New Running Shoes, New Start.

Today I bought myself some shiny new running shoes! Yes, I may be 50 and I may be carrying a few extra pounds, but I've come to the conclusion that I want to run again. My old London Marathon running shoes are split and tired and do my feet more harm than good, so I bit the bullet, sold one of the kids, and bought some brand new Brooks.

This year is my year of living well. And by that I mean living healthily and to the best of my ability. Part of that has been eating healthily - no bread, lots of fruit and veg, smaller portions - and part has been exercising. That has involved walking, yoga, swimming... and now... dadaaaaah.... running!!

I am not, before you get too excited, a runner. I am a jack of all sports, master of none. I started running about 15 years ago. Well, I say running... I actually started walking. I walked and then one day I started to jog, out of the blue, feeling a bit silly really. And then I ran a 5k and then some 10k's and then a couple of half marathons and then, eventually and really rather slowly, the London Marathon.

The marathon killed me. I trained, running 4 times a week for 8 months and ran that marathon with aching legs and a funny tummy. After it I had lost my joy, my running mojo. I had achieved a massive ambition, but doing it had left me tired and bored of pounding the streets. So I stopped and turned to other pursuits.

But, do you know what? The thought of never running again fills me with horror. I want to have that feeling again, of floating along, my mind working its way through the trials of the day, or just enjoying the countryside, people's gardens. I want to feel the rhythm again and the smug happiness when I get home and am all sweaty and tired, but happy that I've been out. There's no reason why I can't do it. I may be 50, but so what? 50 is the new 30 don't you know?!

I am going to take it easy. I am going to concentrate on enjoying my running. I have never been terribly fast or terribly pretty when I run. I resemble a slightly aged donkey as I jog along, but that's fine with me. Any embarrassment at being slow or shambling is long gone. In the world of runners and walkers the fact that you are out at all counts for a lot. Better to be attempting to run than to be reaching for another donut as you slump on the sofa.

I am hoping that my new shoes will look after my feet and in turn my knees and hips. I am hoping that after the initial difficulties, that always come when you start running again after a break, I will be able to enjoy it. I hope I will be able to reach the summer with stronger legs, heart and lungs and keep running beyond that.

All I have to do now is put my kit on, lace up my shoes and haul myself out there! I'll let you know how it goes...

Changing lifestyle & Walking to be Fit.

Over the years I have been fortunate to be pretty fit and healthy.I have tried my hand at various sports and although I've never been particularly brilliant at any of them I've not been awful either. My basic level of fitness has been good. Six years ago I ran the London Marathon and before that I was running four times a week in order to train. I've enjoyed playing football once a week, tennis, skiing.

Blimey! I sound like a complete sports freak!! But I'm not and as I say I have never been particularly brilliant at any of this. The main thing thing though, and the most important thing, was that I was getting out, trying my best and having fun. My heart, lungs and muscles were active, as was my mind.

Over the last couple of years my activity has slowed down, dropped off and has been replaced by ... well, basically by sitting on my fat backside eating crisps and drinking wine...

This has begun to worry me. I am 50 now and I don't want to turn into a big fat unhealthy couch potato. I find running harder these days because I end up with sore knees and hips and its just not as enjoyable as it used to be. So I have started to create a new regime of exercise. I have begun yoga classes once a week and plan to practise yoga at home too. I have also started adult ballet classes once a week.

But I have been wondering what else to do that will raise my heart rate, be enjoyable, but not pound my joints. I read a really interesting blog post from Morgan Prince today over at Shaking Away the Cobwebs. She was saying what I had been thinking. She goes out walking, makes time for a 30 minute walk each day and she has started yoga. She shared a great yoga video for beginners too. I read it and thought Yes! This is the way!

