Filed under: food, Uncategorized | Tags: barbeque, camping, food, ice-cream, irunbecauseilovefood, kayak, paddling, RIB, shed
It’s been a while readers, but I’m back. Nothing sinister; just not been running or blogging much. It hasn’t been all work and no play (though sometimes it has felt like it). On the contrary, I have been reasonably active and also eaten a lot of food. So here’s a pictorial romp through the back end of June and July…
Camping
Eating ice-cream at Scoop
Going to weddings (other people's rather than one's own)
Painting a shed
Barbequeing
Kayaking on Beaulieu River
Paddling at Camber Sands
Reading
Riding around in a RIB
More barbequeing
More paddling
It’s all going downhill after a relatively promising start. I was in London for a conference yesterday, and took the opportunity of a rare mid-week catch-up with the fella. Instead of Juneathoning, we had fish and chips at the Brill Grill and shared a bottle of wine. Bugger.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: charity, cycling, David Walliams, Davina McCall, Elton John, Land's End, Patrick Kielty, Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride
Sport Relief almost passed me by this year, but I happened to catch the programme on the Million Pound Bike Ride on BBC1 last Thursday. David Walliams instigated the ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End, with a group of celebs including Davina McCall and Patrick Kielty. I’m not a big fan of celebrities-doing-their-charity bit on the whole, but I have to say I was impressed with their determination on this one. The team cycled a non-stop 1,000-mile relay over 82 hours. They dealt with icy roads, snow and temperatures as low as -15°C – on virtually no sleep.
Well done them.
They’ve already raised over £1.3m, but if everyone who reads this gives them another fiver – they’ll raise about another grand. You can easily donate five quid by texting the word “bike” to 70005. Alternatively you can give a larger amount on the Sport Relief website.
And if you want to watch the programme, check it out on iPlayer.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Aosta, Italy, La Thuile, skiing, Snickers, snow
I have a love-hate relationship with skiing.
On a good day, I find it exhilarating to zoom downhill, can’t wait to get on back on a lift to go again, then stop off for a hot chocolate, or get some much needed winter sun on my face while lolloping in a deckchair with a Snickers bar.
On bad days – when I don’t feel I’m making any progress, old knee injuries are aggravated, my quads are burning, I can’t see where I’m going and it’s freezing cold – I f***ing hate it. As I was heard to exclaim on one particularly chilly day in La Thuile, Italy. I think it was this one (below); it might look pretty, but it was -15°C and blowing a hoolie.
"What the hell am I doing here?"
Fortunately, despite the ankle injury, I had more good days than bad. Even dosed up on Ibuprofen, getting an instrument of torture a ski boot onto my bruised and swollen foot every morning was excruciating. But, once in, the boot braced my ankle fairly effectively and I was able to skid around ok, albeit fairly gracelessly. It wasn’t until day five, when the swelling went down a bit and I could do my boot up properly that I made any hint of progress. It helped that that was the warmest day, and we were over in Courmayeur. Red 13 marked a turning point, I leaned into the wind and sped down squealing with delight. I just wished that had happened on day one!
"Wooooooooo! This is more like it..."
It was a really good trip on the whole. I went with eight others, and loved the group atmosphere. I also discovered the Bombardino – a warming concoction comprising coffee, brandy, advocaat (or something similar) and cream. Our hotel – the Piccolo San Bernardo – was basic but clean and comfortable, with friendly staff and good food.
I have to say, it was incredibly cold for the first week in March and La Thuile was quite exposed. But, the excellent snow conditions did make up for it – absolutely beautiful to ski on.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: British Military Fitness, running, sleep
Good excuse for ridiculously cute photo
This week, I have mostly been sleeping. I seem to have been struck down by some kind of cough-cold-sneezing thing, and am just hoping it doesn’t turn into anything really nasty by the weekend. I’ve been in bed before 9 the last couple of nights, and will be off to bed again shortly.
Perhaps that was why I felt soooo bad during my Saturday run. Hope so anyway. Definitely no rolling around on wet grass at British Military Fitness this week – not until I feel properly better. 
Filed under: British Military Fitness, running, Uncategorized | Tags: British Military Fitness, Garmin, iPad, MacBook Pro, porn, running
Despite having worked in technology PR for more than ten years, I think of myself as a reluctant geek. I can’t get myself too excited over the Windows 7 launch or the protracted unveiling of the sanitary-sounding iPad.
That said, this blogging malarky has teased out a glimmer of inner geek, the bit that loves all the blog stats – how many people have visited today? where did they come from? where did they go next? And I do love my pretty new MacBook Pro with its lighty-uppy keyboard and beautiful clear screen.
Now Lee B, a British Military Fitness buddy, has created the equivalent of geek porn in partnership with his Garmin; and even I’m excited. Check out his visual representation of last Wednesday’s BMF class. Click on the “Player” button to view our circular warm-up, run across to the path down the centre of the park, ziz-zag across it, run further down, do various activities there, followed by a water break, then across to the other side of the park for hill sprints near the pub, before heading back to the south end of the path for a final fartlek sesh back up towards the carpark. 3.38 miles completed in almost 59 minutes, burning 428 calories. I confess to being slightly disappointed with calorie data – would have assumed it to be more – but guess the Garmin wouldn’t be counting the calories burned when stationary, even if you were doing sit-ups, press-ups, burpees, etc. at the time. Can’t wait for the next installment…
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2010, Bath half marathon, disabled skiing, Paralympics, sit-ski, Vancouver
Another non-running and non-foodie post, but I hope you’ll all read this and take something from it.
Seven years ago, a 33-year-old fit and active PE teacher was paralysed in a road accident. He was given a 30 per cent chance of surviving the accident and told he would be in hospital for two years if he lived. Within eleven months, he completed the Bath half marathon and within a year, he was back on the ski slopes in an adapted sit-ski. This week, he qualified to compete in the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver.
That man, Talan, is my ex-husband.
Despite everything we’ve been through together, I remain very proud of his achievements and single-minded determination to reach his goal. No matter how difficult that was for both of us at times.
I wish Talan, Russ, Sean and the rest of the team all the very best in Vancouver. Go Team GB!
Talan
Yesterday, Phil and I re-insulated the loft in his house. If anyone asks you to help them do this, find any excuse NOT to do it. Anything. Just make it up. It’s a minging job.
Number of binbags filled up with old insulation materials: 40
Number of trips to B&Q to get Outbreak suits, facemasks, goggles and gloves: 2 (forgot the suits first time around)
Number of trips to B&Q to get new insulation materials: a further 4 (you try getting more than six rolls in a MINI)
Number of rolls of new insulation materials laid: 23
Number of holes in the bedroom ceiling, slightly larger than a size 9 boot: 1 (and I take a size 6…)
Number of times I had to shampoo my hair to get the crap out: 3
Number of times I blew my nose, only to discover black snot: at least 8 (I wasn’t actually counting)
Number of Papa John’s extra-large pizzas eaten, post-DIY: 2 whole ones
Number of hours’ sleep required to recover: 12
And we still haven’t finished – need to put more insulation down and board over a chunk so the loft space can be used to store stuff. We also have to find a way of getting rid of 40 binbags. And, no, it’s definitely not going in the back of my car. The council website is no use whatsoever, so it would seem that a skip will need to be procured. Oh, and someone needs to fix the hole in the bedroom ceiling.
All that said, it was a very good day. Aside from painting and decorating, I’ve got a very handy Dad who’s always done anything difficult for me. It was very satisfying to do a horrible job but see a result at the end of it.
A bit like a nasty long run really. So, with only one unit of proper exercise under my belt so far this week, that’s next on the agenda…
