The first and last beach bbq of the summer....

So many beach plans have been canned this summer - some even got to the emailing invitations stage before rain or risk of rain caused cancellation. It's summers like this year's that make me tempted to coerce Husband, friends & family to emigrate to somewhere where weather isn't constant rain may-September....

So Saturday's beach excursion was the first - and may well be the last of Summer 08. Husband, Goldfish, Kitty, G, C and M all came along. I swam (a little bit) with Husband & we played a little frisbee - C was great at leaping to grab it - managed to look elegant! M had the short straw as he seemed to have to paddle out to retrieve the frisbee a few times.

I'm including walking as an activity for Saturday as our camp was a little way down the beach (in our defence, it was the first people free spot when we arrived at 4ish) and I seemed to walk up & down a few times (to meet G, to use the loos on top of the cliff, to put some more parking time on the car). I did feel guilty at our distant location when W & J arrived & trekked over to join us in bike leathers!

Lots of food (including Husband's first attempt at home made sausages!). I drank lots of beer - so was v.grateful to Kitty for driving. The sun shone & nobody got frostbite - not even G.

Bike ride today - Husband, C, M and I did a 20km route from Preston Candover. Drizzled a bit, but we didn't get too soggy. It's a good route - seems to be more down than up (steeper ups) and enough tricky rutty bits to keep the little grey cells working as hard as my legs.

C's guinea pig squeals (TM) proved a great early warning system when cycling behind her of any big rocks or obstacles. I tried to persuade the boys that it would be considerate of them to squeal too so that C could also benefit - to no avail.

A bit drunk, a bit philosophical

Not a good run @ gym - I only managed 20mins. Made up the time on the x trainer & a rare session on the stepper. I think I'm still not drinking enough during the day (I'll spare you the details of how I'm convinced about this!). Cycled to work every day this week, so I'm not too down about the treadmill. Getting down about my comfort eating though - which is a vicious circle. Husband replaced the batteries in the scales so I have no feeble excuse not to be back on the straight & narrow next week.


Half a bottle of rose & I'm thinking too much! Feeling a bit purposeless and drifting atm (trying not to blame being 39 & child free!). I was planning to train as a gym instructor as a kind of personal development/breathe some new life into my own exercise project. Been thinking whether that's the right vehicle or not, so I've been emailing around about a couple of potential volunteer ideas today - will report if anything looks likely to happen!


Anyway, inspired by the Economist, I've decided to "enhance" the Fat Bird's Guide to Exercise with my own Big Mac index - i.e. how many minutes exercise are required for me to work off 1 Big Mac. I've edited the 2 guides I've blogged so far (Running on a Treadmill, Running Al Fresco) to include it.

Fat Bird’s Guide to Exercise – Running on a Treadmill

Treadmills get a bad press. OK, so they can be dull compared to running outside, but they form a key part of my (and many others’) exercise regimes. Being inside in the dry is a huge plus! I find that the treadmill is a great tool for intervals, and being in a gym, it’s easy to combine with other activities.


Boredom is an issue - feeling like a hamster on a wheel! My gym has TVs & headphones – I find that Hollyoaks requires a level of concentration that suits running! I find it impossible to read a magazine whilst running – too much bouncing – so it’s TV, podcast and/or music.



I used to travel for work & the views I would get of the cities I was lucky to visit made the treadmill session much more interesting. In Hong Kong, watching black eared kites soar around the skyscrapers or watching the Star Ferry work its way to/from Kowloon depending on which hotel I was staying in. In Shanghai, watching cargo boats on the Hangpu River and seeing the city lit up at night (always looked better than in the smoggy grey day).



Top tips:

· If it’s not your usual gym, don’t expect that the treadmill will be identical – and your performance may also be different.
· Although treadmills are great for benchmarking, be careful on how quickly you increase the intensity or extent of your routine – little by little...
· Walking’s a good warm up & cool down - it's not compulsory to run!



Have I done it?
Yup. I use the treadmill as a key part of my running.
Sociability?
1/5 – Not really sure how it could be sociable.
Convenience?
2/5 – Unless you have one, a trip to the gym is required. But it is weather proof. And I’m yet to find a hotel gym that doesn’t have one (apart from a dodgy weights only one in Kielce)
Calories per 5 mins:
70-80 calories (based on my weight & speeds for my interval sessions), 460 for a 30min run
Fun Factor?
1/5 – The only fun is generated by whatever boredom alleviation tool you choose.
Big Mac Index
Under 33 minutes.

