#allaboutyou

I have managed to link up a few times with this linky #allaboutyou. I have, however, always just posted an image with a quote and not much else. Which i feel like i should explain a bit as i think the linky hosts probably are expecting something a little more. I will admit to being a bit of a quote junkie. I love a good quote. Some stirring language that we might all sit and nod sagely over and then maybe never think of again. Well…these little quotes i find i like to keep a record of. Things that might really resound with me at that particular moment. It might be about where i am right now as a person, or where we are as a family. Might be some inspiration for my running..er did i mention i am running a half marathon in three weeks!..might be something that just speaks to some emotion inside that im not sure how to voice. This is why i love quotes.

So here is this weeks….

 

Mother.Wife.Me
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#silentsunday #365 #mysundayphoto

TheBoyandMe's 365 LinkyWeekly Top Shot #94OneDad3Girls

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The first time #countrykids

The sunday before the kids returned to school I was in a race. A 10K. It had been a spur of the moment entry when a trip to the local running store for some new trainers prompted a question from the shop assistant..

‘how come you have never done a race then?’

I have chatted a bit about this before and i have genuinely never felt the need or the desire to gallop around a certain distance with a bunch of other lycra lovelies. I just never have. Im not hugely competitive and there is so much more to why i go out for a run than the actual exercise. Anyway you can read about that here and here because i have mused on it before.

But driven by the lovely shop assitants incredulous response to me saying i have never really wanted to race I came home and googled 10K in the North West and i discovered that there was one at Outlon Park, a racing circuit, near us in Cheshire. So i punched my details in on the keyboard and thought not a lot else about it.

Until i realised that it was coming round really quickly. So it was time to get race ready. Now if you follow me on instagram then you will have seen that the week before i was due to run I was off out in the Yorkshire moors running some of my longest distances to date. Which apparently is not the thing you do before a run. But really how could i not go out when my environment looked like this:

So i ran probably a little too much in the week leading up to it but nevertheless set off, feeling very nervous, close to puking, and having panic attacks about coming in last. Its like entering a whole new world turning up on race day. I was a little bit like the city kid who has never seen a farm animal. It was very much a case of trying hard not to stare at people!  There was A LOT of lycra, a LOT of strange and wonderfully weird warm up routines and thankfully a lot of people who looked  a lot like me.

The race was around the actual race track three times, which if i had given that much thought before hand i would have summised that i wouldnt like going round and round in circles. Im not a great fan of covering back over my tracks i like to do a good loop and try not cover the same route. I think it keeps things interesting. Part of what i really like about running is getting out and seeing the world and passing by the same thing three times would have left me a bit flat. But here i was so might as well get on with it. Registering and getting the little pin on number made it all seem very real. I flapped on and off about what i should wear, should i have a coat on, hat, should i carry some water, how many times could i go to the porta-loo in one hour? Whilst sitting on the aforementioned potty..i thought to myself how ridiculous it was that i was getting myself in a flap. It had started the night before to be honest when i had headed to twitter and pestered my online friend and long suffering receiver of all my running type questions, Ben, with so many probably inane worries that he answered with good grace and patience.

It was time to stop fretting and just get going.

We had to walk to the start…onto the track and down to the little computerised sleeping policeman bump that clocks when you actually cross. Waiting for what seemed like ages. To then be called forward. I thought this was the start but actually we then all stood for a little while just huddled together.  I was toward the back of the group and this felt a little claustrophobic. A bit like being squashed in a lift. Everyone applauded, i have no idea why…and then a whistle blew and we set off.

I have to be honest and start probably was the bit I was most worried about. I had visions of it being a bit like of a scuffle and elbows being utilised to find a decent place in the pack. But it wasn’t quite as bad as i had thought and folk seemed to find their little spot pretty easily. There was a lycra clad cyclist out in front with ‘race marker’ on a bright tabard being chased by the serious runners at the front. We were off.

Winding round a track that has been designed for racing cars seemed to be a lot of crossing from one inside bend to another. The track was actually pretty hilly and had a couple of nasty hairpin bends, where everyone bunched back up again to get the inside route. One was on quite a steep hill and there were so many people doubling back on themselves in the first lap, that the speed slowed so much that it was almost hard to not drop into a walk. I didn’t enjoy the first lap at all. I found it hard to find my stride, my legs felt heavy and my breathing was all over the place. I had made the decision to wear my headphones. I generally always run to music and as we had decided (thats me and the OH) that the best thing to do, as there was so much i wasn’t sure about, was to keep things the same as i usually would. So i wore my headphones and clicked on my nike running app as i crossed the start line.

