24 January 2006

 

Doing much better!

Ciao tutti!

Since I changed on to the Runner's World training programme I feel much better. It just goes to prove.............different strokes for different folks, eh?!

Did a really good 7 miler yesterday (was mainly downhill!) and also did an hour of swimming.

Today, I have been messed about by interviewees so missed the chance to go for a quick run as I was waiting in all day by the phone but have done an hour on the bike (in front of trashy telly) and am going in for a swim in a bit.

Will have plenty of time tomorrow to go for a run and started downloading loads of new stuff on my i-pod to listen to, so it will be quite pleasant!

Only strange thing is that I am eating more sensibly but still gaining weight which I can't figure out............I know (I hope) I'm not pregnant so not sure why...............surely I can't be gaining that much muscle?

If I have one more weigh-in without loss or with more gain, I'm going to quit WW. Why should I pay a fiver each week to be informed that I'm getting fatter.......

My sister says it is cos I get weighed on a Saturday morning after a Friday night out and I will be full of junk! Might try weighing myself at home on Friday morning before I start the weekend relaxing to see if there's any difference.

Hey-ho, must go now as I have to finish my Spanish homework and I know if I don't do it now whilst motivated, I won't do it at all!

Laters!

19 January 2006

 

A conclusion.........

............the Hal Higdon training plan is too difficult for me to commit to in my current state of affairs.

I need to be more realistic or I am going to spend the rest of my training constantly guilt tripping myself whenever I don't go for a run or talking myself out of runs. I didn't run over the weekend because of alcohol abuse and this week has been difficult due to work commitments.

I know I'm not going to change the bad habits of a life time or stop working (if only) so I need to find an 'easier' training programme.

I want to enjoy my training but to be honest HH's programme is too much and I felt I was being pushed too hard and was rebelling.................

Does that make sense?

Glad I got it off my chest!

Think I am going to follow the Runner's World Sub 4.30 schedule instead as it seems more doable.

By the way I DID go for a run yesterday (3 miles) and I am going for one shortly so I have not completely buggered up my training, just went off the rails a bit!!!

18 January 2006

 

Good morning peeps!

Aiyor!

It's 9.30am, I'm in my running gear, fed the cats, interviewed the person I needed to speak to for a feature I am writing............it can only mean one thing...............I'm about to go for a run!

Oh and I redeemed myself yesterday after the workmen had gone by doing an hour on the bike and a 30 min swim so I wasn't a complete lazy arse and therefore I well and truly deserved the mound of ice-cream I had later whilst watching BB (And the Haribo whilst watching Shameless).

Laters potatoes!

17 January 2006

 

Damn and blast!

Not been for a run and now it's too dark, plus I can't leave the house anyway cos the workmen are still here working on fixing the shower...............so wish I had a treadmill.

Been sat in my running kit for hours waiting for the chance to get out..........but it never happened. Going to salvage what I can of the day by cycling in the lounge for a bit.

It's better than nothing I suppose...................but I'm really annoyed with myself now, lost all those days to boozing and hangovers and desparately need to get back with the programme!

Tomorrow has got to be a productive day training-wise.....................................

 

Back with the programme....hopefully....some time today

Hallo!

Ok, so over the weekend I was bad and yesterday was a non-starter because of my hangover BUT I did do an hour and a half in the pool (got new goggles, so I can now swim front crawl!) and today although I have loads of stuff to do I am going to try to get out for a 7-miler later on.

Right, must go now as I have tons of work to get through, my nails need doing and a lady from the Stroke Association is coming to take my piccie today cos I'm doing that channel swim in March and she is going to try and drum up some publicity.

Laters!

16 January 2006

 

Bad girl!

Well, I fell of the wagon after just two days and drank a horrendous amount over the weekend and shockingly did NO running whatsoever.

Saturday, I had my hair done and didn't want to ruin it!

Had a crowd round for Sunday lunch yesterday and didn't get chance to head out before they came round and today I had a gale-force hangover so there's no way I'm heading out.

I'm a very bad and lazy girl who should be trying harder cos I actually gained weight at this week's Weight Watcher weigh in!

Ah, well, back with the programme tomorrow, ta, ta!

12 January 2006

 

God, I'm tired!

Hiya!

Gonna make this a short post as I am knackered today for some reason. Perhaps it has something to do with the 8-miler and one hour bike session I did yesterday and the 3-miler and nightmare dragging of really heavy shopping home from the shops today.

Anyhow, I'm pooped. Was going to go and sit in bath for a bit with a book but I can't even been arsed doing that.

Alessandro is going out with the lads tomorrow so I might save that activity until then.

