Home at last.

First posting from the new house!

We might not have a sink in the downstairs bathroom, or a washing machine, or many other things we were promised (builder obv. had fingers crossed behind his back) would be done by now; but we've got broadband which has SIGNIFICANTLY improved my mood.

Also - went for a run yesterday . Just 5K (29.30) but it was brilliant. Up hill for 1.2miles without any reprieve - but a great view when you got there - and the joy of running back down for the rest. Good to get the legs working again and feel the heart pumping. Also brought a smile to my ever stressed face!

Think TheO was v pleased to see this - I've been pretty terrible to live with over the last few weeks. I don't deal well with change/packing/moving/camping/any situation where everything isn't in its place. But we're getting there - sort of. Despite being promised (see, there's that word again) a joiner today he still hasn't turned up.

Over the last few weeks I must have done things of note, things that were fun and delightful but at the moment I can only feel the permanent ache of arms that have packed and carried too many items.

However, that said, we did have a party the day we moved in. Oh yes, 12 of us, 10 who stayed (on beds, with duvets and pillows) christened the new house. The heating did us proud - let us not talk of the hot water... it's very fiddly to set - and we haven't got the knack yet. Luckily there is also an emersion. Ah well, there's always going to be teething troubles.

All those that helped to lift and shift and unpack a vast array of boxes are due a huge thank you - or maybe another party - we could not have done it all without you. Special word goes out to Rockgod who obviously was born without the ability to say:"Sod you and your large bits of furniture and your old doors that you can't squueze a mouse through, sod your complicated items from Ikea." His patience was magnificent and everything he built is still intact! Genius.

Right - I'm off to clean/unpack/order my tax disc online/cancel by BT account/order more stuff/have lunch.

xx Thanks for the patience.

Question

Why can't I be the kind of person I am when I run?

When I run I am focused, determined, I push myself and I am goal focused.
I am also competitive, confident, assured, and generally quite happy with myself.

Let's just say the house/moving thing is going hard and slow. Much like a marathon you didn't really intend to enter, and your watch is broken, and the mile markers are non-existent, and the water stops are our of supplies, and the weather is 20 degrees hotter than expected, and you forgot to train, and you have blisters. Picture clear enough?

Addendum

OMG I can't believe I forgot to mention the non-sweating-scary-anorexic-looking-chick (all of 15) at the gym. She was either on the bike or the elliptical for about 40min switching between the two, never broke a sweat, and combed her perfectly straight and tidy pony tail between machines. She was also of note as she looked at TheO and me like something the dog had rolled in. She would obviously never come to the gym looking such a state, let alone leave it that way. Jeesh.

Run run run - Happy happy Joy joy

So, the title tells you I'm tired. It's late. I ran. It affirmed my position mentally as somewhere above 'slug', but below 'antelope' in the fitness tables, and made me a muuuuuch happier human being. Damn it, I might be addicted. Bad moods vanish with running. And there have been bad moods all over the shop (sorry to TheO).

However, in more pleasant news we went to E'burg last week to see Spartan and Blarney who took us out for a faaaabulous dinner at Wedgewood where we drank champagne and nibbled small nibbly things and felt very swanky. This was (an unnecessary but very welcome) part of our nedding present. The boxed bit was a Wii Fit. (Again happyhappy joyjoy.) More later.

After a day in Edinburgh finding more lovely furniture that WASN'T ON THE LIST OF THINGS WE ACTUALLY NEEDED - we headed home and dealt with other house related stuff.

A quick - off road 5K was fitted in (32 min of hell) before dashing off to celebrate Teech living another fine year. Dinner (mmmm, it was a yummy week) in Ducks was fab - the puds are to die for - and our small, happy band drank the place quite dry before heading home (again); us to find happy, tired dogs sleeping on the sofa as they had run with us too.

Finishing off the sort through (that terrible pre-packing stage where you chuck out/ recycle/give to charity all the things you've wasted money on over the years... I even found a shirt I'd never worn) on Saturday left Sunday free for TheO to go and play golf with Teech whilst I attacked the Wii Fit for the first time.

Wiiiii Fit: Great and frustrating and evil. Some of the games are brilliant. I particularly loved hula hooping and ski jump (where I did all the actions and even cheered myself at the end). The strength exercises are evil and made me ache like a mofo the next day. The yoga postures whilst focusing on the balance was brilliant. Less delightful (although hilarious) is when it shows your Mii as fat and depressed as it should be. It's just wrong. Also, why was my Mii shocked at being a lard arse? I was already aware I was a lard arse.

Finally the estate agents have visited. We might even put the old girl on the market and let other people have a lovely time here. Still waiting on them getting back to us - which seems to be all we do these days. (Sighs heavily.)

