It’s June, which is evidence that time is in fact a cruel trick. Where has May gone? Not Theresa, I should say, she’s still around for a few days longer, I mean the month.
Regardless, it’s hot. Summer is…here? Always risky saying that in the UK, jackets have to stay within reach at all times. The nice weather is the perfect excuse to head out for a run, lounge in the sun with a good book, or shy away inside, lock yourself up and close the blinds and get the telly on and the Xbox hooked up. Whatever you prefer. Personally, I think it’s nice to mix it up.
So. Sunday, check. Coffee, check. Let’s reflect on the week. What have I been…
Reading?
It’s difficult to keep up with all of these categories, and on a week by week basis there is usually one which slips behind the others a little. This week I’m ashamed to say it’s been my reading. Still, Game of Thrones is on the go and I’ve snuck in a few chapters here and there, but I had intended to have finished the first book by now and, well…
I’ve not.
Listening to?
There is only really one album that has demanded and stolen all of my attention this week and that is Denzel Curry with Zuu. I mean, damn. For me it puts him on top of the pile, current King of the hip-hop castle. The production throughout the project retains a rawness, a sheer blow-your-speakers heft which matches Curry’s energy and lyricism. The feature list is pretty nice too, Kiddo Marv turning up on my current favourite WISH – a throwback anthem giving Curry’s South Florida vibe a West Coast, G Funk twist, and Rick Ross does what he does best on rollicking banger BIRDZ.
On first listen I thought the album dropped off a little on the back end, through opener ZUU to SPEEDBOAT is a relentless, basically perfect run of tracks. After the BUSHY B INTERLUDE it initially seemed like the album lost a little momentum…but actually further listens have made me reconsider my position. CAROLMART feat. Ice Billion Berg, and SHAKE 88 feat. Sam Sneak hit just as hard as some of those opening tracks, with some catchy hooks to boot (I’m so freeeeesh).
So what I’m saying is…
Album of the year?
Watching?
My Inglorious Basterds Classically Lacking has sparked a resurgence in my interest in Tarantino, so Kill Bill (both volumes) received a much-appreciated re-watch and…I love those movies. They are, I think, the most self-indulgent Tarantino projects so far but he creates such a strange, interesting world for his assassins which is so obviously indebted to the movies that he is passionate about, and with that passion so blatantly on show I can’t help but be carried along by his fervour.
I also finally caught the Fyre festival documentary on Netflix, long after the hype has cooled down on it I must admit, but it is an absolutely fascinating watch. You’d think it would act as a cautionary tale for blindly following social media influencers, but I can’t say I’ve seen that change in the world since the disastrous festival…
Also on Netflix, the opening sketches to I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson had me in stitches. Real tears were shed.
Playing?
Back on my Assassins Creed Odyssey bullshit, hoping to actually finish the story this time. I’m 110 hours in. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN. That is without the Season Pass, that is without finishing the campaign, that is without even visiting all of the regions in the game. If you’ve not played Odyssey yet there is a whole lot of game there.
Void Bastards and Outer Wilds are queued up on Game Pass, but this week I’ve really got to give some love to Thumper on Switch. A rhythm action game where you play as a metal…beetle…thing…going along a track in erm, space, or the quantum realm or something? Fighting big spiky voodoo head things? I don’t really know what is going on, but the game is a pure thrill. Headphones on, you have to hit gates and grind corners and make and land jumps to the beat to generate speed, survive, and fight those…things. It’s simple, but a real adrenaline rush.
Running?
It seems to me I’m pretty close to being in the best shape of my life in terms of running, and am definitely on track to beating my 5k PB this year. This is without actually training with a club. What’s the difference?
It’s the running, I think.
When I was running with a club I was running hard a couple of times a week, but not putting in many decent miles in between because I wasn’t really enjoying myself. This time around I’m putting in the miles, having fun, and easing up on the real hard stuff to save my injury-prone legs, building up the pace week by week, nice and steady. I ran my fastest 5k of my “comeback” quite by accident the other day, I set out to do a decent pace warm up mile followed by 2 mile of intense running. The combination of the warm-up and the effort (plus I added the extra 0.1 mile when I saw the time was good) gave me a 20:23.
I’m planning on doing a Parkrun next week, hopefully there I’ll see my first 19:something of the year.
And with that I’m out of here, again not like Theresa, I’ll be back, but I’ve got to get my long run in before it’s gets too unbearably hot. Couldn’t just be nice could it? Always too wet, too cold, too hot. Never mind, we Brits need something to talk about. Especially after that Champions League final, what a load of sh
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