Weekly round up

Pretty low key exercise week here - far too pre-occupied!!

Monday
Nice easy swim: 25 metre pool x 30 lengths = 750m in 25mins

Tues, Weds, Thurs and Fri
'rest' days

Saturday
Early morning 5k run over in the park, it was nice and mild - if wet!

A good even pace really - the two speed dips were for dog walkers, annoying because it may well have been under 33mins without them and that would have been a new time PB. It was a tough run though, in terms of my head space. I really struggled to get myself round. Laps of the park are no different really to running on a treadmill - bit samey, boring even, but a good constant to train with. I have created a good new running play list, so I had music motivation, I just struggled to get the job done - after each lap my head told me to go home, rather than to get the next lap done! Frustrating!

Sunday
Today Lucy and I went to the gym for opening, we had a cycle, then Lucy went on the tread mill and I couldn't face another run today, so I used the posh stepper and then we had a swim. The pool is quite busy on a Sunday, the fast lane is quite fast (compared to a Monday night ladies only session for example) so I thought I'd have a go in the medium lane. The medium lane was just slow enough to be annoying, so I slipped into the fast land and killed myself trying to avoid being hugely annoying to all the people going faster than me! A great swim!

A friend of mine Jo, writes a great blog about her exercise exploits and I wanted to shout her out - Jo inspires me in many ways and not just with exercise, although she definitely inspires me to swim harder, and with different pool music! This post here really sums up how I feel about running and cycling too. I NEVER thought I would be able to run, let alone enjoy it (sometimes!), and although re cycling, I am perhaps less of a rabbit watcher on a summers evening and more of a peloton wanna-be, I can really relate to her musings.
You have achieved great things in the last few weeks Jo, you are already a triathlete!

W/E 11.11.12
Cycled: 10k (6miles)
Run: 5k
Swim: 1500m (2 sessions)
Gym: Elliptical machine, 1k's worth of stepping 

Winter acceptance peeps! Accept it's (almost) winter, modify how you train and get the job done!

Family

Hi Clanettes

I'm sorry it has been a few days. I have spent a blissful week with my sister and nephew - far removed from my usual blogging, housework avoidance and exercise efforts..!

Having been at the centre of the three new baby's to hit our family until Leif arrived, I have enjoyed seeing a new baby from another perspective - particularly the efforts and love my parents show to each grandchild.

A new baby really brings our family together. We are pretty well scattered over the UK. I live in Southampton, an hour from my parents and sister & brother-in-law who live (separately) in Reading, then our extended family lives all the way to Sheffield and Darlington. This week I have had the pleasure of seeing Daniels Mum, Julie (Hi Julie!). My Aunt and Uncle (My Dad's brother) who I can't remember when I last saw, and my Grandmother (Mum's Mum). Next week my Nanny (Dad's Mum) will visit, and then in a couple of weeks my Grandad and Anna (Mum's Dad and Step-mum).

To say I am feeling loved up and exceptionally lucky is an understatement at the moment. Leif is a very precious addition to our family and we are all so lucky that we are all able to share in the moment together.

My 90 year old Grandma, my Mum and Leif

I couldn't get a decent shot of all the grand-bairns, everyone was too busy chatting, but I love this shot - everyone is laughing.

Love your family, they're all you've got x x

Shed part 1

As I'm sure you can imagine, we have A LOT of bike paraphernalia. Paul and I have 2 bikes each, the biglets have a bike each, we have a bike trailer, a bike seat, a bike tag-a-long and a bike rack.. numerous tools and cleaning gadgets..We are also a family of 5 living in an end of terraced 3 bed house without garage, drive way or other storage.. Its been pretty cosy for the last few months.

Yesterday some nice chaps from Solent Sheds came and laid down some concrete and then next Monday, they are coming back to put a shed on it! A mahoosive 12ftx10ft beast of a timber building, bigger than Lochie's entire bedroom, that Paul and Lochie are already dubbing 'The Boys Shed'.  Fine, fine boys, you have your shed, cold and damp at this time of year.. How about I claim the other half of my kitchen back.. suitably free of bikes!

So here is the madness that is laying down concrete when you live 30 metres from the road and don't have side access to your garden..

They were great, even cleaned the kitchen floor when they were done. Roll on next Monday!

Leif

Congratulations to my sister Emily, and my brother-in-law Daniel, on the safe arrival of Leif (rhymes with safe) Noah Swanborough, who arrived on Saturday 03rd November 2012.

I'm an Aunty!

 

 

 

 

I was able to use my niche skill to my own advantage - I was able to see Emily and Leif outside of visiting ours as her private breastfeeding counsellor. Yay.