Unfortunately for some reason I must have checked a different playlist for selection and i soon discovered that easy listening sounds where not the best motivation to get a move on. To terrified to stop and change it and worrying that if i got my phone out of my pocket and tried to do it while running I would drop it. I carried on being ushered along my the soft sounds of Eva Cassidy!!

By the end of the first lap I was feeling a little more comfortable and starting to find my way. The field had stretched out and a quick glance back told me that i was probably about somewhere in the middle which i felt a little happier with. Comforted that my nightmare of coming over the line last with someone tapping their stopwatch in frustration was unlikely to happen.

The good thing about going round and round in circles was that the family positioned themselves in one place and got to see me three times as a i passed. The second time round the track I caught sight of them all frantically waving and cheering. Holding up signs that they had scrawled messages on to encourage me. It was really lovely and hearing their shouts of ‘GO MUMMY!” really gave me a boost. My two older girls ran beside me for a little while as well, laughing and throwing their arms in the air, ushering me on. It as really special.

On my second lap i decided i would take on some water. i don’t usually run with a water bottle. Generally i have a dog lead in one hand so i don’t want to carry something else as well. But there were a line of young, yellow tabarded boys handing out little water pouches so i navigated towards them on the second lap and grabbed one as i past. Looking at the bottle top though as i bobbed along i could not work out how you actually got the water into my mouth. There was slight lip on the pouch but when i tipped it up into my mouth nothing happened. Almost about to chuck it, I tried one last time and squeezed with a little more force. Well that did the trick and a small jet of icy cold water shot into my mouth and taking me surprise i almost inhaled it! Coughing and spluttering as i slowed a little for a minute I giggled to myself that I might end up needing the paramedic units for nothing to do with over-doing it on the actual run but aspirating on some of the free water 😉

I think it was very clear that i was a beginner to this sort of thing! I missed the ‘dropzone’ for the water bottle so ended up carrying it for the rest of the lap!

The third lap i was comfortable and just concentrated on maintaining my speed. Which was a touch faster than i would normally do but it felt okay so i just kept on going. We peeled off into the pits of the track to run the finish line and i even managed a bit of a sprint (ish) up to the line. I had done it! I was ready for my medal!

Sadly there wasn’t one but i was offered a jelly baby or a jaffa cake..which i declined. But i took my bag with assorted flyers and a peanut butter sports bar in and discovered the family rushing over from their viewing spot to give hugs and congratulations.

I felt okay, not exhausted or shattered. The actual process of the race as perhaps not massively enjoyable but the feeling on finishing it was exhilarating! We watched the half marathon runners line up for their six times round the track and i started to wonder if actually a half marathon was the next step!

 

 

 

Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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Sochi 2014

We as a family LOVE the Olympic games. I have gone on about it before. We were lucky enough to go to the summer games in 2012 in London. I will never forget how amazing it was there. Ever.

So right now, we as a family, are really into the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Being skiers or snowboarders helps a little, though my capabilities are very limited, i think my OH thinks in his mind he can pull some of those tricks in the half pipe! 🙂

But the games are ending on Sunday and some people might experience the Olympic Winter Blues. I know we do, the highlights show at the end of the day is one of my favourite little catch ups and i will miss it when it is no more. To combat this I have been told about this cool app idea allows people to  find remote working spaces and offices that allow them to do their day job and then enjoy an afternoon skiing or skating. I SO want to go where they are!

With remote working you have the freedom to work anywhere, why not take advantage of this and go somewhere you can enjoy a winter sport?

The site will be created as a Google mash up that combines remote working locations and local ski and skate locations that enables you to enjoy the winter sports throughout the year!  Thanks to Regus who has given us visibility of their database to allow us to showcase the individual office locations that are near these resorts.
The site is going to be called Olympic Hangovers. It will host the mash up, allowing users to enter in other locations and resorts they know that will allow people to enjoy the winter Olympics after it has ended. Im thinking i might like to have a go at skating? ice dance maybe?

