Walk Don't Run! On Holiday in the Lake District.

Well, that's us back from a totally wonderful week in the Lake District. Blessed by warm and dry weather, we had a fantastic, relaxing and healthy time in one of the most beautiful and friendly parts of the UK.  I've done the blog to share with you some of the many delights and treasures we found there. So put your feet up and come to the Lake District!

Because of Mum's care arrangements, we weren't sure we'd get away until the last moment. A massive 'thank you' to Community Care at East Lothian Council for making sure Mum was safe so we could get a break and to my sister for coming down so we could get everything ready to go.

I was so excited about the trip. My twitter friend @runninglady2 is a fan of the Lakes and introduced me to Chris @NTGrasmereinfo so the week before they really helped build up the excitement and anticipation of the week to come. 

We rented a cottage from Lake Lovers and what a cracker it was. Cosy, clean, quiet, well equipped, a real home from home. I sent Chris and Denise a tweet to say we'd arrived and then promptly lost reception!  One more tweet might have saved us from the one let down of the week - dinner at The Lamb Inn at the Red Lion, Grasmere. A sticky table and  a very dry and disappointing cumberland sausage.  A shame as the pub was cosy and the staff really friendly, but it was the only duff meal we had.

The next morning we awoke refreshed - worry-free sleep is a luxury I will never take for granted.  After porridge we set off.  A beautiful, sunny and warm morning. Our first walk was a circuit round Elterwater to break in my walking legs. It's been quite a while since I went walking like this and it was very strange to walk and not run. 

Since I've started running, my walking pace has speeded up. My legs are impatient and it takes me a while to get used to the slower pace. But it's also mental. I realised that now I think about speed and distance diferently.  My head cannot understand why a 6 mile walk takes hours! Running is so efficient, you can get from A to B so much quicker and still see everything you need to see. What is the point of walking, it's sooo s-l-o-w.....

It was very lovely walk, despite my inner walker and my inner runner having a bit of a punch up! They were however reconciled at the Eltmere Inn where we and other walkers, cyclists and assorted dogs enjoyed the fruit scones of our labours. A quick pint at the delightful Badger Bar at Rydal on the way back completed a good first day.

Sunday was misty and damp, but the clouds were due to lift later, so we stocked up on the papers before heading off for brunch at Greens in Grasmere (no website but see them on tripadvisor). A real treat there - a  very yummy and very large bowl of homemade veg soup with homemade bread - a great start for a walk up to Easedale Tarn.

As we climbed the slopes, my walking legs began to switch on, and as my quads began to work, my mental turmoil eased.  It's not that I don't like walking, it's just that I really love to work those quads, and going up hill was doing that.  I stopped thinking about running and walking and just enjoyed the feel of my legs working. A lovely walk back down through woodland, accompanied by the adorable Herdswick sheep and off for a swim at the Wordsworth Hotel before tea.

Monday was a gorgeous day, clear, bright, warm. We did a great walk from our cottage in Grasmere to Ambleside via Loughrigg Fell and back via Rydal along the magical 'coffin road'; and through Rydal Hall with its gorgeous gardens and waterfall and past Rydal Cave an old quarry working. The usual quad stretching scramble up and the knee jerking descent, but some fantastic views and we stopped for lunch at Dodds in Ambleside for fabulous home made bacon and lentil soup and fresh ciabatta. (The food and service were so good we went back for dinner the next night. The pizza did not disappoint.)

Pudding was an ice cream from Joseph's ice cream van near the WhiteMoss car park which fuelled us up the hill and back into Grasmere via Dove Cottage. Today's post walk swim reduced to a dook in the jacuzzi due to the large number of small and noisy people in the pool.


Tuesday was an early rise to make the most of the good weather and we had a long steep climb up to Alcock Tarn that towered over our cottage with fanstastic views across the lakes. We couldn't resist shopping for new walking and running gear - an ideal fill in until we went to see the Ambleside Players perform 'The Weekend' by Michael Palin. There's nothing quite like amateur productions is there.

Wednesday was the well known and much loved Catbells at Keswick. We started in rain and wind and it was very busy with some slippy bits, but it was beautiful and well worth the crowds for the fanstastic views. By the time we hit Keswick, we were cold, but we were soon warmed up  by cumberland sausage sarnies and tea at the very fine Wild Strawberry Cafe Main Street Keswick.

