Over the past few week’s in the mountains I’ve been leaning French from the television, my current favourite phrase comes from combining what the commentators say every time a French player gets knocked out of Roland Garros and what the girl on the meto says every afternoon about the weather in the mountains.

There are also signs in the forest where we have been running that say  “Prudence Loups” apparently that means “Caution Wolves” I haven’t seen any yet and to be honest a loup doesn’t sound as scary as an orage, I bet if a  loup and an Orage had a fight the Loup would win hands down, or should that be paws?    

It’s not the real world up here but I like it.

Just before I left the U.K I was talking to my 10 year old Niece and her best friend, The best friend thought I was hilarious, “so when my dad goes to work in the morning what do you” a little hurt at how funny a 10 year old girl considered me to be  I searched desperately for a response that might make me sound cool and interesting, but my niece got in there first, “well he goes swimming before we get up then eats then goes back to bed then he eats then he goes riding his bike then he eats again then sleeps then goes running then he eats  then he goes back to bed and then goes swimming again.  “Your stupid” said my niece’s friend and they both broke into a fit of giggles.

I find it funny as well sometimes; being a triathlete isn’t being part of the real world, especially up in the mountains. You don’t see the rush hour up here; you don’t see people in suits and school uniforms desperately racing to get to the next part of their real world lives on time. It’s just train and sleep. I’m 25 years old, my mates are sat in offices in London discussing the credit crunch, pay bonuses and how they are going to use the last few days of holiday they’ve got carried over. I’m sat in the mountains its two in the afternoon and I’ve swum ridden and been back to bed already today. I’m writing about who would win in a hypothetical fight between a wolf and a French storm. It’s not the real world, but I like it.  

Back to the U.K on Friday and then off to Windsor. If the mountains have worked there will be a post Sunday night, if they haven’t expect some feeble excuse sometime in the middle of next week.

p.s. For those of you who need a manadou update I said “bonjour” she said bonjour back (as did her boyfriend who isn’t allowed to be more than 5m away from her at anytime) I couldn’t form a coherent sentence in English or French as a reply. So she walked off and now she’s left the mountains… I believe the French expression is  Ce’st la vie” or even, Il ya beacoup de poisson dan le mer” besides the girl in the supermarket up here has got really pretty eyes.