tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11550767315226123772024-03-13T19:31:32.864+00:00MY STORIESADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-87986090665303926482013-08-17T06:43:00.001+01:002013-08-17T06:43:23.622+01:00Brunei<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V54k4MZ5f7Q/Ug8NaLTyG5I/AAAAAAAAAVg/CbuMyh-7Fc4/s640/blogger-image--514040522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V54k4MZ5f7Q/Ug8NaLTyG5I/AAAAAAAAAVg/CbuMyh-7Fc4/s640/blogger-image--514040522.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V54k4MZ5f7Q/Ug8NaLTyG5I/AAAAAAAAAVg/CbuMyh-7Fc4/s640/blogger-image--514040522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rlfmwf3kt7Q/Ug8NcV8K66I/AAAAAAAAAVo/yQSiGmvb49k/s640/blogger-image--1538673815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rlfmwf3kt7Q/Ug8NcV8K66I/AAAAAAAAAVo/yQSiGmvb49k/s640/blogger-image--1538673815.jpg"></a></div></div>Since we have no wifi at home yet and hence I can't blog any long posts here are some photos from this morning's run<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WKAYAg0sK7Q/Ug8Ned3mNYI/AAAAAAAAAVw/vD5JAcDOOx8/s640/blogger-image-511619890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WKAYAg0sK7Q/Ug8Ned3mNYI/AAAAAAAAAVw/vD5JAcDOOx8/s640/blogger-image-511619890.jpg"></a></div>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-79066168964946982552013-06-11T11:55:00.002+01:002013-06-11T11:55:57.280+01:00Baby boy!!!I know, this post is long overdue and I have skipped months and months of pregnancy stories but here we are. Alexander Philip Chandler was born on 18 May 2013 at University Hospital Cardiff weighing chunky 8 lb 15 oz. I will not give you my birth story as I know some people who are yet to give birth and sometimes it is better not knowing. But for now I will leave you with some photos of our cute little boy. He has stolen our hearts completely<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-0MEQWsFtQ/Ubb9m-3oCsI/AAAAAAAAAUk/d8zq3qWLrSY/s1600/IMG_0567.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-0MEQWsFtQ/Ubb9m-3oCsI/AAAAAAAAAUk/d8zq3qWLrSY/s320/IMG_0567.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wo0lgsvvNc0/Ubb-398NUAI/AAAAAAAAAU4/VD-bhWCM7ko/s1600/IMG_0648.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wo0lgsvvNc0/Ubb-398NUAI/AAAAAAAAAU4/VD-bhWCM7ko/s320/IMG_0648.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDhsNFHL8gs/UbcBjToWAnI/AAAAAAAAAVI/KWvrIduRPVQ/s1600/IMG_0640.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDhsNFHL8gs/UbcBjToWAnI/AAAAAAAAAVI/KWvrIduRPVQ/s320/IMG_0640.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kdp8oEuoif0/UbcB02Vo0qI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/MzoBGFUwQD0/s1600/IMG_0659.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kdp8oEuoif0/UbcB02Vo0qI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/MzoBGFUwQD0/s320/IMG_0659.jpg" /></a>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-18741310616994828012013-01-16T16:59:00.000+00:002013-01-16T16:59:22.639+00:00January update<br />
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I know, it's again been a month since the last update but I am blaming it on holidays. <br />
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We've had lovely Christmas holidays. Both Shaun and I were off work for 10 days or so and it was just nice to get away from the office. <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.co.uk/">Charisa</a> came to visit and we've popped over across the English Channel to France and Belgium. If you want to see photos and updates on that trip have a look at <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.co.uk/">Charisa's blog</a>. Then we went to Wales for few days where we rang the New Year in. Shaun and Charisa raced the New Year's Eve 5 km race which looked really fun. They also went and did few rides out in the rainy windy weather and I was really jealous that I could not go out with them. Actually, frankly, my hormones took over and I was in tears couple of times because I also wanted to go out ride. <br />
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On Christmas Day Shaun and I did the local 5 km parkrun race and I was running quite well - still at that point (20 weeks) managing sub-9 minute miles. But then I didn't run after that for over two weeks. I kind of didn't feel like it. It was cold. I feel heavy and I feel like my belly is now getting in the way. But I finally went out last Sunday for 2.5 miles and I felt better. It is obvious that I am getting quite fit and the lack on consistent running is showing but I will try and do some more running over the coming weeks. As long as I am able to. But the dark cold mornings and evenings are really not helping. <br />
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In the baby news, we had our 20 week scan just before Christmas. Everything looked fine and the baby was healthy and we also found out we were having a BOY!!!!! We are both over the moon about it. The baby is moving a lot more now and I can feel him a lot in the mornings and evenings, although he does move during the day too. We think it's an athlete in making ;))) I am 24 weeks today and time is slowly ticking along. Although at this point I would quite like to be over and done with this. But we have to wait another 16 weeks. <br />
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Last weekend we finally did some work on the nursery and it is looking nice. Unfortunately, the baby will only be in that house for 3 months or so because Shaun is due to get another posting. Actually we should have the posting confirmed tomorrow so it will be nice to be able to plan. There are only two options for this posting so we think we know where we are going next, but it will be nice to get it down on the paper too. We think we are going somewhere where there is LOTS of sunshine (that kind of rules UK out, right).<br />
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ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-26003955940400303052012-12-11T17:47:00.000+00:002012-12-11T17:47:06.294+00:00Mud ManIt really is winter over here. The last couple of weeks have been really cold and whilst I love cold crispy days, it's not that much fun when you have to work through them. Work has been pretty busy but manageable. The deal that I thought on Thursday had died, is back alive and made me stay in the office until 9 pm on Friday. Not fun. But I am looking forward to some time off between Christmas and New Year. Just chilling and not doing much. I haven't been taking much time off work this year because I am trying to save all my holiday and use it together with my maternity leave next year. So I am just plodding along. <br />
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Shaun and I raced last Saturday. There is a great sport events company here called <a href="http://www.humanrace.co.uk/">Human Race Events </a>(they were responsible for organisation of Olympic triathlon races) and we love doing their events. During the winter they put great off-road race series where you can either race off-road duathlon or trail race. Shaun did their off-road duathlon and I decided to do the trail run on Saturday. The run was just over 7 miles of mud and hills. I seriously have never done such a hilly run in my life. But it was so much fun. The night before the race Shaun was trying to talk me out of it as he was worried it would be too hard and muddy for a pregnant woman like me. But I decided to give it a go - what's the worst it can happen if I feel it's too hard - I would probably end up walking. <br />
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So I lined up at the start at the back because I decided to take it easy and just plod along at an easy pace and stay out of people's way and therefore minimising the possibility of tripping and falling. The first 2.5 miles weren't too bad - muddy but relatively flat and I was doing 10 minute miles. The next 5 miles were HILLY. You would literally have to go up a really steep hill which then wound back really steep downhill and then back up again - it went on like that for a while. I walked up the hills (and so did most of the other people) - they were just too steep for any meaningful running. But I ran everything else. <br />