Pros:
· Weatherproof.
· Most gyms have one!
· Great for benchmarking and pacing – how fast did you run 1km?
· Good for first sessions post injury as it is more controlled than running outside with no obstacles.
· You can walk or run, stay on the flat, go up a hill, do intervals.....
Cons:
· Boredom.
· Having to join a gym to use one – cost, getting there & junk mail!
· For a simple machine, controls can be v.complicated & there’s not always similarities between brands.
· Still high impact.
· Treadmills tend to be the second most popular machines at my gym – so trying to get on one in the Monday evening peak can be tricky.



Kit:
· Running shoes – although the easier terrain may mean that you can delay investing until you are sure you are running enough to justify the expense.
· Sports bra – just as essential as for running outside.
· Headphones and/or MP3 player (my lovely shuffle is shown here) loaded with tunes or podcasts.



Other Treadmill Runners:
· I see AS at the gym fairly frequently, pounding along with his Coventry FC shirt on.



Resources:
· Runners World magazine & website
· “Running Made Easy” – Susie Whalley and Lisa Jackson

Body Combat

Had the usual insane pedal home in order to make Body Combat. Glad that the REM gig at the Rosebowl didn't cause too much traffic chaos & I made it half way through the first track. I must try & get out of office by 5:20pm - it'd reduce my stress levels significantly!

Long Weekend of Excess in Vienna

Lots of walking, lots of art, lots of boogying, lots of beer, lots of food, lots of great people, lots of sunshine - all in all, lots of great wedding!


X & S got married in Vienna on Saturday in a fabulously over the top Palais, complete with gold baroque twiddly bits and I'm sure I remember cherub statues!


So, tenuous links to exercise:

• Oodles of walking - about 2 hours each day. This included initial exploring with Husband on Friday, a drunk wander through the old town on Saturday back to our hotel, lone hangover beating stomp on Sunday morning when I got to see the incredibly tasteless Johann Strauss memorial, meandering from cathedral on Monday....


• Boogying on Saturday night - even Husband was dancing! Kitty & Goldfish outdid us, keeping going til the party ended.


• Good intentions: I did try to rent a bike, but the City Bike scheme didn't like my credit card! I also briefly considered joining the virtuous Kitty in the gym on Friday but decided to go wandering with Husband instead.

I've discovered that I'm not a big Klimt fan - ditto Schiele. Liked a Julian Opie exhibition I went to with Kitty at MAK, loved the laid back Museums Quartier, enjoyed art from Faroe Islands that was in the basement of the Leopold Museum, loved the hotel (Das Triest - stylish, comfy, powerful showers, quiet rooms, good looking receptionist), liked beer from a microbrewery and cocktails at film festival, flatpack hat from M&S was successful, enjoyed a v.civilised slice of sachertorte with Kitty in a beautiful palm house.... even Husband who hates city breaks enjoyed the weekend.

Quote for weekend came from Kitty "why have they messed up our hotel booking, moved us to a great, stylish hotel with minimal hassle, fed us for free - why us??!!"

More rain & roadworks

Struggled to get out of work by 5:30pm, pedalled like mad in the rain to get home by 5:55pm, changed & in car before 6pm... then got stuck in traffic. There are 3 routes to the gym from home & atm, each one has roadworks - 2 involving road closure. So I was 5mins late for Body Combat - I'm glad I did make it though coz I'd had a lousy day & badly needed the kicking & punching fresh air therapy it provides.
Looking forward to a 4 day weekend...

Not so lucky

I did get caught in the rain this evening cycling home - not too bad. As usual, I got more wet & grubby from surface water than directly from the rain.
Gym tonight - 10mins on x trainer, 30mins intervals on treadmill, rowing weights machine & the leg press. Treadmill was tough - but I think I was guilty of drinking nothing but vast quantities of coffee today - so probably have only myself to blame!

Fat Bird’s Guide to Exercise - Running Al Fresco

Running Al Fresco

I’ve split this from treadmill running as I find that it occupies different territory for me. Running’s given me some great milestones in my exercise history – highlights have included my first ever 5K which I did with G on Bournemouth seafront a few years ago, first ever 10K with Kitty (Eastleigh 10K), breaking the 1 hour 10K barrier last year at Beaulieu, Great Manchester Run with Middle Sister, Race for Life this year with my fabulous Mother In Law.....