Hope everyone's training is going okay. For me it's getting a little easier, seem to be getting into a stride earlier and able to maintain it longer. Running with my i-pod helps but it had a bit of a funny fit yesterday and the noise went all weird so I really missed not having it today.

Nighty night!

11 January 2006

 

Morning..........

Howdy partners,

Not posted for a few days as I have been trying to do some actual work!

Diet is going vvvverrrrry badly and I'm almost too frightened to go to Weight Watchers on Saturday but have made my mind up and I need to go every week good or bad.

On Sunday after my longish run I found 6 boxes of Ferrero Rocher in the corner cupboard in the kitchen. We had bought them for NYE so we could make a pyramid out of them in a kind of 'Ambassador, you are really spoiling us' kind of way. But forgot.

So with these, a seemingly everlasting supply of Thornton's Continental and Cava I am getting fatter and fatter.

I start the day with the best of intentions but weaken come teatime. What is it the Bible says: "The road to Hell, is paved with good intentions." Move over Lucifer and prepare an extra wide flaming armchair for me then.

Exercise-wise I have been okay. Ran to the docs on Monday (2 miles) and was going to run back but met my mother-in-law in the waiting room and she insisted on driving me home, bless her!

Yesterday I went back to the doctor's again for a Spirometry (lung test) in a taxi (running late) and ran back, so another 2 miles. I was going to carry on and run into Manchester City Centre but I had a perscription in my jacket pocket that was going to turn to slush in the heavy wind and hail. Also the nurse gave me a mega dose of ventalin and it sent me all funny!

Also on Monday I did 1 hour ten in the pool, split over 2 sessions and yesterday did an hour on the bike whilst reading a book.

Today, I hope to do an 6-8 miler and a quick cool down on the bike and swim. Will post later my results.

Also as of today, I'm not going to drink for a while (alcohol I mean, not water, that would be mental). I drink far too much and it really is the devil. Once I have had a glass of vino I'm like 'ah fook it, pass the chocolate/cheese/ice cream'.

I really want to lose weight this year and get into my old jeans. Also (big admission here) after the London Marathon, I'm not going to train for any more for a while as I will be starting to try for a nipper and I want to improve my health to give myself the best chance of doing so.

It is going to be tough as my social life seems to revolve around booze and I have got into the habit of having a glass of wine with my tea and then more in front of the telly afterwards.

From now on my highs are going to have to be from exercise. And Celebrity Big Brother!

OMG, has anyone been watching it? Jodie Marsh does my head in. 'I'm sick of the press and everyone calling me a slag' and in the next breath she says: 'I had an orgy with five men at once, it was wicked' or 'I was on a shoot with a porn photographer and him and the naked girls where showing me their porn shoot positions, I was getting down and taking pictures, it was well cool'.

I really don't care if someone wants to sleep with different people everynight (as long as they are careful), but I'm not 15 anymore so I'm not interested in hearing reports of it.

Another thing. Marsh says she was bullied at school. My mate went to school with her (a very posh one in Essex, where bullying was simply not tolerated) and he says she wasn't bullied at all and it's all in her head.

She now says that the press and other BB contestants are bullying her. Yet she slags off everyone else and spends time calling Jordan every name under the sun (which I think is a form of bullying as Jordan will get to hear it).

Damaged goods, methinks...........few bats in the belfry.

Sorry about the lengthy rant about Jodie Marsh, it is just she does my head in!

Will leave the whole 'Celab (said in style of Avid Merrion) BB' alone after this cabsolute classic quote from Pete Burns: "You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink, you can take a whore to culture but you can't make her think."

Laters!

09 January 2006

 

High drama!

Hello folks,

Should have posted last night as I did 8 miles yesterday and the weird thing is I didn't feel at all weezy........also ran with music which always makes things easier. Bit of Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street to bring back the New York Marathon memories and a bit of Bobby Darin - Beyond the Sea which reminds me of mine and Alessandro's wedding reception as we had the Goodfellas soundtrack and Rat Pack playing in the background.

Did have a crafty stop off at my sisters house, but I did have to drop her keys back to her and only stayed for 20 mins as her and her lot were going shopping.

Anyhow, back to last night. Was about to go up and post when a copper knocked on the door........no, not more scallies but a robbery in the street. My neighbours are in America and three lads smashed their way into the house, apparently looking for car keys (they are well to do and have nice motors) and took a flat screen telly as well. Would have got more but the alarms went off and the woman next door came out screaming her head off and so they drove off.

I know that my neighbourhood is rife with car jacking but it was chilling to think that they go as far as breaking in regardless of whether you are in or not.