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The race was so much fun, I have really enjoyed it. I was slow but who cares. It was the longest run I've done since I discovered I was pregnant and considering I am doing only ad-hoc training (when I feel up to it, which is not very often), I was really pleased with how it went. The next race is not until end of January by which time I will be 25 weeks pregnant so will have to wait and see how I feel by then. <br />
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Not much else is going on. I will be 19 weeks tomorrow. I am feeling ok, not great but not too bad either. I have put on around 7.5 pounds which is not too bad for almost half-way. We have a 20 week scan next week and hopefully we can find out if it is boy or a girl and start purchasing stuff. <br />
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And Christmas is just around the corner. Our last Christmas with just Shaun and me. Next year will be so much fun. ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-42049797201814560062012-11-22T13:56:00.001+00:002012-11-22T13:56:13.460+00:0016 weeks16 weeks. I know, I know, this blog has every potential to turn into a maternity/baby blog. I promise I will try and do my best not to do that. <br />
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A lot more people know about it, especially at work. Although I kind of didn't really like how the news spread in the office. I really wanted to be the one telling people but there you go. I am feeling ok. Time is slowly ticking along and before we know it we will have our 20 week scan. We hope to find out the sex of the baby then. Hopefully, the little one will cooperate. <br />
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We had a lovely weekend at home in Wales. Our friend, whose husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan, came to visit with her two kids. One of them, my Goddaughter is very funny. She is 6.5 years old and says everything on her mind. It's funny because before they arrived Shaun and I were talking about what the world would be like if everyone was saying exactly what they thought rather than being polite. And then she turned up and we were both like "This is what the world would be like". On Sunday we climbed up Pen-y-fan, one of the higher peaks in Wales and very popular with hikers. It was a fun day out and at the beginning I was worried how I would cope but it turns out that when you are pregnant it is much easier climbing a mountain than going up two flights of stairs. Go figure.<br />
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I also went for a nice 3 mile run on Saturday and managed sub-10 minute mile pace. I was very pleased with that. Little things, eh. <br />
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The clothes is starting to get tight so I need to start buying few pieces here and there. I do not want to go overboard and definitely do not intend to spend a lot on maternity clothes but I do need to look ok for the office. So perhaps, this weekend I will pop over and do some shopping. <br />
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Not much else is going on. Work is thankfully not too busy at the moment and everyone is slowly starting to get into Christmas spirit. We have booked our litter continental break, with a visit to Belgium markets. Should be fun. <br />
ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-30494982711839324522012-11-13T11:11:00.000+00:002012-11-13T11:11:11.099+00:00NewsOK, so it's time to get this blog up and running again. It has been far too long....<br />
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Not much has happened since the last time I blogged. Not much and ... everything. Some of you may have recently found out our exciting news - WE ARE PREGNANT!!! It came as a huge shock to me. I am not sure why because, although we weren't really trying, we were kind of letting it happen. And when it did, it was a huge shock for me. Maybe because we found out the week after I raced Ireland 70.3 which means that I raced half-ironman whilst pregnant... and ate a lot of sushi... and did/ate lots of things I shouldn't have. So I was kind of freaked out to begin with. But as the time went on I became happier and more excited about it. Could it be the hormones?!<br />
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I will be 15 weeks tomorrow and the baby Chandler is due in early May. The first trimester was hard. I felt tired and sick and nauseous ALL the time. Try hiding that whilst you work 10+ hours in the office every day. Whilst I really really wanted to work out I struggled to do very much because I was constantly tired and sick. I only managed to do some exercise over the weekends but nothing much. I have only started feeling better in the last couple of weeks so I am hoping the worst is over. I even went for a 5 mile run on Saturday and actually felt ok. My pace is still not too bad. I can run comfortably 10 minute miles but I am sure I will very soon start to slow down rapidly. I even managed to get in the pool last night for 1500 m. Since I haven't swum for 7-8 weeks (swimming DID NOT feel good at all) my arms were not happy with me last night. But I think that is more due to lack of fitness rather than pregnancy. <br />
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We really did not tell anyone the first 13 weeks. There were couple of people who knew (actually 4 in total) and funnily other than one, all of them are in the US. I guess the secret is kept easily if not in the same country :))) I was really paranoid about telling anyone and so we only told my parents at 13 weeks. Then it was my boss and then slowly we started letting more of our friends know. I didn't want for them to find the news out on Facebook - I really wanted to tell them in person. And it was so worth it - the surprise and joy on their faces were priceless. <br />
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I guess I am slowly starting to show a little bit but I am still at that phase where if people didn't know, they wouldn't ask because I may have just had one pie too many. I still haven't put any weight on which is nice but I also don't think I am eating too much. The whole 'this is your excuse to eat whatever you want' is really not rubbing very well on me. <br />
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So that's the news folks. I will try and keep this blog updated weekly so it is a diary of the pregnancy for when it is all over. I have already started plotting my come-back races. Not sure whether it's premature but it is nice to have a focus. I was planning on doing Pukhet 70.3 next year but then I found out last week that this year's race will be the last one. Boo!!! <br />
ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-79505301807927472372012-06-15T16:22:00.001+01:002012-06-15T16:22:59.843+01:00Changes, changes..Well hello!!!!<br />
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I know, bad at blogging....AGAIN. I know I should really stop mentioning it even. Anyway..... Maybe a bullet point blog post is in order....<br />
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Not much has been happening lately. After London marathon I decided to take a break from the sport. I had a look at my life and realised that I was trying to do too many things at the same time. And I ended up being too stressed and just plain tired. I knew I needed to make priorities and make some changes. And I did. And once I actually decided to do that I felt as if the weight was lifted off my shoulders. So I have decided to take the rest of the year off from triathlon. In the beginning that decision felt easy - Shaun and I finally had time to do all the fun stuff we wanted to do for a while but never had time - like hiking up some mountains and walking along Welsh coastal paths. We were loving it. However, as the time moved on, more recently, I am really missing it. I am dying to do some structured training and racing but I know I need to be patient. There will be plenty of time for that. I do miss the structure and routine of my training life though. But I have made a decision and am sticking with it. Another six months off and I should enjoy it. Come January 1st 2013 it will be back to work. <br />
