a computer. Today that happened and my details were not on the system, despite me using one of these cards ages ago. Anyway, it's sad, because Matalan's a good store, but I am getting put off by this aggressive data collection with the card.

I took my cheap thermal (£6 - approx US$10) for a run today, deliberately going later on in the day when it was cold, and I am pleased to say it served me well. There was a lady running in the opposite direction to me, and almost exactly at my pace (i.e. she was a bit faster) so we lapped each other a couple of times at the same half-lap markers, before she probably decided I was too slow and jetted off. I think I must have run at 85-90% MHR for almost twenty minutes. I did four laps of the park in about 19 minutes, which I think might have put me on course to beat a 5K PB if I wanted to, but I think I'll save it for another time. Nutrition today hasn't been exactly ideal.

That's thirteen done, and I look forward to the next one on Saturday.

Wednesdays
Work: Six straight intense hours, ten minutes break
Afternoons and evenings should be spent:
Clearing next week's piano music
Shopping
Housework
Running, or freeing up time for one on Thursday
Preparing EFL