Sunday, 30 October 2011
Saturday, 29 October 2011
It's been a while...
...to quote a song.
Sooooo, how to sum up, what, 5 months in one post? I can probably do it in 3 words. Now excuse my french, it's going to get sweary...
SCARY AS FUCK!
Back in May, me and the boy wonder had a cold. Whoop de doo, you say. Mine went, his didn't. I hear you say 'whoop de do' again. Thing is, when husband had bone cancer 3 years ago, The Prof said it was 50/50 whether it'd come back and if it did it'd most likely be in his lung(s). So anyway, it did, and it was.
The last 5 months have been horror and terror and general crap. he's had chemo with a view to shrinking the 16cm interloper in his right lung. It's done a good job so far - scan number 2 shoed it's shrunk from 16 to 10cm, which is not to be sniffed at. And it's looking 'a bit poorly', according to The Prof - it's no longer a dense chunk of cells gone mad, but a patchy looking blob. That's a (relatively) good thing.
So, 6 cycles of 3 weeks consisting of 4 or 5 days in hospital for the boy blunder - sick boy as he is now affectionately know - 4 or 5 days of him being sick (not so much now The Prof has found an anti-emetic that works) and 'meh' and me travelling to the hospital twice a day with food because I am such a good cook. Not really - the chemo fucks up your taste buds and in his case your sense of smell. Result? Everything tastes like shit. Except my totally amazing cooking, of course. :-) Anyway, 2 trips a day with nice food. and the 2 weeks indetween? Well, they usually turn into 3 weeks because, despite my best efforts at feeding him up and getting to inject him with something to boost his immune system, his blood doesn't usually manage to recover sufficiently to enable him to stick to his 3 weekly regime. And when you have no immune system, the slightest hint of an infection can become literally life threatening: take the day when I managed to launch myself over the handlebars of my bike in Bolehill Woods and I had to ring J to come and pick me up. I knew he wasn't very well, but when we got home and I checked his temperature it was 38.something. 38.something=not good at all. I rang the hospital and they said "Bring him in. NOW!". So I did. He stayed for 5 days. Apparently they were quite worried about him. Me too...
So chemo? Yeah. not just hair loss and sick. There's lots of things to be aware of. Lots and lots of things. It's a pretty unsophisticated way to solve a problem really, isn't it. BUT if it solves the problem.
Inbetween chemo and vomit, I have had some amazing support from my friends and, unexpectedly, my manager. She can be hard work as a manager, but as a person she's pretty cool and having been through cancer herself she understands the trials and tribulations and as such she's been pretty damn cool about it all.
Another unexpected but cool side effect is that I have lost a fair chunk of weight. I can't say I recommend the stress diet - plays havoc with the skin and my hair is like straw (okay, that might be all the hair dye???) - but getting into size 12 trousers is not to be sniffed at! Even if they are a vanity sized 12 and stretchy...
Hubby's endured 6 rounds of chemo so far, each consisting of 4+ days in hospital and bonus visits for high temperatures and infections and the cherry on the cake is surgery in a short while to remove the tumour from his lung. Hopefully anyway. The surgeon The Prof has lined up sounds like something of a maverick, but he has a very good reputation - what more can you wish for. Actually, we have to wish for a good scan that shows more shrinky shrinky and a tumour he can pop out like a zit. We can hope...
In the meantime, here are some kittens...
With regard to exercise:
I have been slacking totally. I haven't cycled much at all, despite acquiring a road bike. I *have* run 6.5 miles in one go but I couldn't walk for 2 days afterwards. Going to have to get my arse in gear because I told my bro I'd run the Nine Edges with him in 2012. Look it up - it's 20 miles of off road stupidity. What WAS I thinking...
TTFN.
Think Shrink.
x
Sooooo, how to sum up, what, 5 months in one post? I can probably do it in 3 words. Now excuse my french, it's going to get sweary...
SCARY AS FUCK!
Back in May, me and the boy wonder had a cold. Whoop de doo, you say. Mine went, his didn't. I hear you say 'whoop de do' again. Thing is, when husband had bone cancer 3 years ago, The Prof said it was 50/50 whether it'd come back and if it did it'd most likely be in his lung(s). So anyway, it did, and it was.
