This week honestly has been going on forever. It is just dragging by. Saying that though I don’t want things to speed up either. I’m a big believer in enjoying every day – whether you’re at work or not. There’s no point just living for the weekend as that’s only two days after all!
I have a few rants and raves for this jolly Thursday anyway…
Rave: First and foremost, this is the biggest rave I’ve had in a while. Alfie got a haircut. This is him beforehand:
All cute and scruffy. Malting everywhere but rather rugged and handsome.
Then after three hours at the groomers (his hair was gently pulled out – as is the way of Westies. I hasten to add that it’s painless, it just comes out very easily) he turned into this:
Honestly, when I first saw him I couldn’t stop laughing. Like proper belly-ache laughter. He just looks so naked!! He doesn’t look like Alfie at all. But he is adorable. He looks like a puppy again. He’s so small!
I couldn’t stop cuddling him. I also found it funny that the groomer asked if I wanted his eyebrows and beard doing (I said leave them). How cute.
Rant: Trying not to get too stressed or sad about house moving stuff. There’s so much to sort, pack, give to charity, sell…I feel exhausted just thinking about it. Sorting through certain items as well is hard and I’ve just sort of grown a thick skin and have to get on with it. Sentimental items are not being kept and I’ve just got to move on. My flat is going to be my space, my world and my new life. My new start.
On a more amusing note, I took some Xbox and PS3 games to Game to sell. A massive stack of them. Some of them were even special editions.
And the money I got back? £23. Wow. Split that in half and it’s time to go shopping! Ha.
Raves: I ran after work on Tuesday night around Basingstoke [AKA Amazingstoke ;-)] and did my standard hilly route. Well, there really is no other route to be honest as Basingstoke is just hilly in general. I got to the usual really nasty hill (12% incline for over 0.2miles) during the first mile and really went for it. I’m keenly aware that there’s a Strava segment for that hill and I’ve been trying to whittle down my time for it. I actually don’t know specifically where the segment ends so I just power up the entire thing and then keep powering even when I’m over the hill. It’s good practice anyway but it is HARD work.
(The blue line is my pace)
And I beat my PB by six seconds! I’m third on the leader board and that’s probably where I’ll stay as the ladies above me are amazing (1:34 compared to my 1:48. I mean wow). Anyway 4ish miles in the bank with a good load of hills.
Speaking of hills, I’m mentally preparing myself for Cheddar Gorge marathon in just over TWO WEEKS. As I did Cheddar Gorge half marathon I have the elevation data handy (it’s two laps of the half). For fun and games I decided to compare it to my most recent hilly half marathon (Stansted Slog).
They both look tough but I can’t work out which is worse. I’m thinking maybe Stansted as there are more sharp inclines, whereas there are a lot more long inclines for Cheddar and generally a nice bit of downhill from miles eight onwards. Who knows. Well I will soon find out!
Rant: I stayed at my parents house over the weekend and when I got back from my long run I was freezing so had a cup of tea, a shower and then finally had breakfast. By this point it was almost 11am and I was ready to eat. Like the standard idiot I am I was rushing and being too quick and as I got the porridge out of the microwave it slipped from my hands and was thrown all over the floor. My parents thankfully saw the funny side as they’re used to my clumsiness but I was devastated: my breakfast!! Why am I so incapable of not dropping things all over the floor? When it had cooled down my parents let the dogs eat it (gross). They gobbled it up within seconds! (Obviously I cleaned the floor afterwards as well though – and the fridge door…).
Rave: I’m really enjoying reading the New Rules of Lifting for Women. Cathy brought it to my attention and I’m really grateful.
She questioned why I was doing 30 repetitions of strength training exercises like squats and deadlifts, explaining that doing less reps at a higher weight would be more beneficial in terms of building strength. After having a read and doing some more research of my own, I found that interestingly the more reps you do the more muscle hypertrophy you’ll achieve (i.e. making your muscles bigger aesthetically but not necessarily corresponding to actual strength increases).
It’s like I’ve seen the light. I’m not sure I’m going to follow the plan to a T in the book but I’ve dropped my reps and increased the weight I’m lifting. And I’m finding it a lot more enjoyable. It is hard obviously, but mentally it’s easier to think “OK only 8 reps (or 15 as you start with in Stage 1) to go” rather than 20 or 30. And you get a great burn!
It does mean venturing and staying in the male-dominated weight section though. Most of the time I would pop there, grab my dumbbells (because apparently outside this area 10+kg dumbbells don’t exist. And on that note, I can’t believe there are even 1kg dumbbells available). But at 5.30am it’s hardly heaving. Plus no one really cares because people are doing their own thing – it’s all just a mindset.
And a last rave: I saw this and thought, yes 100%.
