Happy Easter to one and all! May chocolate festing be banned until Christmas and Valentines’ Day and beware of five year olds hoo-haaing on Easter promenades (not mine I swear).
I’m sorry, my children. I did it for you.
If, like me, you have witnessed five million calories’ worth of eggs get wrenched out from under the daffs and plonked gaily in the kitchen waiting to be consumed, you may be feeling distinctly choco-sated right now…and a touch guilty. Especially when it’s the kids’ eggs you’ve gorged upon. Yes, well children should not have too much chocolate or they’ll get fat and their teeth will fall out…(blushes)
Ah well, all is not lost on the training front at least, even if dieting has taken somewhat of a blow again. I continue to get myself physically ready to traverse the desert amidst sandstorms, sweltering temperatures and the like, complete with heavy daypack and sand blisters. What could be better preparation than an Easter Monday promenade with my twin boys?
Training with the little, red devils
Courageously (if I say so myself) putting roller-blades to feet, I decided to do some thigh-busting skating on the river path with my young sons, in the company of a few hundred other families along ze bords de Marne (a delightfully murky French river on the outskirts of Paris).
The boys were on their Fireman Sam bikes complete with ‘cute’ little fireman sirens that can be heard unimaginably well (from Siberia) and it was just lovely with the sun shining! I think everyone knew we were there – I’ll have to check on the other side of the river though; I’m not sure I caught all the collective ‘Mon dieu, c’est quoi ces diables?*’ !!
Blood-free overtaking
Like I said, it was Easter Monday and there were literally hundreds of people aiming to get some solid riverside activity in before the rainy season hits (that is, every weekend until August). Old, young, families, couples, dogs galore and all manner of propelled machines were thus wheeling and dealing and dodging each other on the two-lane cycle track. I’m surprised there weren’t any fatalities. Thank goodness there were understanding people who leapt off the track when I was forced to yell ‘watch out, I have no brakes’. Slightly hair-raising but this was a source of much amusement to my sons.
Well. I won’t say Léon was the direct cause of it but there was an incident a little close for comfort with some blood, a little boy on a scooter (‘zis is a trotinette over ‘ere in Frrrance) and a Very disgruntled woman on a bicycle, who had to peel said little boy off her front wheel. Léon could be found yelling ‘j’ai gagné, j’ai gagné*’ a little further on, that is until I whisked him into a nearby bush.
So, all in all, a successful day. We’re most of us in one piece and ready to attack another week of getting fit and fundraising. Gimme an Easter egg and a chick-flick any time soon…. 
Don’t forget you can sponsor the children in need via my Sahara Trek Challenge with ClicSargent charity by clicking here: every little helps!
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SuzanneChampion
Check out the charity to find out exactly how they help kids diagnosed with cancer: www.clicsargent.org.uk/
(Tr. I’ve won, I’ve won!)
( Tr. My G. what are these devils?)