Life will find a way

Back in June we made this Mandala, using dried seeds, nuts, rice, raisons and other bits and bobs.  The full blog post is here.  All of the items I contributed were long past their sell by dates and had out lived their usefulness..

Whoever hosts the Moonlodge, hangs on to the Mandala until such time that they feel it has served its purpose.  With this Mandala I couldn't decide how to dispose of it, so we decided to leave it in the garden for the birds to eat, and the rain to slowly wash away.

It went into the garden complete, and 4 weeks later was pretty much all gone.  Except for several chickpeas - dried, out of date chickpeas from Sainsburys - which had sprouted!  They had firmely rooted themselves in the miniscule amount of sand that remained and were thriving!

So naturally I repotted them, and 2 weeks on it would appear that I am now growing chickpea plants!

More info on growing chickpeas here - funnily enough there wasn't much in my usual reference points!

My first what I ate Wednesday

 

Starting top left, today I ate/drank - 1 cup of white coffee with 3 sweetners + 40g museli with semi skimmed milk and a chopped banana + 1 glass of apple and cherry juice + 1 mug of lipton moroccan hot tea with an apple + a banana, a diet coke and another apple + 2 slices of wholemeal buttered toast topped with 3 scrambled eggs and a couple of spoons of left over beans + a few spoons of natural yoghurt topped with honey + 1 jacket potatoe topped with homemade chick pea and cashew korma, served with houmous and grated cheese..  Whats not in the photo is 1 glass of water, 1 glass of squash and 1 bottle of electrolyte water for the gym.

Go and take a look at what other people ate today!

http://www.peasandcrayons.com/2012/08/summer-staple-shenanigans-wiaw-81.html

Disclaimer - all herbal tea should be served in a glass cup/mug/tankard, thus making the drink 'special'.  Herbal tea is 'special' because it makes me feel virtuous.  I like to drink virtuously out of a glass half pint tankard, so I get to feel like a warrior in a tavern - virtuously obv.!

What is in your gym bag?

Rebecca over at Weight Wars  posted about what was in her gym bag, so I thought I'd share the contents of mine.  Only its not quite so straight forward for me (is it ever?!) because I don't just train in the gym..  So here is an over view of all my fave bits and bobs for training.

So, my Gym Bag:-

Skull and Cross bones back pack with inner pocket and front zipped pocket.  Its not quite big enough for all my kit and shoes, but given I have size 10 feet I'm not sure I'd ever find a bag big enough!  So I make do with this because I love the fabric.

 I store my goggles, swim hat and waterproof mp3 in my bag.

 Nothing special about my showering habits!

I hate being in the gym and having half a dozen little things to carry, plus your locker key, so I invested in a bum bag (super useful for road running too).  It holds everything I need, including Ipod and gym swipe card.  And no, your eyes are not deceiving you, I wear sweat bands!!  I have really short hair and I used to spend all my time moving my hair off my forehead, so I cut to the chase and bought sweat bands.  You won't be the first to laugh at me, I promise, but given I don't look my best when I'm sweating on a treadmill anyway, and I can totally kill it whilst wearing them, I don't mind!

Trainers!  I am a Nike girl through and through.  We went to a shop with a treadmill to look at my gait and had some trainers fitted for my high arches.  I wouldn't be without them - even though we couldn't get pink ones in my size!

So because I'm me and I like all the kit, I bought a pink water bottle when I first started going to the gym and acually, its pretty useless.  Its not big enough and the spout is really stiff and hard, not useful when you're in full swing and just want a quick drink.  I now use the big bottles we use on our bikes.  Great soft spouts.  I also use electrolyte tabs in my water.  Lots of people are undecided on their usefulness, but I have found I get cramp in my feet less since I started using them.

On the left is our amazing Garmin forerunner - on loan from one of Pauls friends.  Don't be fooled by its old skool appearence.  It's a great piece of kit and really useful when you're brick training, because you can hit lap and it will put you into transition, then another hit of lap and you're off on your next phase.  I use this for road running really.  The Garmin on the right is an Edge 500 and gets mounted on the bike - we both use this daily.  As I get more and more active it gets harder and harder to share one device!

I won't bore you with a pic of my two sports bra's, but needless to say its really important to have good support!  For no particular reason I favour one for my bike and one for running.  One is by Nike, the other is by Kelly for Tesco.  I would really love to try a 'Shock Absorber' one day when money is no consideration.