The last 5 months have been horror and terror and general crap. he's had chemo with a view to shrinking the 16cm interloper in his right lung. It's done a good job so far - scan number 2 shoed it's shrunk from 16 to 10cm, which is not to be sniffed at. And it's looking 'a bit poorly', according to The Prof - it's no longer a dense chunk of cells gone mad, but a patchy looking blob. That's a (relatively) good thing.
So, 6 cycles of 3 weeks consisting of 4 or 5 days in hospital for the boy blunder - sick boy as he is now affectionately know - 4 or 5 days of him being sick (not so much now The Prof has found an anti-emetic that works) and 'meh' and me travelling to the hospital twice a day with food because I am such a good cook. Not really - the chemo fucks up your taste buds and in his case your sense of smell. Result? Everything tastes like shit. Except my totally amazing cooking, of course. :-) Anyway, 2 trips a day with nice food. and the 2 weeks indetween? Well, they usually turn into 3 weeks because, despite my best efforts at feeding him up and getting to inject him with something to boost his immune system, his blood doesn't usually manage to recover sufficiently to enable him to stick to his 3 weekly regime. And when you have no immune system, the slightest hint of an infection can become literally life threatening: take the day when I managed to launch myself over the handlebars of my bike in Bolehill Woods and I had to ring J to come and pick me up. I knew he wasn't very well, but when we got home and I checked his temperature it was 38.something. 38.something=not good at all. I rang the hospital and they said "Bring him in. NOW!". So I did. He stayed for 5 days. Apparently they were quite worried about him. Me too...
So chemo? Yeah. not just hair loss and sick. There's lots of things to be aware of. Lots and lots of things. It's a pretty unsophisticated way to solve a problem really, isn't it. BUT if it solves the problem.
Inbetween chemo and vomit, I have had some amazing support from my friends and, unexpectedly, my manager. She can be hard work as a manager, but as a person she's pretty cool and having been through cancer herself she understands the trials and tribulations and as such she's been pretty damn cool about it all.
Another unexpected but cool side effect is that I have lost a fair chunk of weight. I can't say I recommend the stress diet - plays havoc with the skin and my hair is like straw (okay, that might be all the hair dye???) - but getting into size 12 trousers is not to be sniffed at! Even if they are a vanity sized 12 and stretchy...
Hubby's endured 6 rounds of chemo so far, each consisting of 4+ days in hospital and bonus visits for high temperatures and infections and the cherry on the cake is surgery in a short while to remove the tumour from his lung. Hopefully anyway. The surgeon The Prof has lined up sounds like something of a maverick, but he has a very good reputation - what more can you wish for. Actually, we have to wish for a good scan that shows more shrinky shrinky and a tumour he can pop out like a zit. We can hope...
In the meantime, here are some kittens...
With regard to exercise:
I have been slacking totally. I haven't cycled much at all, despite acquiring a road bike. I *have* run 6.5 miles in one go but I couldn't walk for 2 days afterwards. Going to have to get my arse in gear because I told my bro I'd run the Nine Edges with him in 2012. Look it up - it's 20 miles of off road stupidity. What WAS I thinking...
TTFN.
Think Shrink.
x
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Wind, wind and more wind
Hello again.
Since I last posted I have been on holiday. We had booked the whole week off and went up to the Lake District on Friday - in an attempt to avoid all the royal wedding hype (although I have to admit, she did look rather lovely).
We stayed at Burns Farm, just outside Keswick, with views from the tent of Skiddaw and Blencathra. It was beautifully sunny, showing the hills at their best, but it was also very clear from putting the tent up that it was rather windy, but we persevered and decided that on Saturday we were going up Skiddaw - see below - if it wasn't raining.
The descent was a sketchy scree/shale slope that gave way underfoot and by the time we got back down to civilisation our nerves were shredded, not to mention our toes. We walked into Keswick for some grub and then back to the campsite.
The next day we were STILL fit for nothing, but decided we'd brought the bikes so we were damn well going to use them, and got ourselves kitted up and headed to Whinlatter Forest where there are purpose built bike trails.