What would you like to try out?

 this is a partnered post

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Glass #theprompt

In part, she couldn’t remember how she had got here. It has been a wondering, meandering morning. The hub-bub of the busy world going on around her seemed distant. Like that funny thing that happens on a plane when your ears are about to pop. Softly anaesthetised to the noise. She hadn’t noticed a single human face in the crowds, they were just a mass of movement, some brighter than others or faster or even more frustratingly…slower.

It has started that morning, her wonderings. She had decided that instead of dwelling and mulling and sitting in her thoughts like a shallow, tepid, paddling pool in the summer.  She would walk. She had read somewhere that exercise was good, improved the brain or something, Lifted your spirits and gave you some direction. So she thought she would try.

At first her feet had seemed to be trying to work against her like awkward toddlers. She couldn’t seem to find her stride, a rythmn that worked. She stumbled, grabbing onto a gate post for stability. She feared this was a bad idea. Anxiety started to build. She stood, steadied herself and breathed slowly. What had that therapist said? Focus. Breathe. Forward. She stifled a laugh as she repeated it slowly to herself..what a load of psycho-bumble crap she mused. But nevertheless she followed her script. Breathe. Slowly she felt her heart rate dropping, she could hear it in her ears, quietly thudd thudd thudd. breathe.

She stood tall and walked away from the safety of the gate posts and railing and set off towards the street. Now she felt confident and started to lift her head and think about where she was actually going to go. She paused briefly at a crossroads and then as sure footed as ever she turned and made her way across the street, thronging with tourists and up a small, cobbled street with old fashioned tin signs jauntily pointing towards little open doors. The shops that were in this little secret street where tiny and quirky. They sold little random trinkets, teas from far away lands, handmade papers and little fat budda models all sitting happily alongside some of the most gaudy, tourist junk you might have seen.

But she had loved these streets. Their crooked doorways and bumpy paths. She used to come here so often before the crippling anxiety ground away at her soul and her self belief. She had felt free then. What had happened, where had that person gone?  She shook her head, as if to throw those thoughts to the floor. She was not to be swayed. She had focus. She was moving forward.

At the end of the lane was a small building, a chapel of sorts. Barely noticeable in a city full of grandure. Small and unobtrusive and tucked away. Not many people came. There were no queues, no twinkling, heavy, donation boxes. Just a comforting stillness. She passed by the little elderly volunteer at the entrance dropping some coins into the old, frayed edged collection plate on the table. The lady glanced up at her, smiled and nodded toward the inside door.

She walked further into the little chapel, there was nothing special about the inside really. Rows of pews with edges rounded off and smooth now from the centuries. Battered copies of songs of praise stood stoically in the pocket of each pew. Like soldiers waiting for the call to battle. The air was so cool in here. The light flickered, bursting in through small windows like blasts of a light saber.  Her hand brushed over the smooth wood  as she walked to the front of the little room and turned slightly into the tiny vestry.

This tiny, un-noticeable room was dark save for the brightest shaft of light coming from one side. As her eyes adjusted, she began to see it. For the light was coming through the most buried of treasures, hidden from the world but radiant in its magic and glory. A seven foot tall stained glass window that threw colour across the room like a fountains, hitting the darkness, waking it up and dancing through the little, sad and battered pews. She drank it in for a moment watching the suns rays pirouette and tumble over the dark. Staring at the window she remembered how much she had loved the image portrayed there. A mother and her child, a baby bouncing on a knee, gurgling, giggling, bringing hope. She felt at home there.

She sat on one of the gnarly pew ends, shifting a little from cheek to cheek to find a comfortable spot. Time passed..thudd thudd thudd….

In the distance she could hear the faint sound of people passing by, a musician bravely busking along to an old Beatles song that she had once loved. She felt calm. She laughed, it echoed around the room. Clasping her hand to her face like a naughty schoolgirl she glanced around quickly. The little old lady from the entrance must have followed her, as she was standing at the entrance to the vestry watching her.

The lady smiled at her, a knowing smile. Holding her gaze for a moment and then slowly lifted her bony hand in a little wave and turned to go.

She turned back to face the window, stopping for a moment, as if the realisation of how she got here finally dawned on her. She had done it.

Focus. Breathe. Forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

mumturnedmom
The Reading Residence
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