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In other news, Shaun has been away for the past 3 weeks. He was due to be back in the UK tomorrow but then I got a call last night saying that he is not back until Monday morning. Urgh!!!!! Plus, his next assignment, from the summer 2013, is most likely to be in Brunei which we are really looking forward to. It was the first place where we lived as a newly-married (and oh so young) couple all those years ago and we loved it. This of course means that there will be some changes in terms of my work but I am not deciding or taking any action just yet - past has proved that these things in the army change all the time so nothing is ever 100% certain. But if we do end up going there, it will be soo good to be closer to my sister and niece (who live in New Zealand) and see them more often. And of course to race in some new places :)))<br />
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I am so excited about all the sport this summer - CAN'T WAIT!!! Wimbledon is just around the corner. Then Tour de France, and then finally....THE OLYMPICS!!!! London is already buzzing and I can't wait. <br />
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I am moving flats in London !! From the end of next week I will be saying bye-bye to Fulham. I love Fulham and have lived there on and off for year. But I am really excited to be moving to Holland Park. I love my new place and I absolutely LOVE the location - Hyde Park is literally less than a mile away. <br />
Ok, that seems to be all I wanted to write about this time. Oh and the fact that we have been having some really rubbish weather. Where is the summer????<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vARE2U2FRpY/T9tTNBpV28I/AAAAAAAAAUI/YDB1k6RPWwM/s1600/summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="239" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vARE2U2FRpY/T9tTNBpV28I/AAAAAAAAAUI/YDB1k6RPWwM/s320/summer.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-19605036528341893302012-04-24T15:39:00.000+01:002012-04-24T16:00:45.350+01:00London Marathon - The race reportLondon Marathon 2012 was my first 'A' race of the season. I had two main goals - first: to get a PR, and second: to go sub-4. I have only run one stand alone marathon before and that was London Marathon in 2007. I ran it in 4 hours and 28 mins so I knew that going sub-4 was going to be tough but doable. I started training properly for it at the beginning of the year and my training has been going really well. Those of you who have followed my blog will know that, in the process I have bagged some PRs in 5 km, 10 miles and half-marathon. So I knew that, barring an injury, I could do this. <br />
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But not everything was going to be plain sailing. Two weeks before the race I was due to do my last long run - 20 miles. I set out very early on a Saturday morning and about an hour into the run I could feel pain in my knee. I ran on it for few minutes but it wasn't going away. So I decided to call it a day and not risk getting any real injury. I have had already done three 20 milers this year so I knew that all the hard work has already been done. Then the following week (around 10 days before the marathon) I started experiencing some pain in my right leg. After some googling I discovered that it was most likely posterior shin splints. Needless to say, at this point, I have started to panic a bit. My training up to then has been going well and and I don't think I missed any sessions until then. And now I was ten days out of the marathon and I could hardly walk. <a href="http://jenharrison.com/">Jen</a> and I decided that I should rest it and do some cycling/swimming instead just to keep moving. So I did no running in the last 10 days before the marathon, other than a short jog on Saturday, the day before the race. To make things worse, Shaun got home to London on Friday night and he wasn't feeling very well. I woke up on Saturday not feeling 100% either. But at this point it was too late to do anything about it so, other than Shaun, I didn't tell anyone about it, not even Jen. I knew that, it wouldn't make any difference. I was ready to go out there and run and run hard, regardless of how I felt. <br />
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The weather in the UK has been rubbish the last couple of weeks with rain every day. The same weather was forecasted for Sunday. Fortunately, I woke up to glorious blue skies and I am happy to say that, during my run, there was no rain. Things did turn for worse later on but by then I was nicely at home. <br />
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So, the race.... As far as I know and have seen, London Marathon is by far the best race in terms of supporters and crowds. There are spectators literally along the whole 26.2 mile long course and sometimes even ten deep. It is incredible. If you have never raced a race like this before you have to do it. Judging by Sunday, Olympic marathon will be amazing and the British runners got a real taste of what the home crowd will be like this summer. But at the same time, for us mortals and not so fast runners, it is crowded!!!! There were over 36,000 runners running that day and our British roads are not very wide. There was no moment during that race when I did not have to look for people and feet around me and adjust the pace accordingly. After a while that becomes really tiring and especially after 20 miles when you are fatigued and your body is not very alert. Around 13 miles the knee pain came back and it was now coupled by hip pain. Great :((( For about 5 miles I was in a lot of pain but then the things eased up. <br />
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I was right on the pace up until 18 miles - I started off conservatively and built my pace from there. But I didn't feel great. The pace that felt ok during my long runs didn't feel as easy as it should have been and I knew that I would have to work very hard to get that sub-4 today. From about 19 miles I started to loose 10 seconds per mile, then 20 seconds, then back to 10. I found dodging people and weaving around them too much hard work. By mile 23 I knew that, unless I run last 3 miles at 8 mins per mile pace, I was not going to do it. Deep down I knew that there was no way I could do it but at the same time I was not going to give up that easily. I remembered all the hard workouts I've done and the hard work I've put in and I was not going to go down without a fight. So I ran as quickly as I could. I hurt like I never hurt before. My legs were in bits. Before the race I made a wrist band and I wrote the following words on it "FOCUS. WORK HARD. NEVER GIVE UP". Some of those words come from facebook posts that <a href="http://tri-ingracesnotcases.blogspot.co.uk/">Bethany</a> and <a href="http://lovetoeatlovetorun.blogspot.co.uk/">Caroline</a> posted on my wall (thank you so so much), the others from Chrissie W's book. When things got really tough, I looked at the band and kept repeating those words in my head. <br />
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In the end it was just not meant to be. I crossed the finish line in 4:04:25. Not a sub-4 I wanted but it was a 24 minute PR. That is almost a minute per mile faster. It was a bitter-sweet feeling. I really wanted to see 3:xx:xx. Well, maybe not today, but it will happen some time soon. <br />
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Shaun and I are running Abingdon marathon in October which is a much lower-key marathon here in the UK with just 1000 people racing on some pretty fast course. I am now more motivated than ever. I know what I need to do. And I WILL do it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmenQUOIEwc/T5a45nyJCoI/AAAAAAAAATk/rOyowKBGUtE/s1600/LM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmenQUOIEwc/T5a45nyJCoI/AAAAAAAAATk/rOyowKBGUtE/s320/LM1.jpg" /></a></div>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-23802899441389146852012-03-27T18:29:00.002+01:002012-03-27T18:29:32.045+01:00Hello!!! Anybody there?I really don't know where does the time go. I feel like I blogged yesterday and not last month.....must...be.....better.
Work has picked up again and things are busy at the office. Which of course makes me angry because I missed some workouts. But I try to reassess every day and stick to as many workouts as I can do. Right now running is my priority. London marathon is less than four weeks away and I can't wait. I am terrified, not of the race, but that something will go wrong in the run up to the race, like injury etc. Things have been going quite well with training and so everyone please keep their fingers crossed.