Well, it was amazing. Desolate and beautiful with some great singletrack climbs - turns out switchbacks ain't my thing but J rocks at them. He made up for it on a steep track cut into the hillside - a scottish chap had headed up in front of him and wobbled and stopped and wobbled and stopped and eventually reached the turn. J did similar about half way up and they were having a chat about how tough it was and J said to him "when I set off I tend to weeble a bit and obviously the consequences of that are pretty stiff". He then set off, weebled and fell down a 10 foot slope on the the trail below. Ooops. With nothing more than a scuffed visor on his helmet and lots of stones in his shoes, he picked himself up, dusted himself off and pushed back up the path. 
He has learned to fall - rather than tensing up like us occasional fallers, he goes limp like a ragdoll and just goes with it. It seems to work...
Since I last posted I have been on holiday. We had booked the whole week off and went up to the Lake District on Friday - in an attempt to avoid all the royal wedding hype (although I have to admit, she did look rather lovely).
I haven't been on my bike (apart from testing the new chain I fitted) since my little accident - my thumb has been really sore and swollen - but we took the bikes with us just in case...
We stayed at Burns Farm, just outside Keswick, with views from the tent of Skiddaw and Blencathra. It was beautifully sunny, showing the hills at their best, but it was also very clear from putting the tent up that it was rather windy, but we persevered and decided that on Saturday we were going up Skiddaw - see below - if it wasn't raining.
The rain exclusion applies because every time we've been with the intention of going up high the weather has been crap and there have been no views - well what's the point in going up a hill if you can't se the scenery when you get up there??
After a scary windy (and cold) night we woke up to a beautiful view of wind-wrecked tents and glorious blue skies so after a hearty breakfast (of leftover chilli) we kitted up and headed off along the disused railway track to start our ascent. What an awful ascent - so windy we had to, on occasion, drop to the floor to stop getting blown over. No fun, but we figured we'd started so we'd finish. The summit was ridiculous, but it was worth it for the views out to sea and back inland - amazing:
The descent was a sketchy scree/shale slope that gave way underfoot and by the time we got back down to civilisation our nerves were shredded, not to mention our toes. We walked into Keswick for some grub and then back to the campsite.15 miles in about 6 hours of walking - hard work, but worth it.
The next day we were fit for nothing, so we just kicked around Ambleside and looked at shiny things and walked to Castlerigg stone circle for the sunset. It appears lots of others did too, but we still got some beautiful pics - see gratuitous sunset pics below:
 |
| My version - I'm not too proud to lay in cow poo to get my shot. |
 |
| Julian's version - way better technically, but I still think mine is prettier. :-) |
We got there and I taped my thumb very firmly so that it would not move, and off we went.
Well, it was amazing. Desolate and beautiful with some great singletrack climbs - turns out switchbacks ain't my thing but J rocks at them. He made up for it on a steep track cut into the hillside - a scottish chap had headed up in front of him and wobbled and stopped and wobbled and stopped and eventually reached the turn. J did similar about half way up and they were having a chat about how tough it was and J said to him "when I set off I tend to weeble a bit and obviously the consequences of that are pretty stiff". He then set off, weebled and fell down a 10 foot slope on the the trail below. Ooops. With nothing more than a scuffed visor on his helmet and lots of stones in his shoes, he picked himself up, dusted himself off and pushed back up the path. 
He has learned to fall - rather than tensing up like us occasional fallers, he goes limp like a ragdoll and just goes with it. It seems to work...More climbing until we reached the summit - well worth the grind.
The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful apart from one more fall where it appears he smashed his little camera up. Ooops.
We were both a bit wary on the way back down but got back to the car in tact, dusty and smiling.
As we left the trail there was a notice up for a guy we'd seen taking pics of riders, so I signed on when we got home and bought this photo of me. Not exciting, but I love it.
One last photo for this entry - the view from my thermarest. I think you will agree, as views go, it is pretty darned fine. <contented sigh>
You know my (and Julian's) poor attention span and so by Tuesday we'd had enough of the wind, so we packed up early and came home, still marvelling at the amazing blues skies and lack of rain. And bloodshed.
