Christmas craft #1

We always try and make at least part of a gift for family and friends at Christmas, and I love that this is very much something the children are on board with. I can't share everything right now, obviously, because we haven't given all our gifts yet, but the kidlets have been beavering away and we are very excited by the gifts we have to give this year.

Not least is the felt phone cover I made for a secret santa today. Ironically I pulled Vikki out of the hat - its ironic because I would have given her a gift anyway. I was inspired to make her a phone holder a couple of weeks ago because her phone is always being flung about and isn't protected. The owl because she has a lovely owl shaped tea light holder in her kitchen.

Its not perfect - that's the trouble with inventing and modifying ideas as you make them. There are things I would perhaps modify on a second outing - such as the wings, but its full of love and I hope that Vikki will enjoy using it.

What makes me hugely happy is when people take the time and make things for us. Our friend Rachel, the same who had a Yule party this weekend, came for lunch today. She claims to have no creative genes in her body, however look what she made us! We each have a new ornament on the tree, hand made by her. I love love love the time and effort she spent crafting these for us, and they tinkle beautifully.

Thank you Rae Rae x x x

Sum it Up on Sunday

Hello Clanettes! Normal blog service has been resumed - its all about meeee!

The first half of the week I was still under the blanket of virus and at the start of week 3 I was beginning to wonder if I would ever feel well again. The Dr prescribed me some antibiotics and within 24 hrs I was well on the mend. I feel great this weekend! What a relief!

Monday, Tues, Weds, Thursday, 
'rest' days
 
Friday
No exercise on Friday, but I was lucky enough to have some of my friends over on Friday night. Paul was away for his works Christmas Do, so my friends and I all contributed to a meal and cracked open lots of wine and some cherry brandy.

Saturday
On Saturday Emma and I went out on our bikes and blew the cobwebs away. I really enjoyed the ride and we escaped the worst of the rain! I felt really strong and it gave me hope that a run the following day wouldn't kill me.

On Saturday night Emma and I went to Rachel and Chester's house for their annual Yule Party. We donned dresses and had a fab time - not least because lots of people there hadn't seen me since last Christmas and they were amazing at boosting my ego over my weight loss! Unfortunately though, Rachel has an electronic photo frame, which continuously shuffles pictures.. and their wedding album was on repeat.. Man what a wake up call!!



Sunday
This morning I dragged myself to the gym - I DID NOT WANT TO GO, but after two particularly indulgent days I didn't really want the extra cals hanging around! I ran 5k on the treadmill, in 33mins and 15secs. I was really frustrated over the 15 seconds but I just didn't have anything faster in me. But on the flip side, I guess after 3 weeks I did well to get into 33 mins. After my run, I swam 20 lengths and came home feeling really good about myself.

Summary:
W/E 16.12.12
Cycle: 15 miles
Run: 5k treadmill run
Swim: 1 x 20 lengths

Pause

I wanted to take a moment out of normal blogging life to note my disbelief, shock, horror and sadness over the school shooting in Connecticut.

Listening to the radio this morning left me in tears. Since hearing the news I have scoured the internet for all the info I can find and still I can't believe it, even though its true.

Rebecca at Weight Wars has also blogged about her sadness today too, it seems that there is no escaping the fact that a 20 year old man broke into a school and killed 6 adults and 18 children aged between 5yrs and 10yrs old. He had killed his mother before going to the school, and then he killed himself once he was finished with the children.

I drop my own children at school and give no thought to their safety. I am happy and reassured that at 3pm I will collect them and we will go about our afternoon. I can't even begin to comprehend or fathom how you go about dealing with the news that your child was shot dead whilst at school. My eyes fill with tears even now as I type.

My thoughts and condolences are with all the people affected by the tragedy. I urge you to take a pause, to hug your family, to be grateful and to remember that you don't know how long you have with your loved ones.