The thing is, we all are in such a rush these days. My Granny used to walk everywhere, even into her 80's and she was as fit as a fiddle. Now we want to get everywhere quickly. The journey is an inconvenient part of our day that we want over as quickly as possible. Even the times I have walked to work I have been worried about how long it has taken, how long it will take me to get home. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

So today I have decided to take a leaf out of Morgan's book and make time for myself. My walking will be 30 minutes to an hour of exercise, probably 3 or 4 times a week - sometimes more, sometimes less. And in that time I can take photos, fill my lungs with fresh air, think and get my heart working. I went out this morning ...

I had such a lovely walk and my heart rate went up, my muscles were working, my lungs were working. It felt great and I could wear my normal clothes. No changing into sports bra and running kit - just put on my walking boots and head out the door. I came back happy and full of beans. 

If I can keep doing this I will be walking about 6 to 10 miles a week as well as my ballet and yoga. And the walking is free, which is excellent! I am determined not to let my body go to seed and I want to invest in my future. I don't want to look at myself in 5 years time and think "God! What went wrong?!"

We only have one body and I have been lucky enough to be fit and healthy for the last 50 years. Now I need to make a conscious effort to try and be fit and healthy for the next 50!

Losing inches & keeping myself to myself.

I am a tad bored with my blog. I am thinking of starting up a new one where I can be a little bit different, but I haven't completely sorted it out yet. I think that one of the reasons I haven't been here much lately is because I have been doing other things ...

I had always thought that I would be a slightly overweight person - not massively, but increasing with age. As time has gone on I noticed my tummy changing to a little bit of a barrel shape and thought that the change was just life. I have tried diets every now and again and realise that food has always been a very important part of my life - as both a comfort and a pleasure.

However, I started a new regime in November and I am the fittest and slimmest I have been in a long time. I will probably write about this new way of life, because that is what it is, at another time, but suffice to say for now I am eating less, eating far more healthily and exercising nearly every day. Weight is dropping off me, as are inches. So far I have lost 3 inches around my waist, 3 inches round my hips and 4 inches round my boobs. Its brilliant!

The photo below is me after a work out - knackered. But happy! I am enjoying working out rather than sitting at my laptop!

The photos below are my usual landscapes. I just love the countryside around where I live and am always stopping to take pictures, particularly of the sky.

I haven't joined up to the 365 linky because last time I did the code messed up my blog, but if you go to The Boy and Me you will find links to other blogs who are taking part.

I am finding myself distancing myself a little bit from the world of blogging. There are some lovely people and some interesting blogs out there, but there are also lots of people who seem to be all about "me, me, me". I have tried in the past to be supportive, to link to other blogs, but recently I have been irritated by people who just don't seem to reciprocate. I'm not saying that this applies to anyone you know, but I think that if I back off a bit and just enjoy writing and posting photos as a diary for myself then I won't get annoyed.

Having said that there are also a core of very lovely, kind and genuine people out there who support me come rain or shine and have done for a long time. Perhaps I just need to be picky and enjoy those people?

Its easy sometimes to feel a bit left out of the "blogging world". But if I keep myself to myself and not expect to be part of it all then I won't be disappointed. Am I sounding curmudgeonly? I hope not. 

My latest 365 photos, the UKBlog Awards and a snap shot of my secret eating regime.

 January 6th ... I went to work this morning and the sky was beautiful. It was almost as if the sky was on fire behind the clouds. It was my first day back after the Christmas holidays and it was so lovely to see everyone again.

January 7th ... I have decided to write down, on a curl of paper, the things that make me happy or for which I'm grateful, and then pop them in this jar. There are a couple of things in there so far, but to be honest, the damn jar is so annoying as the clip doesn't work that well... By the time I've opened it and written my Happy Thought and then tried to close the thing again I'm in need of a glass of wine.

By the way ... in a mad moment I entered the UK Blog Awards. I really don't know what I was thinking ... probably a moment of extreme neediness mixed with arrogance. I looked on their website today and it seems that any blog I've ever read is on there. I don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of winning anything as there are some massive blogs written by people who work damn hard at their sites. But, you never know. There might be a wooden spoon prize!! If you fancy voting for my blog then I'd really appreciate it ... you can get to the voting page by clicking on the button at the top right of my page. If you don't fancy voting then please don't worry!!!