Thursday was a damp day, but it is after all only water, so we headed off to Troutbeck via Wansfell through the mist.  At the top I had a flashback to a walk I did there in the 1970s as a teenager, when I went up to my knees in bog. Funny what you remember! We bought cups of tea at Troutbeck Post Office and sat on the bench outside in the drizzly mist eating our lunch, bliss. Sarnies ouside always taste better.

On our last night there, we ate out at Potted Out in Grasmere. We ate hummus made in heaven and yummy pizza and chips, oh and drank wine. I helped Ali eat his creme brulee. Okay, so we indulged, but the food was great and I think we'd earnt it.

Too soon it was our last day. We packed, tidied the cottage and headed off. We popped in for a final batch of Grasmere gingerbread. It is unbelievably delicious, even to me who considers gingernuts as unfit for human consumption. And then to meet the lovely Chris at the Grasmere NT Office across the road.  We got even more ideas of things to do in and around Grasmere next time we're down. Maybe even to do the Grasmere Gallop next June.

One final walk on our way home - Kings How near Keswick. Another panting scramble up rocky paths, a traipse across a bog and a swift ascent to a panoramic 'top of the world' view. Brilliant sunshine, shirt sleeves, bliss.

Down for lunch, a final visit to Booths to stock up on their amazing range of quality local food and drink and then back north.

It was a truly wonderful holiday, and we made every moment count. The weather was great, and we spent a lot of time walking in shirt sleeves in late October (spot the Scots! Most walkers were a bit more clad than us!).  It was very different to walking in Scotland - not just the weather, the walks were much shorter so we had time to potter about so days felt long and luxurious.  Even though it can be busy, we found many places and times when we were totally alone, it was like we had the walk to ourselves. So many great walks and magical places, and even more to look forward to next time.

I hope you feel you've had a bit of a holiday reading it. Once I got used to walking again, I really enjoyed it. It is good to have time to look around and there's no way I could have run up those hills anyway. I'll leave that to @pyllon; @runner786 and @dingdongrun!

Back to work tomorrow, the holiday is nearly over. Looking forward to my next trip to the Lakes already and really wondering if I've forgotten how to run.....

 Take care

Sue

Little things mean a lot: Keeping hold of my toenails

This week my Twitter friends have been making me think about decisions, in particular how we balance all the things we want to do in lif. We can't do it all, and that's probably just as well, and I realised I had a choice to make.

The other day, Rhona, decided to postpone her ultra marathon until next year, a difficult choice. Rhona is a very committed runner and the person that told me a fact that changed my running life. Lots of running means losing your toenails.  I was horrified when I read that.

I know it sounds vain and superficial, but I am very fond of my toenails. One of my favourtite things about summer is wearing sandals and letting my tootsies enjoy the fresh air and a paddle. And the icing on the tootsie cake?  Painted toenails.  Pretty painted toenails make me smile and make me feel good. I do not want to lose my toenails, not even for running.

Does this make me vain? Superficial? Or worse - does this mean that I am not a real runner? Well for some folk it might well do. Losing your toenails is a bit of a badge of honour and I am at risk of being seen as a flighty sort of thing. Well maybe I am. Painted toe nails are at the frivolous end of the spectrum, but does that mean I shouldn't want to keep them?

I also had a very interesting Twitter conversation about marathons and how some people assume that if you're a runner, you'll run marathons and there's something odd if you don't.   All this made me think again about why I was embarking on my marathon. It's no small commitment and does take over your life, so why amd I doing it?

There can be a presumption in running, that the only way is up. It's partly because we like to enourage each other to stretch ourselves, to get better, faster, further, higher. Now I know I am very susceptible to group encouragement and get swept along by enthusiasm. And there's no doubt that my sights and goals have been lifted by the twitterati. I have pushed myself further than I would have ever thought possible because of supportive tweets and tweeps. That has been amazing and I am very grateful to my twitter friends for that.

Stephen sent us a link to his blog on why he's a runner who doesn't run marathon events. A blog he wrote because people kept asking him to run this and that marathon. It's an interesting read - Stephen runs how own race in his own way. I think he makes an excellent case for not doing marathons!