More later - I'm bored of writing, so you MUST be bored of reading...
Oh, just one last thing, the bike appears to have been named Big Red and following the running successes on my previous post, I got my local time trial route done in under 30 minutes! Well pleased. :-) But slightly worried, because the next target time is 25 minutes and I think that may just finish me off...
Oh, just one last thing, the bike appears to have been named Big Red and following the running successes on my previous post, I got my local time trial route done in under 30 minutes! Well pleased. :-) But slightly worried, because the next target time is 25 minutes and I think that may just finish me off...
Saturday, 23 April 2011
My bike tried to kill me!!!
Last Sunday we arranged to meet Gav for a ride around Houndkirk and Totley Moor. It was quite a novelty, riding the moors in dry conditions and we were all riding well - Gav commented a few times on how much more confident and in control J seemed since we last rode XC with him, which is quite cool. I was living up to my 'solar powered' suspicion and was also riding well.
Unfortunately, on the last rocky, hard climb before we headed downhill, fast, back to the car, my gears started skipping. Only a couple of times and I made a mental note to check it out when I got home.
And then the chain snapped.
This has never happened to me before and I didn't like it. :-( To my left, a grassy slope with hidden rocks, to my right, the rocky trail dipped away. I fell to the right and managed to unclip my feet, but not quick enough. I clattered down on my right knee and (somehow) my left hand, the thumb taking much of the force of the fall.
I picked myself up quickly and cursed the bike - had I not lavished enough love and attention and shiny bits on her? What had I done to deserve that kind of treatment? :-( My knee was bleeding, my thumb was throbbing and my pride was in tatters. And even worse, there were no witnesses - no one to come rushing up and pat me on the back and say 'there, there'. I was alone in my pain. (on the plus side, there was no one to see me fall off...)
I gathered up the broken chain, noting it had snapped just before the power link - odd, I thought - and pushed the evil machine up the hill to where Gav had been sitting for some time, having a drink and waiting for me and J.
[I worked out later it had snapped where I split it to reroute after I somehow managed to route it OVER a guide on the rear derailleur, insted of under it. Muppet. I had used a new pin to rejoin it but obviously I'd done something wrong and it had warped and pulled undone under strain. Still, it was a (painful) lesson learned - I won't do that again. And the paint on the bike is still in tact, so she is still beautiful.]
By now, my knee was bloody but not too bad, but the thumb was definitely not right. :-(
I coasted down to the pub and had a pint of medicine (cider) then went home, thoroughly peeved with myself - I was so close to cleaning that climb too, sooo close. Ah well, next time.
Unfortunately, I had to drive down to Reading at 5am the next day and when I got up my thumb resembled a sausage, not a thumb. Uh, oh...
I spent Monday evening at The Royal Berkshire A&E dept wher I was examined and x-rayed and declared to be not broken. I was however sent away with a real heavyweight neoprene and steel splint to wear at all times for the next week. Great - sunshine and outdoorseyness with a big old sticky and stinky splint on = stripy arm...
On the plus side though, not being able to ride my bike meant I had to find an alternative way to spend my evenings at the hotel.
Monday was a write off due to the hospital visit so on Tuesday I got my shorts on and set off for a tentative jog around the lovely route I mentioned last time. Miraculously, my knees held up fine - I think my jeans had been squishing the sore bits and making them feel worse than they really were.
Not only did I cut 2 minutes of my last effort but the woods had been transformed into a wonderland of sring loveliness - bluebells, new leaves, young deer, bunny wabbits, new lambs in the field and best of all, warm sunshine. It was lovely. I felt surprisingly fit and fresh.
So much so that I did the same the next day - and chopped a further 2 minutes off, getting my 'lap time' below 40 minutes. Well pleased with myself. Maybe I am not so bad at running afterall, I just need the practise.
Bad news - my thumb is still very sore and swollen and I am beginning to think maybe it IS broken afterall. If it's still as bad on Tuesday I might take myself back to the docs. Boooo for injury.