Having said all that, I haven’t always enjoyed the training. A couple of years ago, I decided to quit – but weirdly, that seemed to be the turning point for me – only running when I fancied it was the key and I found that as I lost weight, I seemed to fancy running more. Husband has been a huge support – coming out to cheer me on whenever I race and accompanying me training on his bike.

Have I done it?
Yup. I’m pretty slow, but I run about once a week outside.

Sociability?
4/5 – It’s been great to jog & chat.

Convenience?
3/5 – Almost any place, anytime, anywhere and mapmyrun.com has been a good source of ideas for routes. However, I don’t like running alone in the dark in winter and I also dislike hot weather – I’d rather be rained on!

Calories per 5 mins:
60 calories (based on my weight & speed), 360 for a 30min run

Fun Factor?
3/5 - Events are fun, but training is less so unless running with a buddy! Ipod helps a lot as does my Forerunner.

Big Mac Index: under 42mins

Pros:

• Very satisfying! I find running my best stress buster.
• Many milestones are out there – Race for Life is a superb place to start as it’s so inclusive and raising money for charity can be a great incentive.
• Seeing more of my neighbourhood.
• Being able to run wherever – for example, my Torbay Beach Hut run.
• Discovering interval training has increased my speed considerably - which makes me feel that my training is progressing - good motivation!
  

Cons:

• Safety – I prefer to run with others, esp if it’s dark or I’m off road. If I’m alone, I ensure somebody knows where I’m going & my rough ETA.
• There’s an adage about there being 3 types of runners – injured runners, getting-over-an-injury runners, about-to-get-injured runners.... blisters are my most frequently encountered issue.
• Idiots - I have had problems in the past with lovely people yelling at me from cars which makes me feel self conscious and has put me off going out. The buddy factor has helped me enormously in getting over this. Other good solutions are big sunglasses/baseball cap/ipod to filter out people.
  

Kit:

• Running shoes – don’t believe people who tell you that running is free exercise! Trainers that suit your running style are essential to avoiding blisters/pain & I suggest going to a specialist running shop to sort out what will suit your style and foot type best. And they will cost upwards of £60....
• Sports bra – another essential!
• Gadgets – I find my ipod shuffle essential when I’m running alone & I love my Garmin 305 Forerunner that tells me how fast I’m going – esp as I’m rubbish at pacing.
  

Other Runners:

• C has been a very patient running partner in the past & she’s recently started doing 10Ks again.
• C’s husband M is so much better than me – he looks like a proper runner! Have spotted him a couple of times in the woods as he does a similar circuit to me....
• Fabulous Mother-In-Law took up running earlier this year & did fantastically at Torbay’s Race for Life.
• CS has found that running in Singapore suits her well – apparently, the trick is to accept that you are hot & sweaty even before you start!

Resources:
· Runners World magazine & website – includes listings of races
· http://www.womensrunningnetwork.co.uk/
· http://www.mapmyrun.com/
· “Running Made Easy” – Susie Whalley and Lisa Jackson

Lucky miss

It was pouring with rain this afternoon and still raining when I walked out of the office. However, it stopped when I got on my bike!

I'm starting a new series of ramblings - the Fat Bird's Guide to Exercise - as a blog project. Shan't restrict myself 100% to activities I'm expert in (or even tried!)....

A tale of 2 t-shirts

T-shirt number 1 was my birthday pressie from Kitty which she gave me last night at the pub - I'd expressed a desire for a t-shirt with a bold lobster print on it & she more than delivered with a lobster cleverly cut out & appliqued (no idea what the technique should be called) on.

I also received a cute watercolours set from G so that I can develop my painting further - it's in a very compact little box & I'm looking forward to trying it out. X & S gave me the mother of all corkscrews - amazing tool! B & J gave me some seeds & a veg patch planner - all very much appreciated! It was a good evening - good to catch up with lots of people I hadn't seen for a while - helped by mini muffins supplied by G which spelled out "happy birthday G**" - tasted good too.

No hangover, but I was very reluctant to leave my duvet today. Did the HCC Cheesefoot Head ride with Husband, Kitty and Goldfish. We were harassed by a manky looking werdly brave magpie in the carpark who seemed to enjoy pecking husband's tyres!

