Project 365 2015 #50

Week 50 of Project 365 for 2015 has been all about finalising Christmas presents and picking glitter out of my hair!

Day 340
Following yesterday's 'didn't quite go to plan' tree decorating I sat back and appreciated it today.
Day 341
Finally a bit of sunshine on the walk to school today.
Day 342
A trip into Bath today to pick up some final bits of Christmas shopping. Most of it has been done online but I needed that real feel of shopping!
Day 343
Back to work day and early to bed with my latest Katie Fforde.
Day 344
The boy's Christingle tonight made me feel warm and fuzzy.
Day 345
I wore my Winter jumper to work today where I found myself buried in a pile of glitter for most of the day.
Day 346
Another early morning run; today leaving the house in the dark at 6:50 for a 4 miler.

x x x



Musing on a Monday {Falling out with my 9 year old}

This weekend I had planned a cosy Saturday afternoon of a walk round Lacock Abbey, to find the tree decorated by my girl and her class, followed by mince pie making and putting up the Christmas tree back home.
I'm always one to make plans with a picture perfect image of how the day will pan out just how I want it to. Which will then, of course, be documented by the obligatory snaps on Facebook and Instagram show casing what a perfect family we are.
Well, most of that went to pot.
Instead, I executed some of my parenting skills to the highest level of crapness and fell out with my 9 year old.
Yes, me, 39 years of age, old enough to be a little bit more grown up about things managed to argue, shout and sulk - just as well as any 9 year old girl.
You see, she was 'too tired' to help me as I struggled, lodged in the loft door with a Christmas tree wedging me at the top of the loft ladder. So, I shouted at how ungrateful she is and 'thank you very much for helping' - in an obviously sarcastic matter highlighting that, yes, I am clearly the grown up in this stand off. Slamming of doors followed whilst I managed to slide the tree, and myself, back down the ladder to safety.
Loft dust washed off I announced we were all going out.
But no, going to the Abbey is now far too 'boring' for a 9 year old girl.
Which obviously I accepted calmly and didn't* in any manner shout back that '9 year olds are not in charge in this house and I bloody well am'.
Then she took shelter, from the 'worst Mum ever who always shouts', under her desk.
I sat downstairs and sulked.
The husband stepped in, with his 'good cop' badge shining brightly to calm the situation, and went to speak to her. My attempts to calm the situation resulted in being told 'I'm so mean' with the offer of a hug refused - that was like a dagger to the heart so I went downstairs biting my lip so I didn't cry.
Meanwhile the boy put up the tree, then some footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.
The girl tentatively came in, giving me the evils on her way, and joined in with hanging some baubles.
Her mood gradually shifted.
I grabbed her for a hug.
And all was well.

x x x

* I did

Project 365 2015 #49

The weather has not been good for week 49 of Project 365 for 2015.
I am craving a cold, clear, sunny day as it is December for goodness sake.

Day 333
A super soggy wet day for rugby training today. Luckily it was the husband's time to go so I stayed dry inside.
Day 334
Another super soggy wet day. So much so I drove to do the school run - which is unheard of as I can't bare the parking mayhem.
Day 335
I headed out for a run which turned into my Virual 10k Race for December - and a PB. I also started a blogging running diary.
Day 336
We've been playing some old school games discovered in the loft. The current favourite being Downfall.
Day 337
Some post for me today in the form of my Christmas Day running medal. This is going to be wrapped and put under the tree.
Day 338
The children went to their Christmas school fair with a friend today. Back home the boy pulled his personally made cracker with his own joke inside. He is clearly a comic genius.
Day 339
I had a cosy day in mind putting up the Christmas tree with a happy family and warm mince pies. I made the mince pies and eventually we had a happy family hanging the baubles!

x x x

Running Diary {Medals & Plans}

I turned over a new leaf of the calendar today and smiled to myself as a new month lay ahead. A fresh page on the calendar already filled in. Filled in mostly with my running plans - including a run on Christmas Day. Christmas Day!! What has happened to me? Never in a month of Sundays would I have once thought I would be running on Christmas Day. Or even running every week. Or running three times a week. Or have a half marathon lined up - well, actually two. But it appears I am a changed woman. My washing airer is constantly full with running tights, skins, sports bras and vests. My shoe cupboard now has running shoes galore - I even sacrificed a new pair of DMs this Winter for a pair of new Nikes! Any spare pennies I find go quickly as I sign up for Virtual Runs to keep me ticking over. My Christmas present this year has been used up about ten times over signing up for a 10k, two half marathons and buying a back up pair of new Nikes - I still would like a Buff if you're reading this lovely husband!

So, back to the half marathon. I have signed up to take part in the Bath Half on March 13th 2016. I am running it for my own personal challenge having been stuck at the 10k mark since the Race for Life back in July. I am running it to prove I can get my niggly knee up to a longer distance - stubborn I know. I am running it to raise money for the new Bath RUH Cancer Centre - a hospital that has provided support and care to someone very special in our family. I am running it because This Girl Can - hopefully!

I returned, emotional, from a 10k (6.2 mile) run this morning and turned to social media and posted the following...

When you head out for a 5 miler and realise at 4 miles in that it's December and you may as well push on for the 10k Virtual Race. Then at 5 miles your knee niggles just a little but you think it's fine. Then at 5.6 it's screaming at you and you think just half a mile to go. Then at 6.1 it clicks that 10k is actually 6.2miles so you swear yourself round the last tenth of a mile. Then your neighbour walks past and says "You look knackered how far have you run?" "Just the six miles" I reply through clenched teeth. "Blinking hell! " Then you walk past his mum who comments "I didn't recognise you, you look so slim!" Then you realise your knee isn't screaming anymore and you seem to have recovered. Then you look at your watch and realised you've smashed your PB so you grin like a loon back home to unpack your medal. That!

Let's talk about the medals for a moment.

Back in May, following my return to giving running another go after bailing on it last year due to my niggly knee, I challenged myself with a 5k goal. But I needed a reward, a dangling carrot if you like, so I signed up to my first virtual run with Virtual Runner UK and Run Mummy Run. I wrote about it here if you want to learn more but basically the dangling, shiny bling is all I need! Once I had completed a couple of 5ks I was hooked and challenged myself to get to the 10k and took part in Race for Life and another virtual run in August - for which I got some rather lovely medals for...

Then my knee niggles kicked in again so I had to cut back on the mileage and incorporate a plethora of stretching routines into my daily life. But I needed another goal and getting back up to 10k was what I needed to do by December in order for my half marathon plans to keep ticking over nicely. And today was the day - completely unplanned, completely emotional, but I got there.

And this running malarkey is so emotional! It's hard to explain but I have literally shed blood, sweat and tears on some runs - not necessarily due to pain but sheer emotions.

Running is my escape, my free therapy, my me time, my challenge.

x x x