I have been slacking on the nutrition side though. I was so good the first couple of months with eating healthily but now I seemed to have relaxed a bit. This, it seems, correlates to how busy I am at work. It is like comfort eating. Really must stop with that. Please share some tricks (and treats) you do (and eat) to stay on healthy eating path.
The clocks have finally changed over here in Europe and the evenings are wonderful. The weather has been glorious. But the mornings are still very cold. On Sunday, my plan called for a 3 hour ride. Shaun was running a half-marathon in Fleet in Hampshire which is very popular with military. I think it's the military half-marathon championship.
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So I decided to get up early and ride there just in time for race start. Of course, the clocks changed the night before which meant that the mornings are now a little darker. But I set off around 6:30 and it was FREEZING. Wonderful but very cold. An hour in and I wanted to knock on someone's door to ask for some warm gloves. But I didn't and it got warmer. There was no traffic almost at all and ride through Richmond park was amazing. There was mist everywhere and lots of deer and birds. Beautiful. I mapped my ride the night before and I knew the first half of it quite well but the second half was unknown. It ended up being very cool ride. It would have all been perfect had my bike not decided to fail me. 7-8 miles from the end at a set of traffic lights my chain jammed. I nearly fell over but managed to stay upright. However I hit my calf against the chain and also the front side of my leg against something (not sure what it is but part of my right leg is now very lumpy and blue). I took this photo just after it.
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I don't think it look too bad there but it is now very blue. Luckily, it doesn't hurt much and I think it is superficial. Yay!!!! But I guess it is a reminder to be very careful especially now that the first A race of the season is just around the corner.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-64709090768862030022012-02-20T16:46:00.001+00:002012-02-20T16:47:41.257+00:00Finally, a blog post!I know, I know, it has been far too long since my last update... I am annoyed with myself for neglecting this blog. But here I am, so give me a chance. <br /><br />What has been happening in my life recently? Well not an awful lot but life seems good at the moment and training is going really well. Actually too well and I keep thinking that I will wake up from this dream. Why so well, I hear you ask? Well, this year alone I have bagged three PRs in three different running races - 5 km, 10 miler and a half-marathon. I am over the moon about it but it did not just happen overnight. So, let's start from the beginning.....<br /><br />Last year, racing and training wise was not a great year for me. It started off well with a half-ironman in May where I got a PR. Great start to the season I thought... Couple of weeks later and I ended up injured. I had a soft tissue injury in my foot that led to no running pretty much the whole summer. I ended up doing Ireland 70.3 in September because I was already signed up for it. Race didn't go great but I wasn't expecting much else either. Injury, coupled with a more-than-hectic work schedule, left me pretty much with no training or racing done last year. Work was crazy. Since June last year up until mid-January I worked on a deal that was all-consuming. If I left the office at 10 pm I was celebrating because that was an early night for me. By the time Christmas came around I was exhausted, physically and mentally. Naturally the training really suffered and I managed to do some workouts here and there but never really anything consistent. Around mid-December, I was just fed up with it all. I sat down and talked about it with Shaun. I felt that I was wasting my time and more importantly coach Jen's time. I did not want Jen to put in all the hard work to write a training plan for me, so that I would just end up doing one or two workouts of the week. I was seriously doubting whether I should have a coach and whether I am indeed coachable. <br /><br />Shaun was very good about it all. He said that I should use next couple of months to see if things were going to improve. So I knew there and then that from January for at least couple of months I needed either to fully commit or to just walk away from trying to compete in this sport. I was hungry for work, I thought about it a lot, I wrote lists, plans goals..... I was ready to work hard...I was ready!!!<br /><br />My first 'A' race is London marathon and naturally I have a more run-focused plan. I was really happy with that because I love running and it is with running that I ended up in this crazy sport of ours. I was determined to put the miles in, not skip workouts, do the hard work and prove to myself and Jen that I could do this. There were no more excuses. Last year so often I would go home from work and allow myself to think that I am too tired to train, that I had a crazy busy day at work and that I needed to rest- naturally with some cake in front of TV. This year as soon as I feel those thoughts creeping in, I dismiss them straight away. If I want to hit my target at London marathon I have to get out there, I have to train because noone else will do it for me. And yes, that cake won't help either. So, this year so far has been great. I have only missed two workouts because I was ill. The rest were done and they were done on time....no excuses. Every time I train I remind myself that I need to do it properly. As Jen put it in one of her emails, the workouts should not be done half-assed. And they are not. If I have a hard run on and some fast repeats, as soon as I find myself slacking, I remind myself that this should not be done half-assed. And it works. <br /><br />And here I am with three races done and three PRs - over a minute in 5 km, 5 minutes in 10 miler and 4.5 minutes in half-marathon. I mean, these are not PRs of 5-10 seconds that I am used to, these are huge. The truth to be told I love this new way of training. I love seeing progress, I love getting quicker. It motivates me to go out there and do it day in and day out. There really are no limits for me any more and I finally allow myself to dare to dream big. I know that whatever I set for myself I can do it. I need to put the hard work in but I can do it. It really is like any other job in life - if I don't do something that I need to do at work today, noone is going to do it for me. There will be no results. What you put in, you WILL get out. Getting out there, doing the work and doing the work consistently is the key. Noone is going to do it for you. You either commit one hundred per cent or you don't commit at all.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-41757152197834384782011-12-05T16:46:00.001+00:002011-12-05T16:49:19.504+00:00Guilty as chargedWell, it's been far too long since the last post. A lot has happened and not much has happened - it depends how you look at things. But I will keep this "come back" post short so perhaps some bullet points are in order:<br /><br /> - - At the beginning of September I did Ireland 70.3 and I loved it so much I think I will go back next year: The swim was shortened due to some strong winds and during that 750m swim in the seas I seriously thought I was going to die. The race was really well organised and the Irish now how to have fun. The best part of it though is that I got to spend some cool time with <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.com/">Charisa</a> and her Mum, and also with <a href="http://lovetoeatlovetorun.blogspot.com/">Caroline </a>and her lovely husband Mark. <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.com/">Charisa</a> got 3rd overall and Caroline bagged her Vegas slot so I was surrounded by some kick-ass ladies.<br /><br />- - Then I went back to work for few days before I got to spend some more time with <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.com/">Charisa</a>. She was racing Challenge Henley and stayed with us for 10 days or so. We had lots of fun spectating at IM Wales and then I had fun cheering her on at Henley. I was lacking with my culinary skills though so for next visit I need to sharpen up a bit in the kitchen.<br /><br />-- I've got a slot for London Marathon 2012 and I am very excited about it. It is very hard to get hold of one of those slots (unless you are super-fast, which I am not) so I am determined to train hard and do well in April.