Mind you, I feel lucky to have got to 38 with no major cycling mishaps, so it had to happen some time and having spoken to various other cycling friends I got off lightly anyway - they told me horror stories of not only broken thumbs, but broken wrists, elbows, compound arm fractures and testicles so badly battered by the handlebar stem that there was still no sign of them three weeks later. At least I avoid that delight. :-)
My veg garden is taking shape. My planting now includes red onions and carrots. I have 3 very robust looking buttenut squash plantlets, 5 cauliflowers that need to go in the garden, my spuds are sprouting nicely and my aubergines and tomatoes need potting on.
We've also managed to get some of the garden waste burnt - probably a couple more burnings and it'll be clear. I don't want to burn too much at a time and piss the neighbours off, but it is proving difficult to find a time to do it when people are not enjoying barbecues or have washing out.
We're getting there though.
Unfortunately, on the last rocky, hard climb before we headed downhill, fast, back to the car, my gears started skipping. Only a couple of times and I made a mental note to check it out when I got home.
And then the chain snapped.
This has never happened to me before and I didn't like it. :-( To my left, a grassy slope with hidden rocks, to my right, the rocky trail dipped away. I fell to the right and managed to unclip my feet, but not quick enough. I clattered down on my right knee and (somehow) my left hand, the thumb taking much of the force of the fall.
I picked myself up quickly and cursed the bike - had I not lavished enough love and attention and shiny bits on her? What had I done to deserve that kind of treatment? :-( My knee was bleeding, my thumb was throbbing and my pride was in tatters. And even worse, there were no witnesses - no one to come rushing up and pat me on the back and say 'there, there'. I was alone in my pain. (on the plus side, there was no one to see me fall off...)
I gathered up the broken chain, noting it had snapped just before the power link - odd, I thought - and pushed the evil machine up the hill to where Gav had been sitting for some time, having a drink and waiting for me and J.
[I worked out later it had snapped where I split it to reroute after I somehow managed to route it OVER a guide on the rear derailleur, insted of under it. Muppet. I had used a new pin to rejoin it but obviously I'd done something wrong and it had warped and pulled undone under strain. Still, it was a (painful) lesson learned - I won't do that again. And the paint on the bike is still in tact, so she is still beautiful.]
By now, my knee was bloody but not too bad, but the thumb was definitely not right. :-(
I coasted down to the pub and had a pint of medicine (cider) then went home, thoroughly peeved with myself - I was so close to cleaning that climb too, sooo close. Ah well, next time.
Unfortunately, I had to drive down to Reading at 5am the next day and when I got up my thumb resembled a sausage, not a thumb. Uh, oh...
I spent Monday evening at The Royal Berkshire A&E dept wher I was examined and x-rayed and declared to be not broken. I was however sent away with a real heavyweight neoprene and steel splint to wear at all times for the next week. Great - sunshine and outdoorseyness with a big old sticky and stinky splint on = stripy arm...
On the plus side though, not being able to ride my bike meant I had to find an alternative way to spend my evenings at the hotel.
Monday was a write off due to the hospital visit so on Tuesday I got my shorts on and set off for a tentative jog around the lovely route I mentioned last time. Miraculously, my knees held up fine - I think my jeans had been squishing the sore bits and making them feel worse than they really were.
Not only did I cut 2 minutes of my last effort but the woods had been transformed into a wonderland of sring loveliness - bluebells, new leaves, young deer, bunny wabbits, new lambs in the field and best of all, warm sunshine. It was lovely. I felt surprisingly fit and fresh.
So much so that I did the same the next day - and chopped a further 2 minutes off, getting my 'lap time' below 40 minutes. Well pleased with myself. Maybe I am not so bad at running afterall, I just need the practise.
Bad news - my thumb is still very sore and swollen and I am beginning to think maybe it IS broken afterall. If it's still as bad on Tuesday I might take myself back to the docs. Boooo for injury.
 |
| Fat thumb, skinny thumb. Ouch. |
My veg garden is taking shape. My planting now includes red onions and carrots. I have 3 very robust looking buttenut squash plantlets, 5 cauliflowers that need to go in the garden, my spuds are sprouting nicely and my aubergines and tomatoes need potting on.