It made me think again about my motivation.  There is a fine line between pushing ourselves to be the best we can be, to realise our own inner goals, and pushing ourselves to keep up or to conform to what others think we should do. Maybe because we want to belong, maybe because we really like and admire them and want to be like them.
So, why do I want to run a marathon? Am I going to run a marathon just because other people think that's what runners do and I want to be a proper runner?  Am I prepared to put running first? Hmmm.

Well I know well where the impulse comes from. It comes from watching the London Marathon in the 1980s, where I was overcome with admiration and awe.  Lots of people run marathons now, but in those days it was only just becoming a mass participation thing and marathon runners were quite rare and exotic creatures.

I wanted to be one of them, and I still do. I want to say when I shuffle off this mortal coil that I ran a marathon. Just one, with a medal  I will treasure. I don't want to be a marathon runner, I just want to run a marathon. I know it will be one of the biggest and proudest achievements of my life. I could just run 26.2 miles on my own, but I am going to do an event because I want the whole experience, despite all the rubbish bits.

At the moment, I realised that I can't put running first. I don't want to run loads of marathons. I don't want to run an ultra. I want to run one single marathon. But I will keep running, it 's part of who I am now.  I want to run and have a life - time with family and friends, work hard, read, cycle, do Zumba and I want to keep my toenails.  That's the balance I want and so I have to compromise. I can't have all that and run marathons. 

So I have decided, at least as things are now. One marathon next May. Toenail friendly training. Maybe I'll focus on running in places I want to visit or with tweeps I want to meet. My cousin Katie and I are hoping to do the Edinburgh Half Marathon next April. 

Maybe one day I will stop caring about my toenails, and happily run them off. Chances are that by then my life and priorities will be different. On the bright side If a 100 year old man can finish a marathon, I have years ahead of me to change my mind!

Take care

Sue

Ps I have started doing a two weekly mini blog for TescoDiets have a look if you're interested

On Boobs, Bras and Running

Boobs, breasts, bust, puppies...... The other day names we have for breasts was trending on Twitter. Even I was amazed and amused by the names we have for them. Most were fond and loving, not rude or crude. We love our boobs and quite right too!

As this month is breast cancer awareness month and because for one reason or another I've had boobs on my mind for the last week or so, I thought I'd do a blog about boobs, oh and a bit of running too.

The other week I had a small sebaceous cyst removed from under my bra strap.  It was very minor and nothing to worry about and only 2 stitches. 'Can I run?' I asked the (male) doctor as I went under the knife. 'Of course' he said as he snapped his rubber gloves. I looked away.  Afterwards, as I slid off the bed and tried to put my bra on, I remembered a fundamental fact of life. Men don't understand the psychology or physics of breasts in the way that women do. How could I possibly run with two stitches under the bra strap just at the place where there is probably maximum pull! Any woman would know that gravity and pressure made running like that a no no.

Now for me, any exercise without a bra is to be contemplated with some caution. Even spinning I need a bit of support; and yoga, well just think downward dog (thanks @longjogroz and @runner786 for that image!). I have a very serious and totally wonderful shock absorber bra that keeps me safe and sound and I wouldn't be without it. But it is very tight, especially in just that place where the stitches are.

A few days later after three spin classes, I'm really ready for a run.  After a bit of experimentation with all those hooks and things on my bra, I worked out a way of  getting an off the shoulder strap so I could run without too much movement. I decided to give it a go and headed off on a dusk run. Necessity truly is the mother of invention.

Well I had a lovely run, it was a beautiful evening and I worked out a route I can run any time of day to test out my speed and improvement ready for the Edinburgh Marathon next year. I put on my running music and hit the road. As always, as I ran, thoughts that had been blocked by shopping lists, work and by my, Mum's, Ali's 'to do' lists popped into my head like bubbles in fine champagne.

I thought about how lucky I am. What must it be like to have had a lumpectomy or more serious surgery. I remembered the stories I'd read about in Women's Running Magazine about women with breast cancer who found that running gave them strength and courage.   

