Happy Halloween

I must start this week with a big announcement. I became an auntie again to little Alfie and he is gorgeous. So a massive congratulations to my brother and his wife.

Normally when half term holidays happen I find my training goes out the window, however I'm really pleased this week I have managed to juggle everything.

Monday saw me getting up at the crack of dawn for my first morning run since before the great north run. I actually realised that I have missed this time of day for running, its such a chore getting up but totally worth it. I am going to do it more often.

I have also managed a 40 mile bike ride 1 gym and two tri sessions this week which felt great apart from gaining some rather unsightly constraint marks around my ankle. That was an interesting one telling the husband,  it did actually happen training in the pool, HONEST.

The rest of the week has encompassed the usual half term activities for the kids. We have had some good days out. Wednesday we spent the day with Grandma at her house which somehow ended up with me up a tree, I had forgotten what great fun tree climbing is. However half way up the tree I had a thought, 'What if I fell?' What was concerning me more about this thought was that all I could think about was the effect this would have on my training. I really think I'm becoming obsessed, my husband says he already knew that. The bigger worry is if I'm like this now what am I going to be like in 6 months? A psychopath!

Finally its Halloween, spooks and spells; love it. Paul and I went to a house party last night and I'm pleased to say we made an effort, it was spooktastic.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Egyptian... or maybe not

It has been my first week where I have felt really pushed for time trying to juggle everything, and I know it is only going to get worse.

Apart from the usual nightly training / netball, going to work, doing the supermarket shop  at 10pm after training, walking the dog and then doing all the kids activities, I had homework to do.

 For the past three weeks my twins homework was to create with mum or dad, in our case just mum (daddy has been really busy with work) an Egyptian costume for this Wednesday. Jake decided he was going to be a Pharaoh, whilst Polly wanted to be Anubis which is the god of mummification, a jackals head on a man's body. We started a few weeks ago painting paper and looking up ideas, so as to create the exact look. For Jake we made a great head piece and cut up a black sheet for a robe, whilst for Polly we made a dogs head to sit on top of her head and then dropped a piece of cloth over her face to hide it, perfect.

However Polly's teachers decided it was too dangerous to have a sheet over her face as she may have fallen and hurt herself (she could see fine through the sheet), so for health and safety reasons they cut some eye holes in. Hmmmmm... I feel this completely altered the look I was going for; I will let you all see and make your own minds up.

A slow week

What a quiet week, whether it was from last weekends activities (most likely) or something else, I came down with a stinker of a cold and as a result I have taken it pretty easy this week.

Monday evening I managed an easy pool session, followed by a very quick bike ride Tuesday morning. It was a hard choice between my bikes however due to the addition of my new tri bars, the Giant won over the BMX this time; its always such a hard choice.

Wednesday all I managed was to coach netball, I think I was being pretty tough on the warm up drills, put it down to the frustration of not being able to join in.

Thursday I was off to the Carling Academy to watch Tinie Tempah, he was amazing, so much energy.

Friday night I was back in the Pool, had a pretty good session, chest still isn't great but it is a massive improvement to the start of the week and my asthma hasn't kicked off too much this time, so really pleased about that.

Finally we are at Saturday and it was an early start. Lisa and I were out on the road by 8am. The first 30 mins were wet but then it turned into a fab morning, well worth getting up for. A quick 40 miles later we were back in the house, I grabbed my running shoes and went straight out with my daughter for a quick half a mile. It's my new rule after every bike ride (time permitting) whether its 5 mins or 2 hours plus I must go staight out running so as to practice my transistion; hope it helps!

Going to get up early tomorrow and go running. I feel that I am paying no attention to this discipline at the moment which is a bad thing as this is by far my weakest area. I must start making myself run a decent run each week, so I have a good starting block in which to start from in the New Year.

I did get some good news last week, a friend called Kaleel who I did my first triathlon with last year (it was his first also), has just entered the same Ironman, whoop, whoop! I have decided there must be something in the water up here at the mo, I will get the exact number but I think it is about 12 people from Total Racing International that will be going to Germany to compete. Geordies on tour or what! Think we might need a tour bus!

Mojito marathon...

Well what a night and I never want to see a Mojito again.

Had a fantastic night which started off with drinks at ours with two other couples, but due to a highball glass shortage we needed to improvise, so out came the pint glasses; don't think this was one of my better ideas.

                                                                The first of the night

I have a new activity!!

After I got over the excitement of my swim, it was straight back to the weekly grind of trying to maintain my fitness levels so I have a good starting block in January, when the serious training commences.

Monday night was a light jog, after all I did have a good swim on Sunday.

Tuesday was tri club, where I informed them some photo's need to be taken soon; they were oblivously delighted.

Wednesday was a rushed run squeezed in before school pick up. Then my very understanding husband was out that night. At the moment that is a rare thing as I seem to be out training most nights. He does have to put up with alot and I have a horrible feeling that it is only going to get worse.

Thursday night was netball night, which then became a night of pain. We had a tough netball match, losing by 3 goals Arghhhhhh! So frustrating. End Score 29 - 26. Afterwards went for a drink with some of the girls only to have to make a mad dash to the loo. Well, by the time I got home and into bed it had got worse and I spent the rest of the night awake and bent double cramping. Not pleasent and all I could think was "is this the start of blue green algae poisoning from the lake swim"  which is a horrible thought at 3am. However you will all be pleased to hear I have recovered from the cramps, but not the lack of sleep.

Friday: After a rough start to the day I had my back appointment with an Osteopath in Jesmond. I feel great; Hooray! I was creaked and cracked, he thinks I may have a slightly bulging disc which is why I get the nerve pain, but my spine and hips aren't too bad at all. I don't need to take any time off from training which is good, but I do need to start hanging from doors daily to help stretch my spine, so I will commence my first hanging tonight. I have no idea what my husband is going to make of this new activity.

Tomorrow from lunch time onwards we have no kids; YEE HAA, due to the celebration of my birthday. So the fresh mint and limes have been ordered and it starts with Mojitos at 7:30 with a few close friends (pictures to follow). There is no plan to the night at the moment as I feel life is far too rushed and orgainised, however I am sure I will be able to demonstrate my latest skill to my friends at some point; DOOR HANGING.

Flipping fantastic freezing lakes...

The weekend didn't start great, went for what was meant to be a quick 20 miles on Saturday morning and 15 mins in to the ride my reoccurring nerve pain in my left foot started up. This meant only one thing, I had popped out my sacroiliac again; really not happy. So that is a trip to the specialist this Friday to hopefully get it popped back in, and then it will be limited training (not good).

However yesterday, what an awesome day, I am still buzzing from it. I did (with one of my best friends Rebecca) 3.5 miles swimming in total, in four lakes. The lake temperatures were about 12 degrees, so it got pretty chilly, and trying to get our body temperatures up between swims was challenging. However it was great training as next year we are planning to take on the challenge of swimming a mile in each of the 13 lakes within 24 hours.

I took some pictures yesterday, to show you all what you were missing.

Lake  1 Buttermere

As you can see amazing. We were pretty chilly when we got out, but staying in wetsuits it was a quick drive to the next place.

  LOOKING GOOD

Lake 2 Crummock water