26th February

Last week I passed my level four skiing session which means that I can be let loose on the main slope at recreational standard. I don't think that I have really reached that standard and am only just competent and safe, so I intend to indulge in some gentle practice over the coming weeks. I will probably continue to practice skiing on the indoor slope in Castleford for the rest of the year and then in Jan / Feb 09 I will go to the real snow slopes of Europe to do the real thing.

The winter seems a lot colder and longer than last year and I am longing for the warmer temperatures to arrive. Only a few weeks now and I will be able to get my motorbike back on the road and start some new adventures !! Having fitted a new top box to the motorbike I can now travel to Snowdonia or down to Castleford with my walking / skiing gear, then bike back home - the best of both worlds. When Mary is working on Saturday mornings I also intend to bike down to Huddersfield to see Dan, Kim and Dominic.
The cycling has continued throughout the winter with only the occasional days off due to bad weather, or having to go to Leeds. I haven't been as hindered this year as I was last winter by colds and viruses, so in that respect it has been a far better winter. The cycle continues to run well and has kept me fit throughout the colder months. Over recent weeks I have put some mud guards and pedal clips on the bike and today bought some new front and rear lights. I have spent most Saturday mornings over the last few months in the gym, expending most energy on the treadmill and running for up to 55 minutes at a time. Strange that despite all this exercise and not eating a lot more food than has been normal I am still a few pounds over weight. Weight Watchers weigh in this morning was 10st 13lbs. I want to get down to 10st 5lbs over the next few weeks.
We have already booked our ferry to France in June and will take the bicycle with us. We may go to the Jura where there are lots of mountain walks and bike trails, steep and challenging but hopefully attainable. We took our bikes to South Wales last week on our visit to Mum and cycled a couple of miles on the local cycle track down the valley. It was really beautiful and was an encouragement to take the bikes with us on similar journeys more often.

My reading material at present is, as usual, very broad. I have been reading a book by Bill Hybels on personal evangelism entitled "Just walk across the room". An autobiography of Ranulph Fiennnes the explorer, called "Mad, bad and dangerous to know". And finally a book looking at the history and composition of Islamist extremism by Jason Burke, called "Al Qaeda". Although I have studied and taught Islam the latter is a demanding read but one which I feel is necessary to accomplish. Christians need to understand what is going on in the Muslim world at present and have some idea about how they should respond. Perhaps, when my own grasp of the political and religious issues surrounding modern day Islam has improved, I will publish something as a response.