I thought about how running and other exercise can help to fight breast cancer and other cancers too.  Nothing in life is guaranteed, but research shows that exercising after being diagnosed with breast cancer can reduce the risk of dying from the disease.  A 16 year follow-up of women with cancer, showed that women who exercised one to three hours each week lowered their risk of dying from breast cancer by one quarter and those who exercised between three and eight hours per week cut their risk in half.

I thought about how exercise can help reduce the risk of getting breast cancer in the first place.  Women who exercise for three or more hours each week can reduce their risk of breast cancer by twenty to forty percent. Forty per cent! If running cuts my risk be even a tiny percent, I'm all for it.

I thought about the race for lifers who cope with cancer, the gruelling treatment; the surgery, chemo, radiotherapy who walk and run. I thought about all the other women who walk, support, run and cheer for Race for Life. 
As I ran, I was glad to feel a tiny tug now and then that reminded me that I'm lucky to be running with boobs. That running might help me keep them. That being healthy and being lucky enough to choose to run are very very special and wonderful gifts to be treasured.

Of course men get breast cancer too, I hope running works for guys as well. Does anyone know?

Nothing is guaranteed in this life. Running doesn't stop you getting cancer, if only things were that easy. But running and other exercise might help reduce the risk. If there's the tiniest chance that exercise will keep me whole and healthy a bit longer, I'm all for it. And I'm very happy that it helps keep me slim, has brought me dear friends and is great fun too. A no brainer I'd say.

So, whether you run round the block or run Ultras; whether you're a treadmill trotter or a fell runner; a runner, walker, cyclist, swimmer; trapeze artist - whatever. Whether you're a boob carrier or a boob appreciator (or indeed both), be a gambler and  cut the odds, get off the couch, out that door and move.

Happy running and take care

Sue

Going Mental: The Great Edinburgh Run

Last Sunday a few thousand hardy (or maybe that should be masochistic) souls ran the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run.  It was a bit of a driech day. We drove over from North Berwick through lashing rain and low mist, full of porridge and prepared for the worst. Spirits were high. Yes there's nothing quite as heady as knowing you're bonkers and that you're about to spend an hour or so with thousands of other people who are just as bonkers as you are.

East Lothian sometimes feels timeless. Some days you just know that for thousands of years humans have stood and peered through the primeval soup that the air becomes, wondering if it's set in for the day.  The ancient eroded volcano tops disappearing into the murky skies kind of take me that way. Sunday was one of those days.

On the way in, fellow Tweep Don was posting horrendous photos from a grey and gloomy Edinburgh. That put paid to any forlorn hopes that it might be bright and sunny over there.  Ali dropped Carol and me off at VirginActive Omni. The staff wished us well on our run and we had some great running chat before heading off down to Holyrood Park.

I get sooo excited heading down to the gathering. I always have, whether it's a march or a demo or a concert. It's like there's a giant magnet pulling everyone in. As you get closer you have to go faster, you have to get there quick, it's happening, get there now! That lovely feeling that you're going to join your tribe, your ain folk.  That and the wonderful chattering noise reminds me of the way that thousands of geese flock round Aberlady. It can be dark o'clock, but at this time of year you can hear the geese flying over, heading to join their chums, chattering away.

We tweepies found each other and took photos and chatted til we headed off to warm up (great warm up, really uplifting) and then run. As we started, the rain stopped. It was a lovely route. Johnny flashed by me on the long incline heading out of the park. I was so pleased to see him running so smoothly given his hamstring but there was something about being passed by a clown with a gammy leg that made me pick up my pace a bit.

I kept a steady pace as we headed down the Pleasance and into the Cowgate. The Cowgate is another timeless primeval sort of space. Reminds me of Blackadder, it's the kind of place that Baldrick might have been reared.  It reminds you that there are tunnels and streets under Edinburgh, that there is a deep and hidden history here. It got a bit crowded at points, but I've learnt to run my race and not let others push me about, and that stood me in good stead. At 5' 2", attitude has to count!

Then into the Grassmarket where we got some waves and the smell of bacon rolls nearly, nearly got me. Next, two hills that I found a bit tiring even though North Berwick is much hillier, maybe because I was running quicker than usual. As we ran across the Meadows, we were really cheered by the folk on the Sick Kids bus. They were great, lively, smiling faces, waving us on - thank you Sick Kids! 

