CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Rp0thejester]

At what point are people going to say 'No, your not a child'? Or is Mick secretly playing the 'He's on day release' card....

[Stickyfinger]

Cheers for your and Micks help Jim

A great day yesterday

Mick and I took a trip to the West Country to deal with a clutchless AX and an Activa with an urge to shimmy...

The AX had a broken clutch cable... Prima-facie it looks a horrid job almost as bad as a Xantia 1.9TD clutch clip

The old cable had a split outer sheath which allowed water in and over time the inevitable happened.

Happily, if the front seat is taken out (easy) and you are small and lithe like me, have a special long hook and an able assistant, it's an absolute piece of cake...

We also discovered the Series 1 and 2 AX have a slightly different cable but they are interchangeable...

The owner of the AX reports the clutch is now a lot lighter...

The Activa was found to have a well below-par Accumulator sphere (20 bars down) and an Activa accumulator getting on for soon needing replacement. An accumulator was on hand and was swapped.

The particular Activa V6 in question is such a pleasure to work on, nothing tight and no corrosion anywhere

On our way home we stopped for a bite to eat...

A very nice place and I ordered from my usual choice of menu...



It was great to do a bit of spannering and spend a day with the owner of the above cars

[CitroJim]

Last week I achieved part 1 of my parkrun dream by timekeeping at a big, premier event. Today I achieved part 2. Run Directing at the same event

It was seriously big and busy as one of our local running legends, the chairman of Redway Runners - one of the biggest and most famous running clubs in the UK, ran his 500th parkrun and ran his first at the very first Milton Keynes event.

So all very special and significant. 782 runners joined the fun... For a parkrun that is a seriously big number...

So no pressure then and no margin for error whatsoever...

Here I am addressing the gathered crowd at the briefing just before the start... It's dangerous to put a microphone in my hand and have a big PA system around me! I was just two minutes late starting the runners off, which is good for me!

Happily, all went absolutely perfectly and we all enjoyed it immensely

What next in my parkrun journey I wonder? It'll take something very amazing to top what I've just done

[Rp0thejester]

Firstly, if that's you on the Mic in the picture shave it off!! Secondly, was the Parkrun for over 50s only?.....Only joking...Over 49s only.....

[bobins]

If you look at the picture, they all look like they're rubbing their hands desperately trying to stay warm on a freezing morning whilst some bloke who's nice and snug with plenty of layers on does a karaoke routine

[CitroJim]

If you look at the picture, they all look like they're rubbing their hands desperately trying to stay warm on a freezing morning whilst some bloke who's nice and snug with plenty of layers on does a karaoke routine

They're all cheering and clapping Robin Shame nobody video'ed it... Or maybe that was a good job!

Ryan, parkrun is for all ages from 4 to 400. We had a few runners in their 80s yesterday and a few under 11... Today at parkrun they were all under 14

Volunteers tend to be a little older although many at the moment are youngsters doing their Duke of Edinburgh volunteer bit. They are most welcome and encouraged. They do a great job too... People may despair at our younger generations today but the ones I see at parkrun and at running and cycling events give me confidence our futures are in safe hands

[Rp0thejester]

Unfortunately the Duke of Edinburgh award is unknown in schools at least it wasn't when I was at school. I did here about it at the Air Cadets. It's a shame that it took the Cadets to introduce it to me....

[CitroJim]

D of E has been around for ever Ryan... I remember it from when I was a youngster as it started in 1956 so is a little older than me.

Here's all about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Duke_ ... %27s_Award

[myglaren]

Was certainly a thing when I was at school, a little prior to Jim.
I'll have to as my kids if they were aware of it. Youngest is forty. Perhaps the grandkids too, youngest is 17.

[Stickyfinger]

Did my DoE Bronze, Silver at my Scottish boarding School, my English school did not do it and was never a fan of the Scouts so it ended there (and I had discovered Girls & Armadillo Sherry by then )

[CitroJim]

Well done Alasdair I never did and never got involved with Scouts either... Too busy fixing radios and tellies and chasing girls...

Plus our Scoutmaster was a bit 'suspect'...

[MattBLancs]

Cubs = camping and various enjoyable activities, loved it.
Scouts = older kids (14-16?) being instructed in driving one of the leader's old land rover slowly around the perimeter of the field.
Rest of us = endless bloody football. I wasn't prepared to put in several years of unenjoyable football to progress to the very appealing land rover driving level, so knocked it on the head!

[CitroJim]

Rest of us = endless bloody football. I wasn't prepared to put in several years of unenjoyable football to progress to the very appealing land rover driving level, so knocked it on the head!

Yep, with you there Matt, 100%. Endless bloody rugby and football in the winter at our school and bloody cricket in the summer... Hated it all with a determined passion and still have absolutely zero interest in anything involving kicking, throwing, carrying or hitting a ball except a minor interest in golf.

Athletics, especially running, are and were my favoured sports activities and were woefully under-represented at my school. PE teachers seemed to only like ball sports and massively prioritised them at the expense of all else...

And my PE teachers always wondered why me, basically good natured, well behaved and socially well adjusted, made my hatred to and of them very clear and plain. It was very embarrassing for my parents at the school parents evenings, especially as one of the PE teachers was a friend of theirs.

[CitroJim]

I introduced my granddaughter to her first duathlon training session today, now she has a nice new set of wheels

Here she is on the bike (trike) leg...

And the run legs... Complete with modern-day reins that comprise a lead attached to a little backpack. She needs it as she can put in a good little turn of speed and can already walk not far off a mile

Chip off the old block

[myglaren]

She'll be running circles around you in no time Jim.