The Habulous Blog result dartmoor
I'm a mathematician when I run
After what feels like weeks of rain, I opened the curtains to sun, immediately my mood lightened and the thought of today’s training run changed from dread to excitement. I love being outdoors especially when its dry and you can feel the sun heating your skin. I’m feeling very lucky that I also have a walk planned with friends later today.
We have had lots of fun in the shops in the last few weeks as we have received loads of new stock from my trade show orders earlier in the year. It’s a great feeling when we get new ranges in, 13 years into running shops I still feel like a young child opening a present when new things arrive. I’m super pleased with my finds this year, we are now stocking a new range of jewellery, that is absolutely beautiful, we also have a range of ceramics by an artist called Jimbobart whom I have made personal purchases from in the past. His work is so clever featuring caricatures of animals with great slogans. We have a total of 4 of his plates on our wall and they are supposed to represent each one of my family members. I’ll let you guess whose is whose!?!
Training for the marathon is so much harder than I expected. The commitment is at times totally overpowering both physically and mentally. I’ve got a busy life anyway and I really have been finding it hard to squeeze my training in. This week I managed 16 miles and believe it or not I ran the whole way, I didn’t walk once, not once (although I did have a very brief pause for a wild wee!)
I find myself focussing on fractions on my long runs. So the conversation in my strange mind goes a little like this; Great 1/16 of the way only 1/15 to go, 2/8 of the way this is easy.... you can do it..... You’ve only got to run this another 5.5 times.... OMG 5.5 more times, what am I doing, why, it will be worth it in the long run, stupid girl thinking this would be easy. Oh look there’s a walker, say hello and smile. Your nearly ¼ of the way now, come one keep focused, gosh your ½ way you’ve got this, keep on going. Think of your form (bugger that just run) and the second half in reverse, I won’t bore you with more fractions. Then I reach the last mile and if I have any energy left I think I might just smile.
Before I confirmed my charity place with Back Care, I needed to know more about the charity, so I phoned to ask my list of questions, I’m one of those people who have to be passionate about something to give it my all. I was super pleased to get a call back from Brian Hammond the charities Chairman. It’s always a good sign when someone takes time out to explain things. From speaking with Brian I learnt that the charities core focus is on education and fact sheets to help prevent back pain/problems. Over the years they have ploughed lots of funding into research and have had a positive impact on treatments. They have a help line and have when funding has allowed, paid for individuals who could not access treatment to get help. What really amazed me is how reliant they are on the funds raised by their small team of London Marathon runners, without us Brian does not think they would be able to continue their work. So by supporting me you are helping this great small charity continue their amazing work. Sponsor link just click here
Suicide Lino, running, throwing.........
I feel like my feet haven’t touched the ground since my last blog post, I have been a very busy bunny. Marathon training, another tradeshow, pot throwing, lots of visual merchandising in the stores, training a new team member, lino cutting and of course the dreaded admin (I really couldn’t ignore the pile on my desk any longer, I’m hoping to see the wood again by the end of next week!)
The days don’t seem to have enough hours to get everything done, I have noticed that day light appears to be lasting longer at last, I think it was nearly 6pm when darkness over took last night, Yippee, I for one am so much happier with more daylight in my life. Things are so much easier when we have longer days; it seems there is more time to do all those things we need to do on top of work.
Last week I returned to my lino cutting classes, something I am particularly enjoying. I love the way lino print challenges the way in which I tackle an image; you have to think in terms of colour blocks rather than gradients. I had been working on a drawing of my local town over the Christmas period. This image is going to form my first reduction lino print (I’ve heard this method appropriately called suicide lino, if you make a mistake there is no going back). I’ll try to explain further, Lino printing is a form of printmaking, where the printing plate is cut into lino. Yes your right, lino as in linoleum, the stuff that also is used for floor covering. Once cut, a piece of paper is placed over it, and then run through a printing press or pressure applied by hand to transfer the ink to the paper. The result is a linocut print. For a reduction print run, used when working with more than one colour, after the first colour print, normally the lightest colour the lino is then cut into again, re-inked, first print paper re-applied and then ran through the press again, are you still with me? I hope so. Anyway at my first session I managed to get 20 prints of my first colour done, I was literally running to complete the job. Here’s a picture of my first colour, I’m hoping to complete the rest of the cutting before returning next week, so my next blog may well include images of the final piece. Fingers crossed it works.
The weekend was spent in Birmingham at Spring Fair a massive tradeshow which uses up all 20 halls at the NEC; I had an exhausting two days walking all the halls, in search of new product lines for the stores. I love seeing the ways in which the exhibitors put their stands together, trying to entice us buyers to part with our budgets, this year I can safely say the cactus is a big thing, the bigger the better!