We've also managed to get some of the garden waste burnt - probably a couple more burnings and it'll be clear. I don't want to burn too much at a time and piss the neighbours off, but it is proving difficult to find a time to do it when people are not enjoying barbecues or have washing out.
We're getting there though.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Tempus fugit
It sure does. 3 weeks since I last checked in - and what's happened? Not a lot, really...
Well, it has and it hasn't.
The bike has been well and truly christened, with a few trips to Wharncliffe, Bakewell and Wyming Brook and just out and about. All the bits that came loose while I was riding (including the non-drive crank and the headset) have been firmly secured and it actually rides really well.
The main difference over the old bike is that it looks so pretty. No, only kidding - although it is true - the main difference is that because of the bigger frame and the wide handlebars, it opens my chest up while I am riding resulting in better breathing and not kneeing myself in the boobs when I am bobbing around trying to get up a hill.
I have also gone back to the SPD pedals - mainly because the old DMR flats looked far too shabby for my lovely. :-) I can tell the difference on the hils, again, but it is taking a lot of nerve when I am riding XC not to unclip and ride like a motocrosser, sticking the leg out for stability (and an easy escape).
What else??
J has bought himself a road-ish bike. It too is very pretty - all matt black and sleek. He seems to be enjoying riding that, which is cool. I wasn't sure how well he'd get on with the lack of suspension and the general difference in riding position but it's all good. Apart from one comedy fall whilst still attached to the SPDs. Lesson learnt; make sure you adjust the spring on BOTH sides of the pedal. Ho ho ho. (we've all done it)
Erm, so, gardening.
I now have 19 cherry tomato seedlings, 18 aubergine, 1 butternut squash, 5 cauliflowers, lots of peas and 1 purple capsicum all growing up nicely, ready for potting on or planting out. There are also more peppers and chillis (supposedly) germinating, carrots and raspberries in the ground, potatoes in bags and strawberries, thyme, oregano and sage in pots. I am waiting for some Tumbler tomoato plant plugs and my red onion sets to turn up - any day now...
It all sounds very organised, but I have never attempted this kind of thing before and I am definitely winging it. I guess I will see what grows and what doesn't and adjust/abandon next year as appropriate.
The front garden is a mass of colour and is my little haven of peace and girliness.
Wish my house faced the other way though, so I wasn't facing every passing stranger when I sit out and read.
And finally, the exercise...
Well, I have not been as exercisey since the turbo trainer got packed up - maybe I should recommission it?
I have been out running a bit more though, and while I was down at head office last week I went for a run that looked good on my little map and was even better in real life - I got fields and woods and hills and nice chatty cyclists and baby lambkins and I was back at the hotel before I knew it. Yes, I ran and I enjoyed it - breakthrough!! Here is a pic from that route:
Since then I have been out on my local 4.5km 'time trial' route and from my baseline time of 34.5 minutes I did it in 30 minutes and 3 seconds. My 'might take some time' target was 30 minutes, so to have been just 3 seconds off already made me very happy indeed. Feeling quite pleased with that.
Cycling - the race is in 65 days so I need to get my arse into gear for that.
Got my BMI and body fat % down into the next number. Still a fat knacker, but a little less so.
Right, dunno about you but I am bored now, so bye for now. Hopefully my next update might be a little bit sooner.
Well, it has and it hasn't.
The bike has been well and truly christened, with a few trips to Wharncliffe, Bakewell and Wyming Brook and just out and about. All the bits that came loose while I was riding (including the non-drive crank and the headset) have been firmly secured and it actually rides really well.
 |
| Apologies for crap quality but here is the bike in its natural habitat - Wharncliffe. No trees were harmed in the making of this photo... |
The main difference over the old bike is that it looks so pretty. No, only kidding - although it is true - the main difference is that because of the bigger frame and the wide handlebars, it opens my chest up while I am riding resulting in better breathing and not kneeing myself in the boobs when I am bobbing around trying to get up a hill.
I have also gone back to the SPD pedals - mainly because the old DMR flats looked far too shabby for my lovely. :-) I can tell the difference on the hils, again, but it is taking a lot of nerve when I am riding XC not to unclip and ride like a motocrosser, sticking the leg out for stability (and an easy escape).
