Escape from Washing Mountain

I am now officially a year older, and have vowed that I won't eat for a week after last night's Chinese buffet. I am still full to the brim, but it was lovely being able to keep going up and trying new dishes, and we certainly made the most of the opportunity! The children were very impressed by the candy floss machine, and must have eaten twice their own body weight in sugar.
Hubby has returned to work today, and I've run out of excuses for not doing the housework, so my day will be busy, too. What I really don't understand is how one family can create so much washing in less than a week. The laundry basket was overflowing, and after a good sort out I've got 8 loads to do. Each load takes just over an hour, so I've planned my day around each load...sad, isn't it?!
I put the first load in, grabbed my trainers and went out for a run. It's the first time I've been out running for a while, as I've relied on the treadmill through the snow. It's really foggy here today, and also a lot warmer than it has been. I'd overestimated how many layers I'd need to wear, and within half a mile I was very hot and rather wheezy. Even so, it was so much nicer to be out watching the world go by than stuck inside watching tv, and the 3.2 miles that I covered today passed by very quickly.
The second load of washing went in while I had a quick bath, and now the third load is in and I'm doing some tidying and helping youngest daughter to clean out her guinea pig. Who knows, by the end of the day I might just have got the 8th load washed, and tomorrow I can look forward to ironing it all. Oh the joys of being a mother!

Too much of a good thing

Over the last couple of days I've not done very much exercise, although we did go for a nice walk on the Lickey Hills yesterday with the dog, and watched the families sledging in the still-deep snow.
Today the temperatures have risen a little and the snow is finally melting, which should make it easier to get out for a run, although I stayed in on the treadmill as the pavemnets are slippery in places. I ran quite hard this morning, and as the day has gone on my ankle is feeling rather tender, but it doesn't appear to be swollen.
Tomorrow is my birthday and the celebrations have begun early. We went to Symphony Hall in Birmingham this afternoon to listen to 'The four seasons by candlelight', which was a spectacular two hours of music.
Unfortunately I'm feeling somewhat sick now as we came home and ate an entire box of Thorntons chocolates! I guess that means an extra 10 minutes running will be needed in the morning. Actually, I'd better make that an extra 20 minutes as we're going out for a Chinese birthday buffet tomorrow evening.

'Tis the season to be sneezy

Well...it was bound to happen sooner or later...I've had a rotten cold for the past few days, but I'm pleased to report that I'm finally starting to feel human again. I've not done any exercise for days, unless you count a snowy walk into the village for supplies. The good news is that - unlike the last few years when I've been ill - I haven't instantly become wheezy, and I think that my increased levels of fitness have contributed.
So, what has happened this week...? Youngest daughter was 12 on Wednesday, but the weather meant that her party plans were scuppered. I've promised her that she will be like the Queen this year and have two birthdays, so she can have a party in a couple of weeks time. Also this week, oldest daughter has had her grade 3 flute exam results...and she got a merit, which was fantastic news.
The sun is out today, and although it's still sub-zero temperatures the thaw has started. Surely it must be nearly summer?

And still it falls

The snow hasn't thawed at all, and the roads are strewn with abandoned cars. First thing this morning I went with my friend to feed her horses. They are stabled at the top of a hill, which can be tricky to get to after it's snowed. Fortunately her car is a tenacious little beast and it got us up there without the need for pushing. It was a chilly -6 and eerily quiet, but the view across the frozen countryside was spectacular.
Second stop of the day was to physio, and I was treated to some more massage to help loosen up my calf muscles. After about 15 minutes of kneading, the physio told me she'd be back soon, and I assumed she had disappeared to see another patient. Not so. When she returned she explained that my calf had been very red, so she had given it a few minutes to rest. Happily it had recovered enough for her to 'have another go at it'. Goody. If I can walk tomorrow I'll be amazed.
I was also due to see Mr Orthotic Man today, but he hadn't been able to make it through the snow, so I have a new appointment booked in January.
Next stop involved running the gauntlet at the supermarket, then home to thaw out.
As I type this (just after 9 in the evening) the snow is falling again, so I'm going to shut the curtains tight, turn up the fire and pretend that it's August.

Winter wonderland

Exercise this week has been gentle, but consistent. I've been doing about 30 minutes a day on the treadmill, and a little bit on the bike.
I did 50 minutes on the treadmill this morning, but it felt more like 3 hours - not because the going was tough, but because of a tv disaster. (I forgot to locate the tv controller before I got going, and what I thought was the news turned into an extended interview with Cliff Richards. That'll teach me not to be prepared!)
I don't think I'll be running outside for a few days. The sprinkling of snow on Friday turned into blizzards yesterday, and by yesterday evening we had 8-9 inches of the white stuff, and deeper where it had drifted. Temperatures have been around -5 degrees today, so there's been no thaw as yet.
I'm glad I took a few minutes to fill up the bird feeders on Friday, and the robin seems pleased, too.

Still here...