Somehow I did manage my long training run on Tuesday morning. I had to persuade Paul my hubby to drop me 11 miles from the house, I didn’t want to have the option of shortening my run and this way I had to get home. It was literally the middle of nowhere, the end of a road somewhere in Dartmoor. The run was a pretty pleasant one, crisp with bright sunshine. As I neared my home the heavens opened and throw what felt like heavy pins down on me, hail, my god its evil stuff and when clad in lycra it hurts that little bit more. The end result was a good one though I did manage to run the last mile in just over 8 minutes and 30 seconds quite an improvement on my 10 to 11 minute miles; motivation really does come in lots of different ways!
I had a lovely surprise sponsor this week too; the chairman of Back Care has sponsored me which has really touched my heart. It wasn’t something I thought they would do so a big thank you to Back Care and the rest of you lovely lot that have done the same, if you haven’t and would like to support me here’s the link. Please don’t forget to let me know you’ve read the blog, a comment or like would be great. More rambling soon, bye for now.
Bog off grey skies fog and drizzle
It’s amazing the influence the weather has on my life, Its early morning and I’m beginning to feel very frustrated with the grey skies, fog and drizzle that have descended upon us for the last few days; as I’m typing this I can hear the weather becoming more and more aggressive outside my window. I need sunlight and lots of it (preferably whilst I’m on a beach, sipping a cocktail and reading a great book).
Even though I’ve had my fill of fog and damp, (I often question my decision to live on Dartmoor), I had the most breathtaking drive to Exeter last week. The whole area looked as if it had been dusted with white icing like a freshly baked cake, everything was coated with an even sprinkling of frost with pockets of white mist suspended above, the mist looked as though it had been produced by an over worked smoke machine from a night club in the early 90’s. What made the morning so stunning was the contrast between these pockets of white and the bright blue skies with lush green landscapes. In several places it looked like a line had been drawn in the ground between the two scenes, as the sun burnt away the frost in one area and not yet reaching the next. It is at times like this I feel the opposite to today and ever so lucky to live in an area of such outstanding natural beauty.
The week has been one full of shop displays and deliveries as the new stock ordered 
from Top Drawer (the first tradeshow of the year) slowly trickles into the stores. I can often be seen in store scratching my chin whilst pondering the next theme for our window display, what I’m really doing is desperately hoping inspiration will come and stalling for time. On this occasion I was lucky, whilst I was forcing the cogs in my head to move, a delivery of rather beautiful ceramics by a new Nordic supplier arrived. Needless to say they are now proudly displayed in the window of our Exeter store; I do love it when things unexpectedly come together.
The week was over taken by the stores and making more of our Eco Soya Wax Melts, I had a sudden panic when I realised that I hadn’t any of the best sellers made up, so I had to get on top of my supplies. With the best sellers now back in store I can breathe a sigh of relief and focus on my pottery, which is without a doubt something I love to do. The kiln is on right now performing the final firing of jugs and bowls I made a few weeks ago. So later this morning I’m going to slowly open the lid of my kiln and peer in, hoping to see wonderful results from a new glaze I’m trying out, I have my fingers crossed.
I actually started this blog at the suggestion of a few friends (bet they regret it now), in order to share my efforts of training for the London Marathon. The last week has been a poor one on that front, I have managed to get out there and do my long runs but I really have had to force myself, I’ve felt lack lustre and totally lacking in energy. A few weeks ago I easily ran 14 miles and this week I struggled with 10 (I have to confess to walking some of that 10 too), its amazing how different you can feel each time you run. I’m starting to worry about the amount I have to raise for my golden bond place with Back Care, so if you fancy helping me hit my target and providing motivation please, please sponsor me, every penny is truly appreciated. Sponsorship link here. If you are enjoying or even just persevering with my blogs please like the social media link, or leave me a comment somewhere. It’s good to know and keeps me motivated to carry on.
Like a pig in mud
Well 2017 is already in full swing, the time seems to pass by, quicker and quicker each year. I’m determined to make this a good year, I’ve set myself both work and personal goals that I am going to tackle head on and one of my most important goals is to slow down at times and appreciate those little things that happen around me that I so often take for granted.
My children are growing up fast with Ben heading towards his 15th birthday and Ffion now at secondary school, life is forever changing around their development and this year I really want to relish those moments whilst they still, on occasion enjoy being around us!