What else??
J has bought himself a road-ish bike. It too is very pretty - all matt black and sleek. He seems to be enjoying riding that, which is cool. I wasn't sure how well he'd get on with the lack of suspension and the general difference in riding position but it's all good. Apart from one comedy fall whilst still attached to the SPDs. Lesson learnt; make sure you adjust the spring on BOTH sides of the pedal. Ho ho ho. (we've all done it)
Erm, so, gardening.
I now have 19 cherry tomato seedlings, 18 aubergine, 1 butternut squash, 5 cauliflowers, lots of peas and 1 purple capsicum all growing up nicely, ready for potting on or planting out. There are also more peppers and chillis (supposedly) germinating, carrots and raspberries in the ground, potatoes in bags and strawberries, thyme, oregano and sage in pots. I am waiting for some Tumbler tomoato plant plugs and my red onion sets to turn up - any day now...
It all sounds very organised, but I have never attempted this kind of thing before and I am definitely winging it. I guess I will see what grows and what doesn't and adjust/abandon next year as appropriate.
The front garden is a mass of colour and is my little haven of peace and girliness.
 |
| My little corner of peace and quiet. Wish the back of the house got so much sun. Found an old, enamel bedpan in the back garden and planted it up with pansies. I think it looks ace on the table. |
Wish my house faced the other way though, so I wasn't facing every passing stranger when I sit out and read.
And finally, the exercise...
Well, I have not been as exercisey since the turbo trainer got packed up - maybe I should recommission it?
I have been out running a bit more though, and while I was down at head office last week I went for a run that looked good on my little map and was even better in real life - I got fields and woods and hills and nice chatty cyclists and baby lambkins and I was back at the hotel before I knew it. Yes, I ran and I enjoyed it - breakthrough!! Here is a pic from that route:
 |
| In a field, near Knowl Hill. There's cycling in them thar woods too - might take my bike next time I am down south... |
Since then I have been out on my local 4.5km 'time trial' route and from my baseline time of 34.5 minutes I did it in 30 minutes and 3 seconds. My 'might take some time' target was 30 minutes, so to have been just 3 seconds off already made me very happy indeed. Feeling quite pleased with that.
Cycling - the race is in 65 days so I need to get my arse into gear for that.
Got my BMI and body fat % down into the next number. Still a fat knacker, but a little less so.
 |
| Gratuitous food shot - sorry. I made american style pancakes with slightly tired strawberries and my home made dandelion jam that didn't set and is more like dandelion syrup. It's kind of like runny honey. Nice, but dead sickly. |
Right, dunno about you but I am bored now, so bye for now. Hopefully my next update might be a little bit sooner.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
I were right abaht that saddle though
Oh dear, nearly two weeks since my last update and there's very little to tell you.
Weight loss minimal, been off sick for 3 days with some crappy virus that made me lose my voice but the important bit is..
I got the bike finished!!!
After a minor headset catastrophe (as in, the one I had was not complete) - and I thought I was going to have to go for a hardcore off road ride with the girlies on the Halfords hybrid bike. That could have been interesting, but as it happens I got her finished in the nick of time.
And as it also happens, because of illness - not all of it alcohol related - I baled on the ride, instead opting to ride the 28 miles home from Bakewell because I woke up ridiculously early and I am crap at being quiet.
I mailed J before I set off and then just as I got to the other side of Bakewell he texted to see whether I wanted picking up. I was actually quite prepared to ride all the way home - I wouldn't have set off in teh first place if I hadn't been - but he offered and I was ill... I made it to the other side of Calver, half way up that big old hill, when he got to me.
I went back to bed for the rest of the day. Poorly and almost mute.
I had Monday booked off as holiday so I (stupidly?) went for an 18 miler with the boys and Bimbenstein was great.
See...
She is a much more suitable size for me and even though she's going to take some getting used to with different gear ratios etc I don't think near-silent gear changes and not kneeing myself in the boobs is ever going to get old... The only problems were a pedal crank that insisted on coming loose and the fact that I had put one of J's old but expensive saddles on because it was to hand and I think it was designed for little boys with slender bottoms, because my fat bird arse was killing when I got home.
