Sewing, knitting but notalot of running

Since Janathon, my running/exersize mojo has been in hiding. I've been going to the gym and swimming on a fairly regular basis but it doesn't take much to talk me out of it. I'm doing something most days though which is better than nothing. I'm going to be entering the race for life again this year and intend doing much better than I did last year so at least I have something to aim for. I suspect my marathon days are long behind me. I would have liked to have cleared the six nations, but if it's not to be - well, nobody died!

I have had something of a fruitful month though. Again, I need something to aim for even in my sewing and knitting life. A friend and colleague became a grandmother this month for the first time. As is often the case, she was not best pleased to be made a grandmother in  her early forties by her single youngest daughter, but as the arrival became imminent, she became more excited and is now besotted with her grandson.

I thought a playmat may be in order, I've made one before and it seems to be welcomed and is likely to be used for longer than a knitted garment or even a shawl/blanket.

I thought a nice colourful patchwork with rainbows and golden starlight was just the ticket. It went down well I think.

I'm also coming to grips with my knitting machine. It's been quite a revelation how much knowledge and skill I had lost over the last Twenty something years since I last owned one. I've now completed a jumper for myself and it actually fits! I feels comfortable, light and warm.

I added some cable detail to the front and did the neckband in the same cable type. It's not perfect by any means - I couldn't sell it, but it's not at all bad even if I say so myself/

I am doing a workshop presentation on Tuesday, I was invited to do so due to a project I've been doing at work (Job 1), in Cardiff. There will be some significant people from the Assembley as well as the NHS in Wales, so of course I have to try to look my best. I've bought an outfit, but it needed a nice scarf to set it  off, so this weekend my knitting machine came into it's own.





February - almost Spring.

In spite of the awful weather it IS almost Spring. One of the interesting things about living in this part of the world is that the weather is so unpredictable. We have to wait to see what the weather gods decree for us. Will we have any more snow this winter - it's possible. Will we have a lovely long hot summer like we did as children - it's possible. I'm hoping that these winds and gales are the early March weather and that we will have an early spring, but we have to wait and see.

Janathon was an interesting journey and passed a month by that many people find difficult to cope with. There is lots of depression and worry around in January, possibly a combination of lack of sunlight and anticlimactic after the excesses of Christmas. Also the bills start to come in.

In the end though, I started to find Janathon a bit of a chore and I think one month is quite long enough thankyou. It wasn't so much the exercise, more the logging and blogging. By the time I had done all that, and visited the couple of forums I frequent, the evening was just about gone! So I have resolved to blog just once a week now, at least until Juneathon starts!

I sort of awarded myself a 'step back' week last week and modified my activities somewhat.  I did gym and swim and walk the dogs. We had a good long walk in the wind and rain yesterday, probably just over 2½ miles, we all enjoyed it and it got me thinking. I love running - at least I used to - and I still love the 'high' and the sense of achievement afterward. However, the actual running is feeling like so much hard work at the moment, and although Janathon brought about an improvement for me I'm still finding running hard work and it's turning into a chore. I fail to see why I should make myself do something that gets harder when it becomes a 'must do'.

I will still run, but not as much and not to aim for so far. I have an idea to conquer the six nations - I have three (I got England (London) three times), and maybe it will happen, maybe it won't. I know it won't be happening this year, I'm nowhere near marathon fit. although if I started one I could finish it, but with a price! A price I paid heavily for last year after London.

I have too many activities in my life that I enjoy to put myself out of action doing something that wipes me out and becomes a chore. I'm not exactly hanging up my trainers - not yet anyway - just modifying my running and increasing the activities that give me pleasure, like walking my dogs.

Talking of which, they are hinting heavily right now, better get going.