With lots of love and the brightest of blessings xxxxx

Looking forward - sport

Paul and I have been looking to next year and setting ourselves some goals. After 3 weeks out of the game (aka gym!) I am feeling pretty de-motivated and so I really enjoyed our planning session last night - in front of a warm roaring fire, with bacon sandwiches, amazing apple cake courtesy of a visit from my family, in the coziness of our lounge. Win win. (See Vikki, I can own up to the less than virtuous food :-)

Swimming:
I had thought to enter an open water swim triathlon next year, but I have decided that this is perhaps bigger than I want for next year, when my primary goal is still cycling based. My swimming is good, although I maintain breaststroke, and I improve and improve, but it still isn't open water swimming worthy.
To this end I have decided to find a local lesson or two for adults who want to improve their stroke and technique.
I have promised myself that next summer I will endeavour to do some beach swimming.

Cycling:
100 miles in one go, during one sportif is my over whelming urge and goal next year. I love my bike and all the miles I do on her, she is my steed! I have decided to enter the New Forest Spring Sportive, doing the 'epic' route of 86 miles... Eeeeeeeeeeeeek. Let me reiterate. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK. Emma and I booked the 50 mile 'standard' route this time last year and that was frightening. This feels on a par with that. I am further on than I was, I recognise that, but this is 20 miles further than I have done so far and its winter.. Dreaded cycling weather. BUT! Paul and I are gifting ourselves a turbo trainer for Christmas. The shed is fully kitted out and a perfect space for making the best use of a turbo trainer, and this one is our current favorite - although we will wait for the after Christmas sales before committing.
The autumn will see me enter my 100 mile race.. But dates haven't been released yet.

Running:
I continue to aim for 5k in 30 mins. My PB still stands at 5k in 33mins. I know that once I get back out there it won't be long before I can achieve it. I plan to maintain my running and vary my distance. 7k is a standard run for me right now, so extending that will be part of my plan. Continuing with my endurance will pay dividends once I get back into brick training come the spring.

Triathlon:
Initially Paul and I were very excited about the Festival of Sport, held in September in Cornwall. But the event has been cancelled (plus any triathlon there would have been open water swimming) so I have chosen two other initial triathlons for next year - a local one in Fareham (this years details can be found here, next year hasn't been confirmed yet) and I am going to go back to Henley (see here), now I know what to expect, to see what I can do about improving my time.

Paul's goals include a half distance iron man in August. The event is called 'The Eirias' and he plans to compete with our friend Dylan. A great challenge! My parents have kindly agreed to have the kidlets for two nights, so Paul and I are going to Wales for three days with Dylan and Jo - Jo is his wife, a friend I made when Bebe was born. I have mentioned her blog before, but you should go and check out her amazing feats here. They have four children, so it shall be slightly crazy that we will be without all seven kidlets for two nights! Bring on the wine. Ahem. I mean, bring on the training! Bring on the cheering!

Then in September Paul has entered 'Challenge Henley' which is a full distance Iron Man. C-r-a-z-y distances, not for the faint hearted.

I'm really excited by the initial plans we have made, and I am looking forward to getting back to training this weekend! On Sunday I shall make my come-back. A 5k run followed by a swim. Hasta la vista baby!

What are your plans for next year?

Its beginning to look a lot like..

Clanettes!! How I have missed your cherubic faces!! How grateful I am to be here, sitting and typing and feeling well!! After 2 weeks and a big old dose of anti-biotics I am f i n a l l y starting to feel like a human being again, and it occurred to me this afternoon that I could go for a joggy run and test the old legs out tomorrow.. A sure sign I am on the mend. What a relief.

Loads has been happening here and I haven't been recording any of it, not least the Christmas decs have gone up, the biglets performed in the school play, I have decided to find myself a job and I have a lot of Christmas sewing to catch up on.

I shall begin updating tomorrow, for now I just wanted to sing a merry Yoo Hoo and announce my return to joyful living! Hope you have missed me as much as I have missed you xxx

WIAW #14

Today it's all about Chicken Noodle Soup. We are into our second week of being ill, and last weeks virus has become tonsillitis.. It's dragging on and we need to up out game. Upping our game calls for homemade chicken soup and lots of echinacea tea. Take that, you illness you!