After we'd gone past the university I realised it was more or less downhill all the way home. I've learnt from reading other runners' blogs to go for it when running down hill, and I did. That and advice in Women's Running mag to try a longer stride got me down the Mound, and down the Canongate lickety spit. It was amazing pelting down that ancient street and past the Scottish Parliament. As I hit the final turn, I sprinted. I fired my arms amd fired my legs and I just blootered it. I felt amazing. You can see from the photo how much I went for that finishing line!

I crossed the line, at speed, at 55.32, 1.02 on the big clock. I felt good, if a bit out of breath!  So even though it wasn't a PB, (I did 52.something for the Race for Life 10k earlier this year) I was dead chuffed to be in under an hour. It made that first 10k feel like less of a fluke!

I picked up the goody bag, a pretty good one I must say, and the water and wandered off to find Carol and the tweeps.  Everyone got round in one piece and seemed happy with their runs. We chatted, and wondered how the other tweeps, including Rhona and Jo, were getting on at the Loch Ness Marathon. Hasd the rain stopped for them? Were they getting on okay? We'd find out later...

Eventually we began to get cold so hugs all round and then we headed off. Carol and I went back to VirginActive for a shower and a bit of R&R before meeting Ali for lunch. A very nice reward! 

A great day, and it was fab to meet up before and after with my tweepy chums. I can run alone and get the pre and post race banter, Bliss! Though I was sad I missed Karen and Grieg who were also running and also Colin who was right up there near the front. Next time maybe.

So, that's me done my second 10K and my fourth race.   I quite like 10ks, they're a reasonable run but you can also get a bit of speed in without totally knackering yourself.  I liked my half marathon too. But something shifted on that 10K.

It  was my first run since I signed up for the marathon. This 10k wasn't about just getting round, this was the beginning of a new phase. A new mindset, a new attitude. I am already taking a more scientific approach. I am going to have to get disciplined and serious. I am going to have to think about strategy and pacing, hydration and energy. I am going to use races and racing to improve my running, not just because it's a great day out. Of course me being me, these thoughts all came to me whilst I was running, but it was an important mental shift and I'd already changed.

Another step on my running journey. I am hungry to learn, as hungry as I was last Sunday for that finish line.  Grrrrr!

Take care

Sue

The Tweetiness of Long Distance Runners

Are you a lone wolf or do you like to run with the pack? Most of us are a bit of both, but I have to admit, I like to run alone. I like the freedom to run just how I want to run, how far, how fast. I like to just let my mind go where it needs to focus. Running is the ultimate 'me' time when I worry about no one else and am totally self centred. My mind and body are free.

But there's a lot to be said for running together. Running with other people can be amazing. The friendly chats on the run, getting to know people as you pound the streets. Pushing yourself to get over the line before that woman who's been in frint of you all the way,  sprinting to the finish as the crowds call your name out. There is definitely a remarkable power of running with other people. You can go faster and further than ever before - and you might get a jelly bean too!

I've done Race for Life many times and every time it is undescribably wonderful and moving to be running with thousands of women, taking on cancer, sharing each other's experiences. My first half marathon reduced me to tears and I can still hear the ghostly echo of those trainers slapping along Portobello Prom. I hope the guy with the sore hip made it, we ran together for a while til he had to stop. The North Berwick Law Run was an experience, the crowd as I ran to the finish was just amazing, all cheering, mind blowing. But too short a race to make friends and dodging teenage lads throwing themselves down the slope at great speed was a bit too much excitement for little old me. Plus it's a bit depressing that I no longer find it thrilling when young men throw themselves at me.....

Even though I like to run alone, I do enjoy running with other people. And I like to share stories, opinions, laughs and tears. There are few things as beautiful as the connections we make with other human beings. Every single one of those links is totally unique, something special between us  And of course something remarkable happens when human beings come together.  Running whether it's a 5k or an ultra is a bond. But you don't have to run together to share the joys of running.

Since I started to run, I have been educated and inspired by runners on Twitter. The Twittersphere is overflowing with runners, from the elite world champions to the first time Race for Lifers. From the incredible Ultras to the 'blink and they're gone' runners. Triathletes, all round athletes, marathon runners, charity runners who run the world to raise thousands of pounds. Any and every type of runner you can think of is there and tweeting.