30km route & a useful training session for the South Downs

Way which we plan to tackle in a couple of weeks. T-shirt number 2 was one of the Paramo tops that Mum & Dad gave me for birthday and it seemed to do the job well - breathable, comfy & was less pongy than I expected afterwards. Another good opportunity to get used to the pack I'll be using on SDW.

Kitty's fitness is coming along fantastically - and it's fab to be able to natter whilst pedalling! She's managing her energy levels with sugar tabs which seems to be paying dividends.

Visit to the allotment later on - blight has meant green tomato chutney production...

That Friday Feeling

Feeling much better today. I've been working long hours this week - in a store in Reading until 11pm on Wed, got to hotel who managed to mess up our booking & check in so that I didn't get into a room until 12:45am, couldn't sleep until 2 as I was still wound up. Up at 5am, back in store at 6am, meeting then to office, meetings & lots of chasing my tail & didn't get out until 6:45pm.... so I was a little tired last night! And woke up with a fab stressy headache.

But then it got better - I could feel my mood lifting as I pedalled into work today, helped by the rare sunshine. Did some gardening after work & then went to gym with Husband. Actually managed 30mins on the treadmill at 10/12kph intervals without any probs - unusual! Also did 10mins on the x trainer & some weights machines. On the way home, Husband & I worked out that we have 4 day weeks for the next 3 weeks - a very de-stressing thought!

And in the spirit of mood lifting, just found a very summery song on itunes - Noah & the Whale "5 years time". Might even be good to jog to....

Skipping back to Scottish holiday, found an article about more sea eales being released. I was pleased to read that they have also called them "flying barn doors" - so it wasn't just a term coined by the bloke we were talking to in Glentress.

Birthday Run

Happy birthday to me!

Husband took me out for a run tonight - his phrasing - that always sounds a bit like taking a dog for a walk! He keeps me entertained with witty anecdotes as he cycles alongside me - and wards off dogs. 5K from the house and it almost didn't rain.
Cycled home tonight with 2 bottles of wine in my pack - champagne from my colleagues & kiwi savvy blanc from my boss. I'm now undoing the good work with a bottle of beer following a yummy, perfectly cooked burger, before I can find space for sticky toffee pudding! Husband is spoiling me very well.

I've had some great birthday pressies to add to my kit collection:

• 2 buffs from my middle sister, both with reflective strips
• 2 reversible Paramo tops from my parents which will be great for cycling & running
• On the healthy eating front, salad spinner from my Fabulous In Laws (have wanted one for ages to save on using vast quantities of kitchen roll to dry off lettuce)
• Husband is planning to get me either a much needed pair of new running shoes or a more frivolous wetsuit.

Last day of holiday

Husband had hopes of fishing today - but soon realised it was way too windy. Instead, we wandered around Trevose Head, watching big waves smash against the rocks. Much more surf today - but much too rough for me to even think about going in!

The wind created a weird snow flurry effect with foam from the sea - very odd.

I was really excited to see my first ever peregrine falcon - it was being mobbed by 2 crows.

Back at home now catching up with life before going back to work tomorrow. It's been a great break - too much driving thanks to Flybe cancelling our Cornish flights - but it's good that Husband and I can spend 2 weeks in eachother's company 24/7 and still moan about the prospect of not spending all tomorrow together - pleagh - almost romantic!

Return to Eden

Pouring with rain on Saturday so we spent the day at the Eden Project - so lots of walking slowly! We've been before, but not for about 4 years, and I found I noticed different stuff this time. For example, noticing that rice plants smell of.... rice! Remarkable.

Returned to the B&B, then had a very short walk to a restaurant in Padstow for a very good dinner, celebrating wedding anniversary.

B&B is immaculate & extremely comfortable - big bath in a big bathroom, big fluffy towels, fresh milk in a silent fridge, big comfy bed, fabulous breakfast (american pancakes for me) served in our room with a view of their very pretty garden.

Will I ever look good in a wetsuit??

Headed off to Cornwall via Torquay for the second phase of our holiday (in the gap, we did some gardening, went to the gym with C who was our housesitter last week, and had a meal out that entailed walking to Eastleigh & back again - all good). Short walk around Babbacombe on Thursday evening with my Fabulous Mother-in-Law.

As the forecast reckoned that today would be the only good weather this weekend, we went straight to Treyarnon Bay, site of much childhood beach stuff for Husband. I rented a wetsuit & bodyboard from a handsome yoof sporting yellow wayfarers & we were in the sea by half 11.

