Reviews, weekends, training

I had my annual review last week at work and it went really well. I am so pleased about it. My close friends know that I haven't always enjoyed my job. I think when you are a junior lawyer people tend to think that they can just dump everything on you and since you are a junior lawyer you can do it because you really shouldn't have a life. So there were days when I was really hating my job and hating going to work. And plus I had no time to train :-( But last 12 months have been quite different and I have really started to enjoy it more. I guess as I became more senior I was doing more interesting stuff so I was really pleased when I was told last week that I've been doing really well. So I am now a main lawyer on one of the big transactions we are doing and although it is daunting at times I am loving the challenge. I hope I live up to the expectations.

I flew to NYC on Friday night after work (and almost missed my flight because I was stuck in a meeting) and had a lovely weekend with Shaun. We did a lot of training and he helped me with me 1500 m TT swim when he was taking the splits. The only problem is that the pool is soooo hot I was so slow. I swear that pool was at least 15 degree hotter than my usual pool in London.

We also went to Whole Foods and spent a fortune but the food is delicious and I just love that place. Finally got Silverman DVD so we were watching that. I just love that race and cannot wait to go back in November. We had a friend coming over for lunch on Sunday and he asked what we've done that weekend and both Shaun and I were like "training". I think he may think we are weird....

Now back in London but only for 10 days or so - I am back in the US towards the end of next week. There is an infantry ball at West Point on Friday and since I've missed the last one we are going this year. Also the West Point marathon team are doing 25km Boston build up race and I will go and do it as my long slow run - Shaun and I are hosting pasta dinner the day before so that should be fun.

Ahh, the rain here in London has finally stopped and I rode to work this morning. I am so happy to avoid the underground.

Well, back to work now.

Don't need this now...

What can be worse than having crappy weather?? Being ill and having crappy weather. Everything was fine until yesterday afternoon. You know what it's like: Friday afternoon at work, it is always happy times. But around 4 pm I started feeling my throat. It was getting sore quite quickly. As always, when something like this happens I think about my training straight away. Will I feel well enough to go running? Or to go to the gym? By the time I left work things were not looking great. I wasn't feeling well and had absolutely no energy to do any kind of training. So I headed home. Of course on the way home I stopped at my local supermarket and got some carrot cake. Just to drown (or eat???) my sorrows. I have no idea what is wrong with me but lately, when things are not going the way I want them to I turn to food. Bad food!! Seriously, I never used to be like this. THIS NEEDS TO STOP!!!!

Woke up this morning quite early and feeling totally rubbish - sore throat, achy with a bit of fever. Quick look at my blackberry and I saw an email from my coach who was trying to lift my morale (I was complaining to him about the weather yesterday morning). I saw that email and thought "Maybe I can train today after all. I can go for a run and see how I feel". But I wasn't feeling great. For 20 mins or so I has this battle in myself - my reasonable self saying that I should rest and get better soon and my other (maybe stupid) self thinking I could still go out for a run. Finally I went back to sleep and woke up at mid-day. Holy cow, I slept for 12 hours. I cannot remember when was the last time I slept that much. Never???

So here I am after a day of no training, drinking all sorts of hot drinks and feeling sorry for myself. I am hoping I will be able to go out for my long run tomorrow but something is telling me it won't happen. We shall see.... I am such a bad patient!!!!

On a more positive note, I have been chatting to my coach about taking a week off work in April/May and putting in a good week of training. He suggested going somewhere nice and warm. Last year Shaun and I went to Boulder but that was at the end of June. Because CDA is in June I need to do this earlier in the year. I am thinking about many things but still have not made any plans. All suggestions are very welcome - I really need your help guys.

Hope you are all having much better time than me.  

More about London weather

Well if any of you have been checking English weather news (I know, a very English thing to do) you would have seen that we have had some bad weather recently. But let's start from the beginning.

Shaun was here this weekend as well so although on Saturday we kind of did each our own thing (I trained and trained, he met with some friends), Sunday was a day for us. We started the day like this....

May I just add that mine are only coffee and biscotti. Those little donaughts are Shaun's favourite. After that little trip to Starbucks we've met our friend (whose husband is currently away on operations) and her two children at the Natural History Museum. Getting there was a bit of a challenge. It was really really cold and windy. The place was buzzing with people and considering kiddies' short attention span we didn't stay there too long.

This is Shaun and Belinda with the kids - note that Shaun is actually quite good with kids. I guess that is what happens when you are the oldest out of five.

We had a great day but once we got back home I still had a long run to do. And it was soooo cold out there. Anyway, I put more layers than ever before and out I went. I have to admit that I've probably seen only 2-3 runners out there. It was cold and my hands were freezing but I did it. It started snowing a bit towards the end of the run but I didn't think much of it.

Woke up in the morning at 5:30 am ready to go swimming. Looked outside and there was so much snow. For most of you that is nothing unusual but for London it is a big deal. I said goodbyes to Shaun as I was going to work straight from the pool and he was flying back to the US and off I went. My walk to the pool (10 mins or so) seemed epic. It was snowing, the wind was howling and there was no one in sight. Finally I saw a guy who looked at me and said "There is no public transport, buses and tube (i.e. underground) are not working. I've been waiting here for 40 mins". I looked at him and just said "That's OK, I am going for a swim". I will never forget the look on his face when I said that. He probably thought I was complete nutter.