I started with a whole, uncooked chicken, inspiration from Masterchef Australia (I love that programme!) and a link to a Jamie Oliver recipe (here).

And I set about poaching a whole chicken. Scary stuff!

 As per Jamies suggestion, I just covered it in cold water, with carrots, rosemary, onions and garlic and brought up to boil. After 1hr 20mins of simmering, I switched it off (At this point it was time for school pick up, so the chicken must have then sat in the hot water for another 45 mins at least)

Whilst the chicken was cooking, I made lunch. I had a spinach, carrot, cheese and houmous wrap.

 And another cup of echinacea, ginger and lemon tea - in a tankard obvs!!

 I can't even begin to describe how good it smelt!

 Reserving the poaching stock, I shredded the meat

 Making a quick salad for tomorrows lunch in the mean time

I split the poaching stock into three portions (roughly 1litre in each portion) and froze two portions for another day. Split the chicken into 4 portions (two for the soup, one quickly devoured by the children and the fourth for tomorrows lunch)

And there we have it. I put the shredded chicken back into the poaching liquid, added more seasoning, noodles and sweetcorn et voila. AMAZING.

And I swear I feel better already!

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

Sum it Up Sunday

Happy Sunday Clanettes. Not a lot of exercise to report here this week, as I mentioned in my last post we have had a virus and I am struggling with the tail end of it.

Monday
Swim - 40 lengths in 30 mins

Tues, Weds, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
'rest' days

Sunday
Paul and I went to the gym together this morning, and after a week of illness I struggled through 4k on the treadmill and then a brief swim. However it was good to get out and get some movement going.

Summary:
W/E 02.12.12
Cycle: 0
Run: 4k treadmill run
Swim: 1 x 1k and 1 x a few lengths..

I don't talk about my weight in terms of numbers. I have never once admitted to what I used to weigh (I was ashamed) or indeed what I weigh now I am officially at 'goal', so I just wanted to take a deep breath, and note the following:

I am 6ft tall, and at my heaviest I weighed over 19st/120.6kgs

At the start of this year I weighed just over 17st/108kgs

I now weigh 13st 11lbs/87.5kgs

I am not ashamed of those numbers anymore, they can't hurt me. I will always be 6ft,  I will always be bigger and weigh more than most people, even when I am at my ideal weight. That is who I am. Those numbers can only inspire me - just like the photo I have besides my toilet sink (!) of me at my biggest, reminding every time I go to the loo of what I have achieved, and what I continue to achieve.

What I am now deliberating is what I do now I'm at goal. The trouble with a goal is that once you achieve it, its not what you thought it would be! 12 months ago I would have given anything, ANYTHING to be this weight - a comfy size 14!! A dream if you ask me. But this size 14 doesn't look how I thought it would, so I need to add some toning to my cycling/running/swimming.

I'll be honest too. Christmas eating scares me. We have a great food routine going on here, and it works for us. But already there are chocs for advent calendars, mince pies for festive do's and salted nuts sitting in the cupboard.. I don't know how to deal with Christmas and be responsible.. you know? So I'm going to do the best I can. I will track all my food honestly and make sure I don't miss a workout. My motto for December is going to be 'If I burnt it, I earnt it'!

This little numbers outburst is dedicated 4 ways, in my true oscar speech stylee:

To Paul, who started it all by buying a bike, way back when. Who kicks me out of bed first thing in the morning, who gets home from work and kicks me out of the house when its mad at kidlet bedtime. Who loves me no matter what I weigh. Who loved me when I didn't love myself.

To my parents, who have been responsible in so many ways for all of my successes. For treating me to new clothes when my old clothes were falling off me and I was in denial. For spurring me on and continuing to believe in me.

To Lucy, an amazing lady and a fabulous friend, who was there at the start with me, who made that first tentative suggestion.. Who knew where it would lead! Lucy, who continues to inspire and motivate me. Who understands all of my little nuances and isn't afraid to ponder them with me.

And I also dedicate it to you, you know who you are, you talked to me this week. You who are just starting to consider a journey to change. There is nothing you can not achieve x x