I took on a lot because it came along and to guarantee having the summer off but there is no point if I make my self sick in the first place. And to be honest for most of it I enjoyed being really busy and having a variety of projects and my skills became better .. but you can have too much of a good thing.
I plan to do an update of training and plans to race soon
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Just to let the world know I'm still here, still training but been to doing a lot of work. And any spare time has been spent with family as it is the school holidays. I have worked more in this holiday than any previous holiday
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
In preparation for barefoot running , I've just started doing some barefoot walking. And even though I have been walking in minimalist shoes that have worn holes in the sole nothing really prepared me for barefoot walking. I had done some barefoot walking around the smooth footpaths of Napier town centre and it was okay. However when I tried to tackle the walk that I do with the children to school it was a completely different kettle of fish.
Too start with I have been doing it at 6.30am and it is colder which makes the feet more sensitive and Friday morning it had been raining and every grain of sand sticks to your feet which also makes it harder. But despite all that never have I taken so much notice of every single foot step, felt every single grain of sand, imperfection. It is amazing that what looks like smooth is not when you're not wearing shoes. And the crux of the walk is a few metres where there is no footpath and I have to go on the road. And this road is made from very rough asphalt lined covered with gravel of sharp volcanic rock which is more commonly found on rural rodes and is very slow to cycle on.
I've survived 3 walks and I'm going to persist because I know it will get better. Because I had to adapt to minmalist shoes to start with. I think that if it has rained I'll wear my huaraches. And I plan to keep my early morning barefoot walk going and walk everything else in the huaraches and I'm going to go back to cycling to swimming so I can spend more time swimming.
Talking of swimming I plan to start swimming in the pond this weekend brrr....
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
This may sound odd but this is the first day since we have been the new house that I am actually going to use the car all day. Normally I walk everywhere (including to swimming) and even the children have surprised me by wanting to walk to school there and back every day. We even walk into town for our coffees.
This was always one of the main reasons we moved so Teresa could go on her own to school(walking) and then I would bring the children later. We thought they would have to adapt to it. It has been much better than expected - I filled the car with petrol about 3 weeks ago and I'm hoping to make it last at last another 3 weeks if not longer. I drove to the farmers market in Hastings at the weekend because I wanted some free range pork, bacon and ham.
Which brings me to today Emily is complaining of feeling sick but being half way through the term she may just be tired because not only is she walking to school they do cross country running most days, she has ballet on Monday, Kelly sports (sports programme) on Thursday and swimming lessons on Saturday and then she walks with us at the weekend. I think it is great and it is how I was brought up with plenty of exercise. Both the children have no problem getting sleep often going to bed early. But today I also have Cameron's class to trip to the library and we are supposed to walk, I am typing this whilst looking at the weather trying to decide should I leave the car at home knowing that if it rains I would be expected to tale children in the car. There are slightly grey clouds but a lot of blue sky and the forecast said it wasn't going to rain...
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
We had mostly brilliant sunshine except for the last 2 days but that just helped us leave.
We didn't have any long stopovers just a few hours in Dubai and Brisbane. Emily commented on how the airports were just like shopping malls and she was right and almost all airports look the same and have the same stuff to buy.
The final part of our journey was our domestic flight from Auckland to Napier. We always arrange a few hours between our international arrival and our domestic flight this time it was 3hours on a late Friday afternoon in miserable wet winter weather in the dreary domestic terminal (it just isn't as comfortable as the international terminal). We were all exhausted from our almost continuous flight and then our domestic flight was delayed by another hour.
We eventually got back to Napier our booked taxi was waiting for us and when we arrived bcak in our new house a friend had dropped off some cheese scones and milk
One of the best things about the trip was having time to read- I read Food Inc the book about the film of the same name which covers the Food industry in the US. The moneyless man - a year living without money definitely lots to think about and Born to run- life changing story first time in a long time I haven't wanted to put a book down.
More info on these books tomorrow.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
I can actually say I enjoyed this trip to the UK, I know this because I missed being on holiday after we got back.
We had summer weather that we dreamed of but never fully expected. This gave us extra space in the in-laws small house by eating most of our meals in the garden. It also allowed us to take the the children for walks in the local fields and woods whilst the in-laws carried out their morning ritual of getting up at the same time and having exactly the same breakfast at exactly the same time everyday.
Our plan of booking two trips to other accommodation worked well Center Parcs at sherwood forest was good and the in-laws visited for days out. And we went to Pontins in Southport for four days to visit my Dad and my brother Jason came to stay there as well with his wife and my new niece. Chloe-Anne who is 18months was a good ice breaker and Emily and Cameron took to her instantly and she likewise took to them. We had a great visit with Dad just eating out and going for walks along New Brighton beach (where dad used to take us as kids) and took the children on Mersey Ferry. The only downside was Pontins, it was dreadful, run down , deadly I had stayed there for a week about 33years ago before moving to South Africa with my family. I remeber it being fun however it looked like it hadn't been maintained or decorated in that 33years we stayed only 2 of the 4 nights we had booked and paid for and went somewhere else for the next night and headed back to the in-laws in Doncaster a day earlier. Teresa left a gerat comment on their feedback form 'Are there no minimum standards' and 'Don't you ever get inspected'
It wasn't just the accommodation, it was also the travel through Liverpool in rush hour traffic back to Southport it was taking an hour and a half
And that wasn't the only driving causing problems , in Hawkes bay and in New Zealand generally there is really very little traffic congestion, but to get back to Doncaster from Liverpool we has to travel past Manchester and the level of traffic finally got to Teresa and she had to pull into the motorway services in floods of tears.
Organic food was easy to find in the local Sainsbuty's and we found local farms selling their own meat which was also great.
The inlaws had arranged a hire car - it was supposed to be an Astra but we had a huge up grade to a top of the line ford mondeo which was huge and both of us had trouble parking, it was a diesel and was very very efficient
There's a bit more to go which I'll write tomorrow.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.
Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.
