It's Saturday, and i've filled my day with going to the gym and doing a good chunk o' spring cleaning(in summer - although to be fair you'd NEVER guess it was summer!).
Ugh!
One full garbage bag and a rather big "to give away pile" later and it still doesn't feel tidy. I'm going through a de-cluttering phase. It is a cleansing event i go through maybe twice a year, and it not only helps to de-clutter my surroundings, but also my brain too. I'm feeling bogged down by "stuff", toooooo much STUFF! So, i'm being pretty ruthless and getting rid of stuff i've collected just for the sake of collecting.
Why do i have the full set of Good Food magazines from 2004, 2005, 2006 AND 2007 - which i've never opened again since i got them?! Why do i insist on keeping books that i hated the first time i read them, and will NEVER read again, just for the sake of filling my bookshelf(which is tiny at the moment anyway due to downsizing, so i don't really NEED to fill it). And why on earth do i insist on keeping clothes that are 4 sizes to small that i fit into for about 7 months back in 1997.....what am i thinking???? There is NO chance that i'm going to be that size again - even if i dieted for months on end and exercised like a crazy person i'd still be bigger than those clothes it just wasn't natural.....i think it was my "i'm young and not going to eat much and i keep really busy and wow i don't gain weight" phase, which ain't going to come around again, (thank god cuz i like my food!!). So i've gotten rid of all the above mentioned hordings, yet i suspect there is much more that i could rid myself of.....but it will have to wait cuz i'm pooped now.
After ranting above about de-cluttering I'm surprised i have energy to talk about the gym, ha! I did go this morning for the first time in ages and it felt good. It wasn't very crowded which is nice - i hate it when it's crowded! Everyone is probably taking advantage of the Semi-summery weather and doing their exercising outside, where as i now have to do the opposite after taking too much advantage of the nice weather by running outdoors all the time instead of being smart and alternating what i did.....hence the gym visit.
So all in all, this week i managed to do 3 sessions and they were all classed as "gentle". Yoga, Swimming and the Gym(stationary bike & crosstrainer). Three gentle-ish ways to get my knee back into the swing of things and not be aggravated......and if this works to plan then maybe next weekend i will throw in a wee lil jog!!
Oooh, one can dream.... ha!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Updates...
Hedgehog update:
It is with heavy heart I update you on the cute, but injured, little hedgehog….. he did not make it – his injuries were far worse then they seemed and he was peacefully put to sleep for his own good by the vet. I had a tear in my eye when I heard that, but then I thought about how it could have been had we not brought him in and I felt comforted. I’d like to think that what we chose to do for him, by taking him to the vet, helped to end what could have been a painful and unpleasant last few moments in his little spikey life. I’m comforted in knowing the little hedgehog passed away peacefully in a warm & safe environment that was free from loud dangerous traffic and other obstacles which would only make his last moments on earth difficult & scary, rather then peaceful. So I hope he now is where ever it is that little hedgehogs dream of going when they leave this world.
Training Update:
It has been a frustrating week, my knee has been twinging up a storm which means I haven’t been able to do much exercise for fear of making it worse. Grrr! It was acting up even just walking around the office, so that wasn’t very promising. I had attempted to go for a lite jog mid-week last week but that was unpleasant and ended pretty quickly.
It’s feeling much better this week so far…..and my plan is to ease back into things. On the list for this week is: a yoga class, swimming and a stretching class, plus the cross training machine and stationary bike at the gym – how much gentler can I get?? Hopefully I’ll enjoy these activities but also get myself active again, heading towards the ability to do a nice jog in a couple of weeks, assuming the knee behaves itself.
I hate feeling like I’m “losing” my ability to run……. After all that hard work it’d be a shame to have to start from scratch when I have my goal looming only a few months away!
ps.....as i post this(i wrote it yesterday pre-yoga) i have actually already attended the yoga class which was great! Wow, it's bizarre how such a seemingly gentle activity can really push your limits....yes it's only the first time i tried it, but sheesh! Tough stuff! Yet, strangely fun!?!
My muscles were like: "Oh my....what are you doing...oooh...yeah.....wait, we like that.....more of that relaxing stuff...goood, good.... and a little more stretching of that please.....hmmm..... yes this is nice...... good stuff lady!"
It is with heavy heart I update you on the cute, but injured, little hedgehog….. he did not make it – his injuries were far worse then they seemed and he was peacefully put to sleep for his own good by the vet. I had a tear in my eye when I heard that, but then I thought about how it could have been had we not brought him in and I felt comforted. I’d like to think that what we chose to do for him, by taking him to the vet, helped to end what could have been a painful and unpleasant last few moments in his little spikey life. I’m comforted in knowing the little hedgehog passed away peacefully in a warm & safe environment that was free from loud dangerous traffic and other obstacles which would only make his last moments on earth difficult & scary, rather then peaceful. So I hope he now is where ever it is that little hedgehogs dream of going when they leave this world.
