It’s been all a bit quiet on the blogging due to the fact I have just started an Open University degree – it’s the first time I have studied with the OU, so just trying to get my head round everything and find out where everything is, know when my assignment dates are and all the rest of it. I have my first tutorial in London next Saturday, so all being well I can make that – definitely think it will be helpful.
Took the Blue One up to London Zoo where he’d been invited to do a photo shoot, in the Bug House, with Something Special magazine. This was great fun, but rather tiring!
I’ve also visited my dietician at Guy’s hospital – I am now in the middle of the planning and prep to start a Low FODMAP diet (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols) – really hoping this will help with my IBS symptoms, it’s tiring being in discomfort all the time and it doesn’t help with my running – if I ate better I feel I could run more! Starting this diet is like doing a second OU course – so much to learn and figure out with regards to what I can and cannot eat for the next 4-8 weeks. There is loads on the what you can eat section – but it’s just getting used to these being your staple diet!!! Thank God for my wonderful hubby who is so supportive and helping me with this!
Finally, ending on a happy note, went for a lovely meal with some of my fellow Janathoners – it was so nice to meet them in person! Was a highly pleasant afternoon – and I really enjoyed it before I have to become more selective with my food for the next two months which will make eating out extremely awkward!
Now to study – and it’s the Blue Ones birthday this upcoming week, can’t believe he’s going to be three! It’s cake making time!!!
So I made it! 31 days of exercise, 31 days of logging on running free and 31 blog posts… whew! It’s been an exhausting but also rewarding 31 days! Hip hip hooray for Janathon!!!
Today though I am feeling very full of cold, but knew I couldn’t end on a low for my very first Janathon, so went on a very gentle 2km run with Deputy Helen!
The walk to meet with Helen involved mud, I have to say I am not keen when the ground makes squishy noises under my feet!!! Ewwww!!!
Mud… Squelchy…Squish… Squish…
Disappointingly the Garmin I was so excited to use, I must have done something wrong as when I finished my run it hadn’t registered anything – but fortunately I’d set my MapMyWalk app running simultaneously, phew! Otherwise I’d have been very grumpy!
Didn’t want to over do it as I am facing a 10km run tomorrow – and feeling like I currently do I am not sure how I am going to make it – topped with the fact my journey up town is going to be a complete mission as trains are stopping at London Bridge! Urgh!!! Anyway – that’s enough ranting and complaining!!!
I just want thank everyone who has taken the time to read my posts, like them and start following my blog – it’s much appreciated! I enjoyed all the blogs I had viewed too – only wish I’d time to read more of them!
Well done to everyone who has taken part – you’ve all done amazingly!!!
Today didn’t go quite as planned as I got home later than intended as did my running buddy Deputy Helen so I fell back on the old faithful that is Wii Fit Plus!!!
30 minutes of Kung-fu, boxing, step aerobics, jogging (running on the spot is really hard work!), heading a football and then a balance game whereby my Mii is dressed as a penguin and I lean the island left and right to catch fish!!!
Plus I have a Wii Fit age of 23!!! Woohoo!!! Check me out!!!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Janathon and hoping to contribute a decent run for Day 31 with Deputy Helen and I’ll get to try out the Garmin Forerunner 10 that I’ve been lent (is it sad that I’m very excited by this?)!
Strangely the exercise hasn’t tired me too badly (most of the time – haha!) but the blogging each evening has been exhausting – though despite that I have enjoyed it immensely and gaining so many new followers and likes for my posts – it’s been truly amazing and being able to read so many other great blogs has been fantastic! Wish I had the energy and time to read more of them! The whole Janathon experience has been fantastic!!!
I had planned to go for a run this evening, but I would’ve been on my own and it was really cold and really dark and I quite quickly persuaded myself not to go! It might be me, but it seemed darker than normal tonight!
So instead I decided to involve the kids – literally, they were my gym equipment!
I had little people back lifts and little people air lifts – with increasing weights, starting with the Blue One and then finishing with the Pink One.
Back Lifts
Air Lifts
They thought this was hilarious and thoroughly enjoyed mummy lifting them up and down! I have to say it was one of my harder workouts – far tougher then a jog, especially as my gym equipment have minds of their owns! I think I pulled something! ;-P
Lots of fun and laughter was had so that can never be a bad thing.
Probably some Wii Fit for tomorrow – but we’ll see, only three days left to go!
My main exercise today…wait for it…it’ll really surprise you…honestly it will…was 30 minutes doing Wii Fit Plus – shocked aren’t you? I can tell!!!
As a mum of two young children you’d think I would be used to repeating myself! Haha!!!
Additionally I did play a game with the kids, whereby they’d sit on my lap and I’d drop them through my legs – which I can assure you is weight lifting!!! They found it hysterical with cries of “Do it again mummy” – to the point I had to tell them no more or I really would drop them!
Finally I have had the parental fun of my five year old finding any excuse to come downstairs and not go to sleep – numerous times going back up and down the stairs – which I am sure counts as at least 10 minutes of exercise!!!
That saying couldn’t be more appropriate today! All very exciting for me today – I did Parkrun at Dulwich Park – not only is this the first time I’ve attended a Parkrun somewhere other than Greenwich (Avery Hill Park), which I am feeling a little disillusioned with the moment, but it also took me back to where I grew up and brought back so many wonderful happy childhood memories! I already knew I’d love the Parkrun here before I even arrived!