<br /><br />-- I am loving living back in London again. It means I don't get to see hubby as much as I would like to but our lives are much easier. On the negative side, it seems that he will be deploying again very soon - we should know for certain this week.<br /><br />-- Work has been crazy, crazy, crazy. I have never worked this hard and such long hours before. Even my boss told me that I have been putting in more hours than anyone else. I have been working on a really long and complicated transaction for over 6 months now and since mid-September my usual hours have been 9 am - midnight. Not fun. Naturally, training suffered - I was fighting to get any sleep. Luckily, it seems that we are nearly there with this transaction and today has been a first day in a very long time that I hope I would leave the office around 6 pm. Woohooo!!!<br /><br />- - Can't believe it's less than three weeks until Christmas. I will be off work for about 10 days and I can't wait. There are a lot of parties going on at the moment as well - next week alone I have four parties/dinners in four days. Uh-oh/<br /><br />Well, there you go - not much has really happened, at least recently. It will be nice to get some rest over Christmas holiday and re-group.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-49052460875343280462011-08-01T10:39:00.002+01:002011-08-01T10:56:37.334+01:00I am back...I thinkIt has been far too long since I actually wrote anything meaningful on here. I wonder if I ever did. Well lots of things have happened since my last post. <br /><br />In the first week of June I ran a very hilly half-marathon in Wales. It probably was the hilliest road race I ever done. Those people doing IM Wales, beware, it is super hilly. My time was not a PR but I was pleased with it. It was not a PR course by any stretch of imagination (the first lady came in 1:40 something). In the evening after the race my foot started hurting and by Monday morning I was limping around. To cut long and boring story short I ended up injured and not running for pretty much last 7 weeks. IM UK 70.3 was out and then when things were not getting any better IM Germany was out. It is amazing how much you take your health for granted, right? I have only just started running again - some short 20, 30 mins runs. It is a slow way back. I did 35 mins on Saturday and that was my longest run in the last 8 weeks. But we play with the cards we are dealt so there is not going to be much complaining. IM Ireland 70.3 at the beginning of September is still on the cards so hopefully things will be fine by then.<br /><br />In other news, work has been crazy. I have never been so stressed in my life. My department is terribly overstretched - we are so busy and lacking human resources. I am working on a deal at the moment that is leaving me in despair at the end of a day. But hopefully it will be over soon and things will calm down a bit.<br /><br />Couple of weeks ago I also moved into an apartment in London. I am back to bike commuting to work and seeing more of my friends and love it. The reason for it is that Shaun's next job is taking us to Wales (and then him on a deployment). So I will be spending Monday to Friday in London and weekends in Wales. Actually as I write thin we have people packing downstairs - we are moving today. Can you tell the reason I am writing is because I needed to let them do their job and I was clearly in their way. ;(<br /><br />Anyway, those are the news. Hope everyone is having a great season even if mine was not meant to be.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-9900431892944946182011-06-10T13:41:00.002+01:002011-06-10T13:45:42.155+01:00Happy birthday Prince PhilipToday is 90th birthday of the Duke of Edinburg, Prince Philip. His amazing 63-year marriage to the Queen is very inspiring. But what I really like about Prince Philip is how politically incorrect he is and has been over the years. And being married to the Queen he can get away with it.<br /><br />I laughed outloud reading <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2001251/As-Prince-Philip-turns-90-relive-hilarious-gaffes.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">this</a> article which lists his famous "gaffes". Hope you enjoy it and don't get offended.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-50147083933877007202011-04-12T11:37:00.004+01:002011-06-02T17:13:56.021+01:00USA trip<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ClLAZp4onE/Tee2uMe907I/AAAAAAAAATA/koXZhURKrPw/s1600/Marit%2Band%2BI.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ClLAZp4onE/Tee2uMe907I/AAAAAAAAATA/koXZhURKrPw/s320/Marit%2Band%2BI.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613656365281956786" /></a><br /><br /><br />OK guilty as charged - no blogging for what seems forever (and it IS forever) but I promise I started this blog post over a month ago!!!!<br /><br /><br />At the end of March I flew to the US to attend one of <a href="http://www.jenharrison.com/">Jen's</a> training camps in Tucson, AZ. The long trip was definitely worth it. I had great time.<br /><br />I flew into Los Angeles and drove to Carlsbad that afternoon. I was staying the night with the most awesome hosts <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.com/">Charisa</a> and her husband Steven. They looked after me so well that I cannot wait to return the hospitality soon. That evening <a href="http://charisawernick.blogspot.com/">Charisa</a> and I had a dinner in a great Mexican in Carlsbad with <a href="http://marit-chrislock-lauterbach.blogspot.com/">Marit</a>. Even though by then I was exhausted with a huge jetlag I had great time with the ladies. Also the following morning I had lovely breakfast with Marit - I loved spending time with her - she is so amazing.<br /><br />The Tuscon camp was great. I finally got to meet a lot of blog friends and also some new friends. Also I was really looking forward to meeting my coach <a href="http://www.jenharrison.com/">Jen</a> The camp was tough for me. I've been quite sick in March and without too much training done I was not sure how prepared i was for it. But the camp was awesome. Climbing Mt. Lemmon was absolutely amazing and I cannot believe I got all the way to the top. The running routes were also amazing and swimming in the open air pool was such a treat in early April.<br /><br />Since coming back from Arizona my training has been going OK (although as I write this I have skipped couple of workouts due to sore throat/slightly high temperature, ugh). Couple of weeks ago I raced my first triathlon of the year called the Swashbuckler. The race takes plane in the New Forest, the beautiful English national park. Even though New Forest is pretty close to us I have never been there and it is so beautiful. The race organisation was second to none and the field was pretty strong. Quite a few of my friends were racing (the male winner in fact) and it was great to catch up pre and post race with them. The race distance is "half-ironman-ish". The difference is that bike is shorter - 50 miles and run is longer - 14 miles. Run is quite lumpy as well. Because of the odd distance it is difficult to compare it to other races but my bike average speed is definitely a PR and run was close to PR. You really do feel that extra mile on the run. The swim was in a very tidal river with strong current and so although my swim time was nowhere near my PR it was bang on what I was expecting. So I was really pleased with the race although such strong field made me hungry to work more and harder and start being competitive in my age gr op. That is something new to me as up until now I just wanted a PR. Now I want to race well and compete. <br /><br />So that's the news - you haven't really missed much. This weekend Shaun and I are off to Wales. Shaun is doing inaugural Ironman Wales in September and this weekend the organisers have put on an open water swim, bike SAG rides of different distances and marathon and half-marathon, all on the course of IM race. So for Shaun it is a great opportunity to recce the courses and for me a perfect way to do my long weekend workouts in a good company.<br /><br />Have a good weekend everyone!ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-69211584901365835302011-03-25T10:21:00.002+00:002011-03-25T10:47:25.993+00:00ProudLast few weeks have been somewhat hard on me. Just as I started to get back into some training three weeks ago I was struck by very bad tonsillitis. I was on antibiotics for 10 days and felt quite ill. I cannot remember the last time I felt that sick. Needless to say no training was done. I was really annoyed with it. I didn't go to work for couple of days and I was fed up with daytime tv. I was not fun to be around. Finally after couple of weeks and finishing the course of antibiotics I started training again. And I have been trying to do as many scheduled workouts as I could but work picked up and I am so busy every day. It is very annoying because I see most progress and feel best about the sporting goals when I train consistently. My parents are in town for a week and whilst I took couple of days off work to spend with them, the rest of the time I had to work. I think they were shocked on Wednesday when they did not see me the whole day. I left home at 7 am and came back around 10.30 pm when they were already in bed and then carried on working at home until 2 am. I felt so bad for abandoning them like that but there was not much I could do. I don't think they knew before how busy and stressful my job can be and this was a real eye-opener for them.<br /><br />The problem I have when I work a lot is my food. I tend to eat rubbish food, raiding the office vending machine late at night for some sugar fix. It is atrocious. What do people do (and eat) when they work late. So after few weeks of late nights I feel terribly fat and unfit (probably because I am). Ugh.<br /><br />On a more positive note I am off to Tucson next week for<a href="http://www.jenharrison.com/"> Jen's </a>training camp and I cannot wait. Yes I will suffer and all that (Jen. please go easy on me) but it will be great to get some good workouts in and finally meet few people in person. Yay!!! I am flying into LAX and will then drive down to San Diego to see some fun people. So so looking forward to that.<br /><br />OK and finally a paragraph which is really what this title is about. I am very proud of my husband today who has been awarded Mention in Dispatches for his service in Afghanistan last year. You can read about the awards <a href="http://www.army.mod.uk/news/23775.aspx">here</a>. Mention in Dispatches is the British Armed Forces oldest gallantry in combat award awarded to those who distinguished themselves by exceptional heroism, service or achievement. I am so very proud.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-51442674081946554722011-03-07T15:52:00.002+00:002011-03-07T16:07:56.058+00:00My ABCYes I know, I am copying you all but I don't feel like writing a proper blog so here it is:<br /><br />A. Age: 32, very soon to be 33 :(((<br /><br />B. Bed size: Queen, but am thinking of getting super king. Queen was always fine for me but after Shaun being away last year for 7 months I kind of got used to more space. <br /><br />C. Chore you dislike: Cleaning!!!<br /><br />D. Dogs: Chocolate Labrador Millie, but considering that Shaun's parents fell in love with her and took her away for "couple of weeks" I am not sure we will get her back. We had a Dalmatian in the past called Rex who was the cutest and naughtiest dog in the world.<br /><br />E. Essential start to your day: Cup of hot water with some lemon juice. <br /><br />F. Favourite colour: Brown. I know, very exciting.<br /><br />G. Gold or silver: Silver, actually platinum would be the best.<br /><br />H. Height: 5'8"<br /><br />I. Instruments you play(ed): None. <br /><br />J. Job title: Associate. People think my job is like Ally McBeal set. It is so NOT.<br /><br />K. Kids: None (yet).<br /><br />L. Live: Marlborough, UK.<br /><br />M. Mom's name: Mitra, but we have given her plenty of nicknames over the years.<br /><br />N. Nicknames: Gina, Angie and a number of those given by Shaun which shall remain secret.<br /><br />O. Overnight hospital stays: None.<br /><br />P. Pet peeves: When people are inconsiderate to others on public transport.<br /><br />R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.<br /><br />S. Siblings: Biljana, four years older who lives in New Zealand so I don't get to see her as often as I would like.<br /><br />T. Time you wake up: Week-days between 4:30 and 6 am (depending on whether I'm training or not), weekends anything between 7 and 11 am (I love my lie-ins).<br /><br />U. Underwear: Calvin Klein or Marks & Spencers<br /><br />V. Vegetables you don't like: I love vegetables.<br /><br />W. What makes you run late: Waiting for Shaun, getting the car defrosted in the morning, clients.<br /><br />X. X-rays you've had: teeth, fingers.<br /><br />Y. Yummy food you make: I am not a great chef but I do make a great salmon pasta.<br /><br />Z. Zoo animal favourites: Bears and lemurs.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-22630716128611303602011-02-25T14:12:00.002+00:002011-02-25T14:20:57.380+00:00Funny stuffSince I don't have anything interesting or clever to say and since I found this list in my inbox today, I thought I would share. Hope no one gets offended. Enjoy!<br /><br />1) I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.<br /><br />2) Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.<br /><br />3) I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.<br /><br />4) Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.<br /><br />5) The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.<br /><br />6) Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.<br /><br />7) If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.<br /><br />8) We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.<br /><br />9) War does not determine who is right - only who is left.<br /><br />10) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.<br /><br />11) The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.<br /><br />12) Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.<br /><br />13) To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.<br /><br />14) A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.<br /><br />15) How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?<br /><br />16) Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.<br /><br />17) Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.<br /><br />18) I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.<br /><br />19) A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it.<br /><br />20) Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "If an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR".<br /><br />21) I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.<br /><br />22) Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?<br /><br />23) Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.<br /><br />24) Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.<br /><br />25) A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.<br /><br />26) You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.<br /><br />27) The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!<br /><br />28) Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.<br /><br />29) A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.<br /><br />30) Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.<br /><br />31) Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.<br /><br />32) I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.<br /><br />33) Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.<br /><br />34) I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.<br /><br />35) When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.<br /><br />36) You're never too old to learn something stupid.<br /><br />37) To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.<br /><br />38) Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.<br /><br />39) Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.<br /><br />40) A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.