Luckily the pool was open and I've managed to do my session. Whilst swimming I figured that Shaun probably wouldn't have a clue about the transport issues so I better go back home and sort him out before I go to work. And I was right. He was oblivious to what was going on outside whilst having his breakfast and coffee. To cut the story short we somehow managed to get him to the airport and I turned up at work hours later to find that there was only few of us there. No one else managed to come in. My boss was there so hey, I've managed to score some brownie points :-) He also let us go home at 3 pm so I went to the gym. This is how the gym looked like that evening

And this is the view from my office today

I didn't manage to go for a run last night as there was too much ice out there. Hopefully I will be able to tick it off tonight.

I need a warm place to go to right now - this winter is really getting to me. On a more positive note the days are getting longer which is great. Can't wait for the spring.

London weather

Ok for all of you lovely people who live on tropical islands and in nice warm climate have a look at our weather today.

I took this photo today on my way to get some lunch. It has been raining the whole day and it's one of those annoying drizzly rains. Just plain annoying, nothing else.

So whilst you are all complaining about your weather, I bet you wouldn't want this. I would rather have snow and lots of snow. I am just about to leave office and have to go running. I am not happy about this weather.

Perfect weekend and swimming (again!!!)

First of all, it has been a lovely weekend here in London. Not because of the weather (actually the weather has been pretty rubbish) but because Shaun is here :-)

There is a group from West Point visiting the UK this weekend and as he was one of them he asked whether he could come earlier (all others are due to arrive tomorrow) and they said yes. Woo Hoo.

We've spent Saturday wandering around south-west London (my neighbourhood), drinking coffee and just relaxing. I also managed to squeeze an hour in the pool and an hour on the trainer. Sunday was even better, 9 mile run in the morning followed by drinking lots of coffee and reading Sunday paper. Ahhh, that was life. We have also managed to go to the cinema and see Valkyrie. I liked it.

But this morning, the weekend was over and it was time to get to work again. I had quite demanding swim session this morning and I was terrified of it even before I got to the pool. I think I am my own worst enemy when it comes to swimming because I get scared of just looking at the times the coach sets for me and I kind of hold myself back and don't even try my best.

Well this morning the sets were quite demanding but I really really wanted to give it my best shot. And I've managed to hit the first time set by the coach but I just wasn't able to do the same with the rest of them. I tried and tried, but nothing. It was so frustrating. It still is so frustrating. I spend so much time in the pool and surely I should be able to do this Argh!!!! Coach seems to think that I capable of it but I am not so sure any more. I will just have to try harder.

Eating!!

Well the Christmas and all the holidays have come and gone but I still seem to be eating so much rubbish. I really need to do something about it fairly soon. I am not putting any weight on, but I am not loosing any either and I should be. Argh.

Normally I'll start my day with a coffee. In the office. After I swam... It looks like this.

So I don't know whether I can call it breakfast but after the coffee I'll have two pieces of fruit. And that is my breakfast. Then by 11 am I am starving so I'll have natural yoghurt with musli (we are lucky to have a cafe at work downstairs so they have this sort of stuff).

My lunch is generally good, a big soup or salad and then I tend to still try and eat healthily. So I will have something like this

And then I will start eating crap... Why oh why!!!! I will look for some Eat Natural bars (OK they are not too bad) or some nuts (not bad either) but by the time I get home and finish evening workout, normally around 8:30 - 9 pm I can and will eat anything and everything. And it usually involves bread and pastry and butter. Argh!!!! Double argh!!!.

When I was younger I had such a strong will and if I decided to eat healthily and not eat rubbish I would do it. And I would stick to it, no problem. But as I am getting older that will is slowly disappearing and I just can't resist some things. I really really need to get back on the track and have no idea whether I'll be able to do it.

Few years ago I used to work and live in the Middle East for 6 months and that was the healthiest and fittest I've ever been . I didn't do triathlons back then, only running, but I used to exercise daily, really watch what I ate, drank lots of water (it is so hot out there) and had weekly massages. I need that time back, I want that time back. I just need to remember how I did it back then and it will all be OK.

If any of you have any tips or advice on how to eat healthy ( I am vegetarian though) and be disciplined, let me know.

Are we selfish???

I have done four days of bike commute to work this week and I am quite happy with that. I didn't cycle yesterday as I was meeting some friends for dinner and drinks after work. The evening was really good fun but I've tried not to stay out too late and was home by 11 pm.

I did a lot of running and swimming this week and I feel that my running speed is slowly coming back which is great.

I have been in touch with a lot of old friends recently and it was really good to catch up on old days. It appears that pretty much all of our friends have children. Almost every week Shaun and I get an email or text from a friend with the news of his/her newly-born child. I bet they all think that Shaun and I are really odd for not having children yet. I mean, we have been married for 6.5 years and people assume you'd definitely have them by that time. I wonder sometimes whether we are selfish for not having them yet but we are enjoying our life right now as it is and are still not ready for that big change. Our friends talk about children and we talk about new races, training, travel. Surely they think we are odd.

When I was in my early 20s I always thought that I would have at least one child by the time I am 30. Well last year I turned 30 and I still feel like that girl 10 years ago. Maybe we really are selfish, who knows.