This is what I did today! In my defence- the bike ride did come first!!!

la francais est finis!

Sadly my 6 weeks of french have come to a close. I've really enjoyed it and hope it will continue next year. I'm going to keep on increasing my vocab and bone up on those verbs! It's amazing how much of the school french comes back! I 've been trying to write a journal most days and that's a challenge. Thank goodness for Google translate!

Busy busy busy- but doing what???

I seem to be running around busy busy busy but I'm not really sure what I'm doing!!! TAFE is coming to a close so that always means more work. Gym is the same as ever so no extra there. Maybe it's a 'post holiday slump'!!!

On our holiday I went to the gym every day- had a jolly good sweat, ran or walked at least twice a day and felt fabulous.

Coming back home I've avoided the gym, I've run but with a struggle and generally seemed to have lost my mojo for exercise. I know it will come back but I wish it would hurry!!!!!

Just thought I'd better write on here just to let you know that I'm still in the land of the living!!

Back in the land of the living again

Just got back from 10 glorious days in our favourite spot!! Can you guess where? The weather was perfect- apparently it had mega rain the week before we came and was raining the day we left- but inbetween- PERFECT!!! Had a thoroughly indulgent time with lots of gym, walking and spending inbetween the eating!! Now it's time to 'dry out' and get some sense back into my life.
I've had my first French lesson- just before we left for holiday. It's quite amazing how much comes back (after 40+ years inbetween lessons!). Did lots of study when away - the internet is awesome for learning!

Long ago dreams

On Friday we both realised those long past dreams and aspirations- that's right! A fancy dress party, dressing up as what you wanted to be when you were a child.

I am the fairy and hubby is a cowboy! Well.....guess we finally got to achieve our goals on this one!! hehehe

PHEW!

Phew! It's only Tuesday but feels as though I've done a months work! Back at tafe after 2 weeks break. Monday and Tues are my busy days and much as I love it- it really does put the pressure on! I've got bags of work to correct and more to prepare. Gym hasn't been in my sights- I've strained my upper back and guess what I think did it???? Bloody swimming!!!!!

My Saturday morning running track- Lilydale Lake. Looking particularly lovely this Saturday with a mist and softness- very reminiscent of English country side!

Back running my usual 6km with no ill effect on my foot. Shouldn't take too much effort to increase to the 21km should it???? lol

My clever girl did her first half marathon today! I'm so proud of her. I was more excited than if I'd done it myself. I spent the night dreaming of her and kept waking up. Grrrrr- that's what I do if I'm running!!! Well done Catherine

Holiday task 2

Took Kerryn's advice and decided to try a recipe from the multitude of cook books I haven't thrown out! Picture is not very good but the actual item I cooked was delicious!! It started life as 'Tuna Potato Roulade' and finished life with me as 'Salmon Potato Roulade' and with quite a few changes in ingredients-lol

Instead of mushrooms ( of which I had none) and spring onions ( likewise) and tuna ( likewise again and I don't really like tuna all that much!)- I put in salmon, grated carrot and corn kernels.

It was a matter of what was in the larder!!

Anyway- it's a recipe I will repeat !

holiday tasks!

School holidays have arrived which means 2 weeks off from TAFE. As much as I really love the teaching there I'm always relieved when holidays are here. As usual I have a PLAN. Wrote my list of 'To Do's" and set about Task 1- clean out the recipe books that take up a whole kitchen cupboard!

I'm a very basic cook and if I want something different I usually hit the internet. So..... no need for all those cookery books I have accumulated. On my hands I knees I sorted into piles and lo and behold...by the end of it- I had almost exactly the same number of piles as I started!

There's something about cook books that seem so appealing- I'm sure I'll make this some day- I'll make a recipe from here once a week etc etc

Sadly... that never happens and I still have a cupboard full of books that I really know I will NEVER use

Any suggestions??

charging towards my goals

One of my goals for my er...ummmm....60th Year was to learn a language. Well finally found somewhere that wasn't too far away and wasn't too late into the night ( hahaha- it's heading towards Jarmies at 5 , dinner 5.30, bed 6pm!!!)

So.... in October I try to refresh my very basic and very school girlish French! I think it will be a good thing starting with a language that I am basically familiar with. I was never good at French so this will be my chance to redeem myself. I'm looking forward to it- although with a bit of school girlish trepidation!!!

Where's it gone?

I seem to have lost any desire for a healthy diet at the moment! It's always a bit of a struggle but now I seem to be eating everything and anything in sight without a thought to the consequences. I bought a book about sugar addition and how poisonous sugar is- hoping that might jolt me into a bit of focus.