Policeman scared the shit out of me as he told me that the gang had down the same thing last night in Swinton, are completely fearless, as they have been operating for a while and don't give a shit if there's someone in the house at the time, and were actually eyeing up OUR house before they decided to rob my neighbour.

The copper knows we have CCTV so he asked to come in and have a look and lo and behold, there they are, bold as brass, eyeing up our joint whilst me and Alessandro are in, guzzling cava and watching Billy Connolly, completely oblivious. Totally freaked me out, couldn't sleep last night, going to keep a can of hairspray by the door from now on!

With this and the scallies you would think that my street is in the bronx or something but we actually live in a really quiet suburban street, very leafy, kids playing in road, neighbours very chummy etc.

Our house is already like fort knox with about 15 cameras all over the joint (someone we know has a CCTV business) and hefty electronic iron gates but I'm still packing it. Alessandro has already told me not to get out of my car until I'm inside the gates and they are shut which I do, even though I'm sure no one would like to steal my knackered Corolla - it's just not worth the sentence!

Need to go out today and am now scared to leave the house empty...........I'm paranoid as fook anyway (spend my holidays worrying that the house is ok) so this might tip me over the edge.

Mental note to self - postpone hate campaign against bloke who owns snake shop and start vigilante group.

Laters!

06 January 2006

 

Little Miss Smug!

Ciao tutti!

Ho corso dieci kilometri oggi e sono molto fiera ora!

Sorry, just got off the phone to one of my Italian chums, anyhow I ran 6 miles today, despite the fact that was weezy as fook.

Alessandro wants me to go back to the doctor who can't decide if I'm asthmatic or what......I certainly feel like I am now.

Ironic, 5 years since I quite smoking and 3 years since I took up running, I develop a bad chest.........................makes me think twice about quitting the booze!

Ah well, even though I had to take a couple of cough breaks I did it.................I do admit that at the three mile mark I was outside my sister's house and I called her to see if I could come round for a brew, and if I had I would have ended up staying for something stronger and getting the tram home.

But she wasn't in so I had to carry on my plod back home again and god, do I feel pleased with myself now!

Running the opposite way down my usual streets revealed hills I had not noticed before in places I usually struggle in but put it down to lack of scenery before now. No wonder those bits were so hard!

Does anyone else get that?

Decided that 6 miles is enough exercise for today and am going to postpone my swim until tomorrow morning before weight watchers weigh-in (going back to face the music, just can't do it on my own, need weekly shaming!) and Spanish class (oh joy, exam preparation).

Tonight I am going to watch Celab BB and I don't care how rubbish everyone else thinks it is......I don't smoke crack (not any more anyway) so at least let me watch the TV equivalent.

Any chance I get to scream abuse at Jodie Marsh, hell, I'm going to take it.

And that George Gallaway wants to be relieved I'm not one of his constituents, as I would have already been on the phone to Westminster enquiring as to how he can possibly be serving his constituency effectively when he is sat in a hot tub with Rula Lenska, Barrymore and a Baywatch babe.

Going to team my televisual feast with Tesco Cava (classy lady that I am) and cheese, quality streeet, salami, prosciutto and crisps. A kind of last supper, if you will, before the WW point counting takes the fun out of my life.

Going to do another 6 miler tomorrow, chest permitting before I go round my Italian mate's house for a hard-core gossiping session. Got to keep my language skills up somehow (cos Alessandro won't speak to me in Italian as he says it feels 'weird') and she is just back from a spa break in Mallorca and hasn't seen my wedding photos yet so we've plenty of ground to cover!

A domani amici miei!

04 January 2006

 

What a lazy bint I am!

Good afternoon all,

Slept in this morning until 9.45am and once again not been able to get myself to buckle down and do some paid work (well I did do a bit but not enough in my book).

Decided against going for a run today as I have pulled a muscle in my chest when sneezing last night. I do this great often and know if I try to run on it I'll just make it worse. So I postponed my 6 miler until tomorrow.

Didn't go swimming today as I think the chlorine levels at the moment could actually be bad for my health. The smell is mega powerful and the testing kit we have is reading maximum. Think I will wait until they are ok-ed by the pool people.

Did do about 30 mins on the bike though, but is only cos Alessandro phoned me to ask where I wanted to eat out tonight!!!

Think I'd better postpone the diet a bit longer as I quite fancy an Indian!

Take care!

03 January 2006

 

Let's get physical!

Watchyas!

Been running - 3 miles-ish, done my Tesco shop, done a quick 50 lengths of my pool -it's only 7m long so was a very quick 50 lengths.

