GYM!

So Lucy and I joined the gym, and after a lengthy induction last Wednesday we had a go on the running machines and did our usual 5/1 x 4 run - it was ok!  The induction chap was friendly, so we have booked in to see him about a training plan next week.

Tonight we were brave and went super early, so we could run, cycle and swim.. and again, it was ok!  Admittedly I did a bizarre combo of cross training, rowing, running and cycling before swimming, but it all worked and I feel good now.  Tired, ready for bed, but good.  Whoop!

And an even bigger whoop, tomorrow I get to give the first of my february gifts and I can f i n a l l y put photos up :-) 

Watch this space..

Imbolc!

Imbolc bunting on the family Altar

Just as we hit February, with Imbolc and spring, the mild winter turns frosty and the temperature has dropped below freezing = Brrrr!  Lots of the UK has had snow, Reading had loads, even Portsmouth, but none here mores the pity.




Cardiff last weekend was good. It was great to see Claire and Allan, the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Paul and I did got a cycle and a run in, although the cycle was harder than anticipated because of all of the welsh hills! 

Paul x

I have not done a a hillier or more difficult route and Paul struggled to drag me round it!
Since then, we did a 26 mile route at the weekend just gone, when
my parents visited and had the children for us.  I would love to say it was a romantic amble through the hampshire countryside.  But it was hard, cold and frankly brutal!!  I was very weary on Sunday.  But whatever my body was doing, I was feeling good mentally.  I have achieved half my goal distance on track, with 8 weeks to go.  Need to keep it up now.

An added bonus to all this exercise appears to be weight loss.  Slow and steady, but definitely there!

Lucy and I have stepped up our joint training too and have now settled on the triathlon we want to enter.  Its slightly earlier than first thought and is in June, at my old secondary school in Henley no-less.  We are challenging ourselves with opting for the Sprint: 400 metre Swim - 25 km Cycle - 5 km Run - which I have only just noticed is actually the maximum option!  We are currently swimming twice a week, averaging 40 lengths, running 3 times a week and are now on run 5mins, walk 1min, and then the cycling as I have mentioned.  We are joining the gym with a joint membership this week, so we can start practising swimming and running one after the other.

Niamh turns one next week, and we are having a little tea party.  She has just started sleeping properly on her own, in her own bed and I hadn't actually realised just how the lack of sleep was affecting us until it stopped!  I can't believe she will be one.  My last baby is turning into a toddler, and whilst I feel sad as the baby chapter of my life comes to an end, I am truly excited about the future and seeing them all grow - and getting some sleep!





Pop art skull mug



We are all geared up for a week in Selsey for my mothers 60th and I'm particularly looking forward to spending some time with my sister, rather than brief glimpses here and there between jet-setting.


Bunting bunting bunting!



I managed to paint a bizarre mug at a pottery party last week and have been sewing sewing sewing as ever, and can't wait to make a start on Feb birthdays and share what I've been beavering over.  Bunting, as always, features heavily.



 

deep in the belly

life stirs

not yet formed

but quickening.

slight movement waking,

promising of life to come,

in the dark

as yet unborn.

manifesting, yet waiting,

the warming Earth

stirs.

Poem by Deanne Quarrie - Art by her daughter, Wendy Knox

Squeeeee

I am on to the final stitches of my first project of the year.  It was bigger than I thought it would be, its totally not perfect with some glaring errors, but it still manages to look better than I thought it would and I'm very proud of it.  I can't wait to be able to give it and then post a pic of it!

B busy accessorising N

After my 20 mile bike ride on Sunday, Lucy and I stepped up our running training to running 3 mins, walking 1 min, 5 times on Monday.  We also swam 40 lengths on Monday night.  I could not move this morning!!  Every muscle and tendon in my body groaned with just breathing, let a lone lifting children and doing mundane stuff like making breakfast.  So I have re-adjusted my activities for the rest of the week to allow myself a bit of a break.  I am still cycling with my Dad tomorrow, and Paul when we go to Cardiff at the weekend.

Poser :-)

I totally forgot to mention my own exam last week, for my BFC course. Not sure how it slipped my mind given it caused me a great deal of stress!! Anyway, ha ha, I did. I'll know how I did in a couple of weeks

Quote of the week:
I ride my bike for selfish reasons.
I ride my bike so that I am not one of the ordinary people.
I ride my bike for the adrenaline, for the confidence it gives me, to feel empowered.
I ride my bike to be different, as a mountain biking woman you are something of an enigma.
I ride my bike to take me away from being a mum, an employee, old age, to being just me again.
I ride because I can.
~ Belinda Tarling, 9 x National Masters XC Champion, 2 x World Masters XC Champion

Its really hard to post..

When I can't talk about any of my sewing projects!!  Of which there are currently numerous, and I love them all and so struggle to talk about anything besides.  A couple of 'safe' and finished projects are the bunting for Imbolc, and my appliqued skull is all finished.