<br /><br />41) Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-63170059412913582102011-02-21T16:54:00.002+00:002011-02-21T17:13:45.898+00:00I really need to be better at trying to keep this blog alive. I am slacking and I know it. But truth to be told there is really not much happening in our household. The week before last I first had an adductor injury which left me in pain and limping for couple of days. Then I got ill. I knew something was happening on Wednesday afternoon as I left work at 5.30 pm (very early for me) and went straight home and straight to bed. I kept waking up in the middle of the night with high temperature and a really really sore throat. I ended up not going to work on Thursday and Friday and by Monday I was feeling much better. Needless to say no training was done during that time but by Monday last week I was ready and motivated to get back into training. But those two days being at home and not working made me really appreciate my job. Gosh I would go mad if I had to stay at home the whole day - I am really bad at keeping myself entertained at times. <br /><br />So last week it was back to work and back to training. The training part is going ok. I have managed to get most of my workouts in and that motivates me even more. I am beginning to like my new swim squad although the knowledge that we will live here only until July/August makes me not wanting to really get stuck into club life. <br /><br />Work has been OK. I am still working on my never-ending transaction that has been going on since July last year. Last week I witnessed real incompetence shown by lawyers on the other side and it really made me wonder who gave them law degrees and practising certificates. <br /><br />In other news Shaun and I are trying to get more sleep these days. We are both well known in our friends' circles for being notoriously bad at getting enough sleep. Part of it is because we are so busy all the time and just don't have enough time to do it all but also part of it is because we are just not disciplined enough to make ourselves go to bed early. So this weekend I was on a mission. I made us go to bed before 10 pm on Friday and on Saturday morning we were up early and done with our workouts by 10 am. Well, let me tell you, that is a first for us. We normally go to bed late on a Friday and then in an effort to catch up on some sleep do not normally get out of bed before 10 am. But this weekend we realised that if we are just a bit more disciplined we can have far more fun at weekends. By getting up early and getting our workouts out of the way we had time to go into town, enjoy the local market and sit in a coffee shop drinking coffee and reading paper for couple of hours. It was wonderful. And then we did a repeat on Sunday and by having our workouts done first thing in the morning we had time to go to a local bistro and have lovely lunch. So needless to say, our sleep pattern will be changing.ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-50565005171008664822011-02-08T10:16:00.007+00:002011-02-08T10:38:10.716+00:00Medals, parades and other stuffWell not much and at the same time a lot has been happening. Work is busy as usual. I have been working on a particular transaction for over six months now and every time we think we are near the end something else happens or the lawyers on the other side have more comments, blah, blah, blah. The lawyers on the other side have been driving me absolutely mad. <br /><br />Anyway, I haven't been feeling that great last week. I don't like this time of the year because I always feel sick - mainly because I commute to work in a crammed train or underground and the germs are flying around. I am trying to take care of myself but when you are inches away from people and they are coughing, sneezing etc. it is just not that easy. My training of course suffered. I am finding it very difficult to get into grove of training when I don't feel well. <br /><br />Last weekend we went down to our old neighbourhood because Shaun's unit was receiving their medals for the deployment in Afghanistan. It was a freezing day but it was lovely to see everyone. And HRH Prince Charles came and was awarding the medals. It was wonderful to catch up with some old friends but the time just went by far too quickly. We stayed the whole weekend since there was another party for us to go to - company that Shaun used to command was doing a welcome and farewell to few people, including us. Again, it was great to see them all but at the same time sad that we are not there any more. I miss living down there. I miss living by the sea. I miss my old running and cycling routes and my old masters swim squad. But most of all I miss all my friends. Life in the Army, eh!!!<br /><br />On that note I am leaving you with couple of photos from the parade.<br /><br />The company Shaun commanded in Aghanistan:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TVEcYHlUjyI/AAAAAAAAASY/ae44PfRH_CU/s1600/Parade2.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TVEcYHlUjyI/AAAAAAAAASY/ae44PfRH_CU/s320/Parade2.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571265414712037154" /></a><br /><br /><br />Prince Charles:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TVEcmAPYC6I/AAAAAAAAASg/IzxzkozjXk8/s1600/Parade3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TVEcmAPYC6I/AAAAAAAAASg/IzxzkozjXk8/s320/Parade3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571265653259111330" /></a><br /><br />All together:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TVEct8sTevI/AAAAAAAAASo/Tqj2BGPhNv4/s1600/Parade4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TVEct8sTevI/AAAAAAAAASo/Tqj2BGPhNv4/s320/Parade4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571265789745658610" /></a>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-6416090449290624212011-01-25T15:29:00.002+00:002011-01-25T15:46:02.058+00:00Ultrarunner v IronmanNot sure whether you've seen this clip before but I thought I would share. Very funny. Enjoy!<br /><br /><object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars"value="height=390&width=480&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/3ec9ecb2-2484-11e0-a9a5-003048d69c21_27.mp4&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/3ec9ecb2-2484-11e0-a9a5-003048d69c21_27.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8279147&searchbar=false&autostart=false"/><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="height=390&width=480&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/3ec9ecb2-2484-11e0-a9a5-003048d69c21_27.mp4&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/3ec9ecb2-2484-11e0-a9a5-003048d69c21_27.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8279147&searchbar=false&autostart=false"></embed></object><object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf" width="1" height="1" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-7709680143882642412011-01-21T16:06:00.002+00:002011-01-21T16:25:54.679+00:00Life as usualI haven't been writing much lately simply because there wasn't really that much to write about. Well, there still isn't but here I am writing and boring to death few of you that are actually reading this blog.<br /><br />Thank God it's Friday!!! Work has not been crazy busy, but I am currently working on a deal which has been going on for what seems forever. I actually really like the partner in charge of this transaction and I like the client but the lawyers on the other side are DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!! Almost every day involves a conference call which lasts for hours where they would like to discuss issues that are not really issues. Or I have to go to Paris and sit in a room for hours negotiating the documents. Anyway, I don't really want to write about it because just thinking about it raises my blood pressure.<br /><br />My new commute to work is OK-ish but not great. It takes me 2 hours to get to work. Those two hours involve a car drive, train journey and underground journey. I know for most of people this is crazy commute and I do agree with you but these are the only 7 months in my life where I know that Shaun is at home all the time and I get back home to him every evening. So there is absolutely no way that I am staying in London during the week. However, from August his job takes us to Wales which will mean that I will be in London Monday to Friday and then in Wales at weekends. His job will take him away fairly often as well. It will be hard but I know we can make it work. We have in the past. Since I haven't kept my old apartment in London I am currently looking at where I would like to live from the summer and I have narrowed it down to few places. Basically, I will want to be near one of the parks: Hyde Park, Regents Park or Richmond Park. My old apartment was very near Hyde Park and I am leaning that way just because I love that part of the city. And plus, guess where Triathlon race will be in 2012 Olympics??? The Olympics tickets go on sale in few weeks' time and I can't wait. <br /><br />Have a great weekend!!!ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-7126570408322428222011-01-05T11:16:00.002+00:002011-01-05T11:33:13.433+00:00Happy New Year!!!Well I can't believe that the holidays are over. For months you build up to that time in December and you excitingly wait and then it is all over in what seemed like a second. Gosh, going back to work after the holidays is hard. <br /><br />We had quiet Christmas at home, Shaun, me and Millie. My parents were planning to come over but because of lots of snow and a lot of flights being cancelled they postponed their trip over to some warmer days. We decided to stay at home because Millie was just settling in and we wanted to give her some time to get used to life at home. <br /><br />For New Year's Eve we had lovely dinner with friends. One of the great things about living where we live now is that we are only 30 mins drive from our great friends and my Goddaughter so having dinner together was wonderful. There were only 6 of us (3 couples) there and we spent the New Year's Eve 6 years ago together so that was really nice. <br /><br />Shaun has started work yesterday, following his post-deployment leave period. He is now at Staff College studying whatever all these Majors have to study until mid-August. Life as a student, hah! It is just so nice having him at home.