Proud

Today was Race for Life. If you'd told me 6 months ago I'd be running Race for Life, I'd have laughed in your face. But a neighbour signing up and BlueADT posting about a running programme that actually sounded manageable, made me think that maybe I could do it.
I had hoped to run the entire 5 K, but it was always a tall order. The running programme covers 9 weeks, and I started training 8 weeks beforehand. I repeated several weeks and then last week I came down with a cold, which put a stop to training (I spent most of Thursday in bed, asleep). Needless to say, I was very apprehensive about it, even though it doesn't matter how you complete the race - you can hopscotch backwards if you want.

To my complete and utter amazement, I managed to run two sets of 10 mins. I started off doing a 5 mins brisk walk, ran 10 mins, walked 5 mins, ran another 10 mins, walked 5 mins and then ran over the finish line. I was bursting with pride at the end, especially when I found I'd done it in 38 mins. I'm itching to get out there again.

It was a humbling experience. Everybody wore a number at the front and a sign on their back saying I race for... The names and 'stories' sometimes made for sad reading. A middle-aged lady with a girl's name on her sign, with underneath it: my daughter, 26. A little girl, not much more than 9 or 10, with 'for my dear mummy'. A few teenage girls with photos of an eleven or twelve year old boy. I've found before that running is easier if you can think about something else besides the running. Today I spent my time reading the signs, and I'm sure it helped.

Okay, so maybe I didn't run the whole thing. But I'll probably end up raising about 300 pounds, and I've gained a healthy new hobby which I'll definitely keep up. What else can you ask for?

Worldwide Knit in Public Day

...was yesterday. So when the kids and I went to California Kitchen for lunch and were waiting for the food to be served, I got out my socalledpidge and started knitting. When I told I. that it was WWKIP day, she said 'but you knit in public all the time anyway'. And to think that a few months ago I used to feel very self-conscious about getting my knitting out in public...

Lots of progress on the socalledpidge scarf, now that I have the stitch pattern sussed I love knitting it and have it next to my laptop, to work on it while the computer autotranslates files and I have to wait for it to finish processing.

Came down with a rotten cold on Friday evening though and haven't been out for any exercise. In fact, I'm sat here in pyjamas and a fleece top, dosed up on paracetamol and no energy at all. It's the first time since I started training that I really can't be bothered to go out, but as it's the first time since the end of April, I think I'm allowed a few days off.

Things that made me happy today

In the same vein as Three beautiful things, but then a few more as I couldn't whittle them down...

1. Managing to do three 5 mins runs (with two 3 mins intervals). Hard work but I so enjoy finding that I can push myself that much further than I'd ever have expected. I'll be pleased as punch if I can do 20 mins continuous running next week.

2. Eating a 'secret' icecream with N. after we'd dropped I. off for brownies, and N. saying 'don't tell I., mamma'.

3. After three false starts, finally working out how this stitch pattern works without the scarf going all wonky (it was veering towards the left yesterday).

4. Looking forward to my Saturday with the kids this week. Swimming, coffee in cafe, walk through park, lunch at California Kitchen, market shopping. All part of a very predictable routine but this week's been so busy and we get very little time to actually enjoy each other's company.

Maybe this was a Love Thursday post....

Photo post

I've been feeling rather grumpy the last few days. Lots of work, lots of people pulling me into all directions, no me time at all. The latter especially is a sure bet for grumpiness. Grumpiness stops me wanting to write. So instead here are some photos.

Token has discovered he can get outside through the velux window. Snickers did it first, and when Token spotted her, you could see him thinking 'ah! I want to do that too'. He's much more agile than Snickers, and happily climbs the roof, goes over the top and comes back in through another window on the other side. What he hasn't worked out yet is that if you sit down on the open velux, the window will close. He did precisely that last night. I was in bed, heard the window close, followed by the sound of cat nails being scraped on roof tiles, followed by a loud 'boomph' - a definite sound of a cat falling off a roof. B. runs out, only to find Token madly dashing across the lawn. Maybe it's true cats always land on their feet.

'Hello, are you still in bed then? isn't it time you two got up, lazybones?' (Tokey looking at us through velux from outside)

Two things that cheered me up today (much needed):
I.'s blue toenails, matching her wellies ('mamma why are you taking a picture? You're going to send it to someone aren't you?')


And the arrival of soft, cuddly yarn in the post



which has turned into this

and is going to be this

Present for I.'s form teacher, as I. is leaving primary school this year and moving on to middle school.

O and yesterday this arrived in the post:


For those of you not au fait with Shaun the Sheep, click the link...
Cuddly toy will be for baby of colleague who is mad about Shaun the Sheep. Much to I.'s disappointment. I think I may have to knit her one too. She'll have to wait though till I've finished mysocalled scarf (or two or three).

PS Still running. I'm increasing the jogging and slowly decreasing the walking, and am on 5 min runs now. I won't be able to run the entire 5 kilometers next week, but it won't have been for lack of trying. I'm a bit disappointed, but it was always a tall order, and I've managed to get this far without injury and without losing interest. And when the race is over, I'll carry on running until I can do 5 kilometers - that's my next challenge!