Aegean fantasy and more!

Saturday 21st July 2012 I'm back!! I bet you thought yay she's gone for good but not so my friends... A fabulously, up-market watersports holiday kicked off my July in the beautiful Greek island of Lemnos. No chavvy high rises, no tattoo parlours and most Definately, no bars boasting Sky sports and English beers! Hooray! It was so refreshing. A typical day started with yoga or Pilates followed by some lounging by the pool accompanied by that famous 50 shades book. I couldn't linger too long as it was soon time for aqua aerobics then a yummy lunch of salads and watermelon. No wine...yet! Later on I would Sally forth to the wooden hut on the beach for a spot of waterskiing or as I liked to call it, face planting in salty water! The instructors were, as you can imagine quite the bronzed Adonises with impossibly laid back personalities! After a bit more sunbathing it was time for Zumba and ab attack classes all done on a platform overlooking the Aegean! One two three, aahh. Yup, I SO want to be back there. Cheeky mojitos and balmy evenings finished me off. I slept so well! Needless to say, no running was required in the above scenario. Sadly, I am back to the old hum drum life and lashings of rain. Stats: Distance: 4km Time. : 30 mins Music. : audiofuel mid intensity Reward. : need I repeat myself...?

A slow jog

Monday 25th June 2012 Not blogged for a while so felt I needed to say something to my massive fan base (not)! On Saturday my son turned 14 which doesn't seem possible but it got me thinking about all the years that have passed since then and all the birthday presents requested over time. To begin with of course you buy things that look fun and perhaps somewhat educational/practical, then it was trains then Lego ad infinitum. now it seems to be wild camping equipment/ technology. All to mark the need for independence and the inevitable drift away from parents. While I'm on this philosophical bandwagon I suppose we Have only 3 possibly 4 summer holidays left with our son, then we are supposed to go on those cultural city breaks that seemed a tad excruciating with a youngster in tow. Oh I know some parents embrace architecture, art and the opera with their offspring but I am not one of those. If it had flumes, theme parks and kids clubs then that was grand! Well enough of that. Distance: 4km Time: 30mins Music: Muse, audiofuel Reward: Knowing that I do have a holiday with my son to look forward to in 11 days...yippee!!

Thursday 14th June 2012

A fairly good week exercise wise, big doggy walk on Tuesday, zumba last night and today a 'maintenance' type run. I went on my usual route through lovely, lush farmland and past the cottage where I lived long ago. My thoughts usually wander whilst running along this 'well kent' trail and I often imagine that this is my personal estate and I will bump into one of the many folk that live here. Quite a sad illusion of grandeur I know but also smacks of Lady Chatterley...hmmm. Anyway I met not a soul tonight, just cows and plenty of midgies so busy at this time of year to get their quota of bites packed into a short season.
When not running or working this week, I have been indulging in my boxset of Nordic Noir which is zipping by quite nicely. Soon have to order the next one! Funnily enough I can't yet speak fluent Danish but I find myself muttering common phrases that keep cropping up when wandering around.

• distance-3 miles ish
• time-30 mins
• music-audiofuel mid intensity long run, the first hour
• reward-Nordic crime, Pinot + peanuts mmmm

Tak!

Saturday 9th June 2012 You know when you get an idea of how something will look on you and it seems like the perfect dress-well I had my eye on a maxi dress creation for quite some time and yesterday oh joy, it was in the sale and more importantly, my size. So sure that it would be fab that I omitted to try it on! Got home and immediately slithered into it's sheath like existence. How quickly joy turns into dismay when faced with a full length mirror. What was originally geared up to being a slip of willowy gorgeousness quite rapidly looked like Helga in a patterned tube. Mr W thought it was fab but he has weird eyesight and is an architect so presumably sees things in an upholstered style. I didn't want to be an upholstered woman. A long way round of saying I looked fat but there you go! So a run was Definately in order today, although had a lunch party to cater for first. It went well and I waited till I felt less stuffed and got my running gear on. A drizzly evening didn't deter my steely mood. Too many peanuts I fear! I think a spot of Ms Davina's stomach crunches will have to get done as I have a watersports holiday in 4 weeks, don't get me started on the beached whale analogies!!!! Distance: possibly 4km Time: 35mins Music: Bryan Adams, Muse, Audiofuel, Choir of Young Believers PS. V v excited as a box set of Nordic Noir is heading my way as we speak!!