Training Update:
It has been a frustrating week, my knee has been twinging up a storm which means I haven’t been able to do much exercise for fear of making it worse. Grrr! It was acting up even just walking around the office, so that wasn’t very promising. I had attempted to go for a lite jog mid-week last week but that was unpleasant and ended pretty quickly.
It’s feeling much better this week so far…..and my plan is to ease back into things. On the list for this week is: a yoga class, swimming and a stretching class, plus the cross training machine and stationary bike at the gym – how much gentler can I get?? Hopefully I’ll enjoy these activities but also get myself active again, heading towards the ability to do a nice jog in a couple of weeks, assuming the knee behaves itself.
I hate feeling like I’m “losing” my ability to run……. After all that hard work it’d be a shame to have to start from scratch when I have my goal looming only a few months away!
ps.....as i post this(i wrote it yesterday pre-yoga) i have actually already attended the yoga class which was great! Wow, it's bizarre how such a seemingly gentle activity can really push your limits....yes it's only the first time i tried it, but sheesh! Tough stuff! Yet, strangely fun!?!
My muscles were like: "Oh my....what are you doing...oooh...yeah.....wait, we like that.....more of that relaxing stuff...goood, good.... and a little more stretching of that please.....hmmm..... yes this is nice...... good stuff lady!"
Friday, June 20, 2008
Hedgehoggy cuteness
So, the BF & I saved(we hope!) a hedgehog last night. We were walking along a busy road and on the sidewalk of this road we found a substantially sized(about softball sized when curled up) hedgehog limping along as if he’d been hit by a passer-by or something. His leg was poking out in a strange angle but there was no blood or open wounds that we could see.
There was a bush right by him, which could have been safe for him if he had managed to get into it and stay there, but he had rolled down a little hilly bit(more like a glorified speed bump – but like Mt Kilamanjaro to him with his little injured leg!) onto the sidewalk and didn’t seem able to get himself into safety, which made us think he’d just be a target for vicious creatures or just die there, terrified and trembling, trying to get up the hill away from traffic.
So we made the decision to take him to my BF’s house and call a 24-hour vet. We put him in a cosy cardboard box with a soft towel and while my BF made arrangements for us to drop him off at the vets, I just watched the hedgehog be cute.
He kept smacking his lips like he was trying to taste something or was thirsty. I felt bad and wished I knew what to do to comfort him - what do hedgehogs need in order to be comforted? Then he wandered, half hobbled, into the corner of the box and kinda managed to curl up. He was super cute even if he was hurt! We took him to the vet by car, and the poor little guy jumped at every noise – he obviously was quite traumatised, if nothing else.
When the vet saw him(not sure if it even was a him, but I seem to have nominated that as his sex), she picked him upside down and he curled up like hedgehogs do, which was good - she said he had good reflexes and that was a good sign. She also said he had a MASSIVE tick on him – gross! He is a wild critter though, so of course they get ticks, lice, fleas and all sorts of fun creepy-crawlies on them, yuck!
According to the vet, the next step would be to sedate the little critter to find out just how badly hurt he was or wasn’t, and they’d know more once they’d had a look. We left him there knowing he was in very good, kind hands, and hoping he’d make a full recovery! So we’ll phone back today to ask how he/she is and hopefully it’ll be good news.
Thumbs up to 24-hour vets who take in wild critters in need!!!
There was a bush right by him, which could have been safe for him if he had managed to get into it and stay there, but he had rolled down a little hilly bit(more like a glorified speed bump – but like Mt Kilamanjaro to him with his little injured leg!) onto the sidewalk and didn’t seem able to get himself into safety, which made us think he’d just be a target for vicious creatures or just die there, terrified and trembling, trying to get up the hill away from traffic.
So we made the decision to take him to my BF’s house and call a 24-hour vet. We put him in a cosy cardboard box with a soft towel and while my BF made arrangements for us to drop him off at the vets, I just watched the hedgehog be cute.
He kept smacking his lips like he was trying to taste something or was thirsty. I felt bad and wished I knew what to do to comfort him - what do hedgehogs need in order to be comforted? Then he wandered, half hobbled, into the corner of the box and kinda managed to curl up. He was super cute even if he was hurt! We took him to the vet by car, and the poor little guy jumped at every noise – he obviously was quite traumatised, if nothing else.
When the vet saw him(not sure if it even was a him, but I seem to have nominated that as his sex), she picked him upside down and he curled up like hedgehogs do, which was good - she said he had good reflexes and that was a good sign. She also said he had a MASSIVE tick on him – gross! He is a wild critter though, so of course they get ticks, lice, fleas and all sorts of fun creepy-crawlies on them, yuck!
According to the vet, the next step would be to sedate the little critter to find out just how badly hurt he was or wasn’t, and they’d know more once they’d had a look. We left him there knowing he was in very good, kind hands, and hoping he’d make a full recovery! So we’ll phone back today to ask how he/she is and hopefully it’ll be good news.
