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.

The finish line!

I've done many a race event and can recall at everyone of them the sounds and sight of the finish line! Sounds are heard first as people are cheered in, the the sight of that line gives heart and new energy to tired legs.

Today, we have reached the finish line of Janathon. Some will have run everyday and completed awesome mileage, some will have done Something everyday and others will have fallen by the wayside to be picked up by the sweeper bus. People get injured, ill or have other life events that may prevent the last sprint past the cheering crowds. It IS starting that is the most important though I think. The resolution to take some responsibility for one's own health an well being and the optimism and hope that we all feel when we set out on a journey. There is some trepidation as well of course. The start of a big race event with the smell of deep heat and nervous energy peppered with some anxiety is unique and unlikely to be understood by those who don't become involved in such things.

I did feel at the start of Janathon that I may not make the finish line and I posted my excuses   reasons early on. I must confess that some days I was on a thin line when it came to what actual exersize I had completed, but, I can say with hand on heart that I did do Something, everyday. The first week was probably the most challenging, when my inner voice was urging me to 'give it a miss today, no one will notice or even care', but I persisted and by the middle of the second week I was chaffing at the bit to get to the gym.

Today I had a bit of a drag day at work, I won't go into details here, but I felt that my energy had been sucked from me. I left work early (naughty me, but I had worked over the weekend and had no work to do as such), and drove toward the gym. It's on my way home and the number of times I almost stayed on the Mway and came straight home, but something else was pushing me to 'just go and do what you can'. So, as it was a running rest day (I do need them at my age), I walked on the treadmill at a brisk pace on a hill setting, then a cheeky 10 minute run walk, cos I felt like it and it's the end of Janathon. I then had a gossip with an ex colleague, he's retired, but likes to keep up with the goings on, before 20 lengths of the pool.

I came away feeling energised and rather self satisfied.

A rather marathon posting for  marathon month. Roll on June I say ☺

One more day!

Just one more day left of Janathon. I've made up for my sluggardness of yesterday and walked the dogs and gymbled!

The dog walk was with my mad friend as I've said. We meet on a Sunday morning for a brisk walk and a gossip. Maybe gossip is not the right word because the dictionary defines it as -Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature. or A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts. It does then go on to say - Trivial, chatty talk or writing. A close friend or companion. She is a close friend and we tend to chat about trivia lots of the time as well as enjoy each others company.

A brisk walk in the very very cold sunshine then, we went through the woodland because it was more sheltered and took us out of the biting wind.

Then I trotted off to the gym with my new shoooooz, when I say trotted, I drove but you know what I mean. I'm really not sure about these shoes at all, they don't seem to have much cushioning in them, although they are controlling the roll in my foot. When I had finished today, the soles of my feet were quite sore. Now it could be that I'm tying them up too tightly, I've not got a great deal of confidence in them and they seem to need some firmness around the ankle joint.

I did do 30 minute run/walk on the treadmill, I found it tougher than usual, but I've increased the incline just a little to try not to put too much pressure on my shin. I also spent 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer as a warm up, then 20 minutes on the bike.

I now have the house to myself for an hour, so some ironing and sewing for me while I have the chance.

Boy do I know how to live!

Could do better!

It's Saturday (at least it was when I was supposed to be writing this), so a busy family day for me. I like to start the day slowly, it's the only day of the week I'm able to do that. I got up at 8am - a long lie in for me. The intention for the day was good, but other forces got in the way. I had intended the usual dog walk then a trip to the gym for some cross training.
My daughter's cooker is broken, so while she is waiting for the insurance assessor she came to my house to use my kitchen and cooker. That was fine, but we needed to do some shopping first, then there was the children to amuse.
In the end, the dog walk was done, but with two little assistants. Lots of ball throwing and fun in the sun. Then we put the Wii on and played with that for a while. For those of you who don't have small children or grandchildren, you would not have experienced being soundly beaten by a 5 year old child. I have that delight regularly!  I could certainly do better!
I did manage to do a little sewing and lazily picked up a takeaway when taking the family home.
Today, I get a nice long walk with my mad friend and my dogs and will go to the gym and work as per schedule.
Today, I will do better.

I've actually got outside for a run

A very short run/walk actually. I sort of wanted to road test my new trainers, but didn't have time to go to the gym. as I hadn't run for over a week and not outdoors for much longer than that, I went out for a 20 minute trot. More later.

I've had another working from home day, the advantage being that I can start and finish at hours that suit me rather than the office. 6am then I checked emails and did essential work like my expenses sheet.

The dogs had their 2 mile walk this morning, they like the new field we've found, comes complete with it's own dog poo bin (just as well!). Then a trip to Cardiff to buy new shoes. The shop I was going to has had some good reviews so I expected a satisfactory trip. The Mway was not too bad, we left at midday and the journey should take just under an hour. Leaving the Mway and we ground to a slooooow crawl for miles! When I say 'we', I mean HWMBT, he's not been out for a while and was feeling hemmed in, so he came for the ride.

The satnav, took us right to the door and even to a free parking place that gave us 2 hours, plenty of time for lunch and some retailing. The guys at the shop were very nice, and I came away with some sparky new shoes. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with them to be honest, but they were the only ones in the shop that would fit my feet and suit my running style. They feel a little awkward and heavy on my feet, but I may well get used to them.

Leaving Cardiff was worse than getting there! Traffic lights, accidents and the build up to rush hour made for a very frustrating journey home. By the time I got in there was less than an hour before  I had to go pick my daughter up. I had new shoes and Janathon to think of, so I braved the cold and the public stare and off I went. I've been following a schedule sent to me for someone building/rebuilding their running. Being sensible, (new shoes, recent shin splints, notalot of time), I stepped back to the 20 minute outing of a few weeks ago.

Actually, it wasn't too bad, I've not run outside for a while, so it wasn't easy, but I just need to get out more as I said a few days ago.

Gym tomorrow and maybe a swim.

turn and turn about

Today was a day of turnarounds.

I was working from home today so the dogs got their walk later than usual. I had a little more time, so we did a 2 mile brisk walk. I'm finding some problems getting my heart rate up on the walks though, even on the hills! It was sooo cold though. I like to vary the walk a little partly because it saves my boredom and partly because it puts me in charge when the dogs don't quite know where they are going and have to rely on me to tell them which way to turn. That's what we did, lots of turns along different streets and ending up going down some streets (to them) the wrong way. I could see the relief in their body language when they turned into our street and they knew where they were.

Today was a planned swim day, so I duly set off to the  pool so I could get there when the lane swimming was due to start. I think I may have 'blogged' some time ago about the merits of concentrating on what we are doing when we are doing it. This afternoon was a memorable lesson in that very philosophy! I was thinking about getting to the pool and what Iwould do when I got there when I realised I was in the wrong lane at the traffic lights. Nothing for it but to drive down to the next roundabout and turn around. Back on track and a few minutes later I realised that I had forgotten about some road works that had closed the main road I needed to drive along. Again, drive to the nearest turn point and turn around to follow the diversion.

Eventually I get to the pool and looked in some horror at the sight before me! The M25 is quieter on a Friday rush hour! There had to be 10+ people in each lane and around 20 kiddies in the far lane having a lesson. I was there and ready so I resolved to make the best of it. It meant that many times on each end of the 25 metre pool there was a queue, so I had to wait my turn to turn!!

40 lengths (1Km) in 33 minutes is not bad for me though.

As long as we don't get snow tonight I'm off to Cardiff tomorrow to get some new trainers, who knows, I may well get an actual run in at the weekend ☺