Jubilee run

Tuesday 5th June 2012 Great extra holidays on top of part time work schedule has left me feeling quite disorientated but happy, don't get me wrong! Last night was a doggie walk with Dougal and his mistress and it turned out that we went on a new route down near one of our many gorgeous beaches. This did mean some sand walking so left my muscles zingy the next day! Some mojitos afterwards relaxed our aching limbs-not sure about doggie muscles though! I find that after a walk I am more sore than after a run, goes to show which one I put more effort into! Today I was awoken with yummy freshly squeezed orange juice plus fresh coffee, courtesy of my darling husband who knows how to encourage me out of bed and into helping with the gardening. Ho hum I weeded grudgingly. Decided that perhaps he could join me in my run today. Well he did join me for 5 mins then said he'd had enough. Suppose this is now my third year. Should be doing all sorts of marathons etc but never began this malarkey to do those so quite happy just pottering on my own really. Have read some Juneathon blogs and felt a wee twinge of guilt that I didn't sign up for it this year but am actually doing better than last year when I did sign up! Distance: 3 miles Time: 30 mins Music: Audio fuel mid intensity + Fleetwood Mac for a bit Reward: Chardonnay + some Twiglets (hardly any really)

Muesli and Herbal Elixirs

Thursday 31st May

Don't think for a moment that I have been slacking at the exercise door-I admit that tonight was the 1st run since that really hot one last saturday, however I have been doing doggie walks with Dougal and his mistress plus zumba.

Tonight I opted for a straight street run which I usually avoid simply because I don't want loitering people to muck up my running zen like space (!). I got a bit of that and also the fear that a motorbike was zooming up behind me when it actually was just the music I was listening to! The good thing about this route is that any hills are quite gentle and there a fewer midgies, always a blessing. Felt pretty relaxed, easy when i have a 5 day break starting tomorrow! Not sure if I will be doing any jubilee type pageant-just chilling.

• distance-8km
• time-45mins
• music-audiofuel and a bit of some frantic dance stuff, can't recall it's name
• reward-chilled wine +peanuts-so predictable, muesli and skimmed milk whilst bathing in herbal elixir

Tuesday 22nd May 2012

Sun is shining, work is done and evening to myself so no excuses....

On many levels, running has been a real life saver for me over the past wee while. It was something (and still is) that I could do that brought positive effects to my life when all else seemed to be flailing. I have just read this and I sound pants, so please ignore!

Back to the running before I get all psychological and weird:

• distance 2.64miles
• time 25 mins + 5 mins walk
• music-audiofuel+ a touch of Fleetwood Mac
• reward-bath and painting toenails-not much of a reward, more because I'm quite high maintenance!

Twiglets and Nordic Noir

Monday 14th May 2012 Well that's a title which reflects my current state of mind! I am absolutely hooked on the latest dish of Scandinavian crime on the TV, namely 'The Bridge' and will be devastated when it draws to it's no doubt, twisted close this weekend! The main character female detective is hilarious in an on the spectrum sort of way. Best line is 'meet Daniel, we have sex from time to time!' How much simpler life would be if we cut out the pfaff and said it like it was? How much hears her too I'd imagine! There is also a Twiglets thing going on right now, especially as I browse the various websites about Nordic Noir authors (there are a few). I think I'm lacking vitamin D and clearly need to travel immediately to sunshine. That's my hypothesis (or theory? I can't remember). Run was grand. Left in dry weather returned in torrential rain, a very soggy girl.Did about 4km and actually didn't care how wet I was! Back to those Twiglets....reminds me of that Mr Bean sketch at Hogmanay.

That really wet rain

Thursday 10th May 2012 Having a really wet week and so running has ground to a halt lately. Decided that I must not be a big girl's blouse anymore and went out for a maintenance run. It was that fine Scottish drizzle that looks tame enough but is actually hiding the superpower of drenching you within a minute! Went along the street where all gardens look identical. The owners obviously have a blooming (!) competition with each other so there is a riot of begonias and the odd winking gnome holding a clearly useless fishing rod. How it's supposed to catch anything when there is clearly no pond in sight, is anybody's guess. Some people should think their landscaping through more carefully. Who am I to criticise when my garden isn't grand! I'm not a fan of street runs but felt that I would get lost in the mud along my rural route. No idea how far I went but will be putting my route into mapmyrun later so we'll see! Took about 30 mins so probs about 3 miles. Reward will be thought of later- night to myself as Mr W is in Orkney, could well be time to watch that girlie film?!

Sunday 6th May 2012

 Having postponed my run by a few days because of highly intellectual pursuits, well perhaps it was the cold, miserable weather, I ventured out today. 