Thumbs up to 24-hour vets who take in wild critters in need!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
My first 10k COMPLETE!!!
Ok, after a week with a painful knee worrying that i might not get to participate in my first ever race....... we did it!!! My friend Emma(in orange) and I completed the Great Women's 10k Run this morning! It was fantastic! The weather was nice, breezy & even had sunny patches. Our route was along the coast just outside of Sunderland and there was even a bit of the run on the sand(hard packed sand - HA! Can i just say "Ouch" sand is NO FUN to run on!) and a part of the race was along the pier.
All in all, it was a rather picturesque route and was a pleasant run aside from the painful twinges every now and then in my darn knee. I wore my brace thingy on it and that seemed to firm it up and allowed me to run the majority of the race. Altho i did have to stop twice cuz my knee hurt too much at certain points of the race.
So unfortunately, i didn't complete the race without stopping as i had originally hoped to do, but the fact that I got to complete the race at all made me happy!!
So it's been a great Sunday and it's Father's Day too, so Happy Dad's Day to my dad who has been a runner for as long as i can remember, so it's a nice day for me to complete my first race.
:)
ps... I had a brilliant cheerleading section which helped to keep me motivated (even tho i kept telling him to "go away" when he was taking the hideous photographic evidence - Ha!) So...a huge THANK YOU to the bestest cheerleader/photographer around!!!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Summer, oh my gosh?!
Well, could it be that summer has arrived, if only briefly, up here in Newcastle? Hmmm..... it's 66F and sunny and there's a light breeze and i turned a lovely shade of beet red when i went running this AM - that's a sure sign that it's summer!
I went for a run in my "race clothes" today, i tested out my outfit which i plan to wear next Sunday for the 10k practice run i'm doing. I was very proud of myself, i wore the new sleeveless running top i bought, and I even felt ok about it, ha!
Most people don't mind showing off their upper arms. Wearing sleeveless shirts is no big deal to them, but me, well....i have issues with certain items of clothing(like ones that show off lots of skin or are too snug, that kind of thing). But of course i want to be nice & comfy for race day so i decided to have a go at wearing a sleeveless running top.
It's not so bad! My armpits get to breathe, and my headphone wire didn't get all tangled up in my sleeves, so overall the sleeveless running top gets a thumbs up! I may even get a wee bit of a tan from showing more skin - but don't worry mom i use sunscreen so i probably WON'T get that tan after all - altho i do have a light farmers tan already......... must have been the days i forget to lather up, ooops!
I went for a run in my "race clothes" today, i tested out my outfit which i plan to wear next Sunday for the 10k practice run i'm doing. I was very proud of myself, i wore the new sleeveless running top i bought, and I even felt ok about it, ha!
Most people don't mind showing off their upper arms. Wearing sleeveless shirts is no big deal to them, but me, well....i have issues with certain items of clothing(like ones that show off lots of skin or are too snug, that kind of thing). But of course i want to be nice & comfy for race day so i decided to have a go at wearing a sleeveless running top.
It's not so bad! My armpits get to breathe, and my headphone wire didn't get all tangled up in my sleeves, so overall the sleeveless running top gets a thumbs up! I may even get a wee bit of a tan from showing more skin - but don't worry mom i use sunscreen so i probably WON'T get that tan after all - altho i do have a light farmers tan already......... must have been the days i forget to lather up, ooops!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
June is here
So June is here, the month of my practice 10k race(looking forward to it!!), the month that you expect the weather to feel summery(ha!) and hopefully the month where i get my first race medal & t-shirt for completing my first race successfully!
And just to clarify, i am running the BUPA Great Womans Race 10k on Father's Day, but not for charity, i'm using it as a practice to get me used to running in an organized race(I've never done one before) and it's a nice halfway distance to what i need to aim for with my traininf for the race in October which i am running for charity, the big monster BUPA Great North Run.
So, after running a nice comfy women-only 3000 participant race in June, the HUGE, co-ed half marathon in October will be a bit scary, but hopefully i'll be much more prepared for it due to this practice run.
That's all from me for now!
:)
And just to clarify, i am running the BUPA Great Womans Race 10k on Father's Day, but not for charity, i'm using it as a practice to get me used to running in an organized race(I've never done one before) and it's a nice halfway distance to what i need to aim for with my traininf for the race in October which i am running for charity, the big monster BUPA Great North Run.
So, after running a nice comfy women-only 3000 participant race in June, the HUGE, co-ed half marathon in October will be a bit scary, but hopefully i'll be much more prepared for it due to this practice run.
That's all from me for now!
:)
Sunday, June 01, 2008
May Totals
Since it is 1st of June it is now time to total up my May runs(it's very exciting!!!) and here are the totals:
:)
- Total Minutes Run in May: 505
- Hours: almost 8 1/2
- Estimated Miles(based on an 11 min mile): almost 46
:)
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