Back to spin

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last had a spin class, so my enthusiasm levels were fairly low yesterday. Bad weather had caused a couple of cancellations and a little end of term rest mean that this week, as I dragged myself to the rooftop pool, I was filled with dread and a desperate wish that I was actually on my way home to drink tea and continue working my way to the end of the Game of Thrones series 3 (I’m under quite considerable pressure to “hurry the hell up” so that we can get cracking on the new fourth series).

            Fortunately, once I had got over the fact that I was just going to have to man up and join in, I had a great time as always, and left really feeling the impact of the weeks of rest.

            This morning I continued the good behaviour with another early morning swim in the pool before work. However, as I turned at the end of the 49^th length, preparing to hit 50 and head in for a shower, something horrible happened, that led to me ending my swim half-hyperventilating, panicking and squealing to the end of the final length.

            A bird, a big, ugly blackbird fell heavily into the water where my outstretched arm had just been. It was dead. It was dead, and lifeless and directly next to me. I don’t have a problem with birds, in fact I’m fairly fearless of most animals (other than mice), but dead things terrify me to my core. They always have. Anything dead and very recognisable as an animal, whether it’s squashed on the road, an upturned seagull on the beach or a fluffy bunny being prepared for a meal (it has to be complete with head, feet, eyes and fur to have the full negative impact) makes me feel utterly vile and cold on the inside, and sends me shuddering in the opposite direction as fast as it’s physically possible.

            I’m now dreading a return to the pool. I’m going to have to walk past on my back to the flat this evening to make sure it’s gone and not hiding under the water anywhere, otherwise I’ll have to email the building and request its removal

            Ergh, that was far from the ideal start to my day!