I had to get out as I have a majorly massive fear of snakes and someone has just opened a reptile shop in the village (yuck) and I had a mental image of someone nearby buying a snake and it escaping and ending up in my pool and killing me so decided to only get in it when Alessandro is around to kill off any beasts (I always remove spiders from the house for him so fair's fair.)

Yes, I know that sounds weird but one of my cousins once saw a snake in an outdoor pool down south when he was staying in digs and recently in the local press there was a story about a snake that escaped from a flat and got into the pipes and spent weeks popping up through other peoples' toilets in the same block. You have no idea how that affected me!

(Mental note to self to start a nimbyist hate campaign against reptile shop owner until he fooks off.)

Even so I'm now feeling smug as it is not even 6pm yet, hoorah!

The downside is that I have achieved very little by way of actual work today, but I did read somewhere on t'internet that today is the most depressing day of the year, so I decided to sack off work and do things that I felt like doing.

Work can wait!

Going to try to be good tonight, food wise as after a day of being good yesterday I fell off the wagon and had loads of wine, quality street, kabanos, mortadella and cheese!!

Have started tracking food at weightwatchers online again (obviously not fessing up to yesterday's pig out) and am feeling strong at the moment.

The problem is that swimming always makes me starving...........it's a good job we don't have a vending machine as you come out of the pool - that was always my downfall when I used to go to the baths. We do have a box of pickled onion space invaders somewhere -classic vending machine fodder - but I asked Alessandro to hide them from me.

Right-oh, need to get my virtous skinless chicken breasts, peppers, zucchini, onions and polenta on before Mr Bacci returns from a hard day's actual graft.

He has got me a belated Crimbo pressie from the US of A and is bringing it home tonight - what could it be?!! (Already told me it is definately not a dog! He did get me a goat for Crimbo but that it lives in Africa and I don't think it is allowed to visit.)

Keep it up folks!

02 January 2006

 

Somebody stop me!

Neehow!

Got my running kit on after posting and did a run/walk 3 miler around Prestwich. Weather was cold and wet, my favourite! I love the rain once I get going.

Took a while as I didn't want to push it the first time out and Alessandro insists on me taking a mobile with me, but mine was out of battery, so I took his, and his Mam kept ringing on it which really interrupted my stride!

The main thing is that I did it and to top it off, when I got back in I had a swim in my new pool for about 30 mins which was great! We are not sure if it is actually ok to swim in it as the chlorine levels seem quite high but I didn't put my head under the water so I should live.

Think I could get used to a daily swim, which is just as well cos I have entered the Stroke Association's Strokes for Strokes challenge and am thinking of swimming the channel (in a pool of course!). I am a much stronger swimmer than runner so it should be doable with training.

Our pool is next to the conservatory or the Cat's room as it is known. The kittens were glued to the door with curiousity the whole time I was paddling about and get everywhere, so I had to be careful not to let them in the pool room, as they are not very bright and would fall in. My Dad says let them, they'll only do it the once but then again my Dad hates cats!

Now have that post-exercise tired but pleased with myself feeling! Going to have a lazy evening reading trashy magazines and watching crap on telly.

Keep smiling!

 

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!

Hello peeps!

Happy New Year and hope you all had a great Christmas and are keeping well. We had a good time in Boro apart from everyone having the sniffles..........so no training done.

I did manage to break a bit of a sweat chasing under-6s around my Mam and Dad's house, diving into tins of Quality Street and opening bottles of Tesco's Cava.

It is now 2nd Jan, the day I consider when New Year's resolutions should kick in (after all 1st Jan is a write off, spent it cleaning my house up after a big party).............been up two hours and so far been very good: weighed myself - 11st 4.3lbs and 38.2% fat - had low fat yogurt, oats and mandarins for brekkie and am now thinking about exercise.

Chest is completely clear, so Alessandro can't complain on health reasons but now he is saying that if I don't head out soon it will be too dark to run. GGGGRRRR!

I have started another blog in which I intend to document my attempts to do more interesting stuff over 2006 (partly as a diversion from booze) and I have already enquired about scuba diving lessons..........something I always wanted to learn but never managed to get round to it.

Right-o, best get on, will try to check in later..............after running I intend to clear all the blood of my drive way. The NYE party had all the incidents a party should........booze, laughs, games of pool, dancing, karoke........but also crying girls, fleeing boyfriends and the most sensible guest, a doctor, managed to slip off my front door step whilst having a sly fag, hurtle down my steep driveway and crash head first into my iron gates, smashing up his face. Nice!

With his qualifications, I was going to have him on pool duty if I decided to open up the pool, glad I didn't as I would probably still have that 'police, don't cross' tape up everywhere after he passed out and some drunken reveller met with a watery grave!

Ah well, catch you laters!

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