It's been one of those non-event weekends that sort of float by really quickly and you end up feeling that it could be so much better. When you are young(er) you feel that outside events provide the excitement but now that i am less young I know that it does actually take effort and a degree of planning. Life does not just happen to you. Well obviously some things creep in the side door but most things need a whopping great invite. Anyhow, that was what my weekend felt like. Also what do you do with teenage sons that don't want to do anything with you and better still, not be seen to be doing anything 'en famille?' I fondly remember making castles in the sandpit and out of bricks and how I inwardly sighed but did it anyway. Those were simpler times. 

My run was of the maintenance variety. Nothing like the all singing and dancing run of 30th April but then it kind of was in keeping with the weekend.

• 4km
• 30mins
• music-audiofuel and a bit of Fleetwood Mac (hey...)
• reward- Pinot Grigio and peanuts-what else?

A bit of a change...

Monday 30th April 2012

After a hard day perusing the shops and a ridiculously healthy dinner, I decided to do a completely different running route. Normally these things end in disappointment but tonight, ta-dah it worked!!
In my techno capacity, I have posted up the above new route onto Facebook (funny how ALL things link to Facebook these days). I was quite astounded to see that I ran 7.6km or 4.7miles in old money! I didn't feel like that I was doing all that, but obviously the secret super powers within kick started! Could be PMS too!
This has all helped me feel that I haven't really been pushing myself much lately. There are of course perfectly reasonable explanations for this downturn but it is reassuring to know that I do still have it in me...somewhere/sometimes.
Anyway...where are those peanuts, I'm sure I restocked!!

A run in the sun!

Well at long last the sun came back yesterday so that cheered me up and I could get out for a run. Was doubting my keenness for another round of Ms Davina in the living room.

I was feeling pretty confident that I could go further today and now that I have restored my iPod to it's proper soundtracks, things were looking up. Right at the start a bouncy sheepdog came bounding up to me to play. No owner in sight, typical. Had to stop to prove that I had no stick or slobbery ball. I obviously convinced him/her because he ran off with a cheeky wee tail wag leaving me to get back my rhythm!

I ran past the very big cows with their babies which was so lovely and made me remind myself that there are benefits to living where I do. Not so sure about the impending 'green burial' site that will be coming soon. Running past a hearse won't be quite so marvellous.

I think I ran about 3.5km, hard to say when I don't own a Garmin thingy but go on instinct and landmarks really. Not bad for the lone girl who is still running. Over optimism at the start isn't always a good thing!

Rain=wimp out of run=get out Davina

Wednesday 25th April 2012

Well it isn't really good enough an excuse but I'm using it, so there!

Davina's latest is quite tough. I always feel slightly nauseous jumping around the living room, maybe it's just me. Did about 40mins in total. Think I'd rather run in the rain!

Definately going to get out there tomorrow.

Not feeling terribly chatty tonight so will just go now before I embarrass myself with withering.

The smell of Spring

I am attempting to write this with a cat snuggled on my lap but whose claws have been clipped thankfully! I know this dear lady who is the cat queen of old ladies, well for the price of tea and cake, will clip my cat's claws. She doesn't climb trees and generally scrabble around outside as she used to in her kitten years, so hers claws don't get the natural manicure that they're supposed to. This is how my weekend started. Well, apart from making the cake obviously.
I had a strange good citizen moment when I picked my son up from the train station shortly afterwards. This (drunk) young woman got off the train and wanted to know where x address was. I felt the sooner she got to her friend's, the better, so I gave her a lift. She wittered on and I felt like the sober suburban mum. Quite a turn up that!!

Anyway, back to running. This evening was fantastic. Sun and no wind. Perfect for a run, so fully togged up with new purple sports bra and other attire I set off along my trusty route. There were lambs, excited dogs and even a red squirrel! I managed to go slightly further than last time so life is good. Slight M&S peanut shortage back home but did have some yummy feta and Parma ham. Then watched Mary Beard's Roman programme. Perfect end to Sunday!

One small muddy step

Wednesday 18th April

After a chance conversation with some friends last Friday, I decided to return to this blog...it seemed that some people did read it in cyberspace but didn't leave a calling card so to speak. I was flattered but never for a moment felt like I had done nearly enough running of late to blog.

Yes I have been quite a lazy girl. I have done some running at least once a week but each time had that 'newbie' quality so I didn't want a permanent record going on!