Imbolc bunting

And speaking of skulls, I went to a pottery party last night and painted a random mug with skulls..  I'm not convinced its going to look ok once its glazed and fired!

For news this week, Paul was given a place on the RAB - Ride Across Britain. http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/ which takes place in Sept.  Paul is equally thrilled and anxious, which is understandable. 9 days at 100+ miles a day would challenge anyone and Paul has some training ahead of him.  We took the kidlets over to the track with us yesterday, they had their bikes, N slept and Paul and I ran.  Well, I did my training 2 on 2 off and Paul ran.  I mean properly ran, without losing pace, without stopping, for 30 mins.  I was gobsmacked and so proud of him.  The first time I have properly appreciated his fitness I think.  I was so impressed!

Lochie got a special mention in the school assembly for his reading last Friday, and I was asked if I wanted to go in and watch.  I totally welled up.  He saw me as he came in and then spent the entire thing turning round, fidgetting and waving at me - total boy!

Its just over 9 weeks til my 47+ mile sportiv and Emma and I achieved 20 miles in a good time today, which has pleased me no end!

Spring is in the air

Although hard frost is forecast for the weekend, but for today the sun is shining and the weather is gloriously mild.  Perfect for a bike ride with my Dad.  Only a week a go I talked about exercise begetting exercise and it does indeed seem to be the case.  Paul and I have sat and sadly watched film after youtube film about triathlons and iron man races and it just seems amazing to me, what the human body is capable of.  So it would appear that we are going to have a bash at a fun distance triathlon (well, Paul will probably do a proper distance).  I have started swimming, jogging and upping my cycling in earnest.

This week has seen us paint and finish Lochies new bedroom, he loves it and spends all his time sitting on his bed listening to stories on my old ghetto blaster.  The girls are both in the bunks in the second room now and Paul and I are back to 'normal' in our bedroom.  Cept one of us is alternately sleeping with Niamh and our bedroom is full of the junk that was stored in Lochies room before we cleared it out for him.. but thats by the by!

In terms of sewing, I have designed and cut my skull patchwork squares for a joint patchwork project, these just need applique stitching and  I continue to work on a couple of top secret projects

I found a couple of pristine workshirts for Paul in a charity shop, so have chopped the arms off because he likes short sleeves, making a large double hem and I'm very pleased with them.



I would like to give mention to 'D', a friend of a friend who I have met several times on frivilous occassions and whose youngest son is the same age as Niamh.  I discovered this morning that she has terminal cancer and I have shed some tears for the injustice of life.  Nothing I can say here on my little blog about mundane life, is appropiate, however I needed to mark it permanently.  She is in my thoughts x x

Exercise

Exercise is a funny old thing.  The kind of thing I dread doing, hate the actual doing of, regularly cry over and then love having done, once its over.  Since Paul become a cycling addict, we have all become cyclists to some degree and this is my year to get fit and achieve some miles. Starting with a 47 mile sportiv on the 01st April.  I started last autumn and now go at least twice a week, averaging circa 15 miles each time.  I guess its become the norm, and actually I need to start upping my miles if I ever want to achieve my goals.
Tonight though, I went swimming with a friend.  I haven't been swimming (for excerise) in at least 18 months, probably 2 years.  The last time I went I really struggled with my cardio and whilst the swimming was fine, being out of breath and almost wheezy was not.  I was doubly not looking forward to getting in the water!  But it was different this evening, I found the cardio great, I really enjoyed being in the water and my lung capacity totally shocked me because there was no shortness of breath or wheezing.  And thats the funny thing you see, I've been out and about on my bike, dreading, hating and simultaneously loving the cycling and somehow along the way, I got fitter than I was.  And now I want to swim more - does exercise beget exercise?

New year

Yesterday, new years eve, we made bread. I adore the making and eating of bread. You can only really do it well when you have plenty of time, and I think thats a life lesson. They don't know the quantities, but the kidlets know the ingredients and the order of bread making. Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, I form the ball, then we split it by however many of us are making it and we each knead a small piece, passing the dough round regularly so each piece gets kneaded by everyone. I don't make bread as regularly as I once did, although I aspire to make it more often this year. We do however, always make bread (or cake or similar) on special occasions and I love that this is normal. I enjoy feeding people, and I enjoy eating food, particularly food everyone has contributed too!

Last night was good. We ate bread, cheese, meats, dips, crisps and chocolate. We drank bubbly from fluted glasses. We wore our pyjama's, sat on the sofa, I sewed, Paul chatted. We watched Jools Holland and welcomed in the new year. I am excited.

This morning I (finally! Whoop whoop!) stitched the last of the Christmas cushions, which Lochie and Bebe happily stuffed for me. I will finish sewing the hem today and take a decent picture. Seems mad that they will now go into a bag, into a loft and sit in the dark for 11 months!

I had planned on going on my bike this morning. Start the year as I mean to go on. But actually, my legs are tired from yesterdays ride and I think I will make coffee and go back to bed, where Paul and Niamh are currently sleeping!