It's a pretty amazing community. You can ask them anything, someone will know the answer or have been through it too. They learn, they share.  When you're stuck you get advice and even a stiff kick up the butt if you need it. When you're down they support you and check you're ok. There's always someone out there and always a new friend round the corner.

I cannot begin to tell you what a source of inspiration and awe all my Twitter running chums have been to me as I took those first steps and gradually came to think of myself as a runner. Not just because of the amazing things they do, but also because of the way they cope with life's triumphs and disasters. The knee that packs in just before the marathon after months of training. The hamstring that keeps them from running for weeks and weeks. The stomach bug that floors them half way through the race. The performance plateau where they get stuck no matter how they try.

And do you know what makes it even better? The way they support each other, sending encouragement, advice; caring; cajoling; cheering up. Totally unconditional.   Some people criticise the virtual world for not being real. Well, the support and friendship I've had from my Twitter chums has been very real and very valued, the real world could learn a lot from some of the best of Twitter. It hit me this week when I met @boosterrockets on twitter. She's just started and it made me so happy to know that her running tweeps will be there for her every step of the way.

On Sunday, the real world and the Twitter world are going to come together for me for the first time and I am very excited.   It's the Great Edinburgh Run. My friend and fellow Tesco diet success story Carol is coming from Aberdeen for the race.  Not only that, but I am going to meet the totally lovely @runfeefofum, @dunsrunner, @runningjambo and @scotslassruns, my twitter friends, for the first time.    These folk whose runs and lives I've shared for most of the year will be real flesh and blood.  It's a big first for me and I hope the first of many times I meet my Twitter chums at real life runs.

So, okay I have lone wolf tendencies and I might run alone in the real world, but in the virtual world of Twitter, I'm not alone, I run with the pack. And what a pack! I have learnt so much from thier passion, their knowledge, their experience. And I've been cheered up and inspired beyond measure. Come and join us....

As I contemplate not getting into the Virgin London Marathon ballot and whether I should run for charity, I know I have the wisdom of my fellow tweeps to guide me. 

Finally, a big #shoutout to folks running marathons and other races this weekend. In particular Rhona who is doing her first ever Marathon at Loch Ness. Good luck Rhona, looking forward to reading all about it! And to Greig, whose first race is on Sunday on the Great Edinburgh Run.  Be great!

Take care and happy running!


Sue

Licensed Self Indulgence: The Psychology of Cake

Isn't it great when all your favourite things come together. I love reading research studies, especially psychology ones. See the The BPS Research Digest (http://www.researchdigest.org.uk/blog).  It's definitely worth a read and covers reseach on almost anything you can think of. I found something that made me think.

There's a body of research on licensed self indulgence. This is a well kent phenomenon to runners, triathletes, walkers. After a session of hard work in the gym or on the road, you're quite likely to feel you've earned the right to a treat. Often that treat happens to have one or two calories attached. Often that treat is cake, or beer. Using all that energy and getting healthy gives you permission to self indulge a bit. Fair enough!

Even though running is, of course, a massive treat in itself, there are times when I have to admit that the running shoes go on because I'm on a promise of pizza or cake.  Treats can sometimes be a motivator and a bit more solid than hoping to have a long, happy and healthy life! But they only count as a treat if you've earnt them. That's the whole point for me.

But what counts as earning your treat? In a research study, people who thought they'd taken a vitamin pill were more likely to agree that 'nothing can harm me' and this led them to some unhealthy attitudes and some unhealthy behaviours. They were more likely to choose a free coupon for an 'eat all you like' meal rather than a healthy organic one. Taking that vitamin pill also meant they walked shorter distances. It was like the vitamin pill had done all the hard work, so they could just relax. Taking a vitamin pill counted as justifying (I cannot say earning!) a treat, the pill licensed their self indulgence.

I don't know about you, but my treats are best earned. That post run cake tastes miles better than any other cake you'll ever eat. You know that you've earned every crumb and that licenses you to choose the perfect reward and savour it, guilt free, knowing that your body can process it. One of my favourite memories is the cake stop in Fife on the Edinburgh to St Andrews Cycle Run. We walked into a church hall full of the finest cakes and buns you have ever seen. We'd cycled about 60 miles, walked like John Wayne after a long day in the saddle, and no one was counting calories, it was pure indulgence, no holding back. I remember every mouthful (oops, just drooled over the key board).