Tonight is usually swimming then steam room but my chatty friend couldn't make it so off I went for a wee run. Heavy rain made my route pretty yucky also diggers have been making tracks for a 'green burial site' so this added to the sombre tones. Not sure how I feel about living so close to this development but the folks keep saying that no houses will then be built on the land. Depends what you want as neighbours I guess.

Small but okish run. Done something bizarre to my iPod, so have deleted my trusty audio fuel music. Ending up running to mix of Duran Duran, Shooter Jennings, Lady GaGa, Pogues and ZZtop. Memories....

Day14 sort of doing Janathon

Saturday 14th January 2012

Really enjoyed a short run after the ups ands downs of chatting to a hormonal teenage boy-I'm sure they are worse than girls!! As usual I aim to remain calm and wise but that is not how I end up. Supposed to be the grown up but I do wonder at my own hormones sometimes.
This all spurred me on to just get out there even though I felt like curling up and feel sorry for myself? Must say that afterwards I cooked a yummy roast dinner and even got a big hug from my emotional son! There is a God!

Distance: 3km

Time: 25 mins

Reward: emotional release!! Oh and wine and peanuts of course!!

Music: new audio fuel download-really good beats

ooops

Thursday 12th January 2012

Well I have really messed up with this doing something energetic every day, haven't I? Mainly the weathers fault of course-it keeps on being windy, cold and wet. Not typical of January really.
So plan B:

On the way home from my work this afternoon I had a brainwave! I would not always have to go running but could instead take part in some living room aerobics ie. buy latest Davina DVD. I have never had a lot of success with the things in the past, but desperate measures and all that.

So while it was lashing and howling outside I was lunging and doing spotty dogs and all sorts in my front room (curtains closed obviously). Actually did make me quite sweaty-I even had to turn down the radiator.
Husband came in from work to find me doing reverse abdominal crunches with my cat supervising through one eye and narrowly avoiding being kicked by my scissor leg action. Anyway he just laughed (husband not cat) and said 'you're funny' Great-that was my aim you know, to have a comedy act ready for him coming home from work.
Quite enjoyed Ms McColl but not sure when novelty will wear off and DVD ends up in charity shop. Perhaps next week?

• distance-?
• time-30mins cardio + 15mins very sore abs work
• music-something pop chosen not by me
• reward-M&S dine in

Back to it!

Sunday 8th January 2012

After a slight lapse in my running, I got back to it this afternoon just before the sunset. A magnificent sunset glowed pink in the sky. It made me feel all rosy and happy that I made it out after all. As it's a new year, I thought I'd better update my running tunes on my ipod and loaded up some new audiofuel. Sadly couldn't quite remember how to do this before I set out but will play about with it before next time! I do wish I was more techno minded at times.

distance about 4km
time usual 30mins
music-old audiofuel but soon to be updated!
reward-will think of something I'm sure :)

It ain't happening!

Wednesday 4th January 2012

Look, there has been no jog, no log just a blog. Did take delivery of a new vacuum cleaner though and this involved some pretty vigorous work all round the house. So many attachments, it is marvellous( still talking about the vacuum).
Maybe a jog tomorrow, I hope so.

Tuesday 3rd January 2012

After a very gentle start to Janathon I actually went for a proper run today. Not massively delighted by the freezing ness and whippy wind but still, I couldn't bear the idea of going to the gym instead, so really had no option.Plus the remaining Xmas choccies were whispering rather too intently!
Heavy rain meant that some of my run was a bit squelchy which does of course make my trainers look quite hard core! The usual happy dogs came a yapping but luckily were called back to owners heels so didn't have to dothe jog on the spot thing till they got tired.

Distance-4km
Time-30mins+5mins walking for warm up
Reward-hot bubble bath...aahh

Day 2 and it's all quiet here

Monday 2nd January 2012

Freezing, sleeting and windy-so no running going to happen today. Arose this morning from a very poor sleep-notably my teenage son was watching bizarre programmes on telly at, wait for it, 3AM!! Noooooo. This infuriated me and left me unable to return to a cosy, relaxed slumber. Anger normally drives me out on a run but instead just frazzled me up.
Will walk to the curry house tonight tho, so all is not lost :)

Janathon starts quite gently

Sunday 1st January 2012

I am only doing a very quick blog today.

Decided on a walk with Mr W and our 5 toed sloth (teenage son!) in nearby woodland. It was beginning to get dark near the end of our walk and we were extremely glad of our son's ipod to act as a torch like gadget to read the map or we would still be roaming now.

Happy New Year everyone!

• 4.5km
• 1 and a quarter strolling hours
• 10 years of complaining from teenage sloth
• reward-the joys of family life!