Obviously I have a tri suit - pic on the top banner!  Plus lots of pics of the actual Tri here.  Its a 'More Mile' and I love it - not least because we couldn't find one to fit me when I started this journey!!  On a normal day when I'm just going to swim, then I just wear my normal swim suit - although the life guards at my pool are used to the sight of me in my tri suit!

And now for the sporting love of my life....  Drum roll please...  My bike 'Amy'.

I carry a saddle bag which literally hangs under the saddle and carries 2 spare inner tubes and a hand pump, and I have a 'snack bag' which sits on the cross bar just behing the handle bars.  I have tissues, lip balm and other girly necessities in there.  Then I have 2 pink waterbottle cages, one on the down tube behind the front wheel and the other on the saddle upright.

Helmet is so important Clanettes!!  I just don't know why people choose not to wear them.  If I got knocked off my bike, I would want the peace of mind of knowing I protected myself as much as possible. Then its waterproof phone holder, gloves, glasses and an old pair of trainers that don't offer the running support I need, but are useful for getting muddy on a bike!

Go on, tell me what you have in your gym bag!

FWCC

Thats Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club to you and me!  Well, I did it.  I went and I cycled with them this morning and I survived.  I more than survived actually, I enjoyed it.

I was so nervous this morning, I knew I could do the distance, I just wasn't sure I could keep up and stay with the group.  I was ready with bags of time to spare, so in that random mother way I have, I thought 'I'll just hang the washing out' and 'I'll just get their lunch sorted..'  Before I knew it 20 mins had past and I was then leaving later than I had planned on.  I had decided to cycle to the meet up point in Wickham, which is a hilly (in my opinion anyway!) 8 miles away, no biggie really, but certainly not a 'quick' route.  I had to absolutely push my speed limits to ensure I arrived in plenty of time as I understood that they set off promptly.  Given I was nervous anyway, then add in that I was running later than I wanted and pushing my legs to get me to the meet up, I arrived in a little bit of a fluster.

To say there must have been 50 of them is no understatement.  I rounded the corner into Wickham village square and it was a sea of FWCC coloured lycra and bikes.  No chance of missing them.  I quietly stayed at the back and listened to the chat about the 3 routes, 'fast', 'intermediate' and 'social/taster'.  As I stood I could feel my tension mounting.  There were only 3 women, myself included, and every single other person had cleats on..  Just me in my trainers then!  They all looked so sleek and bike ready, the kind of people you picture doing the Tour de France - certainly not my kind of fat house wife!  I came very close to apologising and just going home, before they realised my lack of cred and I embarrassed myself.  Then Nigel, the chap I had emailed, spotted me and called out from the front 'you must be Sarah?' and 50 sets of eyes clad in cycling sun glasses turned to stare at me.  Gulp.  So I thought 'screw it' and began a round of 'Sisters are doing it for themselves' by Annie Lennox in my head, and gave them all a big wave and smile.  No turning back now.

The 'fast' and 'intermediate' cyclists all left, leaving me with Judith the 'social/taster' ride leader, and 10 other men.  Much more manageable.  Judith explained we'd be doing a circuit to include Winchester Hill and a coffee at the Sustainability Centre.  Ironically we should have been camping there for Lughnasadh and had decided against it.  As with all coincidences at the moment, I was going to the Sus Centre regardless.  Sadly it also meant I understood the enormity of the hill before us!

So, we set off.  We quickly settled into a rhythm and everyone was so friendly and chatty.  It quickly became apparent that I was (obviously!) the slowest and so a couple volunteered to stay with me and I had a quick lesson in slip streaming, although they used another term but I annoyingly can't remember what it is now.  The main group was always in sight, and we caught them a couple of times, but for the majority of the ride we were set a little back.  Not for lack of trying on my behalf let me tell you!

By the time I had cycled there and back, and done the actual ride, I had done 46 miles and managed an average of 14 mph.  I was so thrilled, because 16 of those miles were under my own steam and the journey home was tough - I was tired.

I really enjoyed myself.  I am under no illusion, the men were being kind and helped me along and said all the right things, but regardless I am so proud of myself!!