On the foot topic- foot seems to have settled a bit. Went for a short ( 3km) run today and I'm convincing myself that I can't feel it at all ( mostly I really really can't!) I've sold my half marathon entry cos I knew if I held onto it I would probably convince myself that I could still do it. If I just walked and ran I probably could- but I do know my limitations!! And one of those is doing what I should do and not what I want to do!

we're off to Echuca for the weekend- really looking forward to a weekend away and some R& R- ready to face the next week of early mornings!

Reluctantly and sadly

unfortunately I have made the decision not to go on with the half marathon:((. My foot doesn't like it and after having 4 years of getting it to a point where I can run ( if I don't overdo it) then I don't want to go back to hobbling, icing, walking and NO RUNNING!

I'm really disappointed as I would have loved to compete in it- on the other hand I'm relieved that the pressure to keep increasing distance is off me. Ho hum- the next challenge may be a 10k or something more manageable. I really enjoy the fun runs and they give me a purpose for the training.

Hmmmmmm....... my little footsie is not very happy:((( Unfortunately all this running seems to be aggravating my foot! Hopefully a week rest ( just cycling and maybe swimming) might help. I joined a running forum and the advice from there is to do short runs more often to build up fitness base and that if I can do 14km - then the 21km on race day won't really be taxing. I think that's right. In the past I've trained for the run for kids ( 15) and haven't really gone past 12km. On the day it's always easier to do that bit more.

I really really really hope I can do this run!

Amazing

Did you realise that , at 6.15am, it was actually quite light? At least there was more light than dark- yipppeeeee!!!

on track- literally!

Ran 15kms today- so pretty well on track for October. This is the furthest I've run just about ever! I did 18km fun run a zillion years ago but I can hardly remember that!

Had babysitting duties after that- the girls were so good. I can hardly believe how good the 2 year old is. She never cries, never tantrums, is cute and endearing and a laugh a minute. The 2 older ones are very similar. However- I'm always glad to get back to my quieter life-lol.

The weather in Melb this weekend has been superb- and it looks as though the whole week will be much the same. Spring is in the air, the days are getting longer and I can feel myself starting to unfurl like all the trees and flowers. lol- how poetic is that????? Must be feeling good!

One of those days!

Do you ever get one of those days when everything is an effort? Yesterday I dragged myself around. Went to gym and only did about half of workout, felt shaky and just not good! Fell asleep in the chair then went to bed only to wake 4 hours later and had trouble getting back to sleep! grrrrr.

Feel much better today! Maybe it was the way the moon sun and stars aligned!!!

only 7.5 to go!

This is becoming a running blog! Going well with my training for the half marathon in October. Ran 12km straight and then 3km walk and run. Time wasn't brilliant but as I'm just trying to make the distance it's not really an issue ( well........ it sort of is...... don't want to be toooo slow!)

Turned on my ph app this time- it calculates how far, time etc. Not sure what happened but it seemed to have lost a few kms along the way and according to it my run speed varied quite considerable ( I think I just go slow or slower!!). but apart from that the ph was great! If people click on facebook that they like this- I get cheers or 'go go go'. That was fun!

My body felt fantastic while I was running- no pain, no discomfort no anything! I was tired towards the end and glad to stop- but I guess my fitness and running strength will gradually improve.

Going.....going......

A MUCH better run today - thank goodness. Did the 12km and pulled up just fine and dandy! It did seem like a long way - especially when I'm really just over half way to the distance I need to do! Yikes- and it wasn't easy!!! However I did have the energy left to sprint the last couple of hundred metres home. Hubby met me on the final lap and said 'race ya!'. Like a red rag to a bull I'm afraid- so I took off! I'd forgotten how much I love sprinting.
Next week it's 12km and 3 extra walk/run kms. I'm going to have to get up mega early to fit this all in.

Inner Princess

Oh dear... my inner princess was fairly shouting at me on Saturday morning! First 3 kms- my foot hurts, my calf hurts. Second 3kms- these are my new shoes, perhaps I'd better not overdo it, it's still another 2 and half months til the run...plenty of time. Third 3 kms- maybe walking the next 3 would be a much better idea, no point injuring myself cos I was too stupid not to overdo it. At end of the 9km met up with my 'external princess' (aka hubby) me...whinging a bit- not sure if I should do the last lap.....tired foot etc. 'ET' comes to the rescue........ walk with me- lol how could I refuse!!!
I've just read Kek's latest blog................hmmmmm............... I think I could learn to develop a bit of 'backbone' by taking on board her mindset!!!!
We'll see how next Saturday goes- 12kms - here I come!!!