In case you are curious, surfing isn't a skill I've mastered - in about 2 hours, I managed to surf sort-of-properly on about 2 waves! Thoroughly enjoyed it though - very satisfying focussing on whether the next wave is going to work or not, trying to get the timing right and then avoid drowning. Big-ish waves as we were on the Atlantic side of Cornwall, but not too scary.

Husband did nuch better than me - he always looks to be in his element in the water - I think he may be part sea otter (furry body, loves shellfish, confident and playful in the water - must ask him if he keeps a special stone in a fold of skin for bashing abalone with....).

Leisurely late lunch at the YMCA cafe followed by a short wander to Constantine Bay & back again. Then lazed on the beach before going to our B&B in Padstow. Had fish & chips whilst sitting on the quay, then a bit more walking to the headland, walking back past many bats.

Kielder

It's not a long distance between Peebles and Kielder for a bird - but not easy for a car - took a very zig zaggedy route on lots of little roads with passing places, finally crossing the border just before Kielder.

Much, much quieter than Glentress. The majority of cars belonged to people walking around the Castle, a few to people doing road bike routes, and just 3 vehicles to mountain bikers - us, 1 transit van & one other. As it was so quiet, we figured we'd be able to tackle the Red Deadwater Trail without annoying too many people whenever I would need to stop & panic. Like Glentress, the Forestry Commission are involved, but Deadwater was built by a community group, the Kielder Trail Reavers. I think there are hopes that the trails will boost tourism in the area in a similar way to Peebles benefitting from Glentress.

Loved the route - we both had to walk some sections (Dougie's Day Off defeated both of us) and again, my berm inability showed. I was pleased with some of the drop offs I tackled, but I did chicken out of many scary bits - esp where descending on lots of loose big-ish rocks on sand at Skellys Riggin. It lacked Glentress' level of manicured perfection - but this added to the exhileration and challenge. Midges were out in force - didn't seem to realise that they weren't supposed to be out of Scotland. Big sweeping views across the Cheviots from the route's high point of 569m (over 1500 ft) and the sun shone all day.

No punctures, but Husband shredded his rear tyre - glad we got back OK! The blokes in the transit van kindly offered him a replacement, but as we had no further rides planned for a week or so, we declined.

Anyway, we're keen to return. More trails are being built, so there'll be more to tackle - although I suspect it'll be a while before I'm able to acquit myself on Deadwater with dignity!

Glentress Blue

Woke at 7 to discover that Husband had been sulking about the pouring rain for the last 2 hours! Persuaded him that it might clear up - and it did over (v.tasty) breakfast, which we spent chatting to the "Van Dunk Brothers" - a street theatre company who were doing land based synchonised swimmng at the Traquair Fair nearby. We're in a B&B near Peebles for a couple of nights - fab views, very friendly - but shared bathroom and very squeaky floorboards.

Even at 10:30ish, Glentress mountain bike centre was already looking busy with many baggy shorted blokes who seem to have a stronger tendency to remove shirts whilst preparing to pedal than English equivs (no bad thing....). As it was busy, we decided that my ability to stop randomly on scary mountain bike trail bits when my head convinces me that I'm going to die would probably annoy these hardy looking types and we went for the blue trail. Still tough going - berms up and downhill, stiff climbs & chunks of singletrack. One section - Blue Velvet was a joy - it flowed effortlessly. We also enjoyed the last downhill bit that had some fun up & over bits. The trails could best be described as manicured! Impressive set up though - I'd like to go back on a weekday to try the red trail.

Back to B&B to clean up, then off to Davyck Botanic Garden - an arboretum that contains much of the pines collected by David Douglas in C18 (he's the Douglas of the Douglas Fir). Reasonable, gentle walk.

Castle & Collection

Gentle walking on Friday in & around Dunstaffnage Castle near Oban - pretty green woodland around it, sloping down to the sea.
And more gentle walking on Saturday. We packed up & left Appin by 10 & stopped off at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. I've been wanting to revisit ever since I was 19 & had a very fleeting glimpse of the Collection en route to a Biology field trip near Loch Lomond. It didn't disappoint - eclectic, extensive & beautiful items including Tang dynasty pottery, egyptian artefacts, greek sculture, gothic art, Uzbek embroidery, medieval tapestries, french impressionist paintings, furniture, Florentine renaissance art..... all set in a building with floor to ceiling glass walls, giving a backdrop of parkland to many pieces.