Karma

What a fantastic Sunday!

I hadn't been mountain biking since, oooh, 1998 so I was pretty excited by the prospect of getting on a fat-tyred velocipede and thrashing my way around the purpose-built trails of Glen Tress. I was a bit worried that I'd be quite rusty, but as soon as I got on the bike I realised that it's one of those things you don't forget. Just like... oh you know the proverb. (See how I insert a bad pun there without actually saying it - sometimes I marvel at my own subtlety).

So about half an hour later I find myself pumping uphill with my legs apparently full of liquid mercury and a heart rate faster than a hummingbird's. Who's stupid idea was this anyway? Er, mine I think. Maybe I was drunk or something. Surely I'd remembered mountain biking to be actual fun, but this was just torture.

Just as I was convinced that the last of my bodily moisture was about to be sweat away, I turned the corner onto a narrow track and then zwooosh. All the previous torture was forgotten as I plummeted down the twisty singletrack, every neuron and muscle working together to avoid each rock, lean into each berm and negotiate each drop-off. There isnt even time to be scared by the amount of skin you might lose if it all goes wrong as you hurtle through the trees. And then before you know it you're spat out the other side, utterly desperate for another adrenaline fix (which requires more leg-destroying uphills).

It's a bit lile sledging, only you can still feel your toes afterwards and it isn't cheating to use your brakes. Apparently I look like a grin on a bike when I'm riding.

To top the rest of the day off a whole bunch of us climbed up onto the roof of our flat last night to watch the Edinburgh Festival Fireworks. It was one of those dreich nights that gives the sky a malicious atmosphere so the firework display looked like tropical storm over the city. Even in the sopping drizzle you couldn't fail to be mystified.

I am however, beginning to think that the Buddhists have a point with that Karma stuff though because in contrast today has just been shite.