<br /><br />I have now started training, and wow am I out of shape. It is incredible how quickly fitness goes. So far running in the dark keeps me on my toes. I normally run before work and it is still very much dark outside. Where we lived before that was not much of a problem as it was a well lit, inhabited area and I would normally run in the town centre and back anyway. But now it is a totally different. We live in a road with 8 other houses and a lot of nothing around. There is no street light. So yesterday saw me running in the dark with the head torch on which was interesting. I can't say I enjoyed it very much but I guess I will get used to it. On a positive side, once the days get longer in few weeks running in that countryside during sunrise will be amazing. <br /><br />Happy New Year!!!ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-28837765197753899732010-12-21T11:38:00.002+00:002010-12-21T11:55:58.048+00:00New life in the countrySo, I am going to copy what some of you (which shall remain unnamed) do and do this blog post in bullet point format.<br /><br />-- We love living in our new neighbourhood. Our house is one of 9 on the road in the middle on English countryside and we love it. It is very quiet with lots and lots of footpaths and trails. Ideal for running. Our road is also part of the National Cycle Network which means some great rides around. It really is amazing living in the countryside again. Yesterday we had three deer in our garden and this morning we've heard and owl outside. We LOVE it. <br /><br />-- I am also looking forward to joining local triathlon scene which is meant to be quite good. We miss our friends from the old tri club but I am determined to make some new ones here. <br /><br />-- Still no training. I feel very fat and unfit and cannot wait to start training again. To be fair I am my own worse enemy as when I don't train I just let my eating habits slide as well. I really really need to be more disciplined. But, hurray, Jen's updated my training peaks and I start training again next week and i CAN'T WAIT.<br /><br />-- Work has been busy lately with some trips to Paris. Actually, as glamorous as it sounds I am really not enjoying those. It involves a lot of travelling, sitting in a meeting room and negotiating the deal.<br /><br />-- We have a new addition to our family. A beautiful chocolate Labrador called Millie and she is adorable. <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TRCVkaXOFDI/AAAAAAAAASA/JKZML3W1Jhg/s1600/MILLIE.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TRCVkaXOFDI/AAAAAAAAASA/JKZML3W1Jhg/s320/MILLIE.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553102793332364338" /></a>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-80796753451700247172010-12-14T10:31:00.002+00:002010-12-14T10:46:19.523+00:00Wow, has it been this long since the last time I wrote. I really won't learn, will I. That is it, I am going to try to stick to writing at least once a week. Let's see how that goes, shall we!?<br /><br />So what has happened since the last time I wrote? The first and most important thing is that Shaun came back home after 7-month deployment to Afghanistan. The company he commands was on the very last flight home which made it really hard.I would see the other guys arriving home and their wives and girlfriends being really happy and relieved but we just had to wait and wait. But that day finally arrived and it was wonderful to have him back home. The post-deployment party in the officers mess was the best party we had in a very long time. Everyone was really relaxed which made it such a fun night. We had some friends staying with us as well which was fun and ended up getting home just after 5 am. A lot of alcohol was consumed and I don't normally drink which made the day after the party a rather painful day. I felt seriously ill the following day. And of course I said the famous words - "I am not drinking ever again". <br /><br />So what else happened. For the past few months I was training for a marathon which was due to take place on 5 December. The week before the race we had a very snowy and cold weather (UK just does not know how to cope with the cold and snow) and the race was cancelled. I was very disappointed, especially as my training was going really well and I knew I was in for a good PR. Anyway, I have frantically set off looking for an alternative race and found one a week later in Holland. But this marathon just did not seem to happen for me as I felt ill and didn't race.<br /><br />So now I am under instructions to rest and enjoy and I keep looking at my training peaks profile and there are no workouts there. I even log on every day hoping that I fill find a workout or something but nothing. I am not very good at this resting thing. It is driving me mad.<br /><br />In some different news we have moved to a small village between Swindon and Marlborough, west of London. Shaun is on a staff college here until August, when we move to Wales. I am of course commuting to London for my job which is not ideal but there is not much I can do about it. We moved last week and are still getting to know the area. It is very beautiful with a lot of lovely pubs and great cycling route network. I think we will have nice time here. <br /><br />So I am leaving you with a photo from the party which sums it all up - FUN!!!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TQdKvYo2mtI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Uf4MktGhhSw/s1600/Party2.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J8nBJf4y-8U/TQdKvYo2mtI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Uf4MktGhhSw/s320/Party2.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550487243685534418" /></a>ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1155076731522612377.post-38852183729501531622010-10-23T21:14:00.000+01:002010-10-23T21:14:44.037+01:00ESPN 30 for 30 - Once Brothers (1/6)<object style="background-image:url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/3hOst_NExGI/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3hOst_NExGI?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3hOst_NExGI?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="480" height="295" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />One of my friends posted this video on facebook the other day and I have already seen it twice. If you have not seen it on ESPN have a look on youtube. I loved it. It took me back to the old days when I was just a little girl and all these guys that appear in this video (Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, Drazen Petrovic) were my idols. That era, the era of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan for me was when the best basketball was played.<br /><br />I started playing basketball competitively when I was 9-10 years old. By the age of 13 I was already playing in National junior (U18) team and by the time I was 14 I was playing in my club's senior team with the girls who were at least 4-5 years older than me. I loved it. Basketball was my life and I loved my life. I trained hard and I trained every day. I used to go to practice an hour before everyone else and would stay an hour after everyone has left. I lived for the game. And I was good at it. Really good (without wanting to sound big-headed). I always thought that I would be a professional basketball player. For me nothing else was an option. But things happen in life over which you don't have any control and my basketball career came to abrupt stop.<br /><br />I so often wonder what would have happened and where would I be now if I carried on playing. It is amazing how one event if your life changes your life altogether. Well, perhaps that's the beauty of it.<br /><br />In more recent news, work has continued to be absolutely crazy. Hopefully the deal I am working on will complete this Friday and I can have my life back. And some more positive news, 15 days until my husband is finally back home. Huuuurrraaaay!!!ADChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10681410636337246464noreply@blogger.com7