Another day on the treadmill...

Inverness is a fab city. It's my place of birth which in itself will make it memorable in future in the same way that if you're born in Linlithgow you will know it was the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots. This is a fact I've known for a while but was once more reminded of this morning on a visit to meet West Lothian's very helpful Planning Department.

It been a day in the car and in meetings. Except I managed to get to the gym for an hour this evening. When I say the gym I exaggerate, I mean the few bits and pieces scattered around the small, sweaty room that was titled the gym in the hotel in which I reside.

I'm not entirely certain of the hoteliers code for meaning but my initail abode tonight was a windowless room with all the character of Cell Block H. On mentioning this to the reception I was initially advised it was the only room in the hotel available, on offering to sleep in the lounge I managed to get a room with a view. View might be a generous description but anything with a window, daylight and that could be seen out of passed in my opinion.

So to the gym.

I was looking forward to a good session. The Bigman is fitter and stronger than me. Not a point to look on me with pity but a challenge to aspire to the same level. He'll wait for me in any event but I really don't want him to have to wait too long! So it was down to the gym knowing he was in with the lawyers. Not sure who burned more calories but at least I had fun doing it!

The gym was soul-less, soul-less in an Ian Rankin sort of Rebus murder mystery sort of way. It had a few machines but in a process of trial and error it proved fewer machines were working properly than in a Morris Marina factory mid seventies. Eventually I worked out with a Sherlock Holmes efficiency that only the running machine really worked.

So after a few weights while watching someone else on the only really working bit of kit I stumbled onto the running machine. Would my knee hold up? Would I crumble? Would I fall?

Nope I ran. I ran well. I set off at a steady 7.5mph and then built up to 9.0mph intervals. It was a fab session and I only feel sorry for the 2 girls I held the door open for after I'd finished the session. It had the humindity of a Burmese jungle by the time I'd finished but I was happy.

I met a great friend for dinner in Inverness tonight which was fab and I feel ready to tackle the meetings that lie ahead.

Gym session at home tomorrow - can't wait - it's a drug.....