Treats are great, but they're not the main reason for running. I don't run to eat cake, I run to get fit, to feel good, to be the best I can be, to challenge myself. Being able to have that slice of cake or glass of wine is part of the package, an enjoyable perk, but not the reason for pounding the pavements. Apart from anything else, eating too much cake would undermine the important things I want to achieve. 

Of course you can earn treats in other ways.  For a brilliant or rubbish day at work; for caring for the people you love; for playing nicely and not punching folk.  But they deserve a different treat.  Cake just doesn't taste as good without that physical effort  After physical exercise, eating cake feels good because you've looked after your body.  Eating cake after a brain scrambling evening with Mum trying to explain Deal or No Deal, feels a bit sad.  I feel guilty, knowing that cake without the exercise has in the past made me fat and ill.  It's like having more than a run's worth of treats,you just don't feel right.  Don't ask me how it works, that's just how it is.   I can't imagine enjoying cake after popping that vitamin pill, it would definitely feel like cheating!

Cake tastes better without a side order of guilt, and that includes the guilt from not taking care of ourselves and our bodies. So license yourself to self indulge and do it properly. Get out your running shoes, pump up the tyres on your bike, get that cossie on and get out there and earn your cake: you know you're worth it!

Enjoy!

Sue

Big Dreams and Small Steps: why the small things matter too

Today I've been thinking a lot about running. Watching everyone heading off for the Great North Run brings a tear to the eye every time. It was very special today because Katie my cousin was running her first ever half marathon and lots of twitter friends were running too.

I've never worked out why I am often don't know things that everyone else on the planet is aware of.  As one of my favourite bosses used to say, 'I think I missed school the day Peking became Beijing!' (younger readers, please replace with your equivalent).   I eventually catch up, but it can take time.  Learning about running is teaching me an awful lot and is fertile ground for learning about life.

The other day I was on the treadmill  running as fast as I could. It was during that really windy weather and I took a notion to run like the wind. Off I went, low resistance, high speed, no timer. Five  minutes in I realised I hadn't thought this through, what was I trying to achieve in this session? Was I going to run as fast as I could for as long as I could? Was I going to do speed intervals? Was I going for a faster 5K? Each  goal required a completely different approach. My usual 'go with the flow' wasn't working.

I just couldn't decide what to do! I swithered. I recorded 5 minute splits; I sped right up towards the end of the splits. I ran as fast as I could now and then. I sort of had a recovery between bursts, but tempted by fast times and speed, I didn't recover properly before I went haring off again. Every now and again I'd go for a 5K fastest time. I was all over the place and I couldn't make a decision.

Result? I ran my fastest top speed ever, but I have no idea for how long. I did an okay 5K time, but not my fastest, even though I'd run my little legs off. My average speed was low because I had sort of done half hearted recoveries which meant I didn't recover, but I did slow down.  I'd definitely had a good work out, but I was disgruntled and dissatisfied that I'd worked so hard but hadn't achieved as much as I could have. It makes improving really hard too - what am I improving on?

A quick sun salutation and the healing waters of the Virgin Omni shower worked their magic. It gradually dawned on me that my love of life and enthusiasm for almost everything and anything are great. But having a dream is not enough. You have to commit. You have to focus and get down and serious about the details of what you want and and concentrate on the small things, the baby steps that get you there.

I know I can achieve really difficult things if I set my mind to it, I've done that. I lost a shed load of weight. I changed my life to care for Mum and Dad. I did a half marathon. I know sooner or later and with some luck I can finish a marathon.  But I'm now wondering if I can go further? faster? Can a focus on the small things give me bigger, bolder dreams?

The saying goes that the longest journey starts with the first step. After that treadmill session I realised that whilst dreams will inspire you to great heights,  the teeny tiny steps can get you to places you've never dreamed of.  If I can work consistently and in a disciplined way, using every step to get me there, I'll run those 26 plus miles and maybe I'll challenge myself to more.....  I don't know quite where this will take me, but I'm going to explore.  Watch this space!

Take care

Sue