Beautiful Park – Beautiful Weather
It helped that it was beautiful crisp sunny morning, with blue skies which puts you in a positive mood to start with! I collected Deputy Helen and off we headed, meeting with the lovely Jo and her friend Jane once we got to the park. Parking was reasonable as we got there quite early.
It’s obviously a very popular Parkrun as there were lots of runners in attendance (many visiting from Bromley Parkrun too) – all seemed
very friendly. The only issue this morning was the cold and the waiting in it whilst the announcements were made! Also the slight fear of icy patched under foot one we started running!
The standing in the cold affected me in the fact that when I started to run my toes were numb and it felt like I was running with concrete blocks on my feet – this sensation eventually wore off half way into the second lap of the park!
The course was lovely and flat with tarmac pathways or the option of running in the sand track (meant for horses), this was actually my saving grace as during the second lap my left ankle started to hurt, but I didn’t want to stop running as it’s the best I’d felt running a 5km in ages, so instead I ran on the sand and this lessened the impact and reduced the pain.
I have been on UK Fitness Bloggers facebook page asking on what exercise I can do to strengthen my ankles and it has been most useful with some great responses! Well worth joining – as it’s a group of like minded individuals and you can get advice etc.
I did seem to have my invisibility cloak on today as it felt like people were deciding to come off the pathway and on to the sand and vice versa directly by me, a couple of dogs also decided to go directly in front of me to get back to their owners! I am sure this wasn’t just happening to me though! This feeling did lessen on the third lap as all the speedy runners had already finished so didn’t need to get passed!
I actually really enjoyed the final lap, which was unusual as I am normally thinking “just need to finish”, as I came to the home straight I tried to step it up a gear and really wish I’d tried even harder as I did feel I had it in me but came in at a very respectable 00:32:09 – only 3 seconds slower than my PB at Greenwich and a 2015 PB which I am very happy with as my previous timed 5km this year was around the 37 minute mark – so this was a vast improvement!
Then this afternoon I had to meet with someone in Bounds Green – so there was four rather brisk walks to and from various stations. Made enjoyable as I travelled with my hubby, we were childfree and the sun was shining, an additional plus point was that I got to read my book whilst on the train and tube – which I haven’t done in ages!
Once we were home, I collected the kids from our amazing neighbours who looked after them whilst we were travelling across London, and they very kindly lent me a Garmin Forerunner 10 which I am very excited about. Can’t wait to test it out!
The hubby made us dinner he did the most amazing homemade pot noodle from the River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook and it was delicious – highly recommend it!
Then after the kids were in bed we watched Maleficent – and it was phenomenal! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Going out this evening so today I’m making all my everyday activities into exercise so we’ve had the walk to school including the book bag dash! This being, we’d been walking for 2 minutes when I asked the Pink One “Where’s your book bag?” and was met with “Oh no, I forgot it!” in a dramatic voice for good measure – fortunately one of the other school mummy’s was walking passed and watched them when I legged it back home in double quick time to collect the book bag!
Next was the Big Shop – which was obviously double exercise as I had the Blue One in tow! This included some weight lifting in the shape of lifting my son into and out of the trolley numerous times and then carrying a bag that had 3x2litre bottles of milk, 2x875ml Persil small and mighty bottles and 1X1.9litre bottle of fabric conditioner!!! Definitely heavy!!! Hardcore shopping!!! Haha!!!
Then there was the walk to collect the Pink One from school, which was a longer walk then usual as I took a slightly different route as I walked with friends whose kids are at a different school!
See – I can make exercise out of anything!!! 😉 Happy Janathon Day 23 everyone!!!
Another evenings run foiled by a poorly small person! I got in late from last day at work (more about this in another blog) and when the Blue One arrived back he was in a righty tizzy to the point he gagged and was a little sick, so he went off up to bed with daddy keeping him company until he settled and after requesting some Calpol (or should I say demanding) he was safely tucked up in bed, but I thought it best not to go for a run.
I did 30 mins on Wii Fit Plus! What would I have done for Janathon without the Wii!?! Got quite a few high scores!!!
Short and sweet and shared a day late as I fell asleep!!!
Up and out by 7.20am to drop the small people at the childminders – it was their last day there as things are changing!
Then on to work finishing there at 5pm – meant to finish at 3.30pm, but it’s my last two days there and then I’m taking on the worst paid job in the world, terrible hours and no sick pay or pension scheme – I’m going to be a stay at home mum for a while!!! Hehee!!! Best job in the world!!! Also going to be doing an Open University degrees in Computing & IT which I’m hoping will keep me employable when I return to work, anyway I’ve got sidetracked!
Straight from work to collect the kiddies again, home with them – put a programme on they like whilst I grab a quick shower! Hubby gets in – I head out round 7pm to attend choir! Finish choir at 9pm – head home with a quick pit stop at my mum and dads to pick some bits up I’d left there.
Got in and baked some goodies to take in for my last day at work – made chocolate brownies and oat cookies! The oats cookies are wheat free, contain no egg and can be dairy free – though I was a bit naughty and swapped the raisins for chocolate chips!!! They’re rather tasty I have to say and no additionally added sugar! The sweetness comes from the apple sauce and the banana! Highly recommend!
While the cookies cooked I managed to fit in 25 mins on the Wii Fit! Yay! I was scared I’d have to say I’d slacked off but fortunately this isn’t the case! Got it in just before midnight so counts for day 21!!!
Jog on Mum 