There's not a lot to report, but I thought I'd better write a quick post so you know I'm still here!
My calf has been quite sore over the weekend thanks to the physio's 'gentle' massage, so the stretching exercises have been helping relieve the tightness.
A neighbour called in unexpectedly on Saturday morning, and I felt quite embarrassed by the accumulation of papers, dog toys and general household clutter that had built up over the previous weeks. I spent the next five hours in a cleaning and tidying frenzy while the children hid in their rooms and the dog cowered in his basket. Everything is sparkling now, and I'm following the family around to check that they're upholding my standards.
Yesterday turned into an unplanned - but very deserved - rest day. It was lovely, but proved to be the calm before the storm, as work today was utterly exhausting!
I jumped on the treadmill as soon as I walked through the door this evening as I knew a moment of hesitation or procrastination would mean no exercise. I am pleased to say that I clocked up 3km. Not far, but, as the saying goes, every little helps!

Time flies

I don't know where this week has gone. Work has been busy, and all the evenings have been taken up, too. At least the snow has melted, and the weekend has started!
The best day of my week was yesterday, for two reasons.
Reason number one: I was in a training session, and we split into groups and were given the task of defining motivation, and drawing a picture to represent what motivation means to us. When it came to sharing our ideas, one of the groups explained that I was their inspiration for motivation, and linked all their ideas to the motivation needed to complete a marathon. Along side was a stick figure, labelled 'Jas'. I was really touched, and brought their drawing home and have pinned it up by my treadmill for days when I need reminding about motivation. (I am, however, a little concerned that they labelled the marathon as 27.5 miles...I thought 26.2 was far enough!)
Reason number two: my oldest daughter played a flute solo in her school concert last night, and did a very good job, too. I'm very proud of the effort she's put in to practicing, and think she did an amazing job. It's good to be a mum.
And now to exercise. I've been consistently covering about 2 miles a day, as well as doing my stretching exercises. I'm pleased to report that my ankle hasn't been swelling at all, and I've had no pain. Hoorah!
I went to see the physio this afternoon, and she is pleased with how the stretching has increased the flexibility in my hamstrings, and is beginning to loosen up my calves.
I was 'treated' to some deep tissue massage, which brought tears to my eyes, and has left me with an incredibly tender calf. Before my next appointment in a couple of weeks time I've been given some eccentric loading exercises to do, which are apparently brilliant for the achilles tendon.
My usual physio isn't available for my next appointment, and I've been promised that the person I see next time is a lot firmer with their massage. Gulp. Any firmer and they'll be down to the bone!

Weighty matters

Exercise over the last couple of days has been more of the same - time spent on the treadmill. I was busy all morning and afternoon, and it was early evening by the time I got to exercise today, so it was already dark and cold outside. I'm grateful again for the flexibility a treadmill at home is giving me, as I think today would have otherwise been a write-off.
I know I've lost some weight over the past six months - about a stone, I think - and hubby has been trying to lose some weight recently, too. Unfortunately, our old scales are hideously inaccurate and are always +/- half a stone, depending on how you stand on them/look at them/breathe near them. With this in mind, we've treated ourselves to some fancy digital ones. They match the bathroom(!), and their large digital readout tells your weight in stones, pounds or kilos.
I've never been terribly bothered by my actual weight - if my jeans fit, then all is good, but if the buttons won't do up, it's time to cut back on treats. That said, it's nearing time for my annual asthma check up, and the asthma nurse is far more concerned with my weight - and isn't slow in telling me when I need to lose a bit.
My first step on the new scales was a bit of a shock as I seemed to have put on twenty eight pounds overnight, but a quick recalibration gave a figure about seven pounds higher than the old scales. A bit disappointing, but not a huge surprise. It means that my BMI is about 24.5, which puts me in the 'normal' range - just.
I guess I could do with losing another 7-10lbs...or maybe I should just try growing 4 inches taller.

Back on track

Temperatures are still well below freezing outside, but it was toasty on the treadmill as I did my allotted distance today.
The controls are easy to master, and I soon warmed up...and then got hotter and hotter until I was positively cooking. The treadmill is next to a radiator, and I think I'll have to get into the habit of turning it off before I start exercising.
It looks like we'll have to make a slight adjustment to the belt, as it's running a little too near the left hand side and needs to be more central, but other than it seems pretty perfect, and I'm really pleased with my purchase.
I'm still doing the stretching exercises the physio gave me to do, and I think they're starting to pay off as I'm becoming more flexible. I've never been able to touch my toes, but I can now...just! I'm back with the physio in a week's time, and I hope she'll be pleased with how I'm getting on.
The most exciting part of the day by far was oldest daughter taking her grade 3 flute exam. She's practiced really hard, and she was pleased with how it went. At least the examiner she had this time was friendly and put her at ease. It'll be a long couple of weeks waiting for the result, and I'll let you know what mark she gets.

No excuses any more

With no sign of a thaw, and more snow promised, I took some decisive action today and invested in a treadmill. It's second-hand, and was being sold by someone who trained on it for the marathon last year, so at least the treadmill knows what to do, even if I'm floundering!
Getting it home was fun...it had to be carried up a steep drive that was covered in ice, and then squeezed into the back of our car, but somehow we got it home. Our back room now looks more like a gym...it's a good job that hubby is very tolerant!
I've had a quick few minutes on the treadmill this evening, but need to spend a bit of time reading through the instructions and getting to know the different programmes before I can make best use of my new toy.
So...no more excuses. Nineteen weeks to go. London, here I come!