As painful as it is, I think the saddle that says Windie on it is going to have to go on the bike. It's like it was made for me. In more ways than one...
Weight loss minimal, been off sick for 3 days with some crappy virus that made me lose my voice but the important bit is..
I got the bike finished!!!
After a minor headset catastrophe (as in, the one I had was not complete) - and I thought I was going to have to go for a hardcore off road ride with the girlies on the Halfords hybrid bike. That could have been interesting, but as it happens I got her finished in the nick of time.
 |
| My precious |
I mailed J before I set off and then just as I got to the other side of Bakewell he texted to see whether I wanted picking up. I was actually quite prepared to ride all the way home - I wouldn't have set off in teh first place if I hadn't been - but he offered and I was ill... I made it to the other side of Calver, half way up that big old hill, when he got to me.
I went back to bed for the rest of the day. Poorly and almost mute.
I had Monday booked off as holiday so I (stupidly?) went for an 18 miler with the boys and Bimbenstein was great.
See...
 |
| At Wyming Brook, waiting for the boys. |
As painful as it is, I think the saddle that says Windie on it is going to have to go on the bike. It's like it was made for me. In more ways than one...
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Bits of news
Not got a lot to tell you - the bike building has stalled a bit and so has the exercise. Tut tut.
I've been under the weather a bit - I have a tendancy toward a little black cloud every now and again and J's oncology check was looming which always does a job on me.
Still, he had that on Tuesday and everything's looking okay. :-D
He saw the lovely Prof who looked after him throughout his treatment and she spent ages with him showing him his MRI pictures from before and during his treatment - apparently they weren't pretty. All okay so far though, at the third anniversary of his diagnosis. And to celebrate, the Prof has moved his checkups to 6 month intervals. That's quite reassuring, so hopefully now MY body will stop being such a wuss and the coldsores will heal and the motivation will kick in again. Here's hoping...
Despite the lack of exercise I *have* been trying to eat healthily and it looks like it might have helped. I weighed myself this morning and I have moved down into the next decade of kilograms - it's a big psychological boost seeing a smaller number up front. This shift means my BMI has also dropped into the next number down and best of all, my body fat % has too.
This doesn't mean I am slender yet, but it does mean I am headed in the right direction, and that's good enough for me.
For now.
On the bike front, the handlebars arrived and the general consensus is that they are huge, but they feel really comfy. I suppose the proof will come when I keep riding into trees/walls/cows and end up chopping the ends off the bars. The riding position feels promising though.
Right, I am off to Sherwood Forest to a company meeting and then off orienteering, apparently. I can't wait. Seriously!!
I've been under the weather a bit - I have a tendancy toward a little black cloud every now and again and J's oncology check was looming which always does a job on me.
Still, he had that on Tuesday and everything's looking okay. :-D
He saw the lovely Prof who looked after him throughout his treatment and she spent ages with him showing him his MRI pictures from before and during his treatment - apparently they weren't pretty. All okay so far though, at the third anniversary of his diagnosis. And to celebrate, the Prof has moved his checkups to 6 month intervals. That's quite reassuring, so hopefully now MY body will stop being such a wuss and the coldsores will heal and the motivation will kick in again. Here's hoping...
Despite the lack of exercise I *have* been trying to eat healthily and it looks like it might have helped. I weighed myself this morning and I have moved down into the next decade of kilograms - it's a big psychological boost seeing a smaller number up front. This shift means my BMI has also dropped into the next number down and best of all, my body fat % has too.
This doesn't mean I am slender yet, but it does mean I am headed in the right direction, and that's good enough for me.
For now.
On the bike front, the handlebars arrived and the general consensus is that they are huge, but they feel really comfy. I suppose the proof will come when I keep riding into trees/walls/cows and end up chopping the ends off the bars. The riding position feels promising though.
 |
| My pretty |
 |
| A LOT less squashed up then on the old bike, and I CAN still hang my bum off the back of the saddle. Looking promising... |
Right, I am off to Sherwood Forest to a company meeting and then off orienteering, apparently. I can't wait. Seriously!!
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