Right. I'm going to bed to read my book ... I'm reading The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths .... which my friend has lent to me. Let's hope I manage to get to sleep before 2 a.m tonight. I seem to be going through a bout of insomnia and just can't get to sleep at night. It might have something to do with my new eating regime. Well, when I say regime it sounds a bit bleak, but its working and I am enjoying my food. Its just that I'm not eating very much and certainly no fatty, creamy foods like before. I just feel "awake" !! All the bloody time!! Which is great in some ways - I feel alert and happy - but awful in some ways as being wide awake at 2 in the morning when you've got to be up at 6.30 is a pain.

Anyway ... that's me. Photos done for my 365 day challenge, Blog Award begging done, and brief mention of secret diet/exercise regime which I am hoping will turn me into a gorgeous Snap Dolly for my 50th birthday in March.

Night night all!

Has it really been 2 weeks?

Blimey O'Reilly! Its nearly 2 weeks since I last wrote anything on here! How dull!! Although I note that for my last post I got my first 'yawn' review ... so I suppose I am heading in that direction. I thought to halt the trail of dullness I might write a review on Fifty Shades of Grey - the current hot topic amongst local housewives. But, to be honest, having read it and discussed it at my Book Group, I really cannot be bothered to go into it on here. Suffice to say that it is the worst load of drivel I have read in a long time.

I just wish that I had had the superbly lucrative idea myself. Well done to the author who is cashing in on the desperate housewives of suburbia's hungry libidos. Talk about Mills and Boon revamped for the 21st Century. Or should I just say Mills and Boon on speed ...

Anyway, other than lying about stewing in my own unfulfilled intentions to go to the gym, I have been up to precisely nothing recently. The grey drizzle of an English summer has sapped me of all desire to do anything other than eat, drink and lie about like a beached and rather blubbery whale. I did go to a half hour personal training session which left me unable to either walk or indeed lift my arms above elbow height ...  It all seemed rather innocuous until the morning after ...

I have come to the conclusion that exercise can be decidedly dangerous for my ever increasingly unfit body. Still, any moment now I plan to launch into a highly enthusiastic routine aimed at preparing my sagging body for an upcoming holiday in Turkey and then a skiing holiday in Italy. I have to slim down and tone up as the last trip I went on was nearly my last. It was like watching an asthmatic walrus skiing rather than what I had hoped for - lithe, elegant and sylph-like. I am headed on a course of self destruction through an excess of hummus, pitta bread and Merlot... although, to be honest, its probably less of the pitta and more of the ... well, wine really ...  and chips.

The Eccentric Cyclist.

I always promised myself that when my youngest went to Secondary school I would start cycling to work. I work about 1 or 2 miles from home and it always seemed like a good idea, but when I was taking my son to school it was too complicated.

So, last week he started at his Secondary school, walking there with his brother and I took the plunge. I donned my helmet, bought a bike lock and girded my loins ...



The worst thing, I thought, would be having to cycle through the crowds of school children and I felt really rather nervous that they would laugh at me. But do you know what? I am so glad I have started. I absolutely love the freedom of whizzing along on my bike, wind in my hair and smile on my face ( although I try not to smile too much for fear of flies in my teeth ... )

The children I come across don't laugh at me and even if they do I don't care! Mostly we just say hello and I try not to run them over! I think that I am now entering the eccentric phase of my life. People will say " Oh, you know Sarah ... she's that woman who cycles everywhere looking like a deranged French onion seller and spends her whole time talking about her allotment!"

An excellent by-product of my eccentricity is that the weight is dropping off me! I have a new enthusiasm for exercise and am now cycling, swimming, footballing and zumbaing. Before you know it I will be stick thin and built of pure muscle ...

Well, you know I won't be, but I'll certainly be fit .. and probably wearing purple sequins and a floppy hat.