So proud of you Emoose. I can't even form the sentence to describe how much I love you. I shall cherish the time I spent with you yesterday until the end of my days xxx

Weekly round up

Clanettes! I need a snazzy new name for my training posts! GFFE is over, but I have decided to keep myself motivated by tracking my training and 'Weekly round up' just doesn't cut the mustard! Come on, please help, leave your suggestions in the comments and the best one wins all the kudos.

I set up a competition on Motoactv to see who could do the most miles (running and cycling) in November, but no one is interested over there - anyone here fancy a bit of friendly banter?  can just track one or the other if you prefer? Let me know!

So, training this week.

Mon, Tues and Weds were rest days after my epic week last week, (I loved that Daily Mile emailed me to congratulate me on my 'gnarly training' last week! Hell yeah!) whilst we visited my parents. The children have been on half term, and we got up back at home on Thursday morning and I was over taken by a NEED to burn off some steam and go for a run - so we all went!

There is a park with a track over the road from us, we can see it from our house its so close. The running track was specifically put in for people to run on. Its exactly 200m from start point to finish point and 25laps is 5k.

Lochie and I took it in turns to push Niamh (who was eating her breakfast!) in the pushchair, Lochie did the whole thing with me (he also took a nimble tumble on his botty taking a corner to quickly!), and Bebe did some amazing cheering.

So it wasn't my fastest or most focused run, but it was great fun - we had even convinced Bebe by the end!

Vikki lives over-looking the park, and we waved to her as we went home. She kindly offered to save the kidlets from the same fate on Friday morning and let them seek refuge at hers, whilst I went and did another run.

Friday morning was tough. It was freezing, and my lungs wheezed up immediately. I chose a silly route that wasn't long enough, and included two big inclines which totally wiped me out. Then to get to 5k I had to finish with 5 laps of the track. Frustrating!

This morning I decided to make it a trio and I headed off to the gym, where I cycled 10k and ran 5k. Tomorrow is a rest day, so for this week, I am done!

W/C 03/11/12
Cycled: 10k (6m)
Run: 15k (9m)
Swim: 0

A Samhain inspired craft afternoon

I talked here about Samhain being important to us. Today we saw the Tippers and swapped our Sabbat wreath.

We try and keep our wreaths quite natural and nature inspired, apart from at Samhain. At Samhain we go to town and glitter goth our wreaths up.

I went all tinsel for the Tippers 

Lucy went all New Romantics for me. Just how amazing are these wreaths! My front door looks fabulous dahling!

We got busy with some Samhain inspired craft activities for the children. I really enjoy making Mandalas (I talk about them here and here) and we decided that the Kidlets could have a go using magazines and glue, but actually it became a decoupage session - something I whole heartedly embraced!

Oh look, Sarah made yet another skull! I do believe the skull, with a heart coming a close second, may well be my emblem!

I'm not sure who enjoyed it more.. The children, or me..!!

Another activity we like to do is sugar skulls - fondant icing skulls, or fondant icing shapes anyway! Only most of it gets eaten along the way, because thats half the fun!

This plastic severed hand comes with a matching foot and the game in our house at the moment is to hide the hand or foot in the most random place possible.. The boys are pretty inventive! Dave won today, with a severed hand in the sweet tin!

A lovely afternoon. Thanks for reading xx

Babyshower

Its half term Clanettes! So we descended on my parents for two nights and got everyone into the festive Samhain/Halloween spirit - yes, even my Dad!

My Mum and I threw a very last minute baby shower for my unsuspecting, but very pregnant Sister, Emily. We managed to rope in her besty, Lisa, and in a matter of minutes we had a party going.

As ever, it was a fusion event - Halloween cockery (no, I don't travel light!), spooky accessories and party bags, Christmas attire and babyshower gifts.. Nigh on perfect.

Would you believe my beautiful sister is 39 weeks preggo? My nephew, Leif (rhymes with safe), is due next week - how neat does she look!

 We gave Ems a hamper, a few bits and bobs we had been collecting for the arrival of Leif.

 Obviously I made him bunting!

 The girls got their Christmas legging foodie dance on!

Say Cheese!

 We carved a pumpkin

I gave Ems a pedicure

 The kidlets got their wrestle on

 We had party bags

 and biscuits. Perfect!

Not bad for an ad hoc throw together, I'm sure you'll agree!

Lochie and I are quite sure that all the best boys have names that start with 'L', and are born in November - There is soon to be double the evidence.

Emoose. Happy November! This is the month that Leif will be born! I'm so proud of you and I can't wait to meet my nephew. Trust yourself and you won't go wrong. Love to you and Dans. Bestest x x x