But, moving on. The 10K was marvellous. It was only in the gym, but it was all on 1% and completed in 59.14 which makes me think I might not have lost too much fitness overall. Also, I didn't need my inhalor at the end, so the other one must be working - and, I managed to keep a nice steady pace and not be too puffed until the sprint finish. I will suffer tomorrow. Oh yes.

Oooo in news forgotten in the whirl of post (I mean bills) - I received some actual Nike shwag a few days ago. I was contacted by them as they were promoting the Here I Am campaign of female athletes in loads of different sports. There's an incredible series of YouTube videos which I suggest you have a look at. (I would link them in by I get all tangled up with the Taiwanese site and can't read the instructions to imbed it/change language or do anything useful.)

I said I would happily promote this as not only to Nike ads actually show women working hard, sweating and competing (rather than being silly prissy little delicate flowers), they make clothes that fit me, and I love their trainers. So in return they sent me a huge promo book full of artwork and images from the campaign. All told in different styles and stunningly printed.

Real blogger shwag. Free stuff just for wittering on. I could get used to this.

Hmph

I said I'd be better at this. And still, I neglect my poor blog.

Running:
Managed 5 miles in the gym which made me feel like a super star. 47min and all at 1.5 % - maybe I've not lost ever ounce of fitness, even if it feels like it!
A sweet (or sweaty) 5K was also managed outside. (I know, outside, that place with fresh air, and gentle forest sounds, and dog crap...) This was ok, I had 2 dogs, it was dead-flat and I took 29min. Not bad, but it definitely felt harder than I thought it should. Maybe I'm just too demanding.

Other News:
Probably secured some funding to help turn a stable area at the new house into a proper workshop. This is sooooo exciting. I can't wait. Still need to get all the paperwork filed, but the very nice people at our new local authority will help with that.
Finally, after far too many months got new lino put down in the kitchen and bathroom. I'd forgotten what it was like to have flooring in there not full of doggy teeth marks and ripped to shreds - quite refreshing really.

Had a lovely night with Spartan and Blarney last night as TheO was massaging them for her course. Great food, good chat and happy dogs. Perfik. Looking forward to another Nedding present this week - and a party at some point. Mmm much yuminess going on.

All of the rest of my news would be tales of tiles, and paint, and lighting, and fabrics, and tedious in the extreme to anyone apart from me and TheO; but, to be fair it's reached the point where it's tedious for us too.

My ridiculous news for the day is of bag-love. A love that only occasionally raises its perfectly supple, leather head and sings to the hills. Whilst shopping for the above fabrics/lighting/insert item of tedium/bin TheO bought the most incredible bag EVER for me. I drool at the very thought. A proper w/end bag of beauty and wonder - behold. Lily.

I think she's beooootiful. This picture doesn't do her justice, as the one I've got is 7 zips, not 5 and has a few more colours across the top. It's very silly how happy a bag can make a grown woman. It makes a v nice replacement for the overnight bag I was using last night (a Waitrose bag for life).

Off to get some delicious and not nutritious take-away. Then plan tomorrows run, and get the to-do list sorted.

Also a huge hug goes to RF who's having horrid house hideousness in the hills. A warm spot can always be found for you here!

New Mantra

Well I'm finally back to running. Another two 5Ks have been done since the last post. Both were pretty decent but it's 23 days since I ran further than 5K. This is officially a slump. Luckily I can't wait to build back up.

It's been a damn busy week but with 2 parties as well as the usual stuff.
1st one was a delightfully impromptu bash at Spartan & Blarney's place. Lots of fizz and chilli (cooked by my own fair hand) and chat. I had a wonderful time. TheO managed to give 3 full body massages and a shoulder massage... she must have been knackered! (And not as tipsy as the rest of us.)

The following day we made it back home and then out to RF and Wheeler's House Warming. We had head-torch cheilieeeee in a barn (genius), BBQ (in a barn) and a huge fire burnt all night. (Luckily it was watched by Wheeler who stayed alert* allllll night, just to keep us all safe; this is why the fire brigade came to check the charring the next morning.)
TheO and I had our tent and camped in the back garden/wilderness. We had the blow up mattresses and it was sooo comfy I slept like a baby. Although I clung to my head torch all night like it was some kind of life giving talisman and awoke covered in deep, dark bruises.

Finally this week we've begun to progress with the house. We've picked up more furniture (pretty), ordered more fabric samples, all the paint samples, and chosen a stove (pretty much). We met Kevin today and sorted out the delays (vomiting bug) and asked for all the wee jobs to be sorted out. Also met the decorator to get a quote for all that. And, and - on our return home the skip had arrived. It's now 1/2 full as 3h hard labour moved all the junk from the garage, conservatory and all the bathroom tiles out. It was most satisfying.