Despite my fears this morning, I turned up, went out and had a great ride with a bunch of strangers!  I have never done anything like that on my own!  People like me don't do that sort of thing!  But what I am loving the most this evening, is that I felt accepted.  Little old me, in my crappy old trainers, cracked on and had a go and I came away feeling like I would be able to go back for another ride and nobody would mind..  How is that for a mad escapade on a Sunday morning..  So I urge you, Clanettes far and wide, please please go and try something new - don't listen to the nay saying voices in your head.  If I can go for a scary bike ride with a bunch of male strangers and enjoy it (and want to do it again!), you can do whatever your heart desires too.  Go on, I dare you!

PLEASE CAN WE ALL BE UPSTANDING AS I ANNOUNCE...  DRUM ROLL PLEASE...  SO FAR THIS YEAR I HAVE CYCLED 1001 MILES!!  This AMAZES me!!

Moonlodge and Mandala for August

I have had two gorgeous evenings celebrating womanhood, myself and our connections.  I spend all of my time being a mother, a wife or a would be athlete, and sometimes its just fabulous to be me and celebrate life.
Thursday night was the womb blessing and my last intro to yoga at The Sanctuary.  I struggled to find my feet at the sanctuary at first, they are a world away from my world, but rather at the last I found that actually their way is pretty amazing. 
Then on Friday night Lucy and I went to Holly's, for our full moonlodge and Mandala evening.  We took some inspiration from the womb blessing, and together with an amazing curry curtesy of Holly, we had a meaning evening.

This one has an Aztec feel to it.  I think the metal plate and skull beads lend themselves to a Mayan theme or similar, don't you think?  We noted during the making of it, that the other two were 'natural' ie food and then flowers, so it was ok for the colours to be hap hazard, but this was beads and therefore needed some thought - although I couldn't tell you why!!

And in other news, I cycled my furthest distance on my own last Friday.  31 miles up Portsdown hill.  I actually hated every moment of the way back, it was wet and windy and the tonne lorries were hurtling past little old me, and I had a little cry when I got in (you know me!) but I did it and I am aware of the achievement!!  Together with some great cycling I have been doing with my amazing Dad of late, I seem to have worked up the courage to put my money where my mouth is..  I'm going for a taster cycle with Fareham Wheelers tomorrow morning.  I AM TERRIFIED!  Will I spot them ok to meet up?  Will I have everything I need?  Will I be able to keep up?  Will I be able to do the distance?  Will there be any women?  What on earth will we talk about....?  I have to keep thinking of the first time I did a spin class, the first time I ran 5k..  All these firsts.  I am not the same person I was at the beginning of year.  I can do this.  I bloody can and I will, of course, report back.  Think of me!!

A-mused Mandala

Come and join us at Tangled Muse and have a go at making a Mandala..  You know we love our Mandala's!!  Should be a great morning, I'm really excited!!

Before and after (during?)

 Me and my beautiful family at Christmas last year - 251211.  This is me at my heaviest weight - post Niamh anyway.  I was heavier after Brenna, but lost lots before getting pregnant with Niamh.  I was huge after Lochie too, and didn't get a chance to shift any before Brenna arrived.

Me today 010812 - lightest adult weight EVER!

In 8 months I have lost 3st, with just under 1st left to go - although I might be happy before that.. I have trained for and achieved 2 x 50mile cycling sportives and 1 triathlon, with 2 x cycling sportives (54 and 66 miles respectively) still to go this year.  Next year I hope to complete another triathlon (at least) and a couple of sportives (at least!), but my cycling life mission is to complete a 100 mile sportive...  I want to become a Centurian (and then retire!) next October!  The only thing I miss from the first photo is my pink hair, but it's not currently conducive to lots of swimming (and/or sweating)!

You know you've lost the weight.  The scales tell you, your loose clothes tell you (actually my clothes weren't staying up before I admitted they needed sorting).  But it isn't until random friends who you don't see tell you how great you look, when they give you a spontaneous compliment that costs them nothing, but means the world to you, that you start to believe that you do look different.  Then you hunt out old pics and astound yourself at how big you were - and finally admit that it didn't feel that great.

If my sole goal this year was to get fit and lose weight, then I think I may be ready to say I have achieved it.. Perhaps?!  Who knew what I was capable of!  Who knew how much fun it could be!