What are your recent rants and raves?
Have you ever moved house? Any tips on packing/sorting/not imploding with stress?
How do you strength train? High reps/lows reps?
Great work on the hills! I hate hills even though I know they’re vital!!
I’m with you on the heavier lifting but I can also say 1kg weights have their (limited) place… My physio has added exactly that into my rehab as the weight, small as it is, shifts the dynamic of the exercise enough to make it more effective than without any weight. One exercise in particular I use them as it forces good posture which would be ‘easy’ to lose otherwise. That said, I’m very much of the go heavy mind set…. Well, I am once I’ve finished, at the time it’s a challenge!
Alfie looks so cute with his new do! He must be a super proud pup!!
Liz recently posted…It’s all just an act!
That’s a great point about the 1kg. I retract my statement that they’re useless. I didn’t think!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…One Year to Go – Fitness First #EverydayWinners
Love the doggie haircut-he’s adorable! I actually just ditched strength training after evaluating why I was doing it. Now I’ve gone to 100% walking for exercise, and I’m having a lot more fun with the whole thing 🙂
Sara recently posted…The Breakfast Myth
Fair enough! Walking is a fantastic exercise. I love it!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…One Year to Go – Fitness First #EverydayWinners
I’ve been extra clumsy this week, feel your pain! Apparently clumsiness can be linked with our hormones and fluctuates throughout the month…
Love that you’re changing up your weightlifting 🙂 it’s one of my favourite parts of CrossFit and I love that more and more women are edging into the ‘male’ area of gyms now. Like you say, it is really just a mindset.
Pip {Cherries & Chisme} recently posted…Making My Heart Sing
Oh wow didn’t know about the hormone thing! Must mean I’m hormonal ALL the time haha!!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…One Year to Go – Fitness First #EverydayWinners
Awwwwh, what a cute haircut. I hope he is please with it too – good call on keeping the beard.
Well done for having a thick skin with getting rid of stuff. Like you say, this new place is all yours, ready to create some new awesome memories 🙂
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on Moroccan Lamb Skewers by Dannii
I can’t wait to start decorating and buying stuff for my new place! So exciting.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…One Year to Go – Fitness First #EverydayWinners
As if you only got £23 for that stack of games?! That’s very depressing. I’ve got so many old DVDs that we hardly ever watch anymore but I don’t want to throw them away and at the same time I would get no money from selling them on.
I can’t say I ever really look for Strava segments, but every so often it pops up on my Strava account when I upload a run to tell me that I have gotten a record and it makes me feel good inside! 😀
I have a house moving tips post going up this weekend. I had planned to schedule it for tomorrow whilst I was racing but I decided to spend this afternoon catching up with a few blogs instead and haven’t gotten round to taking all the pictures yet. We researched house moves loads before we moved a fortnight ago and have a few good tips to pass on.
Mary recently posted…EVAC Track and field results
For selling a lot of DVDs I used an app called musicMagpie. OK you only get like 30p for most things but when you’ve got a fair few DVDs it really does add up. And the collect for free!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…The day before the Cheddar Gorge Marathon
Awww….look how handsome Alfie looks with his new haircut. Good luck with the clear out and packing up your house. It’s such a stressful thing to do and can be a total pain, but it will be worth it when its all done.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes recently posted…Keeping Your Baby Safe With British Red Cross*
Thanks…it does feel very cathartic though!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…The day before the Cheddar Gorge Marathon
Awwwww look at Alfie- bless him!
Lauren (@PoweredbyPB) recently posted…How to:Make Your Own Energy Balls
I know, I can’t stop cuddling him.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…The day before the Cheddar Gorge Marathon
Alfie looks adorable! I can’t wait to move but I am dreading the actually process, yey for fresh starts though! My friends with dogs call them hoovers as they basically eat anything that drops on the floor, I think it’s pretty useful! I used that book about 3 years ago and really loved it. I personally found it hard to be both really striving with running aannd strength training, for me one of them had to take back seat. There’s a new PT studio opening near me so I’m hoping I can get some coached heavy lifting sessions 🙂
Haha yes they are so useful a Hoovers!!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…The day before the Cheddar Gorge Marathon
Alfie looks too sweet! What a handsome pup!
Claire @ Flake and Cake recently posted…Hello Mr Slug
Hehe I know, he’s never looked so smart!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…The day before the Cheddar Gorge Marathon
Amazing Stoke indeed! They used to sell t-shirts with that on.
Aw Alfie looks like a puppy! Very cute indeed.
I think the stanstead slog looks way worse _ more hills.
Maria recently posted…White chocolate baking
He just looks so much smaller without all that scruff on him!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…The day before the Cheddar Gorge Marathon