Oh, and my new mantra:

The one I use for running is - "not for one step". Over anything less than 16 miles this translates as - I will not walk, not even for one step. My shiny new manta is - "not even one broken plastic spoon". This translates as, not even one tiny broken plastic spoon will move to the new house. No unnecessary shit will be boxed, moved and unpacked. It's all being binned or given to charity. It all goes. The fluff goes, the crap you collect over the years goes, the computer discs for the old computer all go! I'm with William Morris on this, only have things that are beautiful and useful in your life. All the extraneous crap can go in my big ol' battered skip. Who knew a skip could make a girl so happy. (And they're only charging me £10 for the second week.)



*Translation: got drunk and stayed up rambling round the fire with mates alllll night.

Two Weeks

Crikie. 2 weeks. It really does seem like a long time to have abandoned my little blog. It's only 2, I'm not quite sure how it coped on its own.

The reason for my abandonment is that a terrible apathy/lethargy/grumpiness/lack of desire to exercise came upon me. I did no exercise for 9 days. NINE. This is the longest since my first ever run. However it doesn't seem to have hurt me, and maybe everyone needs a break.

After Coll and the half (which I enjoyed) I'd put in a couple of half hearted small runs. But then we went away to Derbyshire for a few days to see Piano Man. Delightful grub was only barely combated by a lovely walk up and around The Roaches and, officially, the worst 5K ever known to man or woman. It was 34min with 3 mini walking breaks. Walking breaks - in a 5K - what happened? Now in my defence: it was quite hilly and we were up very high in the Peak District. But it wasn't as hilly as some stuff I usually do! Also, it was thick hot mist. So thick you couldn't see more than 15m in front of you. Freaky. Alas, alack this really made me angry. I'd gone out a bit peeved (I couldn't find my water bottle... I found it somewhere obvious that I'd put it. AAARGH) and was hoping that, as usual, the run would make everything better. It was shite.

However I don't think, at least I seriously hope, that 8/9 days of malaise can be blamed on one rubbish run. During that time I also felt a bit off colour. Just that 'I'm about to get a really bad cold' feeling. Tight limbs, little bit of congestion, scratchy throat. Usually I'd try a wee run as it more often than not makes me feel better, not this time. I was also suffering from a might blow of PMT. These things seemed to be conspiring against me. My diet was also rubbish as no one could be bothered to cook anything with a damn vegetable in it. Or cook at all.

Time and 'stuff to do' was very much against me. Things for the house and work have been taking up all my mental space. It's ridiculous but there are so many things to do. Packing, changing of addresses, deciding on everything from door handles to lighting, to colours, to furniture. I find it all a bit too much mentally. The constant making of lists ...

Seriously. I started this, got as far as 'lists' then felt compelled to research about 20 different tile options online. Jeesh. It's like my brain just.can't.stop.thinking.about.it.

So, where was I. Oh yes. A fantastic trip to Derbyshire, was followed the next w/end by Tigger, Badger and HH coming to stay. We had a lovely, very relaxed (I hope) time. On Saturday TheO had spied a Countryside Fair so we packed up Keith with multiple people and pooches (we had RF and Wheeler's dog Dougal to stay too) and wandered round feeling v v outdoorsy. If you had any combination of dog/gun/4x4 then this was the place for you. We managed to see some stunt riding (very impressive), fast pooches (almost as impressive), birds of prey and lots of shopping. I bought a mighty fine hat. (This is really the biggest news I could give - I look rubbish in hats, so this really was a first.) The outdoors made us crave some veggies for dinner and so we combated that with delicious cocktails (and some veggies).

The following day TheO was playing in a few finals at her tennis club ('cos despite all her protestations she's really not bad!). It was foul weather so our guests stayed with me and ate madelaines (thanks Badger) and drank tea. After they were safely departed I went to watch the matches. I turned up just in time to see her win the Ladies Doubles. :) However, another 3h were spent watching other matches (and desperately testing her on her massage homework) and then the Plate match in which she was also playing. Despite it being a hard fought, her partner was definitely having an off day, and they came away empty handed. Luckily the club kept the spectators supplied with tea so we didn't freeze to death. September 7th has never seemed so much like Autumn before.

Yesterday after a day at the house making sure they didn't put the new wall in the wrong place; (Honestly, I arrived moments before they were about to do that! However, disaster averted.) lots of making of furniture;mMeasuring of areas; and basic panic. I finally managed to get home and do some exercise. 40min on the elliptical machine with 1k weights on each arm. It wasn't fast and, as usual, the distance bit wasn't working - but it was probably about 4 miles. I also had the rolling setting on so it worked the legs quite hard. Just have to get back outside now. I know doing it makes me feel much better, and much happier. But the black dog is still nipping at my heels a bit. Ah well, I know we'll get there in the end, but occasionally it seems like there is far more to get done than we can achieve in the time.