My New Year started with a bang, celebrating with friends and family and then I was straight off to Cornwall to attend a Ceramics throwing course. It was an amazing start to my year, I felt like a pig in mud. I got to spend the week in a studio, with other like minded people taking my pottery skills to the next level. The satisfaction I felt at overcoming some of the obstacles I have faced with making this year was invigorating.
My main goal was to improve form and throw bigger pieces, I definitely achieved this during the week and I just hope that when I sit down in my home studio (really not as glamorous as it sounds, my wheel is next to the washing machine!) I can replicate what I made whilst away.
I have managed to maintain my training for London Marathon, but have had moments of thinking I must be insane to want to run that far (mainly whilst struggling on my longer runs). I have even managed an interval run this week and have come to the conclusion that interval runs are evil. For those of you who don’t know what they are, its bursts of running very fast then slow that are repeated a number of times, you leave the house thinking nice easy 30 minutes and come back feeling like you’re going to puke.
I’m a slow runner so the intervals should help improve my speed and my overall fitness, ready for the big day. When I think I’m running fast I’m often not as my kids like to point out, years ago they cheered me in on my first half marathon, when I saw them near the finish line, I managed to get a sprint on, or so I thought. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself until they came up to me, and pointed out that watching me had been like watching a slow motion clip. So there I was giving it my all, taking massive strides and apparently mimicking that famous scene from Chariots of Fire. Right now my only real concern is making sure I make it to the finish line in April, whatever fashion that may be in.....
If you want to support Back Care the small charity I am running for here's my sponsorship link
Oh my, my poor legs
After a really busy lead up to Christmas with the stores we have had several very relaxing days, my rather wonderful Uncle catered for us all this Christmas so I feel really relaxed and extremely spoilt. Although we did a couple of walks in the wonderful weather I can report that I’m happy, but my jeans are not, they are struggling to cope with all the cheese and other lovely bits I have over indulged on, I supporting a rather large muffin top today, so I decided to get out there and burn some calories, oh boy was that a mistake!
As you know I run a little bit, more than most, but nothing compared to those amazing people who tackle Ultra’s (these people run a Marathon for breakfast and 100 miles for fun!). I generally run to keep fit and try to fight off the rather fetching middle age bulge. I normally feel pretty good after a run, it also means I don’t overly worry about my calorie intake hence can indulge a bit with out to much guilt.
Before Christmas I saw one of those social runs pop up on my face book time line and thought that I’d tackle it to help with my training. I didn’t really read the details just noted it was a 10 mile run. So this morning after a lazy lie in, I rushed up to Princetown to join the bunch of runners, whom I assumed like me would be trying to tackle the effects of the last few days of over indulging. When I arrived I should have been more observant and noticed that no one there had an ounce off fat to spare, but no, I must have put on my rose tinted shades before I left because this didn’t sink in until just under half way through the run.
So when they announced that they would be two runs, a shorter run (7 miles) and a 10 to 11 mile run, I didn’t bail out and opt for the shorter distance. All of a sudden we where off running on to the moors at a pace I am not familiar with, within 1 mile I was the one lagging at the back but still quite happy to be out there, it was such a beautiful day and I started to relax into the run. This lovely lot of hardened trail runners, liked to avoid the tracks as much as possible so it meant, lots of jumping bogs and stones, and running up and down hills (you can imagine what I looked like at the back, I’m sure it would have been good material for Little Britain).
I was doing OK until mile 7 when I realised I was quite close to home, then the mind games started, “just tell them your jogging home” said the voice in my head, No said the other. So gritting my teeth I duly followed the bums of some seriously fit runners on the loop back to Princetown. Now I really don’t know how I managed to finish the run but I did. I can proudly say I finished, I was at the back nearly all the way kept company by several lovely people who took it in turns to bolster me on (thank you, you know who you are). The worst part was the hills, lots more ups then downs on the last stretch. At about mile 10 my legs didn’t really want to go on, but somehow they did, I know if I was alone I would not have done it,I was the last one in but I did it. The run was actually 11.77 miles, no wonder my legs complained.
After a quick pint of something cold and non alcoholic I rushed home to relax in a super hot bath with a box of toffifees (bugger the muffin top)! I was shocked at how much scrubbing I had to do to remove the mud, the water at the end looked like one of my sons baths after he’s run around a football pitch for several hours, but no it was from me. Well I must say I take my hat off to the super fit bunch I tried to run with today, they are amazing, I don’t think I’ll be tackling any Ultra’s in the future, but I’m one step closer to London. Somehow hubby and I have ended up with a kid free night, so I think it might be time to head off to the pub!
My sponsorship link should you want to part with a pound or two is here